Can shooting small targets increase accuracy?

[Wishse]

Here are some thought about the value of shooting at smaller targets and working for very tight groups.

http://youtu.be/6pa8rvOBvfs

 

[Wadcutter]

Works for me. I like to move the target back and forth between 30 and 75 feet (indoor range). I find shooting at 25 yards forces me to really focus on the front sight and trigger control. At 30 feet, with a larger target, I tend to concentrate more on speed and reloads.

 

[BONESTOCK]

Rule of thumb is "aim small shoot small"

 

[white feather]

Definitely. When I used to shoot IHMSA .22 standing class silhouette at Hopkington, Walter used to let me shoot a few banks of rifle chickens at 40 meters to warm up the HS Victor. You had to really focus but I got so I could hit a bunch. When I got into AAA class with him, he stopped... Also black targets were much harder to see than orange but they were easier to hit. At the 1979 state championship, Walter shot black targets early and then told people to set orange. Since we were setting our own, I set black. Won that one (AA was top class then). Best small target story was an empty 12 gauge shell at 100 yards with the Victor (open sights). One shot, hit center. Small target demands the most concentration and makes you shoot better.
White Feather

 

[Billsail]

I consider the "bullseye" my target. By definition...small.

 

[Andy in NH]

Normally, I begin (and end) a pistol training session with the "five shots - one hole drill".

Great way to focus on the fundamentals.

 

[TonyDedo]

Normally, I begin (and end) a pistol training session with the "five shots - one hole drill".

Great way to focus on the fundamentals.

I was taught to train this way too, but we always shot it at a blank target. This idea was not to be accurate (one hole on a bullesye), but rather to be consistent (all shots in the same place on the target). The former requires you to aim. The latter requires you to shoot using muscle memory. Two very different skills. The point of beginning and ending with the one hole drill was to see how much muscle memory was built up over the shooting session.

 

[RLBreton]

Well done! And while I agree with your method, this video literally showed up in my feed after reading this thread and made me laugh so damned hard--timing is everything



http://youtu.be/dGJT38HJaHg

 

[Robert1]

I am trying to standardize my drills. I am lucky that I have a range very close to where I live, so I swing by there every day for some quick drills. Usually I am the only one there.
Taking a target with large center bullseye and 4 smaller targets in the corners, I go :

2 rounds double handed to center.
Two rounds strong hand,
two rounds weak hand,
and then one round each onto the 4 corners double handed.

So that is one magazine.

The I put up a new target, go all the way to the backstop and run 5 rounds. I first do this with the 22 then switch to the 9mm.
I take a picture of the targets so that I have a reference in the months to come. It works pretty well.
The I go to work....