Reviewing the Fundamentals

[K. Foster]

Here’s a short review the Fundamentals of accuracy.
Since my interest in the AR platform centers mostly around defensive use, this will be oriented in that direction but the fundamentals apply to all types of shooting.
Defensive shooting requires a balance of speed and accuracy. However, if you have to choose one over the other, always choose accuracy. You can not miss fast enough to win. There are several important fundamentals of accurate shooting. The two most important are trigger manipulation and sight picture. In that order. The trigger should be pressed straight back without disturbing your sight picture.
When shooting at speed, never sacrifice trigger control. Use a soft focus on you front sight and see just what you need to see to make the shot. Keeping all your shots inside the thoracic cavity of your threat is the goal for accuracy.
You can not be consistently accurate without understanding follow through. When your shot breaks, your focus should remain on your front sight. Remain aware of your sight alignment in relation to your target. Keeping you finger in contact with the trigger, allow it to move forward until you feel it re-set. Re-acquire your sight picture and re-engage the threat as necessary. You should always train to get a second sight picture. If you shoot 27 times, get a 28th sight picture.
Although you will be stressed and out of breath during a defensive situation, proper breathing should not take a back seat. This is where repetitious training comes in. Take deep breaths and then shoot during your respiratory pause, when possible.
Another element that can aid you in accuracy and speed is finding your natural point of aim. This is simply the way your body moves and bends as you mount the rifle and will allow you to expend less energy getting your sights on target and assists with recoil control and follow through.
You can easily find and practice your NPA in dry fire mode (all safety rules apply). With the rifle at low ready, pick something for an aiming reference. Close your eyes and mount the rifle. Open your eyes and see where your sights are in relation to your aiming point. Adjust your position and try again until you can open your eyes and have your sights on target consistently. After you are comfortable with this in standing, you can move on to kneeling, sitting and prone. Learning to embrace your NPA will also assist you in quickly and efficiently assuming unconventional positions behind cover.
For long guns, I like to use a field interview or boxer stance. Strong side foot trailing, knees slightly bent, weight on the balls of your feet, torso inclined forward.
When you mount the rifle, bring the stock up to your cheek, do not move your head down to the stock. A head up position will give you better situational awareness.

Advanced techniques are little more than the basics, executed to perfection.

[mjkeat]

A lot of good stuff.

While gaming and training always follow and perform correct technique but sense you mentioned defensive shooting:

Don't forget you have 2 other areas that can be engaged, brain box and the pelvis. If one area doesn't work move onto the next.

Breathing, simply put, don't forget to breath. Under stress you're not going to be thinking about proper breathing techniques.

Also under stress at defensive distances for us, your average civilian we're going to be yanking on the trigger. Chances are our finger will be buried in the trigger. And most aren't going to be cognoscente enough to feel reset.

Sight picture/sight alignment though important may not be something that happens.

Stance. The stance I've seen work the best is the isoselese. Basically your general purpose athletic stance that you see tennis, football, soccer, and baseball, players using. Feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, nose over toes. It's great for mobility and stability.

[K. Foster]

Breathing, simply put, don't forget to breath. Under stress you're not going to be thinking about proper breathing techniques.

Exactly. As you know, this is where training comes in. Train like you want to fight so you can fight like you train. I know that sound corny but it’s 100% correct.
Thanks for the input.

[MarkF]

This is excellent information. This is the kind of stuff that is far more meaningful that the usual crap about about which handguard looks the coolest or what is the hot color this week, tan or OD.

We all love our firearms, and talking about them, getting them set up right, that's a ton of fun as well as important, but the bottom line--it seems to me--is being a shooter first and foremost.

The best rifle in the hands of a crummy shooter isn't much use. An average, plain-jane looking rifle that has nothing more than sufficient accuracy, regulated sights, and a good trigger in the hands of a superior rifleman is far better.

A word to the wise if you happen to be new or less experienced in the shooting game. you would be wiser to spend money on a a couple of cases of ammunition than a thousand bucks on the latest fancy parts to hang on your rifle. Those things may minimally add convenience and comfort, but they won't make you into a rifleman. It takes putting rounds downrange, properly, to do that.

What do you want to do, show off your gear to your buddies, or know that you are armed and capable?

[K. Foster]

Good comments, thanks.