My dad had been a cavalry scout back when they actually used horses and went thru all of WWII as an infantry first sergeant.
He started me out with a single shot .22 rimfire and once I was squared away on its safe handling would send me out with a single round saying "bring me back a sage rat". Naturally, I'd come back empty handed and then he'd sit me down and ask questions about the shot. What was the sight picture when the gun fired? Did I squeeze the trigger? How far away was I? Where was the sun? Was I above or below the target? Did I use cover to get close? Then he'd send me back out with another round and tell me to focus and hone on one particular skill. When I started consistently bringing back a sage rat for every round fired, he then would give me 2 rounds and send me out saying "bring me back a Magpie". Then I graduated to bringing back rabbits with the single shot.
The day I brought back a coyote he moved me up to the M1 Garand. From .22 rimfire to .30-06 at twelve years old.
I still have that .22 single shot.
It's you and the bullet, and all the rest is secondary.
