View Full Version : Help with shooting/aiming style
Guys,
I consider myself fairly new in this sport/hobby. Please give me some general advice.
After reading about the Santose Battle Sight Zero, I decided to try it. As I was doing the procedure, I was paying closer attention to my shooting/groupings. I never really analyzed it before. Plus, this rifle is more accurate than I was previously used to.
After getting it tweaked a bit, I realized that I was having trouble with consistency. This of course has nothing to do with the sights or the ammo. (Colt 6920 XM193). I discovered that I cannot seem to get better than a three inch grouping at 50yds. (using sandbags, not a traditional bench rest.)
So.... I guess I'm not as good as I thought I was...and not as good as I need to be either.
What do you suppose I can do...what advice can I take to become better? Just shooting more isn't going to do it. There must be something wrong with "my" sight picture, my breathing, something.
Don't tear me up, ok?!
lanceriley
11-06-08, 18:22
hold your breath when you pull the trigger
dry fire and learn trigger control.
look at the front sight!
I have always been taught that are two times when one absolutely does not want to hold ones breath, that is while scuba diving or squeezing the trigger on a firearm. Breath control is not the same as holding it.
Trigger control and sight alignment is key. You need to be able to work the trigger while being able to keep a perfect sight alignment in relation to your target with a proper sight picture.
The least amount of body muscular tension and a proper firing position the better. Breath control and fire during the natural respiratory pause. Follow through.
There are a lot of things you have to do CORRECTLY to get a good group:
One of the easiest way to remember is the way i learned it in the Marines B R A S S F
Breathe
Relax
Aim(natural point of aim, proper sight aligment, sight picture)
Stop breathing, at your natural respiratory pause
Squeeze the trigger without disturbing your sights
Follow Through
what distance are you getting your zero in?
SingleStacker45
11-06-08, 20:32
consistant sight picture is most likely holding you back. get some targets with the black bulls. Try to get the smallest ones you can see at 50 yards. Make sure when you mount the rifle to have your cheek firmly against the stock and focus on your front sight. Line up the front sight with the bottom of the black area on the target and see how you do.
Mule
consistant sight picture is most likely holding you back. get some targets with the black bulls. Try to get the smallest ones you can see at 50 yards. Make sure when you mount the rifle to have your cheek firmly against the stock and focus on your front sight. Line up the front sight with the bottom of the black area on the target and see how you do.
Mule
Can you give me an example of the type of targets you mean?
what distance are you getting your zero in?
I'm doing the Santose 50yard/200M battle sight zero. I'm attempting to zero it at 50 yards.
My groupings are not what they should be at that distance....
Get professional instruction.
CarlosDJackal
11-06-08, 22:43
Can you be a bit more specific about what you think you're doing wrong? If you cannot do this, find someone competent to coach and observe you when you shoot. If this is not possible, try video taping yourself shoot. While it may be time consuming, I've found that I catch my bad habits when I do just this.
Good luck!!
spamsammich
11-06-08, 22:45
Can you give me an example of the type of targets you mean?
It's going to depend on your eyesight. I've had good luck with Birchwood Casey Shoot-n-see targets. I find that at 25-50 yards, the black dots that come with them are small enough to let me consistently align the sights. Also, they red dot in the middle of the targets helps me line up my RDS. If you're just trying to find the center of a big black dot with your sights, you'll have trouble grouping. Aim small miss small.
Can you be a bit more specific about what you think you're doing wrong?
I think there are inconsistencies in my sight picture. I also think I'm anticipating the firing of the round. You know, "bracing" for the blast, so to speak.
RogerinTPA
11-07-08, 16:49
There is a lot involved with shooting tight shot groups. Offered as a discussion, most novices I've trained back in the day, would raise their cheek off the stock in anticipation of the recoil, or won't hold a steady cheekweld/changing the placement (constantly changing eye relief), poor trigger control (jerking the trigger, not using the first pad on the trigger finger), lack of patience, poor shooting position (not aligned for natural point of aim), sling not tight enough, improper breathing or breathing while squeezing the trigger, etc... Most folks I come across on the range now, are doing the same thing...don't use a sling, lack patience, jerk off the trigger and don't use proper breathing techniques and wonder why they get inconsistent shot groups or can't get the shots to group.
DocMinster
11-07-08, 16:53
Guys,
I consider myself fairly new in this sport/hobby. Please give me some general advice.
After reading about the Santose Battle Sight Zero, I decided to try it. As I was doing the procedure, I was paying closer attention to my shooting/groupings. I never really analyzed it before. Plus, this rifle is more accurate than I was previously used to.
After getting it tweaked a bit, I realized that I was having trouble with consistency. This of course has nothing to do with the sights or the ammo. (Colt 6920 XM193). I discovered that I cannot seem to get better than a three inch grouping at 50yds. (using sandbags, not a traditional bench rest.)
So.... I guess I'm not as good as I thought I was...and not as good as I need to be either.
What do you suppose I can do...what advice can I take to become better? Just shooting more isn't going to do it. There must be something wrong with "my" sight picture, my breathing, something.
Don't tear me up, ok?!
IMHO... Practice Practice Practice.... Learn/Master the handgun first and the rifle will be Cake.
SingleStacker45
11-09-08, 10:27
Can you give me an example of the type of targets you mean?
Try something like this:
http://www.glockfaq.com/targets/bullseye/bullseyecrosshair_2inch_2.pdf
If you cant see the dot well through your sights go to a bigger black area. Line up the top of the front sight with the bottom of the ring as in traditional bullseye shooting. Remember to get a good cheekweld to the stock and squeeze the trigger as slowly as you can. Try to stay relaxed until well after the shot. This is called follow through. It's ok if the sights are not perfectly still just hold them as steady as you can. It should be pretty still from the bench.
Mule
Improper trigger manipulation will ruin your accuracy more then anything else.
Dry fire,dry fire and dry fire. The old dime and washer drills, or spent case like LAV uses, will help with this. Then move on to ball and dummy drills.
Practice does not make perfect, practice makes permanent. Perfect practice makes perfect.
Bob
The old dime and washer drills, or spent case like LAV uses, will help with this. Then move on to ball and dummy drills.
Bob
Where can I read about these? I'd love to try 'em.
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