Gunslingin’ #6

This is part deux of The Shot Process. Check out Gunslingin’ #5 for part 1

A shot process can be as simple or as detailed as you need it to be. That is determined by target size, target distance and shooters capability.Hits on a man-sized target up close can have a process of trigger, trigger,trigger. A hit on a man-sized target at 650 yards requires you to adjust aim,account for wind, and hold that aim while pressing the trigger.

Some talk about sights and trigger. That’s all the focus on because they have developed their position into a natural thing. They don’t think about position. They are establishing a grip, mounting the weapon, spreading their weight out, presenting the weapon in a manner that they will be able to see the sights without conscious effort. The first thing they think about is the sights. They maintain all of that while pressing the trigger until the shot goes off then checking sights and pressing again for however many rounds they are doing. That, dear readers, is a shot process.

The more you practice your process the faster you will move through it. You will also find things that aren’t right faster too. I have witnessed many people drop into a position fast, start the aiming process, then come off glass and fix their position. They knew as soon as they looked down the scope, they needed more stability. Time is money in both competition and combat. I have also witnessed people trying to fight through. Almost always,they say something to the effect of “man I should have… instead of pushing through”

Now, when teaching people to shoot, by laying it out as a process, they are learning one step at a time what important. They learn very quickly of what right looks like. They will have trouble getting it back to right but soon instead of you saying, fix your leg or fix your hands, they are saying I need to fix my hands or when I shoot this way, I feel more stable than that way. Your “instruction” dialog looks like this

“What happened on shot 3?”

                “oh, after shot 2 my elbow slipped, and I just kept going so shot 3 was wobbly”

“Yep, don’t do that”

If you think about it, most shooters already have a process.If they have ever laid it out and practiced it is a different story. If you watch someone shooting terribly, I mean terribly, they will fire every round differently like they are chasing something. They are. They are chasing that one shot that went perfect. Everything felt right, and they want that again. By writing, practicing, and modifying a process, they will be able to duplicate it. Once they do that they will get better. You as a coach can pick up on their process and see what step they missed.

That is why we shifted the entire US Army away from fundamentals and onto teaching a shot process. It works, it is already being done, and it develops consistent shooters across the force with minimal resources. Some people still don’t like it. I still don’t care. Try it out. Get a Mantis(use code HESS) and do some work. Shoot. Faster. Gooder.

Ash Hess