Shooting - Technique and Safety Considerations

Technique and Safety Considerations

Shooting technique differs depending on factors like the type of firearm used (from a handgun to a sniper rifle), the distance to and nature of the target, the required precision and the available time. Breathing and position play an important role when handling a handgun or a rifle. Some shooting sports, such as IPSC shooting, make a sport of combat style shooting. The prone position, the kneeling position and the standing position offer different amounts of support for the shooter. Holding the gun sideways, as is sometimes seen in movies and on television, is poor gun handling; it makes the weapon likely to jam as any ejected case may fail to leave the weapon completely. There is an exception to this, however. "Bandit Shooting", so called because of it's use with Chinese bandits of the early to mid 1900's, is where the gun (generally a handgun with a high rate of fire) is tilted on its side and aimed, the index finger is placed on the frame, and the trigger is pulled using the middle finger. It's used for "clean up" indoors or at very short range post-operation, as it is fairly inaccurate.

The utmost consideration for many shooters is gun safety. Like many activities such as mountain climbing, skiing, or sky-diving, there is an element of danger involved. And especially here, this danger demands a sober understanding and respect for firearms and the specific rules for the safe handling of them. This is compounded by the fact that the danger can easily extend beyond the participants—a stray bullet can injure or kill people other than those actually firing or handling the arms involved. At public ranges, the safety of all participants depends on the knowledge of everyone at the range.