So you did the right thing and registered for a gun safety course? Nice job. I’m proud of you. I bet you learned all sorts of important fundamentals about handling, cleaning, and firing a gun. So, just to add some depth to your newfound skills, let’s talk about the one secret that will change your accuracy game for life and help you hit your target with greater ease: Aim small.
Hitting Your Target
It’s one thing to practice shooting at a gun range or a virtual simulation. It’s another thing entirely to go out into the open and let one rip from your new glock. If you’re going to shoot it properly, you’ve got to know the proper technique. Hitting your target is not as simple as just lining up your shot and taking it; it’s about aiming small. It’s about hitting small.
But what does that mean?
Imagine you’re out hunting with your pops (or your son or your daughter or who the heck ever). And after hours of diligent waiting, a deer appears in the glade. Now, the key to hitting that deer is clear: aim small, hit small.
That is, if you aim for the target as a whole, you are likely to miss. But if you aim for a small section of the target — maybe a single spot — you might miss that spot but you’ll hit the target.
Aiming Small
If you go to a range or a gun show or anywhere with trained gun owners, and you ask them, ‘what’s the secret to better accuracy?’ — they’re all going to tell you something similar.
Take your time. Aim small. Hit small. And for God’s sake keep your eyes open.
These veteran gun users all know the advantage of aiming small. There’s just something about zeroing in on a tiny part of your target. Try it out at a range and you’ll see for yourself. Place a target out at 100 yards and fire the whole magazine as fast as you can. You’ll probably miss a few.
Now replace that target with a new one and this time, go slow, breathe, feel the gun as an extension of yourself, get your aim right, and fire a new magazine. Big difference. Now, do the same thing, but this time place a one-inch red sticker at the target’s center and concentrate your aim on that. Carefully fire three rounds and check how close you get. You’ll be surprised at your improved accuracy with just that small, but important adjustment.
One Last Thing
As you might have learned in your required gun safety course, taking time and care to properly handle your firearm is of the utmost importance. A gun should be treated with respect. The same thing goes for a target: whether it’s a paper target at a gun range, an aluminum can on a barrel, a duck in the forest, or an intruder in your home, knowing the nuances of your gun will go a long way. Aiming small and hitting small is not just about hitting your target; it’s also about cultivating focus and seriousness.
Guns are nothing to mess around with. If you learn to aim small, you’ll improve your accuracy, your confidence with your gun, and you’re also way less likely to cause any undue harm to your environment.
So remember:
- Breathe deeply
- Line it up
- Aim small
- Shoot with intention
- Hit small
If you make sure to do all these things without rushing to the next step, you’ll soon find you’re putting your newly acquired gun license to good use.
