It's not about the Gear, it's about the Effort !

[JohnnyAuto]

Thank you! I never thought I could buy the ability to shoot well. I dry fire 50 to 90 times a day and work with an instructor, about to become two, instructors. I don't have big ambitions, though, I just want to know that I own the 600 yard radius around me. If I could expand that to 800 that would be great. What can I hit on the very first round with 100% confidence, that's what interests me. Right now that's 100 yards, btw, but its better than nothing!

Of course you can buy the ability to shoot well - to a certain extent. That's what you're doing with your work with your instructors. We all "buy" our ability to shoot well in some way, shape, or form. We buy books, we buy ballistic calculators, reloading presses, the best projectiles we can find, and we pay for people's time to help us in the form of instruction. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Look at gear from this angle: David Tubb is in the lane next to you, shooting 1/4" groups at 100 yards. He lets you try his rifle and you turn in a 3/4" group. WOW! Now you know that you are a 3/4-minute shooter on a good day, and you're new at this! Now you know that you have a certain amount of talent, and that you need a better rifle to take advantage of it.

Or, if Tubb shot a 3/4" group with your rifle and you're only doing 2.5" groups, you know that YOU need some work.

The more you practice, the better you get. Inferior gear will hold you back to some extent, just as the best gear will allow you to advance only so far. To be a better 600yd or 800yd shooter, you just have to do more of it.