Episode Details

Joel Turner spent 11 years as a SWAT sniper instructor before becoming one of the most well known instructors in the hunting world. His take on why hunters miss is unlike anything you've heard — and it applies equally to archery and rifle.

We start with how bullets actually kill. From there we get into the pre-ignition flinch... why there's no such thing as a subconscious override of the central nervous system, what open loop vs. closed loop trigger press actually means, and why the fix isn't mechanics. The fix is speech. Joel's core argument: the skill is not in the shooting, it's in what you say in your head while you shoot.

In this episode:
Hydrostatic shock, the 2,200 fps threshold, and why a .22 Creedmoor can kill elk
Pre-ignition flinch — open vs. closed loop trigger press explained
Why talking yourself through the shot is the actual skill
The 2014 blacktail story — how Joel figured it all out in a rainy tree stand
Commentary shooting from police driver training and why it works for archery
Free diving and breath holds — why that culture already knows this
Hinge releases: when they're a fix for a mental problem vs. a legitimate choice
Elk calling — distress calf vs. bull calling cows bugle, and the textbook bull setup
The yo stop: why a bull whirling at 10 yards is a controlled shot, not a panic shot

Guest: Joel Turner — ShotIQ founder, former SWAT sniper team instructor, competitive barebow archer. 
Joel's elk calling app: https://www.mtnwispr.com/
Shot IQ: https://shotiq.com/
Instagram: @joelturner_actual

Chapters
00:00 How Bullets Actually Kill
04:44 The Flinch Mechanism
34:17 The 2014 Breakthrough
45:48 Commentary Shooting
51:44 Snap Shots & Mental Game
01:14:02 Listener Questions
01:20:33 Free Diving Parallel
01:41:22 Elk Calling System

---
FOLLOW CLIFF
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/CliffGray
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/Cliffgry/
Facebook - https://facebook.com/PursuitWithCliff

Pursuit With Cliff Podcast
https://pursuitwithcliff.com/interviews-and-podcasts/

Cliff's Hunt Planning and Strategy Membership
 https://pursuitwithcliff.com/membership/

Hunt. Fish. Spear.  (Experiences, Courses and Seminars)
https://pursuitwithcliff.com/Experiences

Merch
https://pursuitwithcliff.com/shop/

SUBSCRIBE TO CLIFF'S NEWSLETTER:
https://PursuitWithCliff.com/#Newsletter