1) The three keys to a successful precision shooting shot are: muzzle management to keep the muzzle squarely pointed at the target, trigger finger discipline to release the shot without disturbing the stability of the muzzle, and sight alignment to keep the eye focused on aligning the sights. 2) Muzzle management involves aligning the sights to precisely position the muzzle squarely at the target to account for gravity and ensure the bullet exits toward the intended point of impact. 3) Sight alignment allows the shooter to naturally center the front sight in the rear sight notch and superimpose it on the target, keeping the muzzle stable and allowing for a consistent, precise shot.

1. Better Equipped. Better Prepared.

2. Precision Shooting: 3 Keys To A
Successful Shot
By: George Harris

3. Why precision shooting?
Much has been written about
precision shooting in the world
of combat skill development
and pistol shooting in general.
Perspectives and definitions of
how and why we hit the
intended target vary so greatly
that two people involved in a
heated discussion regarding
precision shooting may be
very parallel in their
thinking, but they don’t
recognize it.

4. Precision shooting is often a mystery because of
confusion about what the shooter must see to
consistently hit the target, and the meaning of "sight
alignment" and "signet picture."
Sight alignment is nothing more than the front and rear
sight as viewed by the eye; perfect sight alignment is the
front sight vertically and horizontally centered in the
rear sight notch. Sight picture is the target, front sight,
and rear sight as viewed by the eye; perfect sight picture
is the front sight centered vertically and horizontally in
the rear sight notch superimposed on the desired point
of impact of the target.

5. 3 Keys of to a successful shot:
1) Muzzle Management (pointing the muzzle at the
target when the bullet exits).
2) Trigger Finger Discipline (how we release the bullet
toward the target).
3) Sight Alignment (keeping the eye focus on the sights
through the release of the shot).

6. Importance of Muzzle Management:
In order to have precise shots, the muzzle of the pistol
must be square with the target (horizontally centered
and perpendicular with a very slight upward angle to
account for the gravity). Since sights act as a guide to
position the muzzle, the more precisely we align our
sights, the closer the muzzle is squared with the face of
the target, and the more likely the shot will be precise.
The clear focus on the front sight as viewed through the
slightly out of focus rear sight allows us the best chance
to position the muzzle square to the target.

7. Trigger Finger Discipline:
If you stabilize the muzzle of the pistol on the target and operate the
trigger without disturbing that stability, you will experience success.
What this boils down to is that precision sight alignment will square the
muzzle (where the bullet exits the gun) on the center of the
target, which our eye automatically finds, for a hit in the desired
location.
Bull’s-eye shooters that shoot the blank side of their target and shoot
better groups than when they are shooting the target side prove the
concept that the eye will naturally find the center of an object
consistently. By keeping the eye focus on the sights through the release
of the shot, the muzzle remains square with the target, and a consistent
impact point is hit again and again.

8. A simple and extremely effective sight picture for aged-
eye shooters (those in bi-focals and tri-focals) has
become a standard sight picture for shooters who aren’t
happy with their present method of hitting the target
where they want to. This method requires a dot on the
front sight and the widest notch available for the type of
rear sight to be used. This allows the eye to naturally
center round objects in square openings with incredible
precision. The pistol should be zeroed for the strike of
the round to hit whatever the front sight dot is put
on, similar to a red dot sight system. With a smooth
trigger press, the dot centered in the rear sight
notch, and the dot floating on the target, greater
accuracy is attained.

9. By better understanding muzzle management, trigger finger
discipline, and by keeping the eye focus on the sights through
the release of the shot, the muzzle remains square with the
target and a consistent impact point is hit again and again.
Ultimately, these keys to a successful shot will help any
shooter achieve greater accuracy.

10. Read more and comment by visiting
www.actiontarget.com and
click on “Action Target Journal”
- OR -
Get there directly at
http://www.actiontarget.com/keys-to-a-successful-shot/