How To Establish Your Natural Point of Aim

[TomJ]

I feel embarrassed asking this question, but as the saying goes "the only bad question is the ..." My primary game is metallic silhouette, both smallbore and high power, consequently the only position I shoot is offhand. My scores have plateaued in the high 20s and low 30s. I'm going back to the basics and looking at everything, e.g., NPA, position, triggering, breathing, etc. to improve my technique and scores. I've never had the benefit of coaching, I'm well along in years. I've read and heard the term NPA used, but never seen the mechanics as to how one actually goes about establishing it. When I set-up, I've tried to place my left foot (I'm right handed) at 90 degrees to the target. When I bring the gun up to my cheek and look through the scope the gun is invariably pointing well to the right of the target and no small amount of movement with my left foot brings the dot onto the target. The only thing that seems to work to get the gun to come up pointing at the target is to move my left foot to the left, opening up my stance. Am I doing it right or wrong? I'd really appreciate help understanding how to establish NPA as it's the foundation upon which the rest of the position is built. Thanks, Tom

[abinok]

This link will download a pdf on finding NPA. its hosted here on the pilkguns site...

http://www.pilkguns.com/jparticles/Reso ... outine.pdf

[mbradley]

Tom, if your NPA is to the right of the target, it may be do to the placement of the butt on your shoulder.

In Olympic style shooting, the butt was traditionally placed on the front of the deltoid or even a little inside the head of the muscle. In that position, the rifle naturally wants to point out to the right. This was corrected by a fairly radical twist in the spine...a twist that for many people caused injuries over time. These days, the trend is to put the butt plate more on the bicep tendon. This allows you to gently push the rifle into you and across your midline with minimum twisting. It also lowers your center of gravity. The trade off is that it lowers your sights a bit as well sets them further from your face. The lowering of the sights may not be too hard to compensate for as I believe silhouette has pretty liberal rules as to how high you can mount the scope. But I don't think silhouette allows for the butt plate to be offset, nor the sights, so some canting may needed.

Best,
Mike

[Pat McCoy]

Tom,

Many of us "along in years" shooters find we no longer have the flexibility in our backs, and use a more "open" stance. Those of us who are more "portly" use and even more exaggerated open stance.

With no target posted get in position where you are comfortable, and let the gun point where it wants to. Observe how steady your hold is. Then re-position your feet to a stance where you are holding the sights on some aiming point. If the hold is not as steady as it had been, make small movements of the front foot (sometimes I move my foot inside my shoe) until the hold becomes steady.

I find I can shoot two targets (at out ranges set-up) before moving my foot. Some ranges have closer set targets, and you may be able to shoot three targets from one NPA.

Good luck.

[TomJ]

Thanks to everyone for your comments and suggestions. Tom