Shooting Tips/Techniques

[bower4311]

I'm 20 years old and have been hunting since I was little. Fact of the matter is, like a lot of hunters, I just don't get the opportunity to get out and shoot like I should. I just got a rifle reloader for Christmas and I will be purchasing a Savage 11 in .260 when I head back to college. There, I will have a lot of time to actually get back into shooting. I'm starting with reloading which I think is a good way at my age. Will save me a lot of money in the long run.

Problem is, I don't really know the best ways to shoot. I know there is no best ways, but there are certainly a lot of techniques. Where do I even go to start? I will mostly be practicing prone supported in the end but I sure don't want to ignore other shooting positions and off-hand shots. Even basics as what part of your finger should contact the trigger. Or what the most popular breathing habits are. I don't really know any of this stuff even though I should.

Should I start with an Army or Marines handbook? Articles on general shooting techniques here, or threads discussing material. Books?

Thanks for any help!

 

[crazyhorse]

The military basic marksmanship books are a great place to start. As far as specialized techniques go, I'm not sure there is enough room to type the many different aspects of shooting a rifle accurately!

Two good fundamentals to start with are "natural point of aim" and precise trigger control.

Natural point of aim is basically getting comfortable behind your gun while it is on target. You should be positioned firmly on the gun without straining to keep the reticle on target. When done correctly the only time you should see movement in the cross hairs is during your breathing cycle. If you are having to flex one muscle or the other, or lean into the gun in a particular direction to hold it on target you need to readjust. You can practice this unloaded anywhere you can point the rifle safely. Spend some time finding this position and try to maintain it throughout the shot sequence which will keep a lot of other factors (recoil travel, etc.) working in your favor. Getting into this position is different for everyone, as we are all built differently and some are more flexible than others.

Addressing the trigger is vital to accurate shooting. The first "pad" on your finger is where you want to make contact with the trigger. I prefer to have the crease in my finger right along the outside edge of the trigger. You should take great care to "press" not pull the trigger to the rear! Lastly it probably goes without saying, but you should fire the gun by increasing pressure on the trigger never snapping or snatching it to the rear.

These are a couple of very basic skills that I have learned over the years that should help. There is a ton of knowledgeable shooters on here with lots of good info. It's very important to learn correctly early so your not fighting bad habits later!

 

[Joe King]

Here's links to video clips, good info here.

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f121/holland-long-range-shooting-school-prone-position-52449/

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f121/darrell-hollands-long-range-shooting-video-39330/

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f73/straight-back-behind-rifle-60444/

 

[bower4311]

Thank you very much!