How to Become a Better Shooter: A Guide for Gun Beginners
Did you hear about Walter Stokes?
Born in 1898, Walter grew up to be a shooting champion. After winning every 300M event in the International Shooting Union World Championships, he went on to join a gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic rifle team. Imagine how great Walter must have felt winning medals for doing something he loved.
Do you dream of one day winning a shooting competition? Or perhaps you just want to learn how to be a better shot?
If you answered yes, then you’re in the right place! In this article, we’ll review the top shooting tips every gun owner should know.
Read on to learn the truth about how to become a better shooter.
Practice Shooting Stances for Pistols
First, on our list of shooting tips is learning proper shooting stances. Learning different shooting stances makes it possible for you to get the best shot, no matter what your shooting conditions are.
Next, we’ll review a few stances you should start practicing today. Keep in mind that the term support side is referring to your non-shooting side. Whereas the strong side refers to the shooting side.
Weaver Stance
The weaver stance is a 2-hand stance that’s similar to the way a boxer positions their body. To get into position, you first need to move your non-shooting foot about 8 inches in front of you.
Next, position your arms by angling your strong side arm slightly outward, with the elbow bent. Finally, the support side shoulder should lean into the gun. After practice, you’ll find it’s easy to quickly assume the Weaver stance.
Chapman Stance
Using an aggressive foot pattern like the Weaver, the Chapman stance keeps your support side foot closer to your strong-side foot. The result is a more relaxed stance that allows your strong-side arm to fully extend.
One of the biggest advantages of using a Chapman stance is recoil control. Since your strong arm is fully locked, a good portion of the recoil can transfer from your wrists to your upper body and shoulders.
Power Point Stance
Finally, the power point stance is an advanced option more experienced shooters should try. Focusing on accuracy, this one-handed stance requires your strong side foot to be about 15 inches in front of you. If you picture a boxer throwing a punch, you’ll be able to picture this stance.
Importance of Dry Fire Training
If you’re serious about learning how to be a better shooter, you need to invest time practicing with dry fire. By dry fire, we mean working with your firearm, without ever actually firing a shot.
One of the biggest advantages of dry fire training is that it’s something you can practice from the comfort of your home. When dry firing your weapon, you should focus on aligning your sights and pulling the trigger without flinching. When you’re ready to move on to real ammunition, start with a bb gun and BB gun targets.
Perfect Your Trigger Squeeze
Perfecting your trigger squeeze is hands down 1 of the best ways to learn how to become a better shot. The first step is to start training yourself in the art of trigger discipline. To do this you have to consistently and consciously treat every gun like it’s loaded.
You should never put your finger on the trigger until you’re ready to shoot a hole in something. Even if you’re picking up a video game gun, you should be enforcing your muscle memory by keeping your finger off the trigger.
Next, you’ll want to learn the different stages of pulling the trigger. Here’s a shortlist of the different trigger pulling stages:
- Initial slack
- Trigger break
- The stop
- The reset
To master the 4 trigger pulling points above, keep up with your dry fire practice.
Regulate Your Breathing
There are different breathing techniques for shooters. It’ll take practice before finding the technique one that works best for your shooting style.
For starters, you can practice taking a few deep relaxing breaths. After taking 3-5 deep breaths, inhale as deeply as you can, pause your breathing, and shoot.
Another option is to take the opposite approach. After taking a few deep breaths, exhale fully, pause your breathing and take your shot. While you’re breathing, focus on your aim, while also clearing your mind of any distractions.
Master Rifle Shooting Positions
You can have the best gun shooting techniques, but if you don’t know how to assume the right positions, all of your skills will be a waste. Here are a few shooting positions every rifle hunter should know:
- Prone
- Kneeling
- Hasty sling
- Prone with bipod
- Sitting
- Kneeling with crossed sticks
- Standing
Take your time as you work to master each position. Once again, dry fire is a great tool for being able to safely practice shooting positions, without having to leave your home.
How to Become a Better Shooter With Your Grip
Are you wondering how to become a better shooter with a pistol? If yes, then you’ll need to practice the best ways to grip your firearm. Here are the ingredients of a good grip:
- Make it high
- Large gun contact area
- Consistency
By making your grip high, it’ll be easier for you to control the firearm. Next, your hands need to be touching as much of the gun grip as possible. The more gun contact area your grip has, the easier it’ll be for you to control the recoil.
Finally, consider using a felt tip pen to help you maintain consistency with your grip. While you’re holding the gun in the perfect grip position, have a friend draw 1 or 2 lines indicating your hand placement.
Get Better With Time
Now you know the top tips for how to become a better shooter. What’s 1 of the tips in this article you’re going to try using first?
Will you be taking advantage of dry fire so you can practice at home? Or are you ready to start perfecting your gun stances and positions?
Be patient with yourself as you grow and learn. Before you know it, you’ll be a better shot than you ever thought possible. For more ways to be the best, explore the rest of this site.
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