off target.
When the rifle is firing, picture it as a large tuning fork. If we are allowing the trigger mechanism to move during the vibration period, when the bullet is still in the barrel, we can adversely affect the vibrations, thus changing the harmonics of the system from shot to shot. This is especially true with a larger caliber semi-automatic platform. Our goal is consistency. Not following through is anything but consistent and it will cause deviations downrange. With the finger giving the same consistent pressure it took to break the shot, the shooter wants to maintain that 90-degree position of the fingernail and hold the trigger shoe to the rear.
Lastly, we want to continue to watch the reticle on the target. Before breaking the shot, a shooter can lose focus, thinking about all the fundamentals, one then another, then another. The last thing we want to mentally think about, and focus on, is the reticle on the target. We need to watch this throughout the entire firing process. Here is where you want to put the bullet. So, it is here you need to focus. Observe the sights during the firing sequence. We already know what to do. We can press our finger without looking, we can break at our natural respiratory pause without thinking, and we can hold the trigger to the rear thanks to repetitive practice. So, the focus needs to be on the sights. If they are beginning to drift off target, we have to stop the process and reset. You’ll see it move, so if something is not correct, the sights will show you. Don’t fire. Reset your position.
I like to mentally follow the bullet to the target before moving at all. That means a delay in running the bolt. I have mentioned this before: Distance should give you time and opportunity to put all the fundamentals into play. If I am trying to spot my impact on target, if I start moving the sight picture will be compromised and I might miss the result. If I hit the target, I want to know without the aid of a spotter, and if I miss, I really need to know where so I can correct it. This flies in the face of old-school doctrine that once advised: The gun is broke, or empty, so run the bolt as quickly as possible. Most of the time of flight we are dealing with is relatively short, so don’t sweat the few seconds we are asking to freeze in place.
Some people might blink, lose focus, subconsciously look inward, etc. There are a host of things we will think about as part of the firing task, but not in the correct order. So, build the position and, when you are ready to shoot, focus on the sights and where they are in relationship to the target. Unsupported sling shooters will talk about calling their shots. Where were the sights when the shot broke? In supported shooting, especially on a bipod with a scope, the shooter should see the bullet impact the target and know “where” the sights were the entire time. Follow the bullet to the target by watching the sights. Through a scope, this is entirely possible if your position is correct and you follow through with your shot.
Follow-through is my personal pet peeve when it comes to the fundamentals of marksmanship. I harp on it more than any others. With our current state of affairs in terms of rifle systems, we can get away with many bad habits. We have exacting triggers; they break crisp and clean with minor contact. So much so, we see shooters employing triggers adjusted in single-digit ounces. Anything from 8-, to 4-, even 2-ounce triggers are hitting the street. This is an attempt at a mechanical fix to fundamental issue.
Does your instructor shoot in front of the students? The author and his instructors tag-team the rifle in each class, demonstrating the fundamentals.
Sure, you can buy a fix for just about anything these days. Add weight to the rifle: In fact, some stocks today come with heavy steel weight systems. Decease the caliber and increase the speed in which the bullet leaves the bore. The faster the bullet exits the less influence the shooter has on the shot. Employ a ported muzzle brake to keep the recoil inline so you can get back on target quicker. All this helps, but what happens when you can’t make these physical changes to the rifle system. Lighter bullets will have less recoil, less recoil means less movement behind the rifle by the shooter. All this is a factor.
Recognizing Time
With trigger control and follow-through working together, we have to recognize time. Every rifle system has a lock time. That is usually applied to the firing pin movement. The time from the trigger break to the primer being hit. However, our lock time does not just apply to the firing pin movement. We have to consider the time it takes for the brain to relay the will to press the trigger to the hand. Different shooters have different reaction times. That can mean a shooter with a slower reaction time using a bigger lead on a moving target. Then we have to look at the time it takes for bullets to the leave the barrel. We know about barrel harmonics, but did you know you can look up the harmonic nodes using a time stamp?
The trigger is the start button and the stop. We are turning the machine on, not off.
I see it a lot with shooters who hold their breath. They immediately disengage from the rifle because they are sitting there holding their breath prior to the shot. They hold their breath for a number of reasons, but mainly because they feel it makes the shot steady. It’s a huge relief when the rifle fires because they are quickly running out of air.
Your precision rifle is a machine, we are turning on the machine in order to send the bullet downrange to the target. I would submit to you, the shot is not over until the bullet has hit the target, or we have confirmed a miss. Stay engaged with the rifle and sights until we are sure we need a follow-up shot, or we are sure the target has been successfully engaged.
Calling Your Shot
We have gone through the fundamentals of marksmanship, so you can understand what it takes to successfully engage a target using a rifle. All this information is great as a theoretical exercise. But how do we know we are doing it right in our practical application? The best way is with a competent instructor to watch you shoot and correct any errors in your form. The next best way to know you are doing it right is “Calling your Shot.” Because telling you how to do something is not enough. We need to put it in practice and look at the end result, as it appears through the scope.
Calling your shot, again, comes from the competition world. It is very important to sling shooters. However, because we tend to do things slightly different, we have to modify the way it was done in the past. Unsupported sling shooting means the body will react to recoil to higher degree than shooting from a supported position, such as off a bipod. Because we focus on being straight behind the rifle, and managing the recoil, we will have far less movement of the system. This is easy to see by watching a video of a successful tactical shooter. Video makes it clear just how little the rifle will actually move, allowing the shooter to remain on target. This will help shooters fine-tune their training and take target analysis beyond the target to their sight picture.
Fundamentals translate regardless of the position. What changes is the amount of practice we put into the task.
The most common expression when talking about calling your shot is:
“Where were the sights when the shot broke?”
It is expressed this way because the instructor was talking about unsupported sling shooting. The shooter will move with recoil and rock off target then roll back on, reacquiring the sight picture. In the 21st century, we do things slightly different, so we have to adjust this thinking to account for supported shooting. How we speak to ourselves matters. In this case, asking the question in the past tense is wrong.
The tactical shooter needs to ask, “Where are the sights when the shot broke?” It’s a small but important distinction that will begin to condition our mind
