A good shot shoots every day, or at least several times a week. If circumstances do not permit of practice with a loaded arm, he will content himself with dry-shooting.
Whatever the form the practice takes it must be with complete concentration of mind and hand, for it is concentration which brings consistent skill.
The technique of pistol shooting has changed considerably from what it was earlier in the XX century, yet there is far from complete agreement amongst the experts as
to how the pistol should be held. It is generally conceded that the grip should be firm, for a tight hold on the butt is necessary to prevent pressure on the trigger from
deflecting the aim. This is particularly true of double-action shooting with a revolver. The trigger must be pressed just as steadily as in rifle shooting — in fact, with
even greater care, if this is possible. The pressure should be straight back, not to one side or another.
The pistol should be gripped as high as possible, that part of the hand between the first finger and thumb being well to the top of the grip. (Some revolvers have a nasty habit of pinching the skin between the finger and thumb when the hammer comes back, if the hand is held too high). Some experts in double-action shooting recommend that the revolver be turned a little to the right in the hand: others say that all pistols should be held straight. Probably it is best to learn by experience which particular hold suits your style. The size and strength of your hand will determine to some extent what hold to adopt with any particular pistol. Remember all pistols do not behave alike and must be held according to their peculiarities.
While much is said of shooting from the hip and of snap shots taken without using the sights, consistent accuracy can only be achieved by properly aligning the sights. Even in very rapid shooting the sights must be aligned on the target. The expert does this in a minimum of time, getting the shot away by an even pressure of the trigger at just the right moment, without any suggestion of yanking at the trigger as he comes on aim. In deliberate target shooting, the pistol is brought up a little above the target and brought down again, the sights aligned and steadied while the shot is fired.
No one can hold a pistol perfectly steady; it always wavers to some extent, but by dint of practice the amount of movement can be reduced. There is a moment when the swing is at its minimum, and it is then that the shot should be got off easily, without jerk or snatch. The shot should be released within ten seconds of the pistol being raised, or the hand will begin to waver. If he does not steady on the target within this time, the shooter should bring his hand down and rest for a while before coming up and having another try.
When commencing deliberate shooting at a target, the pistol should be taken in the left hand and placed in the right hand in the exact position which has become familiar and found satisfactory. The grip should then not be altered; the pistol should not be put down until all the shots have been fired and the target completed. If you put the gun down while you reload or pause to use a spotting telescope, every change of grip will show in the shots grouped on the card.
The method in rapid shooting is similar, except, of course, that speed is increased. The shots have to be taken in limited time, sometimes very limited, but still aim has to be taken and each shot got away while the sights are in line. Skill at rapid shooting comes after deliberate shooting has been mastered, and is attained by hard practice at increasing speeds but with no less care in taking aim and letting the shot go.
Several factors contribute to inaccuracy in pistol shooting. The inaccuracy of the man who, having no training or practice, misses the target completely is mainly due to snatching at the trigger sufficiently hard to pull the sights out of line. Hold is important because a good hold counteracts the inaccuracies caused by imperfect trigger squeezing. I t also influences the recoil of the pistol and therefore the direction in which the bullet leaves the muzzle. If the grip is low on the butt, the pistol kicks higher than it would otherwise and the shot flies high. If it is high the shot flies low. Similarly, differences of hold can make the bullets group to the left or to the right of the bull. If you want to see the effect of this, experiment with an air-pistol. You will be surprised how many inches difference on the target at ten yards result from a quite moderate change of hold.
Another cause of inaccuracy is the slight but continuous dither of the sights that comes from the impossibility of keeping the hand perfectly steady. Gripping too tightly increases dither. Movement from the elbow is negligible, but movement of the arm about the shoulder causes a swing which, while slower than the dither of the wrist, makes a much more obvious and disconcerting movement of the sights on the target.
Finally, there is the movement of the body as a whole due to the unsteadiness of legs and ankles. It is quite impossible to stand perfectly motionless and, whether using pistol or rifle in the off-hand position, the slow swing of the body must show on the target. By standing with the feet wide apart, movement from left to right can be reduced, but the backward and forward swing remains. If you stand square to the target, the up-and-down swing causes the sights to rise up and down on the target, and the error will show as the stringing of the shots in a vertical line. If you turn sideways to the target and shoot looking over your right shoulder in the old-time duelling style, the shots will tend to string in a line from left to right. The error is reduced to a minimum if the body is turned at an angle of 45 degrees to the target, when the shots will tend to spread from 70'clock to 10'clock, but should form a closer group than with either of the other stances.
On taking up your position at the firing point close your unloaded pistol, then, closing your eyes, bring the pistol up. If when you open your eyes again the pistol is not in line with the target, correct the line by moving your feet, and repeat the process until the pistol comes up on t o the target naturally. You are then ready to shoot and can load, but f or safety keep the barrel in line with the target, and do not move your feet or alter your grip. As you align the sights, let your unoccupied hand relax or rest in the trouser pocket. Then hold your breath with the lungs fairly full, and when the sights are making their least movement on point of aim squeeze off the shot. After the shot has gone do not immediately come down, but wait until the sights have come into line again. This habit assists in ensuring a steady let-off. Then, before looking through the spotting telescope, "call the shot".
Des Hastings
These exercises have been developed and improved over a great number of years and have proved to be an invaluable aid to the serious pistol shooter. They are based on the
principle of muscle toning and speedy eye and hand co-ordination. Attention is givin to the importance of creating a balance
between opposing and individual groups of muscles, an imbalance of which is one of the main causes of one's inability to hold a pistol steady for any length of time.
As well as the muscles, the inner ear and eyes need toning, which improves your ability to quickly regain your natural balance.
The object of these exercises is not to build bulk muscle tissue but to develop muscle that can react quickly to a start-stop situation, vital
in combat shooting. You must be able to move from any stationary position and come to a sudden stop on target without wavering.
It has been found that it is not the number of times you do these exercises, but the amount of time a muscle is under tension that tones it. These are toning exercises only,
most of them need only to be held for a maximum of ten (full) seconds.
A muscle under tension sends a message to the brain that it is being used. The brain, in responce, signals for the necessary nutrients to be produced
to build a stronger muscle. Lack of exercise results in muscular and bone atrophy. This was a problem astronauts experianced
on extended tripsa into space before exercise programs were introduced.
Incidentally, the under-arm triceps are one of the first group of arm muscles to get out of condition without constant exercise, which causes an imbalance between
them and the biceps(upper arm). With this in mind these exercises were developed.
These exercises were used by some prisoners of war who found themselves in solitary confinement. Having no weights to work with, the methord of using muscle against
muscle to build and tone proved very effective. Each phyiscal sport calls for the conditioning of specific sets of muscles.So it is with shooting, be it target of combat.
It is recommended that for the first few times you do the exercises, pose in shorts in front of a mirror and observe the opposing muscles at work. This will also give
you a good indication whether you are leaning to one side or the other. Your shoulders should be perfectly horizontal during all the exercises. The feet are placed in line
with the hips. The legs and feet can be likened to a gun platform, the steadier it is the better.
Do these exercises as often as you think necessary to obtain peak muscle toning. However, for the regular shooter, two to three times a week is the mimimum.
Extend your arns as far forward as possible in line with your shoulders, with thumbs up. Now push the arms a little further so that they are under tension. Open your hands as far as possible and hold that position for ten seconds. Close the hand and clench as tightly as possible, hold for ten seconds.
Tones ligaments, hand and wrist. Improves ability to grip pistol.
Arms extended as in Exercise No 1. With fist tightly clenched, first twist the wrists out as far as comfortably possible. Hold for ten seconds Reverse this proceedure and hold for ten seconds.
Tones muscle, nerve and joints. Assists in preventing pistol lean.
Arms extended in front. With fists clenched bend the forearms back until the fists touch the shoulders. Having reached this position, raise the elbows keeping them pointing forward. This puts a great number of muscles into action in the arms shoulders and neck. Hold for ten seconds. If any time you feel too much strain, reduce the time you hold the exercise.
Tones triceps, neck and shoulders.
Raise the right hand into a knife-stabbing position. Close into a fist. With the left hand grasp the right wrist. Push the right hand forward and down at the same time, try to stop it moving with your left hand. The object of this is to tone the muscle under the arm.(Triceps brachii muscle). Holf for ten seconds and reverse, i.e. grasp left wrist with the right hand. To make this a little harder, instead of grabbing the wrist, grab hold of the ffor-side of the hand. The lengthenins the action of the leverage.
Tones joint, nerve, and under arm muscle. Decreases wavering.
Hands in front of chest, elbows out. Make a cup of your left hand and a fist of your right. Now push the first into the cup and push hard one against the other, keeping the elbows up. Hold for ten seconds. Repeat with other hand.
Total arm and chest muscles toning.
Arms behind back. Grip wrist with left hand. With head up and chest out pull the right arm down as far as possible. Hold ten seconds and repeat with other arm.
Arm and shoulder toning.
Raise your arms to the side., shoulder hight.Bend forearms in to touch shoulders with fingers, push the elbows back as far as possible. Hold for ten seconds. Swing the elbows forward until they meet in front. Hold for five seconds. After this exercise let the arms fall gently to the side and shake the hands limply. Relax for a couple of seconds.
Tones neck, shoulder, and deep chest muscles.
Extend arms to the side, fingers spread and extended. Under tension swing the arms forward until the hands meet in front of the chest. As soon as they meet swing back again as fas as comfortably possible. Repeat the exercise five times, back and forth. The important thing here is to keep the fingers spread and extended so that the arms are under slight tension.
Tendon and Brachioradiialis muscle toning.
Face a wall, take one step back. Lean forward with the arms extended, taking the weight of the body onto the fingers. Push away, until arms are straight
then go forward, bending the arms until for forehead is against the wall. Do this ten times, each time holding the weight on the fingers for two seconds.
Having completed this exercise, open and close the fingers rapidly ten times. If you are really tough do five or ten push ups on the fingers.
Strengthens fingers, nerves and tendons.
With one arm extended in front, shoulder high, extend just two fingers as if pointing. Without moving the feet pivot at the hips, swinging as far to the right as possible and come to a sudden stop, pointing at an imaginary target. Hold and check for wavering. Having done this, try to see how far bihind you can sight without moving the feet. You should be able to shoot right behind. This is a very imortant exercise in combat shooting. From this position swing back and past your original starting position. Aiming as far to the left as possible, hold on an imaginary target6. Do this both right and left handed.
Sit down with straight back, chin up, looking forward. Turn your head slowly as far as possible to the left. At the same time move your eyes so that they are looking as far
as possible over the left shoulder. Now, without moving your head, turn the eyes as far as possible to the right. Only hold this position for five seconds. Repeat
turning the head to the right.
With the head and eyes facing the front, without moving your eyes, view as fas to the right and left as possible. At all times
be aware of your total arc of view so that you become used to seeing out the corner of your eyes. By doing this you tone the total number
of rods and cones of the eye.
The test here is to raise your arms to the side, shoulder high. Keep the eyse looking straight in front. Wiggle your fingers.
You should be able to easily detect their movement.
The most important aspect of accurate shooting is eye and hand co-ordination. Here we are dealing not only with muscles, but the entire nervous
system. The main players being balance, reaction time, and the ability to focus over a wide range of distances, quickly and accuratly.
To achieve this balance we first cincentrate on the toning of the inner ear (Cochlear and adjoining canals) and outer brain fluid. It is when these
vital fluids become lazy, through lack of stimulus (such as sudden and unusual movements), that balcne recovery from sudden movement is
delayed. Even a slight delay will effect your ability to hit the target spot-on.
Sit in a comfortable chair with your back pressed lightly against the back of the chair. With eyes closed, bend the head back as far as possible, then let
fall forward onto the chest. Next begin to roll the head in a clockwise direction. Do this slowly and gently six times. Open your eyes and rest for a few seconds.
Do not continue if it makes you feel giddy or uncomfortable. After resting, repeat the exercise rolling the head in the opposite direction.
Although this may not seem much of an exercise it is very important one.
After you have completed this exercise test your balance. Stand upright, close your eyes and raise your left leg. If your balance is way out you will fall over,
so be ready to put your foot down and open your eyes to regain your balance.
After doing this exercise a few times, no more than three times a week, your balance will greatly improve. You will also be lees prone to any motion sickness.
If you find this exercise too uncomfortable you can tone your balance mechanism by doing forward and backward rolls.
Extend the right arm fully. Raise the thumb and, treating it as the foresight of a pistol, hold it over a target. Concentrate on the target so that
the thunb appears transparent. Do this two or three times, selecting different targets. Choosing the clearest target, move your concentration from the target to
the thumb, so that now the target disappears and all you see is a solid thumb. Do this exercise five times. Repeat over different distances.
Depending on your preference, there are three ways of using the eys when shooting. One:With both eyes open. Two:Right eye closed or Three: with the left
eye closed.
There are a couple of pointers here to consider. With combat shooting it is best to shoot with both eyes open.In combat shooting a
a hundredth of a second can be the difference between winning or losing.
Right handed people usually have a right-eye as dominant and left-handed people have the left eye dominant.
If you are right-handed, hold your right arm up, fully extended, with both eyes open. Place the thumb as in the previous exercise on to a target and close the left eye.
Nothing happens.The thumb remains on target. Now close the right eye, the target appears to have moved to the left. The opposite applies to a left-handed person.
You can see the benifit of keeping both eyes open when shooting.
With the first two fingers together, practise pointing, sighting along the tops of the fingers at different targets, at different heights and distances.
Do this at every opportunity, indoors and outdoors and speed up as you progress.
We have not at this stage mentioned the importance of controlled breathing. The fact is: the faster you breathe, the less control you have over your entire system,
and the greater your inability to keep on target.
To give an example: someone who has to run under combat conditions will, without special training, find it hard to hold the sight steady
on target. This is where knowledge and use of controlled breathing techniques plays a vital part.
While doing the above exercises breathe in a regular and relaxed manner.
These exercises are just the beginning for those who wish to improve their preformance. Add these to advanced shooting techniques and you have
the makings of a first class shot both on the bullseye range and in combat shooting.
