I don't really see why shooting long should make you learn to shoot tight. If you pick a small enough spot, you should have the same result. If you shoot at the same size spot, it is finer at long range, and would be proportionaly tighter, but then if that was the case you would loose the advantage at sort range again. I'm lost...

Certainly practicing long shots makes short shots seem easy, which takes the pressure off, and it also makes on more aware of factors like wind. I don't know if any of you ever have one get away from you, but if you do, shooting long range range puts the pressure on that kind of thng too.