Shooting Accurately?

By Gary McCraw

Take the most accurate rifle in the world, put it in the hands of the average shooter and instantly that rifle becomes average. Some of our shooting skills may be referred to as ‘pure talent’, ‘gifted’ or ‘you’re just plain lucky’. Whichever side of average we pull the trigger on I believe that deep down in us somewhere is a high percentage shooter. Most of us share the same problem, we have not had the opportunities to tap the reservoir that makes up a true rifleman. Bear with me a moment as I take a look at the flip side of accuracy, you know that loving spousal approach – ‘what you could be doing wrong’!

Over the years I have had the opportunity to be a ‘gun shop tic’, you know, that guy who is always hanging around the local gun store playing with everything and drooling over the firearms. In doing this service, I surprisingly learned something, people are slaves to their guns. Thus …

Problem One – Master-Slave Relationship

Ask the average gun owner to shoulder their long gun and watch what they do. The buttpad comes up to a certain spot and stops. Then the shoulders are hunched up and the head is brought down so far that I’ve even seen horizontal craniums. With a slight move in any direction the head overlaps or leaves the stock completely. What kind of sight picture do you think they have now? You are the master, the gun is your slave. Feel the power, bring that rascal up to where you are not moving your head in a downward motion at all. Make it work for you, you worked for it. Practice this move over and over (with an absolutely empty firearm) until it becomes a wonderfully choreographed symphony, and hit what your aiming at.

Problem Two – Trigger Pull

A majority of us have had the triggers adjusted or replaced with light ounces of featherlight velvet smooth pulls. Yet with our choice of target in sight we jerk so hard I’m surprised the trigger doesn’t snap! Here’s a good tip that works in the field as well as at the bench. Learn to envision yourself pulling the bullet through a specific spot on your target. Not pushing the bullet out the gun at the target, pull it through nice and clean. You will be amazed at the results.

Problem Three – Lifting Your Head

This is a really bad, nasty habit. With the crosshairs in perfect position and a nice clean pull through with the trigger we anticipate the shot and start raising our heads to see where we hit. A better term might be where we missed. Practice keeping your head down on that stock and eyes focused on the target picture. How you say? Set up and fire shot after shot without loosing your sight picture. Your hits will become more common place.

Problem Four – Rifle Position

We sight in our rifle at the bench, ‘yep that baby is dead on’, pick it up and put it away until we go hunting. Where do you hunt that has benches and yardage markers? Here is some very wise advice from and old silhouette shooter I know, "If you’uns would jest stand on them there legs God gave yer and learn to throw lead out there ya could do better no matter what predicament ya got into." Find a range or place where you can practice off hand shooting. If you can master upright accuracy everything else is easy.

We are all guilty here. You’ve just put a two hour stalk on a trophy elk and you’re within 200 yards. With your heart rate and breathing multiplied, the rifle comes up, safety off and … Here is where the mistake happens. In the scope we see the whole elk and that’s what we shoot at, the WHOLE ELK! Missed? It can’t be, I know I had it in the scope! That’s it, in the whole scope, but not under the crosshairs. Seeing in the magic glass does not always mean connecting with the target. Check out a variety of crosshairs at your favorite hunting shop, and find one that forces you to take recognition of the center point of the crosshairs.

Problem Six – Lack of Practice

On many occasions I have had hunters tell me ‘ya know I’m still on the original box of ammo that I bought with my rifle’. Other than the fact that means no trigger time, its boring. Knives may keep an edge but shooters get dull fast. The average shooter fires about 500 rounds in their lifetime. Champions, contest winners, and successful hunters fire up to 10,000 rounds a month. Yes I know not all of us has a bunch of sponsors, but work within in your budgets and practice, practice, practice!

I bet that trophy or trophy bull is going to look good on YOUR wall.