Emma Radebaugh Whether you want to be a professional marksman or you simply want to use your standard issue sidearm more effectively while on duty as a police officer, the desire to improve your aim is a common goal. No one wants to spend a lot of time at the range missing their targets. That’s why we’ve put together some tips for improving your aim at the gun range. While they won’t instantly improve your accuracy, they will help with enough practice over time.
Reanalyze Your Shooting Form
Poor shooting form is one of the more common problems people run into when working on their aim at the range. Many gun owners are self-taught, meaning they’ve likely picked up some bad habits. However, developing poor form is still possible even if you went through proper training.
Either way, it’s important to start by reanalyzing how you stand and hold your firearm. Your feet should be flat on the ground, shoulder-width apart for your stance. Slightly leaning forward will help you brace yourself for the recoil. As for the grip, try to keep your hands tightly on the gun without being too firm. Squeezing the gun too hard will affect your aim, but you also don’t want to hold it so loosely that it flies out of your hand.
Focus on Your Trigger Pull
Once you have adjusted your shooting form, it’s time to focus on how you pull the trigger. When people squeeze down on the trigger, they tend to pull the nose of the gun away from the target slightly without even realizing it. It’s often not enough to see the difference, but it’s enough to miss where you were aiming.
To fix this, try pushing down on the trigger more gently. You don’t need to do it fast. A slow pull will help the firearm stay straight. Once you get a good feel for it and build that muscle memory, you can speed up your shots while remaining accurate.
Control Your Breathing
Most people know that professional snipers in the army must hold their breath when taking a shot, but not as many people realize that this same technique can also help the average gun enthusiast. Breathing moves your ribcage, which can push your aim out of place when firing a rifle propped up against your shoulder. This can also happen when firing a handgun, but it’s not as big of an issue.
Regardless of what you’re firing, focusing on your breathing is a great way to improve your aim at the gun range. Pausing after an inhale or exhale will stop your chest from moving, allowing you to shoot more precisely. Fortunately, you’ll only need to hold your breath while firing, so it shouldn’t be too hard to do.
Buy Some Helpful Attachments
In the end, you could be doing everything right but still not be as accurate as you’d like. While practice makes perfect, buying some helpful attachments for your firearm of choice certainly doesn’t hurt. Items such as foregrips, stocks, and lighter triggers can all assist you while aiming, making some of our previous suggestions feel more natural.
If you decide to get an attachment to make seeing the target easier, make sure you know the difference between scopes and sights. Both can be helpful, but choosing the wrong one might not fulfill your current aiming needs.
