Target panic?? Please help

[Leinsg91]

Ok here's my problem...

I've been shooting traditional for 2 years now, one year seriously, and this is my first year hunting trad only.

For the last year I've been using nerf balls, racket balls, bottles, leaves, pretty much anything as a target and have gotten acceptable enough to hunt (or so I thought).

Today I decided to go out and and get a block to shoot at thinking it would be nice. But when I get back and start shooting everything goes south, way south. At 20 yards my shots are all over the entire block, but every 4th or 5th group is the size of a softball or so and  right where I want it. Set a nerf football next to it bam I nail it. Go back to the target, pick a bullseye, and bam not even close.

Every time I do the same shot sequence as always and bore my hole right where I want it to go but to no avail. I am getting extremely frustrated at this point, because I thought I was doing fairly well but now it has me worried enough that I don't want to go out tonight in fear of making a bad shot on a deer.

Has anyone ever experienced anything like this and if so what in the world is going on?

[McDave]

Doesn't sound like target panic, since you're able to "bore a hole" in the target before you shoot.  Target panic is more commonly experienced as a compulsion to release before coming to full draw, or an inability to aim directly at the target.

I would imagine you just have some target confusion, caused by switching from the small roving targets to a larger block target.  It might be a good idea to practice some on 3D targets before hunting, so the same thing doesn't happen on a live animal.

BTW, what I mean by target confusion is that you're getting distracted by the whole target and not concentrating enough on only the spot you want to hit.

[Leinsg91]

I've never had an issue with target panic so I wasn't really sure if this could be it or not.

I had a feeling that It had to do with picking a spot, I think a 3d shoot is a good idea. I had a 3d that i shot occasionally up until a couple months ago (completely fell apart) and shot pretty well on it, i wouldnt have been comfortable shooting at a deer if i hadnt. but maybe something has changed since then.

It's almost as if you give me something with a bullseye to aim at and i can't hit to save my life, give me something without and my body just knows what I want and I can shoot. Something mental is going on.

I really don't want to make a bad shot on a living deer, so thanks for the reply

[Dan Jones]

Is the block target one of those that has a number of targets or aiming points on surface? If so, my advice to you is to stick to the nerf ball or a leaf or cover up all but one aiming point per surface on the block.  I shoot without a sight and I find it very hard to shoot successfully at a target that has multiple aiming points. It's too distracting, too hard to focus for me.

[Leinsg91]

I never really thought of that! But yes all the shooting surfaces have more than one target, the main one being a softball size bullseye in the center and then smaller targets around the perimeter.

The opposite side is actually blank so maybe I can put a small target in the center and see what happens

[Leinsg91]

I know no one else has posted on this, just wanted to give an update just in case someone else runs into the same problem.

So like I said the main shooting surface that I've been shooting at has multiple targets. After once again trying to shoot this side and failing miserably I decided to flip the target around to the back size with no targets.

I picked an imaginary spot and my first shot couldn't have been any more perfect, right on the money. Shot after shot anywhere I wanted to shoot I shot (within reasonable accuracy at 20 yards)

I have been beating myself up over this thinking that maybe I am that bad of a shot and won't be able to put some meat in the freezer this year. this is exactly the confidence boost I needed. I am thrilled to say the least.

Plus it helped me realize and correct some form issues I was having without knowing and improved my accuracy. So maybe this was exactly what I needed in the end. Stressful but good    :D

[Dan Jones]

Leinsg: I'm pleased that you have found that picking your spot on a blank target is a much better way to practice instinctive shooting for hunting than a target that has multiple aiming points. Leave those type targets for the compound shooters with sights.