How'd you learn to shoot properly?

J

jproaster

New member
First off, Im seeking advice for myself. My plans so far are to build a portable bench (ive built a target stand and bought a good spotting scope) using the rugged buddy sawhorse legs and plywood. I figure that a bench helps me to sight in guns and to be quite honest, to make it as easy as possible to learn breathing and trigger finger skills. Then Ill move on to prone, sitting and standing.

So, share how you did right/wrong on your path to learning to shoot properly?

John
 
In rifle shooting I learned to shoot as an active bench rest shooter.
I shot custom made 6mm PPC guns with 2 to 4oz triggers on concrete benches using the best rests and bags. I learned that that last few 1000's in group size is the longest part of the journey. It's also very expensive.

Today I have just as much fun shooting sporters with lbs of trigger from a wood bench.

It's all about expectations and understand what is limiting you.
A wood bench moves, but it's ok as long as you understand it's going to be a limiting factor. Trigger pull is a force you apply to a gun before the bullet leaves the barrel, it's ok as long as you understand it's a limiting factor in accuracy.

The main thing is, enjoy shooting and set good goals keeping in mind your limitations in gear.

A 1 inch group at 100 yards from a sporter is a fine group, but in a bench rest gun it's time to find a trash can.

Good luck with your plans.
 
Trigger control is best learned via a method which does not provide potentially negative unrelated feedback/pressure.

In other words, dry fire. Firing real ammo comes with expectations about hitting something. It distracts you from what really matters. Do what matters and the bullet will go where it belongs.

You'd be better off shooting prone with a bipod than using sawhorses and plywood.
 
With a 22LR. Once you master sight alignment, breath control, trigger control, getting into a good shooting position, recoil is merely a matter of getting used to it.
 
How'd you learn to shoot properly?
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I didn't. It was like this:

Mom and Dad: "Merry Christmas!"

Me: "Wow! A Red Ryder BB gun and a gazillion BB's!!!!!!!!"

Dad: "Don't shoot anything you are not supposed to ......"

Me: (races outside and begins shooting)

I kinda learned to shoot by trying everything and keeping what worked.

It is not the most efficient method, for sure.....but when you are 8, and have effectivley unlimited ammo (BB's can be re-used!) and lots of free time .....
 
Very much like jimbob86 did (or didn't). I started with a BB gun and lots of free time, then moved to a pellet gun. When I finally moved up to "real" firearms, it was dove hunting with a single-shot H&R 20 ga.
 
I ran outside and shot my BB gun. Then I ran back in to get my mother to cock it. I wasn't strong enough!
 
In hindsight, I would not have traded the way I learned for a trip to Gunsite ...... I literally wore out 3 BB guns ..... metal detecting that farmstead would be an excercise in futility.

We got 22's and a .410 a couple years later (and a 16 guage SxS later), but ammo for those was expensive and you could not shoot them in the barn or chickenhouses..... I shot way more BB's than bullets until we moved to town when I was 15.
 
Lots of practice. I really think that getting into competition archery 20 yrs. ago helped my shooting. Back tension with the shot coming as a surprise. Anticipating the shot is not a good thing.
 
My grandfather taught my brothers and I how to trap shoot when we were 12. My first exposure to any firearm whatsoever was his 12 gauge competition shotgun. It was one shot only, but it was fun. I've been hooked ever since.

I didn't learn to shoot rifles until I enlisted in the Corps, but it wasn't too hard after already having exposure to shooting in general.
 
No one in my family ever had any interest in guns of shooting, so I had to find a way to learn myself. I chose getting good, professional training. I've been an instructor myself now for quite a few years and have helped a lot of beginners get started.

jproaster said:
First off, Im seeking advice for myself. My plans so far are to build a portable bench (ive built a target stand and bought a good spotting scope) using the rugged buddy sawhorse legs and plywood. I figure that a bench helps me to sight in guns and to be quite honest, to make it as easy as possible to learn breathing and trigger finger skills. Then Ill move on to prone, sitting and standing....
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If you're interested in learning rifle, I strongly recommend looking into Project Appleseed. They do an excellent job of helping people acquire basic rifle skills, and it looks like the have some events coming up in Tennessee over the next several months.
 
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Lots of good (and funny) stories. I sense much of the motivation comes from an innate exhilaration- mostly from youth. I wouldnt know bout BB guns- dad knew someone who's eye was shot out. Well, that's what he said.

Anyhoo. Should I abandon the bench rest since the general consensus seems a little negative? Btw, Im 51 years of age, but not in bad shape; so I can do the prone thing relatively easy.

Thanks for sharing.

John
 
Should I abandon the bench rest
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Not necessarily, but there are other things that would improve your shooting other than a bench- for practical purposes, a benchrest will show how accurate the gun and load can be ...... the part of the system that has the most effect on practical accuracy is the shooter ....... and while sight picture, breathing and trigger control can be learned on a bench, they won't amount to a hill of beans if the shooter can't hold the gun steady in practical field positions.

If you're interested in learning rifle, I strongly recommend looking into Project Appleseed.
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+1 on the Appleseed program.
 
One of the activities at summer camp was riflery. Ended up on the camp rifle team, we shot against other camps. Went up through the NRA Junior ranks to Sharpshooter Bar 3. If I'd gone back the next year, would have made Expert.
 
Just because so many of us learned to shoot without the aid of a bench does not necessarily mean that you should abandon the idea. It just wasn't something that ever occurred to anyone in my family.
 
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