Silly question

[DavidABQ]

I realize that this is probably a silly question and I didn't give it much thought until recently.

Do you focus on the crosshairs or on the target and squeeze the trigger when the crosshairs are positioned over the target?

I have always focused on the crosshairs be recently I overheard a very experienced and good shooter at the gun club advising his brother-in-law to focus on the target and the human brain will put the crosshairs on the target.


Which way is it? Is there not correct method?

[Hawk-1]

Look at a spot (small) on the target! Make little holes.

[Trent]

[quote="DavidABQ"I ]realize that this is probably a silly question and I didn't give it much thought until recently.

Do you focus on the crosshairs or on the target and squeeze the trigger when the crosshairs are positioned over the target?

I have always focused on the crosshairs be recently I overheard a very experienced and good shooter at the gun club advising his brother-in-law to focus on the target and the human brain will put the crosshairs on the target.


Which way is it? Is there not correct method?[/quote]

What you heard should be true. Your reticule should be "focused" and clear, but if you try actually looking at them instead of the target... I am pretty sure you will go cross-eyed.

I've always "looked" at the target. My brain deals with the crosshairs, not my eyes.

[Jason]

Pick a spot on the target that you are going to (not try to) hit. Then concentrate on that spot. Everyone say it with me...

WATCH THE SPOT, NOT THE DOT!

[DavidABQ]

LOL! I have been doing it wrong all of these years!

Maybe my score at the Fun Matches at the club will go up?


Thank you everyone!

[Bob259]

.........WATCH THE SPOT, NOT THE DOT!

and both move as quickly as a horse fly your trying to swat...... and can get bit by both

[AZRifle]

I mentally project the bullet flight into a precise location on the target, then jerk the crap out of the rifle and trigger. (just to add a little humor)

[Jerry G]

How is that working for you Jerry? We can't let your humor go to waste.

[DavidABQ]

It is hard to break my old habit. Thank you everyone; I need practice and it should get easier.

[Washita]

I mentally project the bullet flight into a precise location on the target, then jerk the crap out of the rifle and trigger. (just to add a little humor)

I always heard the harder you jerk the trigger the faster the bullet travels!

[Dee]

I mentally project the bullet flight into a precise location on the target, then jerk the crap out of the rifle and trigger. (just to add a little humor)

I always heard the harder you jerk the trigger the faster the bullet travels!

This is a proven fact. The only problem is that the speed increase comes in the form of how fast it travels on whatever vector your snap shooting sent it on away from your intended target. Jerk the trigger half as fast and the miss is usually reduced by 1/2 as much. If you can just do this a few times over in no time you should eventually be shooting sub MOA groups offhand lol.

As for the original post I look at the target and let the sights be subconciously controlled or viewed. When I first started to shoot sils I would try to focus on the whole animal and just try my best to center break or hold off if needed. Now that I am a few years in and have moved up to AAA I find myself trying to pick out the speck on the animal in the area I want to break the shot and look past the animal itself to make it a smaller spot on which I want to break the shot. I used to think the guys that didn't mind shooting resets without painting were nuts and that I liked a clean white target but now I realize it is nice to have a few distinct aim points on the target as it helps you hold small. Now I like to put a nice center aim spot and try to stack the shots on that spot especially with my air rifles.

Focus on the dot or cross hairs just enough when you are lining up to take the shot to see if you need to adjust your point of aim. I've found if I go straight to focusing on the animal when I shoulder the rifle and don't at least let my natural point of aim to settle I'll do the dreaded twisting into a forced position to align the dot with the animal. Once settled then just look for the spot and try to slow motion it mentally to the dot being there, breaking the shot and following through till you watch the target fall and see where you hit.



Dee

[Jerry G]

Dee, I don't know if you realize it or not but...... there are some folks that think it is NOT legal to have a point to aim at on the animal. You know, the ones that say the little projection on the cast animals has to be on the back side. Seems to me they are the same one's that I here talking about aiming at paint chips. Go figure. I don't know you so I am not accusing you of that.

I just had to get that one off my cheast.

[BCloninger]

Dee, I don't know if you realize it or not but...... there are some folks that think it is NOT legal to have a point to aim at on the animal. You know, the ones that say the little projection on the cast animals has to be on the back side. Seems to me they are the same one's that I here talking about aiming at paint chips. Go figure. I don't know you so I am not accusing you of that.

I just had to get that one off my cheast.

Shall we machine them perfectly flat, too?

Some shoot spots, others shoot chips, I shoot quadrants - which one depends on wind and where I seem be shooting that day. Some days, high, low, left or right. The consistent thing is I focus on the target, not the targeting device (crosshairs, dot, post or whatever.)