What's the point of having a gun if you don't learn how to shoot accurately? You may accidentally shoot someone or something else, and your target can easily run away.
Here are some tips to get you started!
Shoot Accurately and Hit Your Target
You can have the best rifle in the world and top-tier ammunition, and they’ll both do you no good if you can’t be accurate with your shot. When it comes to home defense, especially, being able to target your shots where they need to go is critical if you want to protect your family.
Right now, it might be difficult to head to the gun range with all the quarantine orders being sent out.
So let us explain some common shooting tips so you can practice at home, instead.
1. Stance Is First
Whether you’re using a handgun or a rifle, your stance is the first thing you should nail if you want to improve your accuracy. Keeping your stance stable allows you to control your recoil and adjust your sights quickly.
There are all kinds of different stances you can learn to master over time.
Here are a few basic tricks that they all incorporate:
- keep your left foot in front of your right foot
- keep your collarbone in front of your belt buckle
- hold your dominant arm straight, with your nondominant arm bent
Keeping one arm bent allows your body to better absorb the recoil. It’s not very natural since the body normally wants to push forward against a recoiling gun with both arms. This gives you better control and, therefore, accuracy.
2. Sight Picture
Making sure your sights are fully aligned in your sight picture is appropriately placed will help you improve your accuracy both during target practice and in a tense situation. Your sight picture is not the same as your sight alignment.
In a nutshell, a good sight picture is when you place your aligned sights correctly on the target. Where exactly that depends on the firearm, of course.
In most cases, combat handguns and other normal firearms use a “combat hold,” which means you should place your front sight so that it covers the exact center of your target. This produces the best accuracy and allows you to hit objects in their center mass if necessary.
3. Grip and Trigger Pull
Making sure that you grip your firearm properly and pull the trigger correctly will go a long way toward making sure your shots are accurate when they need to be. Remember that recoil is mostly controlled by your hands.
To that end, a good grip will have to:
- put your hands as high as possible on the weapon without destabilizing it
- lots of contact area on the gun
- your hands will envelop the gun as much as possible
- your hands will find the same place every time
The higher you hold your weapon, the more control you have as it kicks when you fire.
When it comes to the trigger pull, make sure to isolate your trigger finger (the index or pointer finger) so you don’t trap it between your other fingers. Pull smoothly and all the way; when you commit to a shot, shoot! Pulling smoothly prevents you from jerking the weapon as you fire, which can affect accuracy.
4. Trigger Reset
Your trigger reset describes the time after firing when the sear is re-engaged when you release the trigger. This allows the gunfire another round.
However, you shouldn't necessarily fire as fast as you can. Instead, it’s a much better idea to get your gun back on target and confirm your sight picture before allowing the trigger to reset.
This prevents you from accidentally firing another round and helps you maintain accuracy over a practice session or gunfight.
5. Breathing
Finally, remember to control your breathing. Take breaths in and out, one at a time, and avoid taking jerky or uneven inhalations. This type of breathing technique can affect your stance, your grip, or more.
Even worse, many beginners forget to breathe, which can lead to an accident or terrible accuracy! It’s a good idea to practice breathing while in the correct stance before you ever expect to use your firearm.
No one will get a perfect shot the first time around. As the old adage goes, practice makes perfect. So if you want to shoot accurately, put in the work and practice time. Soon enough, you'll be shooting targets without fail and with confidence!
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