Marksmanship is all about maintaining proper posture and developing habits that can ensure steadiness and accuracy. Read on to find out the tricks the pros use to hit the mark every time.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Holding the gun steady
Step 1. Develop a steady position for you
In armed forces, soldiers with basic marksmanship are expected to be able to hold the rifle steady enough to keep the rifle in a straight position even if a hammer is dropped on the gun barrel. By mastering the basics of this steadying technique, you'll be able to keep your gaze steady and steady in a variety of positions..
- Practice a variety of positions to find out what is best and most comfortable for you. The sitting position will be a comfortable position for some people but will be less comfortable for shooters with poor hip conditions.
- If you are right-handed (not left-handed), you will shoot right-handed and if you are left-handed, your left will shoot.
- After all, the domineering eye will also have an effect. Generally, if you use a shoulder fired weapon, you place it on the side where your eye is dominant. This even applies to shooters with an inverted dominant eye – shooters who are right/left dominant but have a dominant eye on the opposite side.
Step 2. Stabilize your grip with your non-shooting hand
The handguard on the rifle should be placed on the letter "V" which consists of your thumb and index finger. The grip should be light, like a bad handshake, and your wrist should be straight with the fingers curling naturally around the handguard.
- The non-shooting hand must keep the rifle steady as in basketball, where the non-shooting hand must stabilize the ball. The main support for your rifle should come from the shooting hand and your position, but the non-shooting hand is for stability and stability.
- Take precautions to keep these hands protected from gun activity and ejected shells.
Step 3. Place the rear end of the rifle firmly in the shoulder pocket on the side of the shooting hand
Make sure the back of the gun rests firmly on your shoulder, not on the fleshy part of your armpit or on your collarbone.
Placing the rear end of the rifle in this pocket allows the recoil from the rifle to be absorbed throughout your body, not slamming your shoulders back causing pain and inaccurate shooting
Step 4. Grasp the grip of the rifle with your firing hand
Depending on what type of rifle you are using, you will either grip it in a full grip or a shotgun-style oval grip. However, your grip should be firmer than the grip on your non-shooting hand, such as a firm handshake in business. There should be a slight pull back on the grip, pulling the back of the rifle firmly against your shoulder. This is to ensure that when you're ready to fire, pulling the trigger won't move the rifle and mess with your precision.
The finger that will pull the trigger must be straight. Don't put it on the trigger until you're ready to fire. Place it next to the trigger guard, or use it to hold the rifle butt
Step 5. Keep your elbows in a down and deep position
Your elbows will be placed in different positions depending on whether you're sitting, standing, or prone, but each position requires you to keep your elbow under the gun to lift it. Imagine a string connecting your elbows to your waist, pulling your elbows into your center of gravity..
Step 6. Relax your neck muscles and let your cheeks fall naturally on the rifle butt
This position is sometimes called a cheek-to-stock weld – joining the cheeks with the butt of the rifle, and can be obtained by placing your nose in the receptacle on some rifles. Consistent check-to-stock welds will ensure that your eyes align naturally with your sight and you won't need side vision to aim.
Step 7. Relax your body
With the right technique, you will be able to relax your body and use a calm rhythm of breathing. The grip on the rifle should be firm but not tense. If you use your muscles to hold the gun, you will feel tired and your accuracy will decrease. Using a comfortable and relaxed position is the best way to shoot precisely and accurately.
Part 2 of 3: Shooting at Target
Step 1. Check your natural target point
By aiming yourself at the target and staying relaxed in a steady position, your rifle will aim at the target without much effort on your part. This is called your natural target point and is a sign of correct technique.
If when you relax your muscles in a steady position and let your cheeks touch the butt of the rifle you have to try to rotate your body even a little bit to look at the target directly, this means you should change your position. Leave your previous position and find a new, more suitable position
Step 2. Align the sight of the rifle
Rifles with simple sights (i.e. rifles without binoculars) – or what is often called an “iron sight” – consist of two parts, namely the front sight or the bead at the end of the gun barrel and the rear sight or crook in the middle of the barrel. Any alignment errors will multiply exponentially when the bullet is fired.
- If you can do a good cheek-to-stock weld, the sight marker will align with the sight without much difficulty. Change the position of your neck slightly if needed.
- If you use a telescope sight, then the principle will remain the same. Make sure your eyes are at an appropriate distance behind the binoculars, far enough away to avoid kicking back and aligned to avoid "shadowing" in the binocular vision.
- Make sure the binoculars are visible properly before shooting and the front sight post is blacked out and does not reflect light. Use a gun blacksmith or pencil to blacken it.
Step 3. Focus your eyes
Straighten your eyes and focus on the front sight post. When you try to balance your elbows on your knees and breathe evenly and keep the butt of the rifle strong and keep the tiny bead on the tiny aim of the small target 46m away, it can be frustrating: what are you focusing on? The short answer is the bead, not the target. Trust that you are in the right position, relax, and focus on the bead.
If you're in the right position and you've straightened your sights, your target should be at the aperture, and while it may appear blurry to you, focusing on the bead guarantees you to maintain a proper and level vision when shooting, and produce a more accurate shot.
Step 4. Check your visual image
A properly aimed shot will show that your front sight, aiming, target, and eye are perfectly aligned (or when using binoculars, the crosshair and target are aligned). This is called a “vision image.” Take a little time to shift focus back and forth between the target and your vision, to make sure that everything is aligned.
Ultimately, the more you practice aiming, the more you'll be able to do this without changing your focus, which can tire your eyes. Practicing cheek-to-stock welds - and straightening your gaze will ensure that your eyes don't have to overwork when aiming
Step 5. Control your breathing
Shooting is a skill that involves millimeters, and you'll realize how much your breath can affect your shot as you learn to aim. But it is important to breathe naturally and fully. Holding your breath will only make you uncomfortable and mess with your shooting accuracy. On exhalation, learn to be aware of the moment after you exhale, when you have cleared the air in your lungs, but before you become uncomfortable and need to inhale. The moment only lasted a moment, but it was the perfect moment to pull the trigger.
Step 6. Pull the trigger
All your attempts to adjust the position will fall apart if you jerk the trigger like a gear shift. However, you should pull the trigger as if you were holding your finger in your grip, completing the firm business handshake with a gentle squeeze.
Previously, anticipating the gunfire and recoil caused many shooters to wobble when pulling the trigger. At first it is difficult to stay in position, but being in a comfortable position is the only way to shoot properly. It takes a long time to set your shot and learn to relax. But all your hard work will pay off
Step 7. Do it
As in basketball or golf, correct position and balance must be maintained throughout the shooting process. Move your head up to see if hitting the target is the best way not to hit it. Keep muscles relaxed, cheeks against the butt of the rifle, base of the rifle tightly touching the shoulder pockets, and eyes focused on the front sight post. Take a breath and you'll be ready to check or shoot again.
Part 3 of 3: Developing the precision of various positions
Step 1. Shoot in a prone position
Draw a line with the foot and elbow opposite your shooting hand pointing about 25-30 degrees to the right of your target. Place the rifle on the same shoulder as your shooting hand so that the natural aiming point will fall on your target. Keep the base of the rifle high enough against your shoulders so that your head is as straight as if you were standing. Use your left hand to bring the rifle to the same degree as the target.
- The prone position is the most stable of all the standard positions because the elbow of the shooter and the weight of the rifle are held by the ground. You can also use a bipod, sandbag, or other device to stabilize in this position.
- Be careful with hot bullet casings. Because when you lie down, the shell may roll against your skin or fall onto you, but this also applies if you shoot from another position.
Step 2. Shoot from a sitting position
In this position, you will sit cross-legged, pointing 90 degrees toward the target. Place your elbows on your knees to support the butt of your rifle, keeping your back straight for added precision.
This position is very comfortable for some shooters, but can be disturbed by breathing. Maintain good breathing when shooting in this position
Step 3. Shoot from a standing position with feet shoulder width apart
Keep the hip opposite your shooting hand aiming at the target. You'll be dividing the weight of the rifle between your legs equally to ensure the most accurate shot, so keep your shoulders down, your weight balanced on your hips.
Support the rifle securely by forming a support column that is straight with your body. The rifle should be balanced comfortably on your upper body and require only minimal effort from your muscles to do so
Step 4. Shoot while kneeling
Professional shooters use something called a kneeling roll to hold the ankle against the shooting leg, but you can also use a rolled up jersey or other restraint. Kneel on your brace, keeping your supporting ankle on the side of your shooting hand straight and your non-shooting leg vertical. You can place your non-shooting hand on your knee on the same side, or use the kneeling position as a modified standing position and continue. Or, keep your elbows down and deep, supporting the weight of the rifle.
If you put your elbows on your knees, make sure you avoid contact between the bones which can make them unstable. Place your knee on your left triceps about an inch or two above your elbow, then make slight adjustments to find the most stable and comfortable position for you
Warning
- Observe safe practice distances and regulations at all times.
- Never put your eyes directly on the binoculars on the rifle because a hit back will damage the orbit, can cause bruising, or the worst thing is you can be hospitalized.
- Most rifles, especially semi-automatic rifles, are designed to directly eject the cartridge from the side of the rifle. If you are right-handed or normal but use a right-handed rifle, make sure the sleeve doesn't come out and hit your face.
- Always, always, and always use guns safely. Use it carelessly, and it will be fatal. Always assume that the gun is always loaded, even if you think it isn't. If you're not 100% sure how to use a rifle with care, read the wikiHow How to Shoot Safely article.
- Always wear ear and eye protection when using firearms.
- Never leave your weapon loaded and unattended when you approach a target. Lock the cylinder screw in the “open” position when you leave your rifle – this way, even if the trigger is pulled, the bullet will not fire.
What you need:
- Gun
- Bullet
- eye protection
- Ear protector
