MARKSMANSHIP BASICS - Sight Picture

[NORAG]

1 - I hold as long as necessary to make an accurate shot. No use wasting lead downrange because I hurried the trigger pull. At the same time, I train to reduce my "on target to trigger pull" time to under 5 seconds. I simply want to be as quick to make the accurate shot as possible. But I don't want to rush the shot and take a chance on a miss or a poorly placed shot.

2 - To focus my parallax I range the target then place the parallax dial on the appropriate setting. That's it! I don't mess with the diopter at all after I've locked it in during my rifle zeroing. I look through the reticle to the target and try to intuitively see the reticle cross hairs and intended POI as a single object.

A basic marksmanship rule of thumb is "don't shoot at something you can't see". I agree with the previous comment that you need to look at that target. Just like practicing dry fire technique in your living room. I like to practice "seeing" various targets around my property. That helps me get used to putting the rifle into a good shooting position, as well as getting good practice at repeatedly looking through the scope and being satisfied with the sight picture I have acquired. If I'm not satisfied with my "dry fire" sight picture, that is the time to analyze any changed to the parallax setting or diopter setting that will make that sight picture clearer. That way I'm not messing with anything in the field in order to get a crisp, clear sight picture.

 

[RMulhern]

I don't intend to type a treatsie on this subject because good info has already been given but I'd just like to reiterate concerning sight picture. If one is shooting iron aperture sights..say a front and rear aperture, with the front being a circular insert, the primary vision should be focused upon the interior of the front insert for maintenance of concentricity with the bullseye if shooting on a paper target! There should be a circle within a circle within a circle! BUT...there's one very important thing which is often over-looked that is highly conducive to proper sight alignment which is the exterior of the front sight hood being used as another 'check-point' that must be maintained as viewed through the rear aperture also! IOW the rear aperture, which is normally adjustable for varying light conditions should be set at the appropriate size to allow the shooter to be able to see that the exterior of the hood should be centered up within the rear aperture as the shooter is making proper alignment! The human eye cannot focus on two different objects at the same time therefore at shot break, after proper sight alignment is maintained, the vision should be confined to the front aperture! If this is done the new shooter...or old....will be able to CALL HIS SHOT!

Most new shooters I've trained using a scope do not use their vision correctly in that they 'by-pass' the scope reticle and are looking at the target at shot break which is basically azzbackards! The vision should be upon the reticle at shot break which will allow the shooter to CALL HIS SHOT!

 

[Greyfox]

"Most new shooters I've trained using a scope do not use their vision correctly in that they 'by-pass' the scope reticle and are looking at the target at shot break which is basically azzbackards! The vision should be upon the reticle at shot break which will allow the shooter to CALL HIS SHOT!"

I think that this is one of the most overlooked practices when it comes to basic marksmanship and can plague even seasoned shooters. I participate in 200 and 300 competitive egg shoots on a regular basis. Otherwise superb paper/ target shooters fall apart miserably on eggs due to the brain wanting to see that egg break so badly that the eye shifts subconsciously from the reticle to the egg right at the break of the shot, That will usually be a missed egg, and the blame for the miss directed elsewhere.