PWC
Member
I see a lot of new shooters here and asking for help with shooting small groups. Usually the answers center around powder, bullet and primer. I think more basically it should start with the shooter.
I used to coach Jr smallbore. First thing after sight alignment and sight picture was natural point of aim, after they can demonstrate properly holding the rifle.
With the unloaded rifle, close your eyes and shoulder the rifle and get a cheek weld. Then open your eyes and check for sight alignment, and adjust their position as necessary. Repeat; very shortly they will develop muscle memory for sight alignment.
Then, have them face a target, and repeat the exercise. When they open their eyes they will see how far off target they are: hold position. The forward foot is the anchor, move the back foot left or right, forward or backward until the sights are aligned on the target making a complete sight picture. The front sight will wobble in a horizontal 8 because you can't hold still. Your heart beat alone will move the sight. With practise the wobble will get smaller (sooner without coffee).
The idea is to get on target with no muscle stress. Don't muscle the rifle onto the target because during recoil, the rifle will want to go back to its natural point of aim off target, which must be then muscled back on target for the next shot. Properly set up, the rifle will come out of recoil back on target.
Building muscle memory by practicing shouldering the rifle, sight alignment, and natural point of aim can be practiced at home with a thumbtack stuck in the wall, as the target, about shoulder height.
I used to coach Jr smallbore. First thing after sight alignment and sight picture was natural point of aim, after they can demonstrate properly holding the rifle.
With the unloaded rifle, close your eyes and shoulder the rifle and get a cheek weld. Then open your eyes and check for sight alignment, and adjust their position as necessary. Repeat; very shortly they will develop muscle memory for sight alignment.
Then, have them face a target, and repeat the exercise. When they open their eyes they will see how far off target they are: hold position. The forward foot is the anchor, move the back foot left or right, forward or backward until the sights are aligned on the target making a complete sight picture. The front sight will wobble in a horizontal 8 because you can't hold still. Your heart beat alone will move the sight. With practise the wobble will get smaller (sooner without coffee).
The idea is to get on target with no muscle stress. Don't muscle the rifle onto the target because during recoil, the rifle will want to go back to its natural point of aim off target, which must be then muscled back on target for the next shot. Properly set up, the rifle will come out of recoil back on target.
Building muscle memory by practicing shouldering the rifle, sight alignment, and natural point of aim can be practiced at home with a thumbtack stuck in the wall, as the target, about shoulder height.
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