When trying to wring as much precision as possible out of a gun, freestyle shooting is not the way to go. You must rest the gun in some way to remove the human induced issues as much as possible. The two main issues we are trying to remove are instability/inconsistency in the sight picture, and inadvertently influencing the shot as it breaks. Years ago we called that jerking the trigger, and that is still a very common thing that occurs. Recoil anticipation was the next variation on the theme and that too is still something we must guard against. The third way this manifests is by adding grip pressure towards the break.
Experienced shooters do all of these things during most practice sessions, but they do them less frequently and less dramatically than newer shooters do. In the context of slow fire group shooting, jerking the trigger tends to be the result of taking too long to break the shot. That may be because of lack oxygen or because of eye strain. It can also be because of poor body position. You must learn to recognize those symptoms and reset your process when needed. Do not break the shot “to get it over with.”
Recoil anticipation is a little more difficult. In newer shooters, it is often the result of wanting to fight recoil but getting their order of operations backwards. They fight recoil, then break the shot. It should be break the shot, then fight recoil. Of course, experienced shooters understand that they don’t really need to “fight” recoil and so they tend to put less negative inputs into the gun as well.
Adding pressure is very common and the only real way to counter it is to make sure you have all the grip you want from the beginning and do not change it. You must pay attention to what you are doing and feeling, and if you feel yourself adding pressure as you get closer to the shot breaking, STOP DOING THAT.
A good rested shooting position will help you counteract those human frailties and will lead to better groups. With a rifle, things are not nearly as easy as most shooters think they are but they certainly are simplified. Handguns are much harder, but there are several different ways to rest the gun and all can provide good results, depending on the shooter and the gun. I will not go into all of them today, just the ones I prefer.
My favorite way to test a gun is from prone. I lay on the ground in what is basically a modern rifle position and I rest the bottoms of my hands on the ground. Ideally no part of the gun contacts the ground, but it doesn’t usually matter if it extends out the bottom of your grip somewhat. This position is the most practical, as you are simply shooting from a field prone position. It also takes a bit more skill in some ways and so many people do not find it as easy to do as some other options.
Rollover prone also works very well and can sometimes make up for issues in micro-terrain.
I prefer prone for the previously mentioned reasons but also because the gun is allowed to recoil as it wants to. Since the gun itself is not restrained or resting on anything, it is free to recoil very similarly to the way it would if you were standing. This tends to keep your point of aim and point of impact the same in all positions. If you use other methods that involve resting the dust cover on a block, or something like that, you may end up with a different zero.
The other way I often test guns is from standing, resting my hands on a bag on a tripod. Everything about the gun’s position is the same as prone, except upright. This can work very well and is often easier to do than prone, depending on your range and target setup. I usually get very good results this way, but I do not think it is as good for me as prone is. The pic below shows a more aggressive posture than is ideal, but you will need to experiment with it for yourself.
Shooting tight groups is a difficult skill and takes practice. It is pretty much the defining aspect of shooting though, and is well worth putting in the time and effort to learn. I do a little slow fire group shooting in almost every practice session, and once you get it, it will pay dividends for the rest of your shooting life.
Read the full article here
