Subconscious vs controlled actions

[WKR]

Something I've been thinking about lately is how many of my actions in shooting/hunting in the field are subconscious through years of hunting and practicing, versus when I'm training at my home range where everything is a thought controlled action.

What I mean is, when I'm at my range and training, every movement is controlled. From the trigger press, follow through, spot the impact cycle the bolt. The entire shot process is a mentally controlled step by step conscious effort.

Now compare that to a buck I killed last week, when time is of the essence, I go through the entire shot process subconsciously. Range, set up, break the shot, watch the impact, and cycle the bolt, all happening without me remembering my brain even giving the signal.

I was talking to a buddy , who's a very good shooter on the clock, and he said thats a good thing and if you are doing things right subconsciously thats positive result of training.

Maybe this is just a dumb post and I'm over analyzing but I'd like to know what other serious shooters think about the conscious vs subconscious actions in the field.

 

[Lawnboi]

Not sure if you’re a prs shooter or not but a lot of this has been discussed on some podcasts.

I think some things can be subconscious but always try to make the trigger pulll conscious effort, along with checking level.

 

[Nine Banger]

I shoot shotguns competitively.

I’ll step into a station and crush “hard” birds above my pay grade and then miss the next ones when I think about duplicating the success.

Same goes for long birds. If you shoot a LOT your subconscious can break clays at 100 yards but then try to do it again and waste a flat trying to recreate the success.

I look forward to getting this way with rifles over time.

 

[hereinaz]

It’s not so much “subconscious” you want, but execution of a series of programmed actions that don’t take intentional thought.

Think driving a car, a new driver has to consciously think, check mirrors, brake, turn, etc. An experienced driver is conscious of every act, but doesn’t have to “think” because the brain has established patterns of action that the driver is initiating. If you have to stop and “think” check my bubble level as a separate process you are carrying more mental load which distracts from the important acts like trigger press.

To some extent that can be considered “subconscious” because we can arrive home and not remember if the lights were green. We consciously were driving but many of the processes are automated giving us brain power to think of other things so that our brain doesn’t add “sub routines” it executes to our memory.

So, it is subconscious in that sense.

Look up ShotIQ with Joel Turner, he talks about open and closed processes and gets into the type of discussion. I have found his explanation very clear in ideas that I hadn’t put together like him.

 

[Jbehredt]

Precisely why repetitive training is important. So that when you don’t have time to think it just happens.

 

[Lawnboi]

Precisely why repetitive training is important. So that when you don’t have time to think it just happens.

* repetitive training under pressure

 

[35WhelenAI]

With practice the process of getting off a shot at the bench or in the field becomes muscle memory as much as anything, IMO. For me, the first deer I took over 30 years ago had my heart rate up, couldn't get comfortable behind the rifle like I had been when at the range, etc. Probably happens to most on their first animal.

Having that first animal in front of me was a variable that can't be practiced until it happens. Since that first animal and having that "variable" behind me, when I line up a shot in the field I tell myself "I'm going to get my (insert elk, deer, pronghorn) as long as I don't screw it up". Puts me in the frame of mind to focus and things go to autopilot.

 

[Rich M]

When I shoot my 30-06 it has to be a forced thought process. Force myself thru the process and shoot very small tight groupings. If I let my auto-pilot work, will jerk the trigger EVERY TIME.

It is really hard not to do auto-pilot when hunting. Last time I used it, missed 4 bucks in 2 days. Went and checked zero and put 5 shots into the bottom of a Mtn Dew bottle at 200 yards leaning on quad - just boom, boom, boom, boom, boom... Went and bought a 350 legend - don't jerk the trigger on that, just need to have some buck opportunities now.

Crazy how all that mental stuff works.

 

[Lawnboi]

With practice the process of getting off a shot at the bench or in the field becomes muscle memory as much as anything, IMO. For me, the first deer I took over 30 years ago had my heart rate up, couldn't get comfortable behind the rifle like I had been when at the range, etc. Probably happens to most on their first animal.

Having that first animal in front of me was a variable that can't be practiced until it happens. Since that first animal and having that "variable" behind me, when I line up a shot in the field I tell myself "I'm going to get my (insert elk, deer, pronghorn) as long as I don't screw it up". Puts me in the frame of mind to focus and things go to autopilot.

Maybe not a complete replication but practicing under pressure, be it time, competition, under someone else’s rules has more benefit than plain repetition.

When I started shooting competitively, my shots in the field became much more controlled.