There’s something called “mindfulness” which I’ve been hearing more about lately and it turns out I’m not alone. Speaking to some bullseye shooters has left me realizing that this is a much more common element to the firearms community than I had realized. Even so, when I was first introduced to mindfulness it had nothing at all to do with shooting.
I jokingly refer to my brain as being naturally overclocked, the darn thing never shuts off and loves to run fast. When I get to the range my focus is rarely on landing the perfect shot, instead putting shots on paper somewhere between brisk and accurate. It doesn’t have anything to do with training, I just like living in the moment. For me the mind-machine connection follows my default operation of moving quickly.
My understanding of mindfulness is having the awareness to connect with every part of yourself. Every muscle, every joint, every breath. Learning to tune in to these elements is a talent but one which can be learned even by us overclocked individuals.
Then there’s the machine interface. A firearm is no different from any other machine in that the more you use it the more familiar it becomes to you. Some people who spend a lot of time in the automotive industry can listen, feel, and smell a vehicle and tell you what’s wrong with it. Guns really aren’t that different, it’s not uncommon for someone firing a handgun or a modern sporting rifle to know exactly when the magazine runs empty because they can hear and feel the difference in the bolt’s interrupted cycle. Being connected to the trigger is a part of this link.
When shooting quickly I’ve got a lot of rigidity in my muscles. The gun does move but it moves with me, like the grip is glued to my hand. When going for more precise shots almost every shot causes the gun to jump back without me and I flinch in response. Being surprised like this might seem like a bad idea but when you’re going for that super tight group it’s actually good to have a more relaxed grip even if it means jumping a little when the shot is fired. If you’re surprised then you aren’t focusing on the noise and recoil, you’re focusing on the sight picture and the pull.
When this machine interface is connected to mindfulness of yourself something special happens. Normally I’m happy enough making a ragged dinner plate sized hole in a pistol target at thirty feet, that’s a pretty good range session for me! Unfortunately, when I had signed up for the women’s league here at the Richfield Range this shooting discipline wasn’t going to fly. There were some pretty demanding targets to aim for and I had never attempted so strict of an “aim small miss small” habit when shooting pistols. I was kidding myself in thinking that my arms were too weak to keep the gun steady long enough, I had tricked myself into thinking that I had to do that brisk combat style shooting as soon as the sights got within the ballpark of what I was aiming for.
I was wrong.
Those are all five shot groups at 15 feet. Two of them I still have a hard time believing but the round count had checked out!
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Here’s another group at 22 feet. Both targets were shot with an almost completely stock Sig P226 Enhanced Elite. The only non-factory mods on it are a solid stainless guide rod and Hogue grip screws.
Color me surprised! Really, really surprised. Mindfulness allowed me the opportunity to take all of these years of trigger time and see just what was possible.
When I was shooting in this league I had tried every trick that I knew. Slowing down has always been one of the biggest challenges. Instead of somewhere around two shots a second I had to dial it waaay back to something closer to one shot every TWENTY seconds. Before I ever reached for the sidearm, before even addressing the target, I’d take a moment with hands planted on the shelf and eyes closed to take a few slow breaths and really listen to myself. Top to bottom, where am I holding tension? What areas want to be more fluid? Where are my thoughts at, have I mellowed out or am I worrying about something? The noise of the other shooters around me, is it causing me to twitch or has it all faded into the background? During this moment I’m effectively living in a box, anything outside of my shooting stall ceases to exist.
Next was looking at the target. I would take a moment to make the mental connection and identify where in space I was in relation to where I was about to be working. Don’t think about the distance as a number, simply acknowledge the shape and size of your center point regardless of what it might be. One target was a bullseye on a squirrel. Another was made to look like the game Battleship. Don’t focus on the shapes and colors, just focus on the point that you’re after. It might seem silly but it’s all part of psyching yourself up, getting your mind and body properly wired for what’s about to happen. This is a useful trick in a lot of situations beyond shooting.
With all of this done I’d finally reach for the gun and the mag, bringing both together and putting the slide into battery but I still didn’t bring it up to the target. Keep breathing. Stay focused on yourself. Make sure there isn’t any tension. For me there’s an emphasis on the shoulders and neck. Everything should be smooth and fluid.
When you bring the sights up take your time, the Battleship isn’t running right for you. Continue to keep your finger clear of the trigger. Focus on the front sight, look past it to the target, then step backward all of the way to the rear sight, then go forward again. If the goal is pinpoint accuracy then every point along the focal plane needs to be in harmony.
While I’m starting to pull the trigger I’m doing four different things at once. Talk about multitasking, right? It’s not as difficult as it sounds! My dominant eye keeps shifting between both sights and the target with less emphasis on the rear sight. My finger is starting to creep up on the trigger and its breaking point while slowly exhaling. I find exhaling through the mouth easier than the nose, it seems less restrictive. Last, I’m keeping my thoughts focused on something small and simple. This part will be different for everyone and it’s best not to “force” what the thought is. It could be the bullseye. Maybe a color. For me, honestly, it was “cheese curds.”
It must be a Wisconsin thing.
For whatever reason when I was getting in the zone and trying to make the tightest groups I’ve ever attempted my brain went searching for a focal point and came back..with cheese curds. Whatever. I ran with it. I would say that the proof is in the pudding but in this case it’s in the squeaky cheese.
While I still enjoy my brisk runs with the trigger there’s a definite feeling of comfort in knowing where my own limits are and that, if necessary, I can get pretty well dialed in. It might take some effort to find your own zone but you might like what’s waiting there for you.
