How to Be a Better Shooter: A Guide for Firearm Beginners

Falling a little short of being a true deadeye?

Being an excellent shooter goes way beyond the physicals. It begins in the mind. To improve your shooting, you need to internalize some fundamental techniques.

Here’s our simple guide on how to be a better shooter.

Know Your Firearm

The truth is, each firearm could justify its own article. Getting to know your gun should always be step one, whether it’s an air gun or a firearm.

This post goes over some things to know about air guns, but take the time to find and read everything you need to know about your weapon of choice before you hit the range.

It’s in the Meat

Being a good shot depends a lot on how you interact with the firearm. A consistent, firm grip gives more control over the weapon and ensures it sits the same way each time you bring it to bear.

The thing to remember is that the more skin in contact with the gun, the better. Your hand should be up against the trigger guard in front and up against the grip tang in the back. That grip texturing isn’t for looks—it’s there for that same reason. 

A textured surface increases the surface area in contact with the weapon and creates more friction between your flesh and the firearm. It’s all about contact.

Stance Isn’t Everything

There’s a lot of talk about stances in shooting, but, in most cases, a stance isn’t too relevant to pistol shooting.

Stances establish consistency in the face of recoil. Pistols have low recoil, of the kind that is better controlled with good grip discipline. So don’t get too caught up in making geometric shapes with your body—the gun is still the epicenter of the action.

Seeing the Sights

Sights are among those fascinating little things that demonstrate the difference between knowing what something is for and how to use it.

Most new shooters know what a gun’s sights are for on an intellectual level. Yet when it comes time to shoot, they’re eye-balling the target downrange, forgetting that everything they need is on the pistol.

So line up those sights. The target isn’t downrange, it’s on your pistol. Line up the front sight with the target, square it with the rear sights, and then fire.

Aim for Consistency

Nailing a target dead-center may feel great, but it’s nothing more than a random chance if it happens once in a hundred shots.

Put another way, a less accurate shot made more consistently is better on average than a more accurate shot made sporadically. So focus on nailing consistency.

The best route to a consistent shot is to be self-aware. Focus on putting the same input into your shot every time—the same posture, the same grip, the same sighting.

How to Be a Better Shooter the Easy Way

By following these simple tips, you can learn how to be a better shooter the easy way. Sure, there’s no substitute for practice, but these tips will provide a solid foundation for your sharpshooting skills.

Make sure to check back often for more handy guides.