Bull Gazing

[ptf18]

Fellows. Any "tips" to eliminate "bull gazing"? I seem to have this problem that I can spend countless seconds "perfecting" my sight picture with no positive outcome. On the other hand if I dont "bull gaze", my head tells me I'm executing the shot waaay to quickly.

[Pat McCoy]

Rifle or pistol? If rifle which position(s)?

[ptf18]

Pat. Rifle. NRA HP and some Smallbore. For certain in Prone slow fire but probably offhand/standing too.
Thanks

[Ricardo]

If you cut out the black from a paper target you can practice "letting it off quickly" without concern for the consequence. Do it a lot (like a WHOLE lot), until you develop a faster rhythm as a habit, and then go back to sight picture. The ingrained habit of not lingering may help you get over that hesitation to pull the trigger.

[Pat McCoy]

Start with a timer set to 8 seconds (or a person willing to help you), then dry fire offhand using a target. At 8 seconds put the rifle down, then restart the shot. Teaching your unconscious what time frame you want to fire during will eventually carry over to other positions. Also, you'll find the time shortening from 8 seconds.

Another thing is to pay attention to your mental set during the shot. You should have a PICTURE in your mind of what you want to see when the trigger breaks (perfect sight picture). Eventually you will (or may already have) shoot without conscious effort. It will just "go off". The first time you may wonder if the shot is even in the target, but will find a near perfect shot. That is what you want more of (the automagical shot). Easiest to learn with a light trigger, but works with military triggers too.

[ShootingSight]

The solution to bull gazing is to get a +0.50 lens for a rifle (or +0.50 added to your distance prescription if you wear glasses).

Your eye wants to focus on the target and you have to exert the ciliary muscle to pull your focus back and see the front sight. Gazing or staring at the sight picture will fatigue the eye muscle. For some, the solution is to shoot quickly, before the fatigue lets focus drift. A better solution is to use a lens that artificially pulls your focus back to the right point, so you are not exerting the eye muscle in the first place.

[Tim S]

The solution to bull gazing is to get a +0.50 lens for a rifle (or +0.50 added to your distance prescription if you wear glasses).

Art,

Eye fatigue doesn't help aiming, but spending too long aiming can easily be caused by a lack of confidence or concentration.