For those who needs to shoot better

[ozark]

In this lesson I want to dwell on four essentials for shooting accurate consistently. Naturally this assumes that the rifle is accurate and sighted in.
Natural point of aim: One has a natural point of aim when the sights are aligned on the target without having to apply pressure left, right, up or down. It means that if you close your eyes and relax then open the eyes the sights will be on the target. You get natural point of aim by altering your position until it is achieved. Keep in mind that if the position is offhand, kneeling or some other less than solid position there will be a wobble area where the sights are moving onto and around the specific target. When the target is in the center of the wobble area then a natural point of aim has been achieved. The importance of getting this natural point of aim is that the shooter doesn’t have to use tension to get on target and can shoot from a relaxed state. It is the first step to making good shots consistently day after day. Forget this first step and your shot or groups will suffer. A good rule to follow is to make this first step a standard for each shot.
Breath control: There used to be a rule to take in a deep breath, let half of it out and hold it during the shot. This works ok if a person has perfect lungs and is young. With age and weaker lungs we have to adjust. I teach to breathe normal and stop breathing at a comfortable level where you don’t feel a need to inhale or exhale quickly. I watch my sights as I inhale and exhale and generally it is a rise and fall situation. I cut the breathing off as close to the best sight picture as I can. Hunters may be shooting following a period of strenuous activity and need to get the shot off quickly to avoid a stress from needing to breathe. Get the shot off as quickly as possible without rushing it.

Trigger control: “Take up the slack and then continuously apply pressure on the trigger until the hammer falls.” That used to be the military rule but that doesn’t apply to light sweet triggers. Squeezing the trigger isn’t the term I think applies to the rifles we use for hunting. Place the trigger finger in a position where the trigger rest on the meaty portion between the end of the finger and the first joint. Grip the rifle so that the trigger finger is well forward of the other fingers so that the action will be like closing the finger into a fist. This provides you with more power and control. Think of pressing or mashing the trigger directly to the rear. There is no need to be slow or rushed. All depends on where the sights are located on the target. There is also no need to admire the sight picture and delay the trigger press.
Follow through: Stay with the shot and know precisely where the sights were aligned when the recoil disturbed things. Let the rifle recoil and see if it returns to the natural point of aim. Develop a habit of calling each shot. When you reach a point where the shot impacts where you called your confidence will zoom and improvements will come rapid. Soon you will be shooting with confidence and think of yourself as a marksman. It’s a good feeling. There are tons of other techniques and fundamentals that we could discuss but the essentials are in these four areas IMO.
I invite members to add to this as they see fit. After all our goal is to help fellow members. Ozark

[deadeye]

ozark-great advice but i do have to ask///what slack in the trigger are you talking about! ;D ;Dsounds like needs a trigger job too ! ;D ;D!!

[ozark]

Deadeye, Military semi automatic rifles had a two stage trigger. The first was free travel or slack before any pressure was exerted on the sear. There are still a few around. Slack and overtravel is absent from most bolt action rifles today.

[jims]

Years ago I had a trigger on a Model 98 action that I recall it being that way Ozark. Later replaced with a Timney.

[whelenman]

My Ruger 25-06 has a two stage trigger that requires you to take up the slack. After using it quite a bit I've actually come to like the two stage model. It has a long smooth takeup of the slack and then about a pound and a half trigger pull. I bought the rifle used and whoever had previously owned it had messed with the target trigger and had it where the trigger pull was probably 8 or 9 pounds. That may have been the reason why it was traded. Anyway, after some adjustment and a new trigger spring the thing's a beauty to handle.

[ourway77]

Jewell triggers first, timney second, and rifle basics third. This will improve those groups 100%. Lou

[deadon]

shooting from a bench I can get locked in so solid that I can see the cross hair jump a hair left to right. This movement I was told was my heartbeat. If you stop seeing that, its time to worry ;D The trick is to pull the trigger between heartbeats. I have been trying for years and still have not mastered that trick. The man that can do it is MY hero

[ozark]

With the military style sling adjusted and used as in competition shooting it is the pulse beat of the forward wrist that causes a continous tick of the rifle. Naturally the heart beat is the activator of the pulse. This can be dampened by a good shooting glove. But this degree of accuracy isn't needed for the hunter. Some competitors claimed to shoot between pulse beats but I never had that much control of the trigger release. But then again, I never set any world records either.

[youp50]

I bought a Savage when the Accutrigger was new. The 'taking up' of the safety part of the trigger was very different for me. I dry fired that rifle many times to learn the feel.

[petev]

This is good advice as usual. I was a little surprised at the advice to hold your breath when taking the shot. In high school I read to not hold a full breath or the straining would affect the shot, and not to breath regular, but to let it half-way out, and then let it just creep out ever so slowly as you take the shot, so there is no straining at that time. I'm not saying that this is the best way, only an alternative maybe, and I myself like it. Just another idea, Ozark.

[deadeye]

the newer taught breating method is much like petev described/normal breath-in shoot on the exhale. i use the old method ozark descibed & do it sub-conscious without thinking about it naturally after all these years of shooting. there are medical reasons/solutions to support the newer method. i tried it for a week,got no better or worse shooting/groups here. i felt like i was racing my shot so i went back to my old method,cant teach this ole dog a new trick!

[pposey]

My Beeman R1 airrifle has a 2 stage trigger,,,,, boy that 2nd stage breaks sweet

[ozark]

Of all the shooting techniques and tips available it doesn't take a person of normal intelegence long to realize that aiming is the most important element of shooting. We all know that aiming is absoutely essential for accuracy. This ingrained knowledge causes us to give it top priority and when it isn't right to hold off on firing until it is. Oftern this makes us follow a stop/go/stop/go routine with the trigger or else try to jerk it while the sights are good. Ideally would be to fire when the sights are perfect but without a fixture to hold the rifle the sights are right for a second and wrong for one. This right, nearly right, dead on, a bit off regarding sight alignment is called a wobble area. By studing the wobble area with a rifle positioned in a natural point of aim one can detect a pattern. Once the pattern is detected we can increase pressure firmly when the wobble is heading for perfect alignment This takes practice and good concentration. It is nerve racking trying to time the trigger to fire the rifle when the sight picture is correct. But then we know that it is a mistake to fire it when the sights are not right. I feel that when the sights are correct mash the trigger directly to the rear and learn to not let the action disturb the sights. The sights only stays right for a split secone so learn to not hesitate, lunge , jerk, flingh or shoulder. Just mash the trigger and call the shot.

[ozark]

Triggers: My Gamo air rifle has an unusual trigger. At least unusual for me. It acts much like a two stage trigger initally but there is no stop to end the first stage. It just keeps coming on back at about the same pressure until it fires. No second stage. I have got used to shooting it and can hit fairly well but it sure feels different. I'm Ozark and I approve of this message.lol