Potential

Tony has a provocative idea. In his Harmonic Functions on Manifolds blog, he suggests pulling out your best scores from the record book – you all write down your scores, don’t you? – and tally them up to discover your true potential.

Well, although my official outdoor ranking is Sharpshooter, it is worth noting that I typically shoot Expert scores with the 22 and sub-Sharpshooter scores with the 45. So, on average, that results in my current ranking.

Following Tony’s exercise over the last dozen matches, here are my “best” scores on those two guns.

Well, that’s an eye-opener!

If I “fired my potential”, I’d be at the mid-point of Expert class on both guns, not just the 22.

Immediately it’s clear that my problem with the 45 must be consistency. Although I can (and have, as seen above) shoot Expert class scores with that gun, I have a lot of trouble performing at that level for any period of time.

And I’m going to guess that my problem with that particular firearm is fatigue. The 1911 demands a much stronger grip and the heavier trigger, only 0.5 pounds but, my, what a difference that makes.

Yes, I can shoot Expert-class scores with it but doing so consistently, well, that’s the challenge.

But now that I see that I can do it, it becomes a question of re-applying myself to each shot.

One shot at a time.

Thanks, Tony!