Ever overthink that fifth shoot in a group?

it happens - try feeding them in one at a time to see if it makes a difference - me being slightly Asperger's think that that ominous fifth shot may be the result of the magazine not feeding the last bullet as the 1st-4th with the same amount of pressure since the magazine spring is not as compressed. I tend to over think things.
 
Know what you mean, been there done that. For me, I think I get a little to over confident in my ability, and get knocked back down to earth! Just don't over think the shot, relax and not look at the group. It's like looking at a monster buck in your cross hairs.Once you see that rack, that's all you see! then everything goes out the window.
 
Sakoman .308 said:
In my expert opinion, the easiest way to shoot a one hole target at 100 yards is only firing one shot!
Click to expand...

This. I long ago decided to switch to 1 shot groups, and you’d be AMAZED at how tight my groups have gotten since then. :p


Seriously though, I shoot 4 shot groups as it allows me one more trial load per box when playing with reloads. And I can tell you from experience, it’s not the fifth shot, it’s the last one. Hell, if I DID shoot one shot groups, I’d probably pull them too!
 
Notice how the first group with the flier isn't really that much bigger than the second? Human nature wants to believe the 5th shot belongs in the cluster, and although it might it also might not. Depending on your nature you might blame yourself for the ones you don't like, or others will blame the gun for everything they don't like.

Try a 10 shot or even a 20 group just for fun. When you get that many shots on target you can pick and choose just about anything you want. A negative person could find every nightmare he didn't want. Want 5 in the same hole? Its bound to be in that mess somewhere. 4 in the same hole and a flier? It's there too. Cloverleafs, bug-holes,double groups, equilateral triangles, nice round circles, stringing or just about anything can be pointed out by picking and choosing the ones you want out of a single box of shells. Random chance will dish up whatever it wants on an individual group of less shots.

I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that if one really wants to know how his gun groups he should be looking at his worst groups not his best.
 
Try that in competition on your final shot when you've been popping v's and 5's sitting on a possible then all the sudden it's a magpie to drop 2 points.

Every shot is its own individual shot. Doesn't matter what the group looks like, or what the score is, was, or is gonna be.

I still struggle with it. A wise board member here told me ignore the score, plot and mark in your score afterwards. It works your groups shrink when you aren't worried about the grand finally and only the one that's in the chamber.
 
Wind your scope up 20 minutes and put 4 inch black square on a large piece of paper, shoot at the corners.
That way you will not see your group forming and it won’t change your check pressure from the silly grin on your face when you think you only need to put that last shot into the group.
 
Necessity may be the mother of invention, but anticipation is the unwanted relative showing up at the worst possible time.
I have learned, the hard way, that the result of each trigger press should be an considered an orphan, searching for a tight, knit family to embrace to their bosom.
Target shooting, not unlike golf, has the ability to teach the, usually hard won, principle of living in the now....forget the less than perfect placement of the last shot, and don't negatively anticipate that long, water carry on the last hole that has claimed more than a few of your $5 golf balls, ballooning your, to that point, low score.
 
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