Recently, one handgun enthusiast released a series of informative graphics designed to help shooters diagnose problems with accuracy and precision. This series really reinforces the fundamentals of good marksmanship and how small details can drastically change how our rounds wind up on target.
Graphic 1: Sight Picture and Sight Alignment
A big issue a lot of shooters run into is focusing too much on either the front sight post or the target. The key is spanning between the two to ensure not only is your front sight post aligned properly but the target is also clearly centered. It’s also a big argument about why concealed carriers and law abiding gun owners aim for center mass.
With the front sight post partially in focus with the bullseye of the target — tell us in the comments below if that helps.
Graphic 2: Forearm and Hand Alignment
A core principle of marksmanship is bone and muscle support. Where the body is out of alignment, the bones cannot offer much in terms of stability and falls to muscles to do the work. In that case, muscles can and will shake and fail the longer one conducts an exercise. In this graphic, the illustrator proposes keeping one’s forearm aligned with the upper receiver of the firearm.
Graphic 3: Front Sight Post Alignment
Getting a perfect balance between the front and rear sight posts is a delicate matter. Too high, and the round flies above the bullseye. Too low, and conversely you’re digging in the dirt. When distance matters, you want to ensure that you have a clean level plane between the front and rear sight posts.
Graphic 4: Proper Handgun Grip
Control over the handgun is key. The proper grip is something which must be learned. In this image, we see one way to overlap one’s hands to give the best sturdy grasp over the pistol grip. Different hands and different size guns may require different grips, but ultimately, the supporting hand ought reinforce and stabilize the primary hand on the gun.
Graphic 5: Examples of Sight Systems for Different Handguns
Having a bit of perspective is never a bad thing. Not all pistols align the same. This graphic is meant to give an overall idea of how different popular styles of pistols match up against each other from the aiming perspective.
Graphic 6: Trigger Control
How you press the trigger directly relates to the lateral swing of the bullet’s trajectory as it leaves the barrel. This graphic perfectly illustrates that the best way to remain linear to the alignment of your sights is by depressing the trigger with the meat of the pad of the index finger. Diagnosing potential issues in shot groupings can be sourced back to the way you pull the trigger.
Graphic 7: The Great Eight For Proper Straight Alignment
And lastly, we get this awesome infographic depicting how all of these major components play together to form a good shot grouping.
Being able to quickly get your sights on target from a well supported position is essential to developing the reflexes you need to prevail in a self defense encounter.