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Small things to improve how you shoot.

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Skylar McMahon View Drop Down
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    Posted: October/07/2011 at 14:29

A couple weeks ago, Dillon, Jake and I went to sight in a couple rifles.

Mostly .22’s and a couple large calibers, but I noticed a couple things about how I use to shoot and how I have improved.

Here are some things that I have changed.

 

How I set my rifle.

 

With grip-

            In order to prevent my rifle from torqueing. Instead of holding the rifle with my entire right hand wrapped around the stock.

 I now position my thumb just behind the bolt.

 

            Most veteran shooters know that you should slowly squeeze your trigger.

And never pull or jerk the trigger. This can torque or twist your rifle changing your placement on the target.

Another thing that I began to do was put some down pressure with my shoulder into the butt of the stock.  I did this in order to make my rifle behave correctly.

 

When I am about to view my target from the prone or bench, I pull with my pinky and ring finger on the trigger guard, about 5-8 lbs, into my shoulder.  Personally I use my pinky and ring finger because they are the farthest fingers from the trigger and I want to eliminate any room for unintentional discharge fire.

 

Anchoring-

            Prior to truly being proficient, I would have a standard cheek weld like others.

However I have changes a couple things.

To anchor your cheek to the stock or cone or other variable stock, like a flat, round or drop way.

It’s important that your fitment into your optic and your sight picture placement is correct for you.

 

Most shooters like to have a solid cheek weld.

Recently I picked up a Remington 770 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/07/2011 at 15:24
good read
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Skylar McMahon View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skylar McMahon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/07/2011 at 19:41
Thanks Graham
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/07/2011 at 21:17
Dang, Dude... that's some good stuff... 
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trigger29 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote trigger29 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/07/2011 at 23:40
I like it. Many things that I work on every shot at the range. I'm also teaching a couple others to shoot. I don't know if it comes naturally to me, or if many range practice sessions have added up to being a fair shot, but I find it a lot easier to maintain good form every shot than it is to teach someone else what they should be doing. I have to admit I'm struggling a bit with one of them.

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Skylar McMahon View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skylar McMahon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/08/2011 at 00:01
Thanks Dan.
Trigger that's very considerate of you.
I'm doing the same thing and trying to teach my friend Jake how to use a mil-dot scope.
That's when I started writing this. Just some basics that he can do in his room at home or on the range. Consistency is the key to being successful.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 8shots Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/10/2011 at 04:21
Good read.
The follow through is important. We shoot against time, which has caused me to forget about follow through. I would pull off the shot and be in a rush to work the bolt.
Someone picked up on this the other day and advised me that my head is coming up to quickly after the shot.
I am working on correcting this one now forcing myself to stay down..
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Skylar McMahon View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skylar McMahon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/10/2011 at 10:02
Originally posted by 8shots 8shots wrote:

Good read.
The follow through is important. We shoot against time, which has caused me to forget about follow through. I would pull off the shot and be in a rush to work the bolt.
Someone picked up on this the other day and advised me that my head is coming up to quickly after the shot.
I am working on correcting this one now forcing myself to stay down..
It takes time and diligence.
Never really what you do until you watch it.
I have had a friend start to record me so I can see the play back to improve things that I can notice.
That seems to help me. For the longest time I was a chicken wing shooter, but after looking at pictures and vids, I now bring my elbow in.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/10/2011 at 10:56
Nice post, Skylar. A couple of things: I always keep my trigger finger outside the guard until ready to fire. This is especially important with my LTR since it actually has a trigger that Remington's lawyers didn't approve. I have it set to 1.6 lbs. Nothing sucks more than loosing a round downrange while you're getting into position, except knowing that outside a firing range it could kill someone.

Another thing, regarding breathing and weighting the rifle/bipod. It isn't easy and I admit to cheating a little by holding my breath a bit to make sure the sight picture is still good, but firing after fully exhaling means all the air is out and all your weight can naturally shift onto the stock. I try to watch the reticle come up on the exhale and position the rifle on the target at the top. (One shooting game that came out online had the reticle go downwards on the exhale...bassackwards).
Reaction time is a factor...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skylar McMahon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/10/2011 at 11:02
Thank you jono, I also keep my finger outside of the trigger guard but I will use me pinky and ring fingers to pull the gaurd moving the stock into my shoulder for proper down pressure.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RotoReuter_DM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/14/2011 at 11:19

Explained very well. Good article!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MADMATT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/16/2011 at 12:45
good read. great info. Thanks
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote helo18 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/17/2011 at 00:10
For me, one thing that helps me with follow through on the shot and helps steady me, is opening my left eye before I take the shot. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skylar McMahon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/29/2011 at 11:11
Originally posted by helo18 helo18 wrote:

For me, one thing that helps me with follow through on the shot and helps steady me, is opening my left eye before I take the shot. 
 
I agree with that.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Summer@SWFA Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/20/2012 at 12:21
Excellent
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hydra7 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/20/2013 at 00:43
Great thread and just wanted to bump it up so other new members like me could have a chance at reading.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote M1Thumb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January/20/2013 at 00:55
On your stock to cheek weld you need to be VERY CONSISTANT with the placement to maintain your eye the same distance from the sights to recreate the sight picture shot to shot for consistancy.
 
One trick I used to use with young soldiers on the range and marksmanship training prior to live fire was to place a piece of tape on the stock to give them a reference point for dime and washer exercises to get consistant with their stock to cheek weld on the service rifle.
 
Ah forgot also to mention weapon CANTING - many folks tend to twist the weapon from true verticle - get someone to work with you and use a scope level to teach them how the weapon should feel when held in a true vertical
 
edited 1/19/2013
 
Geo-spatially speaking you missed :o)
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Skylar McMahon View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Skylar McMahon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/29/2014 at 14:21
Originally posted by M1Thumb M1Thumb wrote:

 
One trick I used to use with young soldiers on the range and marksmanship training prior to live fire was to place a piece of tape on the stock to give them a reference point for dime and washer exercises to get consistant with their stock to cheek weld on the service rifle.
 
Interesting idea.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote outdoordreamdeals Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/21/2015 at 11:20
Great information. All things I am learning and working on.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steelbenz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July/21/2015 at 19:56
Here is another one, Dry fire your rifle in the position your going to shoot most often. (set the scope and rings for same.) It takes between 4K and 9K of repetitions for something to become part of your muscle memory. Focus on proper set up, trigger break, follow through and cycling the bolt, never taking your cross hairs off your target.  
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