This article first appeared in the 1987 issues of Muzzle Blasts.
Pistol Marksmanship
Robert J. Reiber
Georgia
Part II
It is exceedingly difficult to explain what there is about pistol shooting, the sport of handgunning, that is so compelling as to cause it to occupy so much a part of my time, effort and thought. Can it be the diversity and challenge the sport offers? What is it that prompts one to persist ently try to better that last score, to shoot that "possible" or to look forward to that legendary perfect score, the 100-l0x? Occasionally perfection is so near and yet so far away. All this hinges upon that very first prerequisite acquisition and maintenance of the basic skills and keep ing each honed to a fineedge. I would strongly urge the reader, who may have re cently joined our ranks, to study the remaining series carefully for there may be hints that will improve perfor mance and the overall enjoyment of shooting. Even those who have already advanced to the upper classification levels still need to go back to basics, from time to time, just as the concert violinist must return to the practice of simple exercises before attempting a concert piece. So, let's get on with consideration of some of the many el ements that when combined lead toward the delivery of a well placed shot. Our first consideration will be the Stance or Position. Before a shot is fired the shooter must be standing correctly. He should have good balance with body held firm yet without stress or strain. This permits the outstretched arm and the hand, holding the pistol, to point naturally to ward the aiming point. Stance, then, is the positioning of the feet, body, arm and head. It must be taken up the same way every time a shot is to be released.
Observe a line of pistol shooters and one will see a variety of stances. Some of these, to be sure, will be in violation of the characteristics of a good comfortable position, while others may be correct or nearly so. Odd or unusual posi tions aren't all that uncommon when considering the fact that individuals possess anatomical differences that, to a great degree, dictate their body position. The body propor tions of height, weight, bone structure and muscular devel opment, singly or combined, will have considerable bearing on the stance. This, however, cannot account for the gro tesque positions one occasionally sees on the line. These shooters are simply not aware of the elements that when combined culminate in the proper stance. Every shooter must experiment to find the stance best suited to their particular build and physical characteristics.
There are, however, certain elements of position that are essential to the proper stance and these in turn pro vide the greatest degree of body stability. The position should be comfortable with a natural erect position. This, in itself, will provide for a steadiness of the body without resulting in muscular strain. The application of undue contraction of muscle systems, in an attempt to stabilize body position, will result in early body sway. The feet should be placed so that the position is com fortable and be separated about the width of the shoul ders - toes pointing slightly outward. Keep the legs straight with hips and shoulders level and in a natural po sition. The weight of the body should be evenly distributed over the soles of the feet. A slight protrusion of the abdomen is permitted. This serves to drop the torso, on the axis of the pelvic girdle, producing a slight curvature at the small of the back forward of a vertical line with heels and shoulders. This position balances the weight of the outstretched arm. Any movement, to either side, should come from the hips not the shoulders. The posi tion of the arm, and that of the hand holding the pistol, should only be changed by moving the feet. If the shoul der, arm or wrist are used in making an adjustment of aiming the arm will return to its normal position under the stress of aiming and firing. The aim will no longer be toward the center of the target. In any stance the head must be kept level and in direct line with the arm and sights. The faceshould be turned, as far as possible, toward the target without bringing about strain of neck muscles. Avoid tilting the head to the right or left or pushed, over the shoulder, toward the Gun. The wrist of the extended shooting arm should be stiff, with the elbow straight and locked in position. The shooter should be totally unaware of the free hand during aiming and firing. The non-shooting arm should hang re laxed from the shoulder down. The hand is best tucked into the side pocket or thumb hooked over the belt. Never tuck the hand under the belt at the small of the back. This location will induce strain on arm and shoulder muscles. There is a tendency to twist the torso, at the hips, out of its natural position. In assuming the stance the body should be positioned at an angle of 35 to 45 degrees from the target (this may be var ied a few degrees either way).
Raise the pistol and point it toward the target. Turn the head and look down range, over the extended arm, eyes looking in direction of the target. Lower the pistol and close the eyes. Now raise the arm above the sighting level and bring it back to the horizontal. Raising and loweringthe pistol several times should settle the arm on a natural aiming point. With the arm held at horizontal open the eyes and notice if the arm and pistol have settled on the proper aiming point.
If the sights are aligned on or close to the bullseye the position may be judged to be a natural one. Notice the location of the feet. You may want to mark a spot, for the feetshould be returned to thesame place for the next shot. If the pistol has settled to one side or the other of the aiming point the body position should be shifted slightly. To accomplish this move the rear foot, an inch or two, in the direction of the error. The body will beso rotated as to move the arm, with the pistol, closer to the aiming point. Do not move the forward foot in attempting to make this adjust ment. One is reminded that an error in the hold cannot be corrected by moving the arm independent of the body.
Avoid an open stance (facing the target with the chest) or one that is too in-line (facing the target sideways). In the first the arm is poorly supported by the shoulder mus cles; in the second the head is turned to such an extreme position that circulation to the brain may be reduced. In addition, neck muscles may go into cramp. It doesn't require much practice to assume the proper stance. Just be sure that the position is comfortable, doesn't induce mus cle stress and is one that is taken up the same way every time for shot after shot.
In summary, a proper stance provides a stable plat form, for the shooter, without strain on any of the mus cle groups involved. It keeps the center of gravity above the area of support (most of the body weight being car ried by the ankle, knee and hip joints via the long bones that interconnect these joints). If the stance is such that the center of gravity is moved then the body can be bal anced only by concerted muscular activity, fatigue and instability are soon to occur.
There are very few muzzleloading pistols that cross the counter with a grip adaptable to even a few hands. Some times those handcrafted by the average shooter are poorly fitted to the contours of the hand. Grips should either be custom built or modified in such a way that stock fit will feel comfortable in the hand. a shape that will not induce fatigue. In some instances, as in the Ken tucky style pistol, with its plow-handle stock, not much can be done to enhance the grip except possibly to add stippling or checkering. Firing a pistol of this style, for 15-20 shots, will soon demonstrate that an ill fitting grip will induce muscle tension and fatigue in the hand and forearm. It'll play havoc with performa nce.
It has been said, by some authorities, that the pistol stock is the single most important functional part of the handgun--its size and shape determine shooting effective ness. If, for instance, you are one who enjoys shooting a full load in a revolver then the stock should be shaped, as near as possible, to fit all contact surfaces of the hand. This is necessary to reduce slippage and lessen recoil im pact. In the instance where alteration is not permitted or where one doesn't care to alter the stock the use of a thin glove will reduce movement during recoil to a minimum. What are the features that constitute a well shaped pis tol stock? It should have a slightly elevated palm swell on the right panel. This should not be overdone for if too much grip pressure is applied it could induce numbness in the fingers. A palm rest, while not essential, forms a counter to the weight of the muzzle. A thumb rest pro vides a platform on which the thumb can rest, straight and relaxed. Finger grooves are not necessary and in fact contribute little or nothing to performance. Some shoot ers, particularily those with a small hand, may find it nec essary to add filler behind and under the trigger guard. This will contribute to stability and pointing ability to the long heavy barrel so frequently seen in single shot muzzleloading pistols. Checkering is a definite advantage for it helps in maintaining a firm and positive grip.
Before taking aim, to deliver a shot, the shooter must grasp the pistol correctly. To accomplish this take hold of the barrel with the non-shooting hand and seat the stock into the web between the thumb and index finger. Grasp the stock firmly by closing the fingers around the front strap. Make sure the forefinger is pressed upward against the trigger guard and that the trigger finger is relaxed and free to move. Raise the arm and check the pistol for proper alignment. The barrel should be a prolongation of the forearm. If readjustment is necessary regrasp the bar rel with the non-shooting hand and start over. It should be remembered that each time the barrel is regrasped for the next shot the position of the hand and grip pressure on the stock must"be the same as for previous shots. The grip pressure should not vary while breaking the trigger. Keep in mind that consistency of grip with a uniform even pressure is the key-note to good groups.
It's well to note that when the gun fires recoil begins before the ball has left the barrel.
The angle of departure of the projectile varies in the vertical plain in relation to the tightness of the grasp on the stock. In addition the direction and degree of recoil will vary in relation to the position of the hand grasping the stock. Variation of the position of the hand on the stock, high or low--right or left, displaces the fulcrum on which the gun pivits. Since the muzzleloading pistol must be regrasped after each re loading there is ample opportunity for inconsistency of grip during a 10shot string. Remember, hold the gun pre cisely the same every time. It might be well to make a few comments on how the fingers should react in assuming the correct grip. The thumb is in its best position resting along the side of the stock or frame. It may be curled downward to rest on top of that forefinger located beneath the trigger guard. It should be a free agent in that it exerts no lateral or down ward pressure. It has been said that a relaxed thumb indi cates a relaxed shooter.
Pressure by the little finger or that from the tips of the middle two fingers should be minimal, yet firm and consis tent. Do not dig the finger tips into the pommel (a pinkish tint of fingertips and nails is an indication of excessive pres sure). Instead, pressure by these fingers should be directed straight to the rear. This serves to seat the backstrap firmly into the heel of the hand. Avoid excessive force by the little finger-this will drag the barrel low and to the left.
Shots will be displaced in this direction.
The trigger finger must be free to move. Like the thumb it should be a free agent. Some experts recom mend that it not be in contact with the frame or stock lest any pressure exerted sideward push shots in that direction. However, pressure here is not that critical so long as the move ment exerted by the trigger finger, in breaking the shot, is directed straight to the rear. One should pick an imaginary spot in the palm of the hand and concentrate on pulling the trigger straight back into this area. This helps maintain concentration on trigger release and lessens the chance of applying pressure to one sideor the other during this period. One error often committed is called "milking the grip." This occurs when the entire hand is tightened while pres sure is being applied, by the trigger finger, in delivery of the shot.
The beginner does thisin exaggerated fashion with the result of a wide spread group. The more experienced may do the same thing, but with more finesse. The movement in this case is almost impreceptible, yet it still plays havoc with the shot group. I believe that the perfect grasp of the pistol stock is a precious com modity because one is lucky if it can be mastered without constant ef fort. We in the muzzleloading pistol fraternity have the problem com pounded. No two pistols, used in competition, have the same grip configuration. We are, thus, con stantly confronted with the problem of assuming the proper grasp on the stock of a variety of handguns in our repertoire. Next, Part III: Sight Alignment and trigger control.