Hunting Psychology: Confidence leak

I put about a hundred pellets into targets today. For one, to try and get properly zeroed but also to try to develop more of a connection with the gun and more of a thoroughgoing belief that the pellet does indeed go where the gun is pointed. This last is rather tricky to explain: I suppose that recently I have lost some faith in this - a couple of straightforward, thirty-yard shots which both missed had left me feeling doubtful about my accuracy and this seemed to have an unwelcome knock-on effect in reducing my commitment to taking the next shot. For me, this seems to make something like a split seam - this lack of confidence - and through this gap can creep a fog of melancholy which quickly corrodes my confidence.

So a cure was called for: I checked the alignment of the scope, adjusted it - fractionally - to make it sit absolutely vertical and more securely on the rail; I changed pellets - swapped over from RWS Superdomes to H&N Field Target Trophy - and fired group after group in an attempt to get the zero absolutely bolted in and build more of a connection between myself and my shooting.

And I'd say it worked - I do feel more sure that the pellet goes where I think it's going to go - but I've also had to accept that while this is true it is only true within some limits: I can hit an inch-and-a-half target consistently at thirty yards but I certainly can't put pellet on pellet - I'm firing a big springer from a seated position, not using a pre-charged pneumatic with a bipod from a bench - practise will surely help me, but one-hole groups are simply not going to happen.