Fundamentals of Rifle Shooting

by Bob Soldivera

Guest expert Bob Soldivera has been a shooting coach for over 22 years. He is the New York state director of the International Shooting Coaches Association as well as an NCAA collegiate rifle coach. He has authored several articles on the subject of marksmanship and advanced coaching. Here, Bob offers a solid approach to shooting a rifle that can help veteran shooters as well as beginners.

The following rules apply to shooting a rifle with open iron sights. Use a bullseye-type target so you can measure your progress. While these steps may seem basic, that doesn't mean they're easy to follow. You have to practice and then practice some more. Concentrate on the following eight rules every time you practice shooting and the end result will be improved marksmanship.

Position - Prone, standing (off-hand), kneeling, and sitting. The basic elements require bone support, muscle relaxation, and natural point-of-aim.

Sight Alignment - Center the front sight in the rear sight. The top of the front sight should be level with the top of the rear sight. Make sure that you place the butt of the rifle into your shoulder so you can align the sights without tilting your head to the side. While facing the target, drop your head forward onto the cheek piece until the front sight is properly aligned with the rear sight.

Sight Picture - For a six o'clock hold, the bullseye should sit on top of the front sight like a pumpkin on a post. For a point-of-aim hold, the desired point of impact should be aligned with the top of the front sight. Adjust the gun so that the bullseye is in proper relationship to sight alignment, bringing about a natural point-of-aim.

Breath Control - Stop breathing long enough to release the shot (5-10 seconds). Note: If you hold your breath more than 10 seconds, your vision may blur.

Hold - Allow the position to settle down until movement is minimized. If the position takes too long to settle, return to your normal breathing and repeat step four.

Trigger Control - Smoothly apply rearward pressure on the trigger. You should not know when the shot is going to break because anticipation will cause a miss. You should be concentrating on the front sight, not the trigger.

Follow through - Remain perfectly still for a few seconds after the shot breaks. While you are still, focus on the front sight and call the shot. That is, evaluate the hold and predict the result in terms of value and proximity.

Strive for consistency - Repeating the process exactly the same way over and over is the key to ultimate shooting success.