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| 1. Focus on the front sight, not
the target.
One of the most common mistakes made in pistol
shooting is looking at the target instead of the
sights. Sometimes you think you're looking at the
sights, but you're really looking through them.
As you are aiming, you should be able to see the front
sight in perfect detail. If you see holes appearing in
the target as you're shooting, you're looking through
your sights. Although there are other possibilities,
you must be able to shoot with a front sight focus on
demand.
This is the focus that will allow you to fire your
most accurate shots.
2. Learn to read the sights.
See where the sights are the exact instant the gun
fires-this is "sight picture." You are never
able to hold a handgun perfectly still; you have to
squeeze the trigger as the gun is moving within an
area around the center of the target. You must learn
to accept your hold and concentrate on sight alignment
and trigger control. If the sights were positioned two
inches high-right, and the bullet hit there, you had
proper sight alignment and trigger control as you
fired the shot. The gun was just pointed at the wrong
place.
Through practice you will improve your ability to
hold longer on the center of the target.
3. Focus on the front sight throughout its arc of
recoil.
By watching your front sight you should be able to
tell what it's doing during recoil. Is it going
straight up and back down or is it lifting to the
right or left? The gun must travel up and down in
recoil at the same speed, allowing the sights to come
back into alignment on target at the end of the recoil
cycle. Your eyes must keep their focus on the front
sight-watch the sight throughout the arc of recoil.
Many shooters stop the gun at the highest point in the
arc of recoil and look to see if they hit the target.
4. Prep and squeeze the trigger.
Once you start your trigger pull, continue to smoothly
and progressively accelerate the pressure until the
gun fires. Pull the trigger straight to the rear.
Don't try to start and stop your trigger pull
depending upon what your sights are doing. When your
sights are aligned on the target within the aiming
area, start your trigger pull. Trying to
"freeze" the gun and "pick off' the
shot will never allow you to develop the fundamentals
of sight alignment and trigger control.
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-- Attributed to Merle Edington, USPSA
1994 National Open Champion
USPSA #: L2224
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