Apart from being choice weapons and hunting tools, rifles have also been used for sports for a long time. Today rifle shooting enjoys as much popularity as ever before. With more and more people taking up rifle shooting as a hobby, many questions arise as to how to go about it the right way.
Newcomers and well as intermediate markspersons and shooters wonder how they can improve their skills, hit their targets and improve their rifle handling. We’re going to offer you five important tips that should help boost and improve your rifle game overall!
Prioritize Handling over Look
You might be tempted to buy a burly or an expensive looking weapon but don’t. When it comes to firearms, handling is your top priority. Look for a weapon that’s the right weight— something you can comfortably handle.
Size matters too. Don’t go for something that stretches your reach. Go for something you can hold and grip with ease.
Breaking In
We’re not referring to breaking and entering here. We’re talking about breaking in your firearm. You might think it’s a good idea to rock up at the range or for a hunt with a brand new barely used rifle. Wrong.
Doing this puts you at the mild risk of having your rifle jam or malfunction. More than this, it means that your aim will probably be well off the expected mark. In order to avoid any embarrassment on shooting day, take your rifle out to the range beforehand and perform a barrel cleaning routine after every four or five shots.
Spend a few hours firing off shots, cleaning your barrel and making the needed adjustments. When you can predict your rifles responses to a degree, you’re good to go!
Zero at 200
When sighting in your new rifle, it is often suggested that the 100 yard mark is adequate. Sure this may be so, however the further you sight in at, the higher you raise your overall rifle accuracy. It is for this reason that many markspersons and military specialist recommend zeroing or sighting in your rifle at the 200 yard mark.
Flinching
There is nothing embarrassing about flinching if you’re new to firearms. Flinching is usually an instinctive reaction to either the noise from the shot you fire or the recoil that follows.
Two things that help with flinching are of course, protective gear (ear plugs in this case) and recoil reduction.
It helps to invest in a quality muzzle brake like the one below in order to reduce the recoil on your rifle post shot. It also helps to lean into your rifle when you shoot to mitigate your instinctive flinch response. This being said, the more you practice, the better you will get with the flinch!
Don’t Skimp on Rifle Accessories
When it comes to certain rifles like AR-51s, the equipment you accessorize with really influences your aim and handling. Don’t skimp on equipment. It doesn’t matter if you’re buying a foregrip, magnification scope, red dot sight or handguard, make sure you purchase well manufactured and reliable accessories.
They make a whole lot of difference and in combination, can make or break your rifle game!
The Upshot
Last but not least, remember that skill comes with practice so make sure you hit the range regularly and keep that trigger finger warmed up!
