7 Basic Marksmanship Fundamentals

MAX Fall Shooting School- Part 1

The key to becoming a better shooter is more than going to the range with good intentions. 
Quality practice is the key to becoming shooter.  Simply spending a lot of time and shooting rounds down range is just not going to cut it.   This is however a good plan if your intention is to expect as much from yourself as you expect from your rifle.   

However, knowing what to practice and how to practice is not only the best place to start, it’s the only place.  

So, I want to start with the “what” part first:  that being the “7 basic fundamentals”.  

These 7 fundamentals are inherent with all shooting disciplines, no matter the shooter, no matter the weapon.  There are also Marksmanship Traits, but these basic fundamentals are a must.

The big 7 are as follows:

1. •    Support (position)
2. •    Stock Weld & Grip
3. •    Sight Alignment
4. •    Sight Picture
5. •    Natural Point of Aim
6. •    Breath Control
7. •    Trigger Control

I’m going to add one that’s really a Trait, but it’s a must:

•    Follow Through

They all work together and a couple are more forgiving than others, but be no mistake about it, each one plays its role in getting a well-aimed, well-placed shot on target.  The ability of a shooter to master and have control of them, on a consistent basis, is what makes them accurate and deadly, every time.  It is what separates some from others.  The best part is that you don’t have to buy it, and the fact is, all the money in the world can’t buy it even if you had it.

The best way for everyone understand and learn them is to break them down into groups.  They’re pretty much in the order in which we need to start each shot so we’re going to start at the top and work our way down, in these groups.

Group 1
•    Support (position)
•    Stock Weld & Grip

Group 2
•    Sight Alignment
•    Sight Picture
•    Natural Point of Aim

Group 3
•    Breath Control
•    Trigger Control

Each fundamental is used in getting each shot down range.  If you’re thinking that it’s just too much to keep up with and do for each shot,  just wait and see how it all comes together.  When learned and practiced in groups, all of the groups will then be combined into a process.  When practiced properly, the process becomes second nature, and before you know it, you’re getting well placed shots off in mere seconds. 

When this process becomes a regular part of your range practice routine, you and your rifle will soon become a well-oiled, finely tuned, death-from-afar, big game killing machine.  Just the way we should like it!! 

In the next artical,  I will talk each group and how to put them into a deadly process.