Whether using a handgun, rifle or both there’s plenty of simple yet essential advice that should be taken on-board by anyone looking to improve their overall marksmanship. Just like practicing anything, the sooner these good habits and techniques are adopted the easier they will become second nature, and the better a shot an individual shall become. Straightforward as they may appear the simple fact is that firearm carrying professionals and private enthusiasts will practice these techniques every time they hit the range, as when performed well they will significantly improve the accuracy and placement of their shots.
1) Practice Good Trigger Technique
As we’ll see further through this guide there’s plenty of good advice for body posture and technique, but without doubt pulling the trigger is the most important physical action when using a firearm. Many frustrated novice shooters will believe that they have a perfectly sighted shot in ideal position, just to find that they miss by a fair margin – and more often than not this comes down to poor trigger technique.
This is caused by a next to subconscious ‘flinch’ that causes the weapon to move when the trigger is pulled. It can seem almost imperceptible – but it’s there.
The method for pulling a trigger is to apply pressure rearwards as smoothly as possible, and this technique is best learned by doing so slowly allied with absolute concentration upon the movement. With regular practice it’s possible to minimize this to a mere fraction of the misalignment commonly found in novice shooters.
2) Perfect Your Shooting Stance
Entire books have been written about the science of the shooting stance, but regardless of whether using a handgun or a rifle it’s absolutely essential to follow these guidelines to improve general accuracy.
Starting with the overall body position, the body should be slightly leaning forward so the shoulders are just over the hips – this helps to manage recoil from the weapon the weapon is discharged. Limbs should be loose with the arms not held up higher than shoulder height, whereas the legs should be around a foot apart depending upon bodily size (this is true for both sideways and facing postures).
All of this will help the body to retain a still and calm balance, while also being able to recover posture for a swift follow of shot too. The only tightness on the body ought to be the actual grip on the weapon – many novice shooters hold their weapon too loose, leading to excessive loss of accuracy through recoil.
3) Learn How To Align Your Sights
In theory this is straightforward enough but in practice – especially for those using rifles at distance – it can take a long while to become fully versed in using the sights of your weapon properly.
Handguns are generally quite straightforward. The front sight on the barrel should pair up perfectly flat and balanced with the rear sight, allowing for an equal amount of light on either side. Many handguns have sights that are adjusted primarily for elevation – for example if the user is looking to deliver their rounds higher than usual.
With rifles distance can become a factor at more advanced levels of shooting and again the idea is to estimate distance of the target with the velocity and elevation of the rifle itself. A common problem with inexperienced shooters is overcompensation for this, as usually only the most minor adjustments need to be made to deliver a round accurately.
Overall when it comes to improving the quality and performance of technical shooting, practice – while important – is only useful when performed with these three essential in mind.
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