Whether your shooting takes you hunting, to competitions or target shooting on the weekend, or you carry a firearm for work, every shooter is likely to have an off day from time to time. This can happen regardless of whether you are an experienced shooter or a novice. It can be very irritating, but it proves that you are only human. While practicing more can improve your shooting skills, know that shortcuts do not exist in the shooting world. It will take lots of ammunition, patience, discipline and practice to become a great marksman or markswoman.
With this in mind, here are four tips from the experts at a gun store in Olathe, KS to help you improve your shooting.
Take it slow
Faster doesn’t always mean better, at least when you’re practicing shooting. Sure, you can shoot fast, but you’ll be sacrificing accuracy. Take a look at your grouping. If you are shooting a handgun or rifle very quickly, and your grouping looks like a scattered shot from a shotgun blast instead of tightly together, the best thing you can do to improve is slow down. Focus on your target and remain in control of the trigger. Take calm breaths, then take the shot, and only begin picking up the pace once your grouping shrinks down.
Dry fire practice
If you aren’t dry firing already, start immediately! Doing this at the range will save a lot of ammunition and targets, and therefore money. The only downside to dry firing is excruciating boredom; however, it’s as beneficial as live firing in terms of learning and getting down the trigger pull. The thing about dry firing is that you can do it at home, ensuring that the firearm is uploaded, there’s no bullet racked in the chamber and all ammo is out of the room. Place a target on the wall or pick an object in the room to use as an aiming point. Practice focusing, aiming and breathing to make every dry fire count.
Practice all the positions
Many rifle shooters tend to sit down or lay propped up off the ground during target practice because it’s good for sighting in and makes for an easier time reloading. While this makes it easier to shoot and group your rounds, you should also be practicing shooting from a variety of positions—including standing (offhand), kneeling, squatting, sitting and prone (lying down flat, with your back up).
Know when to pack it up
You might go to the range one day and miss the target completely. It’s important to know that this happens to everyone, whether it’s because you’re tired after work, have worries on your mind or don’t really want to be there. Should you miss the target a number of times right off the bat, pack it up and come back at a later date. If your focus is not on shooting, you’re wasting your time and ammunition, and creating bad habits for yourself.
Shopping around for a new firearm? Head to Harrison Street Pawn, your go-to gun store in Olathe, KS!