A disconnected draft to be later reconstructed into a single post regarding some important tips & tricks that have helped me become a better shooter. Additions, comments, advice, etc are most welcome from anyone who reads this.
How to tip the odds in your favor:
1. Equipment. Get the very best tool for the job that you can possibly get. It is quite probable that an entry-level gun will shoot "good enough" to show you a good time, and drop a squirrel if asked, the odds are that a well-made and well kept rifle will outshoot the bargain basement one.
Just having a rifle that has a reputation of a "super shooter" won't automatically make you a better marksman any more than having a formula I race car would make you a better driver. There is more to do. You must learn, Grasshopper.
2. Ammunition. same as above. My experience has been that every time you go up a grade in ammo, you get more consistant performance which helps eliminate flyers, and thereby reducing group sizes. The better the gun, the better the ammo - the better your odds are of outshooting the guy on the next bench!
The object is not to just punch holes in paper. The object is to punch ONE hole in the paper and have it simply get a little blacker around the edges with each following shot.
3. Sights. Because of vision issues I have a very difficult time with open/iron sights. I can use 'em, but not as effectively as I would like, so most of my shooting is with scope of one sort or another. If scopes work for you, get at least a decently good one, well mounted with AO for the best results at varying distances. ..oh yeah, take some time to get that puppy sighted in RIGHT.
4. Trigger pull. Due to the way the bones, muscles, tendons, and all the other oogie stuff in your hand is connected, the simple act of moving your index finger to pull the trigger can actually cause your whole hand to move, and cause the thumb to exert more pressure on the top of the stock or wherever you keep it while shooting. Work on ONLY moving the trigger finger straight back, using the finger muscles only while keeping your grip unchanged. Generally, only the pad of the index finger should touch the trigger, moving in the same plane at all times - straight back. Don't "pull" the trigger in toward your hand, and don't "push" the trigger away from your hand..avoid any side-to-side motion.
After pointing your rifle in the right direction, a straight & well-practiced pull is one of the best things you can do to improve your accuracy.
5. Repeatability. All the best stuff in the world isn't going to help you do good groups if you don't strive for (and attain) absolute repeatability in all actions related to the act of shooting a firearm. Whether you're shooting from a bench, or offhand/unsupported the idea is the same: same cheek-weld, same sight picture, same grip on the rifle, same breathing, same pull on the trigger, same everything - every time, for every shot!
(...to be continued...)
Anyone with anything to add, please feel free to do so... I am no pro, just another guy wanting to shoot better and ultimately share some of the things that have helped me along the way. :bthumb:
:harry: