Does Superstition Play a Part in Sport Shooting?

photo courtesy of pixabay.com

If you shoot competitively, you may already have discovered that, like other sports, competitive shooting has its superstitious rituals. 

Yes, every sport has its behaviors borne of superstitious beliefs. Ball players involved in playoffs have been known not to shave, or to refuse to bathe, or to wear the same good luck articles of clothing so they don’t jinx their luck.

Basketball players believe that the last one to throw a free throw at practice will have the best game.

Hockey players skate by and tap the goalie’s knee pad for good luck. 

Figure skaters wear the same skates or socks or skate guards for luck. Jockeys have lucky silks or riding boots.

Competitive shooters are no less superstitious. Here are just a few of the irrational behaviors competitive shooters have admitted to:

One shooter always uses the same handgun in competition.

Another marksman always wears his lucky National Rifle Association hat to compete.

Some competitive shooters always wear their ear protectors with the arrows pointing a certain direction.

One shooter admitted he always puts his gun in the case a specific way.

Magazine seem to have a lot of superstitions around the  way they are handled. One shooter checks his obsessively. Another taps hers on the palm of her hand before she puts them in their pouches.

For one, the cartridges must both  be the same color while for another the brand is ultra-important. Another uses only red cartridges.

One shooter purchase his competition handguns only with money he has won in competition. Another uses only tax return revenue to purchase competitive shooting guns and ammunition.

One shooter considers the number thirteen bad luck and will not enter a competition that is set for the thirteenth.

One never wears green to a competition. Another has to have her sleeves rolled up.

One marksman described an entire ritual surrounding his shooting not just in competition but also at practice. He always first puts on his ear protectors. Next, he places himself directly in front of his gun sleeve and his cartridge bag. He makes sure his cartridges are all the same way up in his bag or pocket. He also—like golfers—does a “practice swing” to  the left, then the right, and again to the left.

Weather sometimes plays a part in shooting superstition. One claims that thee colder the day, the better his competition scores.

First rounds are also considered important. Old competitor said that if his first two shots were bad he might just as well go home because the rest of the day was going to be a total loss.

There are also cleaning rituals. One marksman cleans each barrel of his shot gun three times going from left to right and repeating.

When it comes to hunting, shooters also have rituals. One never hunts without his favorite dog. Another must take his wife with him to assure good hunting. A third hunter said that if his first game shot was a hen the rest of the day was doomed.

Superstitious rituals before a competition includes food. One marksman has to have porridge before a competition. Another avoids red foods. A third eschews dairy products before a competition. 

Because one competitor shot well with a certain holster, his concealed carry for competition must always be in that holster. Another must wear a cartridge belt and fill it with the same cartridges.

Whether these superstitions have any bearing, we all have them!