Target Sports

BEGINNING BLACK POWDER PART FIVE: MILES OF STYLE

Created on 14th May 2009

GEORGE PRESCOTT looks at shooting technique - and advises that it's best to find a style you're comfortable with

AS WITH all sports, pistol shooting has certain basic requirements, but before getting bogged down in techniques, let us be very clear about one thing; all these techniques have one aim and that is to allow a shooter to hold his pistol still and in such a way that he can form an accurate sight picture and thereby hit the bull's eye.

That is what pistol shooting (or any other shooting discipline, for that matter) is all about. And so beyond a certain adherence to basic principles, like breathing, stance and trigger squeeze, shooting technique is a personal thing. After a while, a shooter develops a style which suits him or her. By all means take advice, but don't let that get in the way if you find you're doing OK with something that doesn't suit someone else.

Finally, a little story by way of illustration: in any book on pistol shooting, standard technique says that once you have taken aim, no more than three to five seconds should elapse before you fire. In my club, however, it's a standing joke that, when one of the members comes up to aim, he takes so long before firing that you can almost see the moss begin to grow. Incidentally, he's also the club pistol captain, has shot very successfully at international level, and makes us all sick because he never seems to turn in a score of less than 95. So trust yourself when it comes to style. If it works and your scores are consistently more than 90, there can't be much wrong, can there?

Finally, before trying any of the techniques described below please remember, as with everything in this series, written instructions are no substitute for demonstration by an expert.

Stance or how to stand

Accurate pistol shooting starts with getting the basics right and that begins, from the bottom, with how the shooter stands. There are broadly three different stances commonly used in pistol shooting; in-line, open and oblique. Whichever one is used, the main consideration is to choose a stance which keeps the body, and therefore the pistol, as still as possible. Both in-line and open stances are inherently unstable, so in the beginning, the oblique stance is probably best for the novice. In order to achieve the correct stance, which should be both comfortable and stable, begin by standing with heels shoulder width apart and feet pointing towards the target. Take a comfortable step forward with the foot corresponding to the shooting hand (i.e. if right-handed step forward with the right foot.)

Turn the front foot inwards until it feels comfortable and the shoulder of the shooting arm is pointing directly at the target. Then bring the rear foot forward, until there is an angle of approximately 60-70° between your feet.

Pick up your pistol, shut your eyes and relax your arm. Keeping your eyes shut, raise your pistol arm, keeping the elbow straight but relaxed. Open your eyes and sight along the pistol. The sights should be pointing in the centre of the target or on a vertical line through the centre. If they aren't, adjust your position by moving your rear foot and pivoting on the front one, until you are lined up properly with the target and feel comfortable. Keep your head up, shoulders level and anchor your non-shooting hand by placing it in a pocket or hooking the thumb or finger in your waistband. Weight should be evenly distributed between your feet and between the heel and toe of each foot. Above all, be comfortable and relax, especially the jaw, stomach and the bottom muscles.

You should follow this procedure for every shot, although it is much better to get into the habit of not moving between shots, if you can.

Breathing

Most people breathe using the ribs and complex muscles between them. Not surprisingly, this action results in a certain amount of upper body and arm movement, which doesn't make for accurate pistol shooting. Consequently, shooters have to hold their breath while taking a shot.

To begin with, take a couple of deep breaths to fully inflate the lungs and evacuate the "dead space" in the bottom part, which most people don't use much. This will oxygenate the blood and lower its carbon dioxide content. When your pulse is back to normal, usually a couple of seconds, take up a correct stance on the firing line, pick up your pistol and, as you raise it, breathe in slowly. Go a little above the point of aim and then begin to lower the pistol, breathing out as you do so. When your chest feels comfortable (neither completely full nor empty), hold your breath, adjust the sight picture on the target and gently squeeze the trigger.

Grip and trigger control

This is a difficult one. Black powder pistols have a wide variety of grips and so giving detailed instructions that will serve for all of them is impossible. Here are some general pointers.

Hold the butt as high up as possible, with it firmly pressed into the palm of your hand and the barrel in line with your forearm. The trigger finger should not touch the pistol anywhere at all. The trigger and the pad of the first joint of the trigger finger should be central on the trigger and as low as is comfortable. The aim is for the trigger finger to move straight to the rear, without any sideways movement at all. Any deviation from this optimum position will result in a snatched shot. Incidentally, it often helps to have one of your shooting buddies standing behind and watching while you shoot, as a trigger snatch can more often be seen from here. Squeezing off a shot properly is a gradual, controlled process, so try and avoid sending your finger a simple signal to "fire". Get into the habit of increasing pressure gradually so that the shot comes as a surprise, albeit with the correct sight picture constantly maintained. After the shot breaks, continue to hold the pistol in the same position for a few seconds before lowering to the bench. This is because black powder burns comparatively slowly and jerking the pistol away from the aiming position too quickly can result in the ball being "flicked" out of the barrel, spoiling what would other wise be a good shot. Maintaining your aiming position will also help concentration and your relaxation.

BEGINNING BLACK POWDER PART FIVE: MILES OF STYLE

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BEGINNING BLACK POWDER PART FIVE: MILES OF STYLE

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