Target Shooting Technique

.:Target Shooting Technique - Paul's Tips:.

Note: This page is a draft version and is not yet complete (25/03/2007)

As I mentioned in my main shooting page, one of my main interests is Target Shooting. I have been shooting weekly for over 16 years now and I am lucky enough to be a member of a club that is serious about shooting, in terms of a competitive environment (See my latest scores here look for Paul Richardson). For me, any sport I enter needs to be safe, fun and challenging. Unless I can demonstrate that I am progressing and that I am competitive, it isn't fun for me.

In order to help others, I have written a quick-reference guide that you can print out and take down the range. It has been broken down into sections, so that you can concentrate and work on each section. You will see that there is a lot of technique in shooting – it isn’t just point and shoot. You will have to learn and develop each step.

General Safety:

Please note that this is only a general guide. You must listen to the instruction of the range officer on any range you go to and any instruction that you are given there supersedes instructions given here. Every range is different, so you must understand and adhere to the safety rules and instruction on each range. If you are unsure of anything, ask a range officer.

Stance:

The stance doesn’t just mean the position of your feet, it means your entire body

Standing:

Most of the disciplines I shoot (e.g. Precision, Police Pistol 1 and Service Pistol B) require me to shoot standing up.

Feet:

	Common Error	Correct	Reason
Width	Feet are too close together	Should be shoulder width apart, or slightly wider	A wide stance gives you a stable base. If your feet are too close together, your body will sway. Plus rifles are heavy, so a narrow stance will cause you to either lean back too far to compensate for the weight, or dip the barrel causing the shots to go low
Position	Left foot on the shooting line with the right foot at 60 - 90 degrees behind (i.e. almost in a straight line behind the target and the left foot)	Left foot on the shooting line, pointing at around 5 degrees. Right foot at around 45 degrees. If the range floor has square tiles, use those to judge the 45 degree position	With your feet in the correct position, you should be able to close your eyes and bring the rifle up – as you do, it should point right at the centre of the target. If your right foot is too far over 45 degrees, your group will likely end up to the right of the aiming point. If your right foot is too far below 45 degrees, your group will likely end up to the left of the aiming point
Direction	Not parallel	Should be parallel (not like a duck)	Provides stability and consistency
Shoes		Any flat based shoe that you are comfortable wearing	Provides comfort and stability

Upper Body:

	Common Error	Correct	Reason
Leaning	Leaning backwards, in order to compensate for the weight of the rifle	Lean forwards slightly	Maintains balance, good posture, more stable and absorbs recoil
Twisting	Twisting body due to incorrect foot position	No twisting	If the body is twisted, the position will revert to neutral as you shoot more rounds and get more tired, therefore your group will not be consistent

Breathing:

	Common Error	Correct	Reason
Holding Breath	Breathing while shooting	Breath in fully just before you shoot, then let out 1/3rd of the breath, then hold it until after you have shot. This should feel comfortable	If you breath as you shoot, your chest will move, which will cause your aim to move

Grip:

Common Error

Correct

Reason

Strong Hand

Hand position too far back and to the right

The V of your hand (between the thumb and index finger) should be in –line with the grip on the rifle.

The hand should also be as far forward on the grip as possible, while still being in a position to comfortably pull the trigger.

The technique is the same as holding a cricket bat or tennis racquet

Provides a consistent, centred hold on the rifle. It will also help place your strong arm into the correct position

Weak hand

Too far forward and the arm is not vertical

Under the front of the rifle, not too far forward.

There are various positions that it can go, but it should be comfortable and the forearm should be as vertical as possible (while still being comfortable)

The weak arm should support the weight of the rifle, whilst providing stability

Trigger Finger:

It is advised that a ‘trigger job’ is performed on your rifle by a professional gunsmith. This is where the moving parts of the trigger are polished and filed to make the action smoother and where necessary, the force needed to pull it lightened. This helps provide a smoother, lighter, more consistent pull which will help prevent ‘snatched’ shots. This usually costs around £50.
In addition, where necessary a trigger stop can be fitted to triggers. This reduces the amount of excess travel on the trigger once the trigger has released (i.e. the round has been fired). This also helps reduce snatching of shots and provides a shorter, quicker trigger pull (this is only really required on semi automatic rifles) and most people do not have this.

	Common Error	Correct	Reason
Position	Using the wrong part of the finger – usually the joint	Use the middle of the pad of your finger	Using the wrong part of your finger to pull the trigger will cause you to ‘snatch’ some shots to the left or right of the aiming point (usually the right)
Pull	Quick, sharp pull	Should be a smooth pull. Take up the slack in the trigger, then when it is time to shoot, gently apply pressure until the shot is fired. Ideally (when shooting slowly) it should be a surprise when it goes off	If the trigger is pulled quickly, it will cause the rifle to move off-aim. A gradual trigger pull is required for consistency

Follow Through:

Common Error

Correct

Reason

Follow Through

As soon as the shot is fired, the rifle is lowered

Just like in tennis where the racquet continues through the swing after the ball has been hit, the rifle should be kept on-aim for 1-2 seconds after the shot has been fired

If there is no follow through, the natural tendency is for the shooter to shoot and slightly lower or move the barrel at the same time. This causes an inconsistent group.

This is especially apparent in air pistols/rifles where it takes longer for the projectile to leave the barrel

Head:

	Common Error	Correct	Reason
Position	Head bent over to bring the dominant eye to the sights	The head should not be bent over too much.	Provides a straight and consistent group

Butt of Stock:

The butt of the stock needs to be positioned correctly in the shoulder, otherwise you will get an inconsistent group and recoil may not be absorbed correctly. In order to correct this, many rifles can be fitted with an aftermarket, adjustable but extension. This is recommended – especially as it can also be adjusted for different shooting positions (e.g. standing, kneeling and prone).

	Common Error	Correct	Reason
Position	Too low	Should be in the shoulder in the correct position (middle of shoulder)	Provides a consistent position, which means a consistent group and it will also help to absorb recoil
	Too high	Should be in the shoulder in the correct position (middle of shoulder)	Provides a consistent position, which means a consistent group and it will also help to absorb recoil
	Not in shoulder	Should be in the shoulder in the correct position (middle of shoulder)	Provides a consistent position, which means a consistent group and it will also help to absorb recoil

Sights:

	Common Error	Correct	Reason
Iron Sights (Blade)
Iron Sights (Peep)
Telescopic Sights	Closing the weak eye	Shoot with both eyes open, but concentrate more with the dominant eye	Closing the weak eye causes the dominant eye to squint slightly. With the weak aye closed, the crosshairs may look out of focus, with both eyes open they will look sharp. Both eyes open gives a wider field of view

The Shooting Process Described:

Shooting a Single Target:

Approach the shooting line
Check and adjust your aim (special attention to feet position, body posture, grip, left hand)
Check your aim by rising the barrel up and through the target - it should draw a line vertically through the middle of the target
On the range Officers command, you may shoot
Breathe in fully, then out 1/3rd
Lift the rifle from the 45 degree position up and through the centre of the target, above the aiming point, then down to the aiming point
Keep aim for 4-7 seconds (after this time, your aim will begin to wobble more and will only get worse)
While on aim, gradually pull the trigger until a round is fired
Keep on aim for 2 seconds
Lower the rifle to 45 degrees (resting the end of the barrel on a table if available)
Relax your body, while keeping your grip and feet in exactly the same position
Breath normally but in a relaxed manner for 10 seconds
Raise the rifle and continue with your next shot
Repeat this process until all of your shots are fired

Single Shot Quickly

Approach the shooting line
Check and adjust your aim (special attention to feet position, body posture, grip, left hand)
Hold the rifle at 45 degrees with the stock in your shoulder
Do this 3-4 times: Bring the rifle up with the stock remaining in your shoulder, so that the sights are aligned on the target. This motion should be quick, smooth and positive – with 2/3rds acceleration and 1/3rd deceleration. It is okay for the front sight to go vertically through the aiming point slightly, then down – this helps ensure that your horizontal alignment is correct
When ready to begin the shooting stage, hold your rifle at 45 degrees with the stock in your shoulder. This indicates to the range officer that you are ready to start
As the range officer gives the command to make ready and stand by, breathe in fully, then out 1/3rd
Lift the rifle from the 45 degree position up and through the centre of the target, above the aiming point, then down to the aiming point
Aim for 0.5 – 1 second
While on aim, pull the trigger with a smooth motion until a round is fired
Keep on aim for 2 seconds
Lower the rifle to 45 degrees (resting the end of the barrel on a table if available)
Relax your body, while keeping your grip and feet in exactly the same position
Breath normally but in a relaxed manner until 2-3 seconds before the range officer gives the command to shoot again (there will likely be a variable delay between the command to shoot, so you will need to guess how long this will be and manage your breathing accordingly)
Raise the rifle and continue with your next shot (as described above)
Repeat this process until all of your shots are fired, or the range officer gives the command to cease firing

Multiple Shots Quickly (Single Target)

Approach the shooting line
Check and adjust your aim (special attention to feet position, body posture, grip, left hand)
Hold the rifle at 45 degrees with the stock in your shoulder
Do this 3-4 times: Bring the rifle up with the stock remaining in your shoulder, so that the sights are aligned on the target. This motion should be quick, smooth and positive – with 2/3rds acceleration and 1/3rd deceleration. It is okay for the front sight to go vertically through the aiming point slightly, then down – this helps ensure that your horizontal alignment is correct
When ready to begin the shooting stage, hold your rifle at 45 degrees with the stock in your shoulder. This indicates to the range officer that you are ready to start
As the range officer gives the command to make ready and stand by, breathe in fully, then out 1/3rd
Lift the rifle from the 45 degree position up and through the centre of the target, above the aiming point, then down to the aiming point
Aim for 0.5 – 1 second
While on aim, pull the trigger with a smooth motion until a round is fired
Reload as smoothly (but quickly) as possible, while keeping the rifle on aim as much as possible and both hands and feet in the same position
Aim for 0.25 – 0.5 seconds
While on aim, pull the trigger quickly but smoothly until a round is fired
Reload, aim and shoot as described above until all of the rounds are fired or the range officer gives the command to cease firing
After the final shot, keep on aim for 2 seconds

Multiple Shots Quickly (Multiple Targets)

Approach the shooting line
Check and adjust your aim (special attention to feet position, body posture, grip, left hand). Your aiming point should be the last target that you will shoot at. For the other targets, you will have to twist your upper body
Hold the rifle at 45 degrees with the stock in your shoulder
Do this 3-4 times: Bring the rifle up with the stock remaining in your shoulder, so that the sights are aligned on the target. This motion should be quick, smooth and positive – with 2/3rds acceleration and 1/3rd deceleration. It is okay for the front sight to go vertically through the aiming point slightly, then down – this helps ensure that your horizontal alignment is correct
When ready to begin the shooting stage, hold your rifle at 45 degrees with the stock in your shoulder. This indicates to the range officer that you are ready to start
As the range officer gives the command to make ready and stand by, breathe in fully, then out 1/3rd
Lift the rifle from the 45 degree position up and through the centre of the target, above the aiming point, then down to the aiming point
Aim for 0.5 – 1 second
While on aim, pull the trigger with a smooth motion until a round is fired
Reload as smoothly (but quickly) as possible, while keeping the rifle on aim as much as possible and both hands and feet in the same position
Aim for 0.25 – 0.5 seconds
While on aim, pull the trigger quickly but smoothly until a round is fired
Reload, aim and shoot as described above until all of the rounds are fired or the range officer gives the command to cease firing
After the final shot, keep on aim for 2 seconds