Tips on SIGHTING IN YOUR RIFLE

[TacticalTedcom]

By Ted Snow

First, you should always sight in a rifle using a sturdy shooting bench. Some of the portable ones on the market today are just too flimsy to be of any use. Models can be found that come with a movable arm that has a rifle rest attached. This rest can be positioned wherever the shooter needs to rest the fore end of the rifle. While this sounds nice, this system cannot possibly hold a rifle steady enough for accurate shooting. You want a solid bench, not a lightweight one with arms and gizmos that only serve to increase vibration, rather than to dampen it.

The bench and chair you use should be of the right height to fit you comfortably. If you cannot relax at the bench with the rifle aimed at the target, you will not be able to shoot accurately. Tensing your muscles to hold yourself in a position that has the rifle aiming on target is a recipe for less than satisfactory results. As soon as you shoot, the recoil will cause all those bodily adjustments to unwind and throw your shot off. What you want is to adjust yourself so that when you are relaxed your rifle is on target. This is called your natural point of aim, and you should not fire a shot until you have achieved this position.

An expensive rifle rest is not necessary, though there are many good ones to be had. A bag filled with lead shot makes a good front as well as rear rest. In place of a rear rest, you can place your hand under the butt stock and control the elevation of the rifle by making a fist. Closing your fist will raise the rear of the rifle, and opening your fist will lower it, thereby giving you elevation control. It is important to never use a hard surface as a rest, as it will cause your shots to have a higher point of impact than would otherwise be the case.

The forearm of your rifle should always be positioned with the rest placed under the same spot, and that spot should be where you normally hold the rifle. Not shooting with the rest positioned under the rifle in the same spot each time can result in vertical stringing of shots.

So, to recap, remember to:

1) have a good, solid, stable, and comfortable bench and chair of the right height

2) use a rest that is not a hard surface

3) achieve your natural point of aim.

Follow these three steps and you will have a much more rewarding experience at the range, and ultimately in the hunt.

For more shooting tips please visit my blog at http://TacticalTed.com/blog. For a complete line of Gun Accessories and Shooting Supplies, please visit http://TacticalTed.com. There, you can register to receive e-mail notifications of sales (some of which will be only for those who have registered), and short informative articles on shooting and equipment. Ted Snow is the owner of TacticalTed.com, an online store featuring gun accessories and shooting supplies of every kind. He is also an avid hunter and shooter, being proficient with rifle, pistol, and shotgun.