TO BECOME A CRACK SHOT.

Northern Advocate, 8 September 1913, Page 3

TO BECOME A CRACK SHOT.

HOW TO USE AND HOLD A RIFLE,

It is doubtful if any one science requires more practice and study to become efficient than rifle-shooting, and, in fact, but few people become complete masters of the science in less time than four or five years.

Three things, at least, require training and cultivation —first, the eye; second, the muscles of the arms; third, 'the touch of the fingers upon the trigger; and the three should be trained to work in a perfect, clocklike manner, or one's shooting will be faulty.

The feet should be placed at an easy distance apart, the butt of the rifle placed against the arm close to the shoulder-joint, and the elbow raised to a horizontal position. The left arm should be bent at an angle of about ten degrees, and the hand seize the barrel nearly a foot in front of the guard. This forms a sort of framework with the rifle-arm, and by that means steadiness is attaained.

The index finger is the only one that should be used upon the trigger, and never touch it till the sight bears upon the target, as a constant fumbling makes the touch uncertain, and often the pull is too soon.

Everyone should know his rifle. As he looks along the barrel, he must remember that he has seen it before, and it must look familiar, or shooting will be uncertain. A flne sight drawn upon the target if often decetpive, especially in bright days. The better way is to show a plain sight, and, to compensate for this, point below the centre, or, in other words, show the whole of the bull's eye. Those who use the fine sight will often make very fine shots, and, again, some shots are sent far from the mark; but, on the contrary, persons who use the plain sight seldom make bad shots.

Lastly, great care should be taken, when the rifle is raised to the target, to hold it plumb, as failing to do this wijl cause a shot to go to the right or left; and—it matters not how nice the sight may bear upon the object aimed at—if the breach of the rifl* leans to the right the shot will go to the left, and if it bears towards the cheek it will have a tendency to veer to the right.