- Joined
- May 6, 2014
- Messages
- 17,429
- Reaction score
- 16,425
One of the most overlooked or unknown techniques for Offhand Shooting at targets, that will definitely improve one’s scores, is called establishing one’s personal Natural Point of Aim (NPOA). The technique is slightly different when shooting long guns as compared to pistols, though the basics are the same. Also, this technique is not directly used in hunting situations as for most shots, one doesn’t have time to take up an almost perfect stance. This post will cover the technique for long guns shot at targets. Note: The technique will be described for right handed shooters with their dominant eye being their right eye. Left hand shooters may transcribe it to the other side of their stance.
1. Instead of facing directly towards your target, you turn your body so it angles a bit to the right. A good starting point would be about 30 degrees to the right, though some people find it is best for them to turn a little more or less. With your angled a bit to the right, you will twist your upper body a bit to the left to line up on your target. What that does is sort of lock your body in a more stable position.
2. Now with an unloaded long gun, close your eyes and mount the long gun and lay your cheek naturally on the comb. Once the way the long gun rests where it feels good to you, open your eyes and see where on the target your sights line up. If the sights line up dead center, you do not do anything else. However, for most of us, your sights won’t line up center on the target.
3. When you open your eyes, you may find the sights line up to the left or right of dead center on target and you may also find the sights are above or below dead center. I normally suggest correcting the left/right alignment first.
If the alignment is off to the left, you must increase the angle you face to the right from 30 degrees to say 45 degrees. Again close your eyes and mount the long gun to where it feels natural and open your eyes to see how much you moved the sights. If 45 degrees is too much, decrease the angle a little and close your eyes and try again. If 45 degrees is not enough, turn a little further to the right and close your eyes and try again until the sights are centered left to right on the target.
If when you open your eyes the sights are off to the right of the center of the target, than decrease the angle you faced from 30 degrees to say 20 degrees from the target and try again. Fine tune it until when you open your eyes, the sights are centered on the target.
4. When you open your eyes and find the sights line up above or below he center of the target, you will need to move one of your feet to raise or lower the sights.
To raise the sights, you first try moving your right foot back a little bit. Close your eyes and mount the long gun and see where the sights align. If the sights are still low, you move your right foot back a little more.
To lower the sights, you first try moving your left foot a little further forward. Close your eyes and mount the rifle and see how far the sights moved. If you are still a bit high, move the left foot a little more and try again until when you open your eyes, you are centered up and down on the target.
Note: When moving your feet to adjust the sights, you sometimes only have to move your feet very little to get the sights to align when the long gun feels good with your eyes closed and you open them to see where on target the sights align. You may find you only have to shuffle a foot a little bit. When you find the position where when you open your eyes and your sights are centered, DO NOT move your feet for follow up shots. If you do move your feet, then take a few moments to re-establish your natural point of aim before your next shot.
Now, why is it so important that you close your eyes when mounting the long gun to see where the sights align when you open your eyes? (Since I am not a Doctor, I have to describe it in layman’s terms.) By closing your eyes and finding where it feels natural holding the long gun, you are not “fighting’ or trying to push the long gun into correct sight alignment for each shot. The more natural the sights align on target, after you open your eyes, the less fatigued you will get when centering your sights on the target.
You do not need to be on a firing range to learn this technique. Matter of fact, it is best to learn the basics of it when dry firing and you can do it at home when aiming in on a target that is taped/mounted to a wall.
This technique is not new by any means. It was taught to my Father when he went to Army Boot Camp in WWII. It was probably taught to my Grandfathers in Army Boot Camp in WWI. It was taught to me in Marine Corps Boot Camp in 1971. ALL the best National Match Competitors use this technique when shooting offhand for that competition, though you may or may not realize they are doing it. Many of them have used it so long, it becomes almost muscle memory to stand in a Natural Point of Aim position when they first pick up their rifle. They may need to adjust ever so slightly each time, but many folks would not realize they are doing it.
Gus
1. Instead of facing directly towards your target, you turn your body so it angles a bit to the right. A good starting point would be about 30 degrees to the right, though some people find it is best for them to turn a little more or less. With your angled a bit to the right, you will twist your upper body a bit to the left to line up on your target. What that does is sort of lock your body in a more stable position.
2. Now with an unloaded long gun, close your eyes and mount the long gun and lay your cheek naturally on the comb. Once the way the long gun rests where it feels good to you, open your eyes and see where on the target your sights line up. If the sights line up dead center, you do not do anything else. However, for most of us, your sights won’t line up center on the target.
3. When you open your eyes, you may find the sights line up to the left or right of dead center on target and you may also find the sights are above or below dead center. I normally suggest correcting the left/right alignment first.
If the alignment is off to the left, you must increase the angle you face to the right from 30 degrees to say 45 degrees. Again close your eyes and mount the long gun to where it feels natural and open your eyes to see how much you moved the sights. If 45 degrees is too much, decrease the angle a little and close your eyes and try again. If 45 degrees is not enough, turn a little further to the right and close your eyes and try again until the sights are centered left to right on the target.
If when you open your eyes the sights are off to the right of the center of the target, than decrease the angle you faced from 30 degrees to say 20 degrees from the target and try again. Fine tune it until when you open your eyes, the sights are centered on the target.
4. When you open your eyes and find the sights line up above or below he center of the target, you will need to move one of your feet to raise or lower the sights.
To raise the sights, you first try moving your right foot back a little bit. Close your eyes and mount the long gun and see where the sights align. If the sights are still low, you move your right foot back a little more.
To lower the sights, you first try moving your left foot a little further forward. Close your eyes and mount the rifle and see how far the sights moved. If you are still a bit high, move the left foot a little more and try again until when you open your eyes, you are centered up and down on the target.
Note: When moving your feet to adjust the sights, you sometimes only have to move your feet very little to get the sights to align when the long gun feels good with your eyes closed and you open them to see where on target the sights align. You may find you only have to shuffle a foot a little bit. When you find the position where when you open your eyes and your sights are centered, DO NOT move your feet for follow up shots. If you do move your feet, then take a few moments to re-establish your natural point of aim before your next shot.
Now, why is it so important that you close your eyes when mounting the long gun to see where the sights align when you open your eyes? (Since I am not a Doctor, I have to describe it in layman’s terms.) By closing your eyes and finding where it feels natural holding the long gun, you are not “fighting’ or trying to push the long gun into correct sight alignment for each shot. The more natural the sights align on target, after you open your eyes, the less fatigued you will get when centering your sights on the target.
You do not need to be on a firing range to learn this technique. Matter of fact, it is best to learn the basics of it when dry firing and you can do it at home when aiming in on a target that is taped/mounted to a wall.
This technique is not new by any means. It was taught to my Father when he went to Army Boot Camp in WWII. It was probably taught to my Grandfathers in Army Boot Camp in WWI. It was taught to me in Marine Corps Boot Camp in 1971. ALL the best National Match Competitors use this technique when shooting offhand for that competition, though you may or may not realize they are doing it. Many of them have used it so long, it becomes almost muscle memory to stand in a Natural Point of Aim position when they first pick up their rifle. They may need to adjust ever so slightly each time, but many folks would not realize they are doing it.
Gus
