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Aiming

More than just aligning sights to hit a target, aiming is reaching that goal with easy consistency. When everything in the sport is reduced to basic equipment, it comes down to you, the firearm, and the target. Can you use the tool at hand to achieve your goal of a hit target, paper, breakable or hunted prey? As I started with the shooter in my essay on stance, I am continuing here with the shooter and the physical actions used in aiming a firearm. Breaking this subject into parts, there are two that should be mentioned. What the shooter does and what the firearm does. Beginning with what the shooter must accomplish, it starts with stance. Has the shooter found a stable, repeatable, and comfortable stance? If so, then that is more easily separated from the act of aiming. If not, the shooter can keep progressing on stance while learning the control used to aim the firearm. These are steps in a process and not, therefore, exclusive to each other. In the previous essay, aligning the body with the target for better stability. This alignment makes the process of aiming easier as the gross adjustments have been completed. In the North-South Skirmish Association there is time before the match begins to make up the breakable targets and get equipment for the match. I use a few minutes of the time to locate, where on the firing line, I will be shooting. Without a firearm in hand, I stand on the line, locate the proper target frame, and settle my feet. As I use a bayonet to hold the ramrod between loading, I place that in the needed location currently. This gets it out of my way while doing other tasks but also serves as a location marker for that selected footing. I will mime the actions of raising and lowering the firearm to aim several times. The goal is to have a general sight picture before leaving the firing line. Competing teams are called to the line one minute before the event will start. With firearm in hand, I repeat the previous steps once more ensuring that my footing is secure and aligned. At this time, I will raise and lower the firearm repeatedly, both with eyes open and then with eyes closed. If my placement is correct, the sights will line up with the targets even before opening my eyes. If they do not, it is necessary to realign my footing. Once satisfied with this, I can concentrate on the actions needed to aim properly.

The forehand supporting the length of the firearm is just that a support. Do not use it for aiming purposes other than gross height and windage. Consider it much like a fence post to rest the firearm upon. All fine aiming adjustments are done with the shoulder and trigger hand. These are very fine movements to close in on the target picture that the shooter needs. Time and practice, whether shooting or dry firing or just holding the firearm at home will build the strength and sensitivity to achieve a good sight picture. Once the aiming, the good sight picture is achieved, squeezing the trigger is simple. Or not. Again, in the N-SSA there are safety rules that call for any long arm’s trigger pull to be at least three pounds. Those shooters using set triggers and other styles of firearms have different rules. Be that as it may, the requirement is the same, to pull or squeeze the trigger without the aim being affected. Time and practice are again the key. It is possible to learn how the trigger feels as the shooter squeezes the trigger. A practiced shooter will be able to say if the shot was good or not and if not, where it should have gone and why. The shooter’s breathing and pulse will affect the shot as well. The calmer and steadier both are the steadier the shooter’s base will be. Many shooters are or have been taught to take a deep breath, let half out and then hold the rest while aiming. Some people can aim and snap shoot quickly while others take longer. There is another option. Keep breathing, slow steady breaths. As the shooter shoulders the firearm, the breaths are steady and even, ensuring a well oxygenated blood supply. The rhythm of the breathing does not change from one motion of the shot to the next. When sighted in a pause may happen as the trigger is squeezed.

Hold through the shot, these are long firearms with slow bullets. Lowering the firearm or other changes too quickly may affect the shot. I have read that the best shots in the world can shoot between heart beats. That may be apocryphal or not. Getting excited, whether due to a great shot or a terrible one can have equally detrimental effect on the next shot. Keep calm and let the next shot be its own process. The shooter, the equipment, and the target. Can I hit it once? Yes. Now that I have done that, can I hit it again? Can I get five in the scoring target? Then five in the black? Then five in the ten rings? I have not done the last. Yet.

Practice will only help if the shooter is practicing the right habits and methods. Practicing poor, sloppy actions leads to poor and sloppy shooting results. Luck may happen but good form and steady methods are much better ways to return the desired results.

That is the physical part of aiming. The mechanical is proper alignment of the sights on the firearm and the shooter’s eye with the sights. With muzzleloading, most shooters do not have telescopic sights on their firearms, so this will discuss only the more traditional iron sights. Whether open “V” or a peep sight, the rear sight must line up with the front to place the shot in its intended target. All the following are simply observations on method not instructions what is the one and only right way to have the firearm set up. Trial and error at the range will show the shooter what works best for them. This is the fun part of working in a firearm. Learning its idiosyncrasies and the shooter’s own as well. The choice of “V” or peep is personal. What can help the shooter find the target easily and accurately. My musket has a peep sight, while my carbine has a “V” and of course the original 1842 Springfield smoothbore has no rear sight at all. I just must use each in its proper fashion. The sight picture is where the front and rear sights align with the target. Most shooters refer to a clock face when describing their point of aim. A six o’clock hold means that the top of the front sight just touches the bottom of the target at what would be six on an analog clock. Nine o’clock, twelve o’clock and so forth are like locations to the clock. Center holds or point of aim, point of impact is the middle of the clock face. I like to see the whole target and mostly adjust my sights and sight picture for a six o’clock hold. Bench resting the firearm is one way of sighting it in. Other shooters find it easier just to shoot as they would at any other time. This may prove to be more difficult for the new shooter. We are in the territory of range time and going with what works best, with this process for each shooter. Find what is comfortable and gives consistent, repeatable results. Stay safe and have fun.