How Not To Shoot

By: Dan S. Defense

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Anyone can shoot, but good shooters know what mistakes to avoid by understanding the basics of how not to shoot. Learning from other people’s mistakes is the key to good performance at the range. If you hunt, shoot better and you could come back with a great hunting trophy instead of a sorry story. Want to be a better shooter? Practice each of these how not to shoot tips and you will see your accuracy increase dramatically. Avoid these top five mistakes that epitomize the essence of poor shooting.

Don’t jerk the trigger. This is critical. Jerking the trigger causes the barrel to move all erratically. As the barrel moves, so do the bullets that you shoot and the end result is poor marksmanship. Apply even pressure to the trigger and be as smooth as possible. Practice pressing the trigger without moving the barrel.
Don’t rapid fire. Don’t send strings of bullets down-range. Quantity does not equate to quality. Master the basics of marksmanship before increasing the rate of fire. Hit the target accurately ten times in a row and only then move to double taps.
Don’t focus on the target. Your eyes can’t focus on near and far objects at the same time. Don’t focus on the target, leaving your sights fuzzy and out of focus. Use the front sight and focus on it. Keep the front sight on the middle of the target and don’t fire without this sight picture.
Don’t just shoot. Don’t go to the range to just shoot. Make every bullet count by learning from it. Focus on your actions. See where your bullets land. Practice your trigger pull. Focus on your sight. Don’t waste ammunition by shooting without learning.
Don’t anticipate recoil. Firing a shoot generates recoil. Anticipating recoil and over compensating will cause the barrel to rise. Don’t fear the gun. Recoil won’t hurt you. Squeeze the trigger gently. Focus on the front sight .Grip the gun properly and you will hit the target.