To help your shooting, nothing beats dryfiring—a lot!! That will build the reactions and small muscle control needed by a good shooter! Please note the training plans generally call for twice the number of dryfire shots as live fire!! Here are a few drills to get you started:
- Prone and standing, building your position so you come up onto the first target without shifting around to get your natural point of aim [NPA] Learn the exact angle you need in prone and use that on your approach, dropping your knees equally on each side of that line! In standing, get your feet where they belong as you remove your rifle!!
- After getting your NPA, close your eyes and hold—open and see if you are on the target? Never force the rifle onto the target—it should set there over time when relaxed!!
- Go through a breathing cycle and see if you approach the prone target exactly at 6:00 and the standing target consistently from the same direction
- Sit crosslegged and hold the rifle in your lap—practice the trigger control—first stage onto the second…hold.. breathe..cut the breath …slowly increase the pressure to shot release
- Hold for long periods of time—up to 5 minutes—on the target—build the control muscles!!
- Practice a breathing cycle where you take two breaths and cut your breath on the second exhale—then finish the squeeze at 1 second later
- Learn the ‘white circle’ sight picture so your mind recognizes it subconsciously, and says ‘finish the squeeeeze’
- Double check that your magazines are empty—then practice getting into position including changing magazines quickly –with your eyes closed
- Learn to call your shots. Where was the rifle pointed when you released the shot?
There are a lot more that can benefit you!! But the bottom line is: “Just do it!!”
As we continue into the Summer, the shooting emphasis will shift from pure accuracy to fast, smooth range procedure to shooting when tired, to shooting with a heartrate/high lactates, to race shooting. While we don’t confine ourselves to one of these focus points at a time—this progression has worked the best to build solid Biathlon shooting!!
Enjoy the Journey!!
Bill Meyer, Coach
MN Biathlon