Post by 2nd Bat on Apr 24, 2017 2:03:02 GMT -5
When I went in the Army (1969) I was shocked at how many recruits had never fired a rifle and how basic the Army had to be when teaching people how to shoot. Drill sergeants frequently commented that in most cases the best shots by the end of boot camp usually had never fired a weapon. The reason was they could be taught correctly and hadn't formed any bad habits. With airsoft the rounds can be seen flying through the air so bad habits are really prevalent. In watching airsofters with no training I'm reminded that there are a lot of missing fundamentals.
Before you learn to shoot determine which is your dominant eye. This was NOT a recognized factor when I was in the Army but I have since learned how critical it can be. Most who are right handed likewise have a dominant right eye. I am right handed and always shot right handed until about a year ago when the one time coach of the US Olympic rifle marksmanship team determined that although right handed I'm left eye dominant. An expedient way to find out is to form a small diamond shaped peep hole in the webs of your thumbs and pointing fingers and bring them up at arm's length while focusing on a precise point 15 feet in front of you. Whichever eye you instinctively align with is your dominant eye. You will be a more effective shooter if you aim with your dominant eye. In my case I have become a left handed shooter after 55 years shooting right handed!
The next step in precision, consistently aimed rifle shots is establishing a spot weld. A spot weld is the placement of your cheek precisely and exactly in the same spot on the rifle stock each time you shoot. Push the stock firmly in the cup of your shoulder to firmly fix this cheek placement and reduce the effect of recoil. (Not an issue for airsoft or most modern firearms but absolutely a factor with WW2 era weapons. Changing your cheek placement even a tiny bit will significantly throw off your results even if everything else is consistent.
The most common military sights are either a circular rear peep site or a V with a \ I / or singular post up front. Either way the tip of the front post should be center of mass on your target and absolutely dead center in the peep hole or vertically centered in the rear V and aligned horizontally with the top of the V.
Your finger tip should be on the trigger and there should be a gap between the stock and your finger. The trigger should be activated by a squeezing action NOT a pulling action. The gap aids in that technique. Keeping your target aligned slowly exhale and at the relax point pause before inhaling and squeaze off your round.
At airsoft ranges it's actually a good practice to fire all but carefully aimed shots with both eyes open as this will increase your situational awareness and help you track and adjust your fire based on the observed flight of your initial shots. I hope these marksmanship fundamentals help even if only to remind you of things you already knew.
Before you learn to shoot determine which is your dominant eye. This was NOT a recognized factor when I was in the Army but I have since learned how critical it can be. Most who are right handed likewise have a dominant right eye. I am right handed and always shot right handed until about a year ago when the one time coach of the US Olympic rifle marksmanship team determined that although right handed I'm left eye dominant. An expedient way to find out is to form a small diamond shaped peep hole in the webs of your thumbs and pointing fingers and bring them up at arm's length while focusing on a precise point 15 feet in front of you. Whichever eye you instinctively align with is your dominant eye. You will be a more effective shooter if you aim with your dominant eye. In my case I have become a left handed shooter after 55 years shooting right handed!
The next step in precision, consistently aimed rifle shots is establishing a spot weld. A spot weld is the placement of your cheek precisely and exactly in the same spot on the rifle stock each time you shoot. Push the stock firmly in the cup of your shoulder to firmly fix this cheek placement and reduce the effect of recoil. (Not an issue for airsoft or most modern firearms but absolutely a factor with WW2 era weapons. Changing your cheek placement even a tiny bit will significantly throw off your results even if everything else is consistent.
The most common military sights are either a circular rear peep site or a V with a \ I / or singular post up front. Either way the tip of the front post should be center of mass on your target and absolutely dead center in the peep hole or vertically centered in the rear V and aligned horizontally with the top of the V.
Your finger tip should be on the trigger and there should be a gap between the stock and your finger. The trigger should be activated by a squeezing action NOT a pulling action. The gap aids in that technique. Keeping your target aligned slowly exhale and at the relax point pause before inhaling and squeaze off your round.
At airsoft ranges it's actually a good practice to fire all but carefully aimed shots with both eyes open as this will increase your situational awareness and help you track and adjust your fire based on the observed flight of your initial shots. I hope these marksmanship fundamentals help even if only to remind you of things you already knew.