Coffee & Shooting

[OregonSteeler]

I was listening to a hunting podcast on my ride home from a family vacation. The did a quick segment on coffee and how it affects their shooting. This never occurred to me that my caffeine intake can inhibit how effective I am while shooting. I DO know that my shooting is pi** poor if I'm hungover LOL.. but coffee?!

I can imagine that coffee or high amounts of caffeine can really affect long range shooters for rifle. I wonder how it affects archers? I've unfortunately really upped the coffee amount I drink since COVID started and hearing this is having me think twice before that cup on the way to work in the morning.

Does anyone here think coffee affect their shooting abilities? Are you going to do anything about it if so?

 

[CJF]

I never thought about it until recently at the MAF shoot at Purgatory. I normally drink my 30 ounces or so of coffee spread throughout the morning, say from 6am-11am. Since I was headed to the shoot, I drank it all before arriving at 7:30. When I stopped at the practice range I noticed I was quite shaky and my heart rate was well above normal. First 10 or so targets in the course I couldn't hold it near the 12 ring. Slowly I started to get more steady. A couple of hours into the shoot I was locked in solid. I think it was the caffeine.

 

[11boo]

Definitely has an effect on me but bow hunting in close cover I can still centerpunch a stump. On the pistol range it will wreck my score.

 

[Fourteen]

Coffee is a must for me!


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[Jbehredt]

I’ve know it affects me on the range for years. Range days it’s a small cup in the morning in lieu of my two large cups that start just about every other day.

 

[OregonSteeler]

Wonder if coffee is something to mind while actually hunting? Your heart rate is probably pumping already from hiking or seeing a big bull/buck...

 

[LostArra]

Hunting or shooting or doing pretty much anything like even mowing the yard without morning coffee is not healthy.

 

[trevvamos]

Coffee is my number one priority when planning a hunt. Without being caffeinated, I ain’t killing nothing!

 

[Werty]

Like anything, if you make it part of your routine, it shouldn't effect anything.

 

[CamoPirate]

What is this tremor you speak of? ...Surely it must be signs of weakness.

 

[rayporter]

my ol pard drank pepsi. he delivered mail and would set a quart of pepsi on the dash every morning and sip it all day long.

when elk hunting he got headaches and i suggested no doze to get his caffeine, because i thought it was caffeine withdrawal. he weened to caffeine free the next year and the headaches went away.

 

[5MilesBack]

Does anyone here think coffee affect their shooting abilities? Are you going to do anything about it if so?

Absolutely. If I don't have my coffee before every 3D shoot, or have my afternoon coffee before the second round starts.......my shooting suffers. But I mainly drink it because I like it. I always have coffee in my pack and everywhere I ever go. Gotta have my coffee.

 

[RaggedHunter]

This is why I am so adamant about year round training.. One cannot simply dabble in coffee drinking all year long, and then introduce high levels of caffeine during their hunt.. This is why it's absolutely imperative to consume high levels of caffeine on a daily basis. That way all of your practice has been done with the tremors and shakes.. helps you get your timing down on when to punch the trigger..

Insert inspirational quote "train hard, hunt harder" "Keep Hammering" "no off days" etc.

 

[brettdunn7]

I thought about this very thing the other day when I went to shoot before season and make sure everything is dialed in right. I opted not to have any coffee or monsters or anything just to make sure as the thought just popped in my head I don’t want to be jittery or anything like that.


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[brettdunn7]

my ol pard drank pepsi. he delivered mail and would set a quart of pepsi on the dash every morning and sip it all day long.

when elk hunting he got headaches and i suggested no doze to get his caffeine, because i thought it was caffeine withdrawal. he weened to caffeine free the next year and the headaches went away.

I’m thinking of doing this also honestly.


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[Randall]

It will affect you, but how it does depends on you, your body, amount ingested, time between ingesting and shooting, caffeine tolerance, etc.

I used to drink a pot of coffee a day and wouldn't feel a bit different. A couple years later I hardly drank any and every time I did have a cup, I could feel my heart rate increase and get slight jitters. In the first situation, I would have no problem shooting. In the second, I would want to wait as long as possible.

It all depends on how you function. It's definitely a variable worth testing on the range

 

[5MilesBack]

Ya, I don't even know what the shakes and jitters are. I don't even remember getting those the first time I had coffee. I think I'd be more prone to those if I didn't have my coffee.

 

[trophyhill]

not having coffee would effect my shooting. i have to have it!

 

[IN_Varmntr]

I couldn't function without it, let alone shoot a bow.

I drink 2-3 double shots of espresso per day, plus regular coffee, and can still regularly drop them in there at 80 yards. If I begin to throttle back on coffee, I start getting withdrawal headaches and that isn't fun. So I guess I'll just stick to drinking coffee.

 

[Conrad101st]

Our university rifle team coach was a crusty old sergeant that was very good. This is back when we (Army ROTC and Navy ROTC) both had indoor ranges under the football stadium and we shot almost every day.

He made everybody drink one beer and eat one banana right before the matches. I kid you not.

Point being that he believed it mellowed you out just the perfect amount to focus; so I’m sure coffee would do just the opposite.