The Shooting Basics ...
Trigger Control
By Kathy Jackson
This page is under construction.
Define it. (Include notion that keeping finger OFF trigger when not intending to
fire is the most basic form of trigger control & most essential.)
Explain why it matters.
Discuss trigger pull weight differences (DA, DA/SA, SA, etc) & importance of pulling
trigger at same speed throughout entire stroke.
Prescriptions for learning & improving trigger control.
Prescription for follow through:
In addition to being surprised when the hammer actually falls, you should continue
to hold the trigger down with your sights realigned on target for a full two seconds
after each shot. Feels a bit silly at first, but it really helps teach your muscles
not to 'mash' the trigger -- which in turn helps get rid of flinch shots.
After working for several hundred reps with an exaggerated follow-through on a single
shot, you can begin to speed it up a bit.
For multiple shots, realign your sights while relaxing your trigger finger only
enough to reset your trigger. Do not take your finger completely off the trigger!
Just relax it enough to reset the trigger, and shoot as soon as your sights are
lined up again. Then follow through by holding the trigger down for a full second
or even two seconds after the second shot.
If you're practicing on multiple targets or changing your point of aim on one target
(ala mozambique), then think of your second shot as your follow through. Keep your
finger just relaxed enough to reset the trigger, and "re"align your sights
onto the second target. Squeeze off your second (or third, or fourth) shot without
taking your finger off the trigger. Just relax your finger enough to reset your
trigger. On the last shot, follow through by continuing to press the trigger with
your sights on target for an extra second or two after shooting.
After several hundred reps of multiple shots and multiple targets, you can begin
to shorten the amount of time you spend on follow through, but it can never be eliminated
entirely if you want your muscles to remember not to mash the trigger when you're
in a hurry.
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