Self-Learning With Poor Teachers
I’ve been target shooting alot over the past month. Using the internet I have learned the proper stance, how to breathe and how to squeeze the trigger. However over the past couple of outings I have noticed that I have been shooting relatively tight groupings just to the right of where I am aiming. This has bothered me, and while at the range I have tried improving my stance so that it was solid, and focused on gently rolling the trigger so that when the gun fires you feel a bit of surprise – as described by Officer Ayoob. But while the groups have been getting tighter, they have been off to the right – the further back the target goes the further off they are.
Well it finally hit me: it’s parallax error. Dopey me has been sighting with both eyes open, favoring my right.
It’s always tough teaching yourself how to do something, and a critical yet open mind is always necessary whether it’s learning how to shoot or any skill.
K. Wells:
Both eyes open is not for dopes.
Generally, pistol shooters are encouraged to keep both eyes open. Most people have a dominant eye, left or right. If you are right eye dominant and using your right eye to focus clearly on the front sight post and have a good sight alignment you will hit what you are aiming at unless 1. One or more of your other fundamentals are off or 2. your sights require slight adjustment. Conventional advice for pistol shooters is keep both eyes open. Notice most good shooters are very happy with a tight group that is not exactly center bull’s eye. One caveat: my training is combat pistol marksmanship and it may be true that pure target shooters have a different opinion.
Good shooting.
K. Wells
2 February 2008, 4:53 pmScott Kirwin:
K.
2 February 2008, 7:04 pmThanks for that advice. I find that it’s hard for me to close my left eye, so I guess I’ll just have to learn how to adjust.