8/27/2014 5:22:58 PM
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Section 4: Guns/General Subject: Shooting Groups Msg# 898099
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Yes that makes perfect sense for someone who is just learning to shoot. And, all those actions steer them toward putting shots into the bullseye but over a period of time as they are beginners.
In the club's basic handgun class, I start students off shooting at a huge piece of butcher paper and just tell them to shoot at the middle of it. The idea is to familiarize people who have never fired a gun with the trigger feel, noise and recoil (or lack of it compared to what they might be expecting) before we even think about adding a target into the mix. If there is any flinching, trigger jerking or other basic problems I work through them at this time. Once the student is comfortable with safely making the gun go bang then we move on to a paper shopping bag for a target, then a sheet of notebook paper and finally down to a three-by-five inch card with a black aiming spot on it by the end of the session. Here, the sight picture really comes into play but we review all the basics at each step. It's all accuracy-related, eventually, because hitting what they are shooting at is the their purpose and the co-reason they are taking the class. The other reason is to learn how to do all this safely. We do the air and .22 rifle instruction for hunter safety and 4H very much like you described. The emphasis, even as you described, is on the bullseye, here. And before we consider the students "instructed" we have them adjusting the sights as necessary to consistently hit the bullseye. Shooting groups is only a step on the way to the final goal. The actual purpose for shooting tight groups is to demonstrate that hitting the bullseye once is not just a fluke, we have developed the mechanical and mental ability to hammer it consistently. Not some spot near it, but "IT". |
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For reference, the above message is a reply to a message where: Here's another answer to the overall issue of to center or not to center. This seeped back into my head last night when I should have been sleeping. When teaching an absolute beginner to shoot, one of the hardest things to do is to get this point across, that they should concentrate on a good sight picture and not concern themselves about where the bullet actually hits. Beginners will see the first shot hit off center and invariably - instinctively, maybe - apply Kentucky windage to try to bring the next shot onto the center of the target. That never works. They don't yet have the control or even the ability to recognize the subtleties involved in a perfect sight picture so they end up chasing the shots all over the target without learning anything. It's best to teach them to repeat the proper sight picture as best they can and then analyze the resultant groups to discover their problems. As they develop a better feel for shooting and repeat the basics, including sight picture, their groups will not only tighten up but shift and become more consistent in relation to the bull. Then you can apply the sight changes needed, assuming the gun has adjustments for that. Having them try to hit the bull every time before they're ready only distracts from the lesson and creates more problems. Learning that is a big step on the way to becoming a shooter. I don't know if you agree, but I suspect that others here who have taught will. Stu |