January 2026 copy - Flipbook - Page 72
Aggressive Shooting
by Dustin Flint (via Substack)
Editors Note: This article merits inclusion in our Black Powder newsletter because of
it’s excellent content dealing with o昀昀-hand shooting (which is crucial to BPCR silhouette and gong matches such as the Quigley)...
1. ACQUIRING THE
TARGET
In order to hit a target, we
must aim the ri昀氀e at the
target. (Groundbreaking
info here!) As simple as
that seems, it’s often easier said than done. Ever
heard of target panic? It’s
that weird phenomenon
wherein our bodies simply
refuse to allow the sights
to enter into the target; or
once we’re in the target,
the reticle jets out of the
target so fast that we can’t
even think about 昀椀ring
the shot. My theory is that
target panic is a symptom
of “trying not to miss.” The
opposite of trying not to
miss is shooting to hit the
target. This sounds like an
obvious thing, but it represents two vastly di昀昀erent
shooting philosophies.
One is passive (trying not
to miss) and one is aggressive (shooting to hit.) Let’s
quickly break down what
these two shooting philosophies look like.
72
The author after his win
a. Passive Shooting Trying Not to Miss
When we shoot passively we are scared to miss
a target. In a silhouette
match, we are trying not to
miss a chicken, pig, turkey,
or ram. In a 3P match, we
are trying not to miss the
10-ring. This often happens in the biggest matches; it is what is usually
going on when we hear
that someone is “trying
too hard.” When the clock
starts ticking and the shots
count, we become scared
of missing. So our brains
start playing a dirty game.
Our brains subconsciously
know that if we don’t take
the shot, we won’t miss the
shot. They also know that
if the sight is not on the
target, we won’t take the
shot; so, our brains simply
take the sight o昀昀 the target
and won’t let it get back on
there. No shot, no miss;
everyone is happy and
content. We are shooting
passively so we are letting
this happen and suddenly,
we’re missing shots and
feeling like we’re choking.
We’re not choking, we’re
just passively letting our
brains try not to miss.
Modern BPCR Shooter - January, 2026
