Offhand shooting which gun is better. Sniper school - pre-emptive shooting at moving targets. Aiming when shooting offhand

Do you know how to properly shoot a gun? Where can you learn this craft? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. Trappers, especially beginners, are required to learn the best hunting traditions. Real shooters enjoy hunting only when it is sporty. This means that basically you need to shoot at the feathered game in flight. This method automatically excludes entry into the young. In this case, you can only shoot at a selected single target, and not shoot at a flock of birds.

Shooting offhand

How to shoot a gun offhand? A person who has learned to use a shotgun makes excellent use of its capabilities and can hit game from afar. Usually with such shooting there are no wounded animals.

Of all the common methods of shooting, flying in is the most effective offhand shooting. If the hunter cannot learn this method, he begins to feel inferior. He will know that fast-moving, sudden goals are not for him. In general, this method delivers real bliss.

Every shooting instructor will tell you that it is from this technique that you need to start learning shooting. To begin with, you must understand the difference between firing shot at a moving target and shooting "a bullet from a shotgun and a rifle." In the first case, we instantly direct the carbine to the point of interception of the game with a shot sheaf and simultaneously press the trigger. And in the second, when aiming, you need to combine three points: the front sight, the rear sight and the target, and, trying to keep this combination, smoothly pull the trigger.

Also, in the first version, the gaze focuses on the target, and in the second, on well-aimed devices. If a hunter cannot understand the difference between aiming and pointing a gun, he will never learn to shoot offhand.

Trigger mechanism

So, we continue to further understand how to properly shoot a gun. In smooth-bore carbines, unlike rifles, the trigger mechanism is structurally made so that the trigger comes off the sear without preliminary pulling, instantly when the desired trigger force is reached. This small difference ensures uniform timing from the decision to shoot to the actual shot. It is this nuance that guarantees high performance when shooting at targets moving very quickly.

So what's the right way to shoot a gun? What is a rifle shot? Using this weapon, the hunter, pressing the trigger, does not know when the bullet will fly out. Therefore, holding his breath, he makes every effort to keep the front sight, rear sight and target in a certain position at the moment of smooth pressure on the trigger. When shooting from a shotgun, the hunter must accurately and clearly determine the moment the trigger is pressed, otherwise the target will not be hit. If the shooter tries to perform this action with a rifle, he will “break” it and will not achieve the desired result. These differences are fundamental to different types shooting. By the way, very little is said about them.

Nuances

Many people are interested in how to properly shoot a double-barreled hunting rifle. One must always remember that the shotgun can hit targets at a limited range. So, from barrels with cylindrical drilling, you can hit the target at a distance of 17-30 m (optimal range), and from barrels with full choke drilling - 25-45 m. The maximum distance for the first gun corresponds to 35 m, and for the second - 50 m. In view of these limitations, the hunter must be able to quickly and correctly determine the distance to the target - both stationary and rapidly moving. This is quite a difficult task.

It is known that in different conditions terrain, depending on the density of vegetation, lighting, size of game, a person can make a mistake when determining the distance to the target. Only constant training can save a hunter from gross blunders. He must often determine the distance to objects in conditions similar to hunting, and check it with steps.

Studies

Shooting with a hunting rifle is a difficult task. It is necessary to correctly determine the distance to a moving target in order to correctly find the amount of lead and not shoot beyond the range of a real shotgun hit when a miss is inevitable.

Is it difficult to learn how to shoot offhand? First, decide what results you want to get. Novice hunters are known who fulfilled the norm of the third category after two trainings on a round stand. The difference in achievement between the average shooter and the top marksman lies mainly in the consistency of training and volitional qualities. In principle, every person with an athletic disposition, normal vision and normal coordination of movements can learn to shoot perfectly offhand and become a master of shooting sports. Of course, for this you need to follow certain rules.

Rack

Shooting training can be found in every city. What does a shooting stance look like? A good hunter always strikes targets simply and naturally. It seems that the shots are fired simultaneously with the appearance of the target, which seems unattainable to beginners. To get such results, you need to develop a comfortable, correct stance for shooting. With it, the body of the shooter quickly turns left and right. In addition, it provides a stable position when you need to make a second shot.

So let's start shooting. Place your feet at such an interval from each other that one foot can fit among the heels, and a little more between the socks. If the legs are wide apart, then the body will be difficult to turn, and the shooter will carry out the leash of the gun with his hands. In the end, he will miss. If the legs are located close to each other, the hunter will lose stability both when recoiling from the first shot and when turning the body.

You must hold the rifle with your right hand by the neck of the butt so that the second finger in the middle of the right knuckle can pull the trigger. Hold the gun by the fore-end with your left hand. Your body to the shooting plane should be at an angle of 45 degrees. Bend your legs slightly at the knees, lean forward slightly towards the orientation shot. The hunter, who is in such a stance, already “aimed” at the game with the position of his body even before the butt touched his shoulder.

Important manipulation

If you go to a shooting course, they will tell you how to use your gun when shooting offhand. Of course, you can read about it here. Shooting offhand, a person puts a gun to his shoulder, combining this action with his leash. Very often, hunters attach a carbine in the process of turning their hull.

Before performing this manipulation, a person must hold the gun in such a way that its weight is evenly distributed between the hands. When you find the right position for the left hand, you need to try to keep the handguard in the same place in any situation.

Why are shooting courses good? The instructor will definitely tell you that when applying the gun, first you need to throw it forward and up, and then with both hands press it to the shoulder with the butt in the shoulder recess. As a result, the comb of the butt will press against your cheek under the right cheekbone.

Good shooters perform this action quickly. At the same time, they simultaneously turn the body and look where the game may be. As soon as the gun is in place, its barrels are involuntarily fixed in the direction of the hunter's gaze. And he shoots.

Mistakes

Everyone can visit the shooting range in Moscow. In this institution you can learn how to shoot. The most popular errors for beginners when using a rifle are:

Pulling from under the arm butt to the shoulder. This slows down the action and does not ensure a constant hit in the same area - the shoulder fossa. As a result, many correct the butt and shoot incorrectly.
Putting the rifle to the shoulder is extremely low. As a result, you have to tilt your head great so that your cheek lies on the comb of the butt. Many trainers say: "A good hunter puts a carbine to his cheek, a bad hunter puts his cheek to the carbine."
Sometimes the shot is fired before the comb of the stock touches the face. There is such a flow in shooting, but beginners do not need to do this, since this technique requires special skill, which is acquired over time. Inexperienced people need to shoot only after the comb of the butt has touched the cheek. As a result, we get a stable position of the rifle barrels, aimed at the same point where the shooter is looking.

Leash

Skeet shooting is known to help beginners gain experience. When you apply a carbine, its barrels are directed to the point of interception of the game by a shot sheaf and, until the trigger is pressed, they are held for a moment in front of the target in a lead format, moving. Leash and after the departure of the bullet continues. But all this happens so instantly that it seems as if it is absent when shooting offhand.

When shooting with a short leash, the rifle is first applied, and then the leash begins. When shooting offhand, these actions are combined into one movement.

Shotguns

Many beginners wonder how to properly shoot a horizontal shotgun. Much has been written about this technique in the hunting literature. And what can be said about non-attached and applied rifles? Factory made products are manufactured with the latest scientific testing in mind and are suitable for most shooters.

Of course, if you have a stock made to order at the factory, according to your measurements, it will be better than the standard one. But how much? The best testers in the world say that carbines with butts created by famous gunsmiths shoot 2-5% better than factory ones.

For high-class athletes, this modernization is tangible, but it is unlikely that a good shooter on the hunt will feel it. After all, there is so much additional interference that they completely absorb these 2-5% of possible misses. That is why you should not look for the causes of failures in the unapproachability of the rifle: look for them in personal errors and correct them.

Competitions

What is skeet shooting? It is Her roots that lie in the competitions of hunters who fire rifles at birds. Already in the Middle Ages, such matches were held in Europe. At the beginning of the 20th century, including at the first Olympics, athletes fired at live pigeons thrown into the air. Then the birds changed plates.

Aiming

Accuracy of fire is one of the basic indicators of the quality of a rifle. But let's find out another nuance. Many people say about offhand shooting that with this method the hunter fires without aiming, but this is far from the case. Aiming in this case occurs due to the fact that a person usually directs his actions to where his gaze is directed. Many can quite accurately throw stones, score the ball into the goal, intercept the ball with a racket.

When shooting offhand, you can not squint one eye when pointing the gun at the target. After all, this is how a person deprives himself of binocular vision given to him by nature. As a result, the picture at the time of the shot will be remembered worse and will not be so clear. Only if the hunter has a commanding left eye, he must either squint it, or learn to open fire from the left shoulder.

Range

Accuracy of fire - the ability to group hit points on a target. And what is distance? This indicator when firing a shotgun is limited. The hunter must have time to open fire while the target is in the area of real destruction. Beginner shooters should train themselves to shoot quickly even when there is time to aim the bird. As soon as the targeting starts, the leader slows down, the game flies too far and the result is a natural miss.

If at the beginning of training a person shoots quickly and does not hit the target, this can be corrected.

shooting ranges

Would you like to visit the shooting range? In Moscow on Kutuzovsky Prospekt is located underground club"Labyrinth". There you can shoot as if from your own air rifles and pistols, and from those offered by the staff. There is always an instructor in the shooting gallery who conducts full-fledged training for beginners.

Many people like the world's largest indoor shooting range, located in the Moscow region in the city of Dzerzhinsky. This is a very comfortable establishment where shooters practice all year round.

Safety

Shooting safety must be followed. Classes must always be led by a teacher of an educational institution in a licensed, equipped shooting range (shooting range).

Safety during classes is ensured by the high discipline of all participants in the training, clear organization and strict adherence to safety precautions.

In the shooting range and on the shooting range it is prohibited:

touch or take a weapon on the firing line or approach it without the instruction of the instructor;
to carry out shooting from faulty rifles and with a raised white flag;
load carbines before the instructor's command;
remove loaded rifles from the firing line;
aim and direct the carbine in different directions and rear, as well as at people;
be in the line of fire to strangers, except for those who are training;
shoot not parallel to the director (direction) of the shooting range (shooting range);
transfer to other persons or leave somewhere a loaded carbine without the permission of the chief of firing;
be on the line of fire before the command "Fire" and after the signal "Clear" by the senior instructor;
shoot at the shooting range synchronously from different types of weapons.

Weapons can be loaded on the firing line only on the instructor's command "Load". Rifles need to be cleaned only in specially designated areas under the guidance of a teacher.

All accidents that occurred during the shooting are immediately reported to the executive authorities, the police and the nearest hospital, as well as the head of the educational institution.

A hunter, especially a beginner, must learn the best hunting traditions. A real hunter gets satisfaction from hunting only when it is of a sporting nature. This means that the main method of shooting for game birds should be shooting in the air. It automatically excludes shooting at non-flying young animals. But even when shooting, flying is unacceptable and shooting at random at flocks of game is prohibited. You can only shoot at a specifically chosen single target. A hunter who has learned to shoot well uses the shotgun correctly and shoots within effective range. In this case, the game, as a rule, is struck cleanly, and in case of misses, they also turn out to be clean. With such shooting, there are usually no wounded animals.

Of the known methods of shooting in flight, offhand shooting is the most effective. No matter how the hunter starts shooting, sooner or later he will realize that shooting offhand is a true satisfaction. Without the ability to shoot in this way, the hunter begins to feel inferior. He will always understand that sudden, quickly appearing targets are not for him. Therefore, he himself will eventually begin to strive to master shooting offhand, but this will be much more difficult, since established habits will make themselves felt. The experience of shooting schools, where beginners are taught only offhand shooting, testifies in favor of the need to start learning shooting from this method.

Before proceeding to the study of the features of offhand shooting, a novice hunter, and even one who has not previously used this method, must make several clear and precise definitions for himself. First you need to understand the difference between shooting a "bullet from a rifle or a smoothbore gun and shooting with a shot at a moving target. In the first case, when aiming, we combine three points: the rear sight, the front sight and the target, and, trying to maintain this combination, smoothly press the trigger. In the second case, we point the gun in a fraction of a second at the point of interception of the target with a shot sheaf and at the same time pull the trigger.In the first case, the gaze is focused on the sights, in the second, on the target.If the hunter does not learn the difference between pointing the gun and aiming, he will never will not be able to master offhand shooting, since at the same time aiming familiar and known to everyone since childhood, the dark alignment of the rear sight, front sight and target does not occur and should not occur. occurs without preliminary pulling, instantly, upon reaching the required trigger force. This small, at first glance, difference ensures the uniformity of time moments from the decision to shoot to the actual shot, which achieves high performance when shooting at fast moving targets.

If, when shooting from a rifle, the shooter, pulling the trigger, does not know when the shot will occur and, holding his breath, strives to hold the rear sight, front sight and target in a certain position while smoothly pulling the trigger, then the shotgun shooter must clearly and accurately determine the moment the trigger is pressed, that is, the moment of the shot, otherwise it will miss. If a shooter with a rifle tries to do the same, he is unlikely to achieve the desired results, since he will “rip off” the rifle. These differences, although little talked about, are fundamental and fundamental to various kinds shooting.

It must always be remembered that a shotgun has a limited effective range. So, from barrels with drilling close to cylindrical, the optimal range of actual damage is within 17-30 m (maximum - 35 m), and from trunks with drilling, a full choke is 25-45 m (maximum - 50 m). These restrictions impose their own requirements on the hunter. He must be able to correctly and quickly determine the distance to the target, both to a stationary one and to a fast moving one. This is not such an easy task as it seems at first glance. In order not to deviate from the main topic, I just want to note that in various conditions terrain, depending on the lighting, the density of the vegetation cover, as well as the size of the game, it is common for a person to err in one direction or another when determining the distance to it. Only constant training in determining the distance to objects in conditions close to hunting conditions, followed by a step-by-step check, can save a hunter from gross mistakes.

A relatively correct determination of the distance to a moving target is necessary both in order not to shoot beyond the effective range of a shotgun, when a miss becomes a natural inevitability, and in order to correctly determine the amount of lead.

Is it difficult to learn to shoot offhand? The answer depends on what results you want to achieve. If we compare the difficulties of achieving average sports results (3, 2 and 1 categories) on a round stand, then they are not at all greater, and for some people even less than achieving the same results in athletics or athletics. game types sports (volleyball, football, hockey, basketball, gorodki, tennis). I met novice hunters who, after several trainings on a round stand, fulfilled the norm of 3 categories. The difference in results between an average shooter and a high-class shooter lies mainly in willpower and consistency in training. In principle, almost every person with normal coordination of movements, normal vision and athletic temperament can learn to shoot well offhand and achieve high results in shooting sports. But for this you need to strictly adhere to certain rules.

Shooting stance

If you look from the outside at the shooting of a good hunter or stand-up, then the first thing that catches your eye is the simplicity and ease with which targets are hit. All this happens as if it could not be otherwise. And secondly, it seems that the shots are fired almost simultaneously with the appearance of the target, incomprehensibly quickly for a novice hunter.

To achieve such results, first of all, it is necessary to develop a correct stance that is convenient for shooting. It allows you to quickly turn the shooter's body to the right and left, provides a stable position if you need a second shot. The feet should be placed at such a distance from each other that there is a distance of about one foot between the heels, and a little more between the toes. If the feet are wide apart, then body turns will be difficult and the shooter will begin to make the leash of the gun with a movement of the hands, which will lead to a miss. If the soles of the feet are too close together, the shooter loses stability both when turning the body and when recoiling from the first shot.

The position of the shooter's body to the shooting plane should be at an angle of approximately 45°. The legs should be slightly bent at the knees, as when skiing down a small hill. The body is slightly tilted forward in the direction of the intended shot. Such a stance allows all muscles to rest between shots and provides the ability to hit targets only by turning the body in the 160-170 ° sector without losing stability.

The hunter must hold the gun by the neck of the butt with his right hand so that the index finger in the middle of the first phalanx can pull the trigger. The left hand holds the gun by the forearm. The shooter, who was in such a stance, already “aimed” in the given direction with the position of his body even before the butt touched his shoulder.

Attaching a gun

In off-hand shooting, the attachment of the gun to the shoulder is usually combined with the leash of the gun. In most cases, the gun has to be applied while the hunter's body is turning. Proper stocking of the gun, combined with the correct stance, ensures that the gun is aimed at the same point where the hunter's eyes are looking. Before applying the gun to the shoulder, the hunter must hold it so that the weight of the gun is evenly distributed between the right and left hands. This is determined by each hunter individually by selecting the position of the left hand on the forearm during trial butts. When the hunter has found the right position of the left hand, one must strive to keep the forearm in the same place in any conditions.

When applying a gun, it must first be thrown forward and up, and then, with the movement of both hands, press the butt against the shoulder into the shoulder cavity. When throwing up the gun, the right shoulder slightly rises up, the head leans slightly forward. When the butt touches the shoulder cavity, the ridge of the butt should be pressed against the hunter's cheek under the right cheekbone. When you watch a good shooter shoot, you will notice that he throws the gun forward and up and puts it unhindered to his shoulder and cheek. At the same time, he simultaneously turns his body and looks in the direction where the shot should be directed. As soon as the gun is attached, its barrels are automatically fixed in the direction of the shooter's gaze, and he fires.

The most common mistakes beginners make when putting down a gun are:

1 - dragging the butt to the shoulder from under the arm, which slows down the application, does not ensure the constancy of applying to the same place - the shoulder cavity, as a result, you have to correct the butt and offhand shooting does not work;

2 - the hunter puts the gun to his shoulder too low and he has to tilt his head strongly so that his cheek rests on the comb of the butt; such a habit among some hunters quickly takes root, which slows down the butt, makes shooting offhand difficult; some trainers say: "A good shooter puts a gun to his cheek, a bad shooter puts his cheek to the gun";

3 - sometimes the hunter fires a shot before the comb of the stock touches the cheek. Although such a direction in offhand shooting exists, a novice hunter should not do this, because this method requires stable shooting skills and gun ownership, which is not given immediately. A novice hunter should fire a shot only after his cheek has touched the crest of the butt, since in this case we get a strictly fixed position of the gun barrels, directed to the same point where the hunter's eyes look.

In the process of application, the gun barrels are directed to the point of interception of the target by a shot sheaf and, until the trigger is pressed, they are held for a moment in front of the target by the amount of lead, while on the move. For some time the leash continues after the shot. But all this happens so quickly that it seems as if there is no leash when shooting offhand. Offhand shooting differs from shooting with a short leash in that, if in the first case, the gun is first applied, and then the leash begins, then when shooting offhand, the gun and leash are combined into one movement.

Attachment of the gun to the shoulder. The shooter is slightly inclined forward, the right shoulder is raised, the cheek is pressed against the crest of the butt.
Hands took up a position convenient for shooting.

In hunting literature, a lot is written about guns that are applied and non-applicable. I can't talk about homemade guns and guns with modified stocks, but standard factory made guns are made with the latter in mind. scientific research and are applicable to the vast majority of hunters. Of course, a buttstock made at the factory to order, according to the measurements taken from the hunter, is better than the standard one. But how much better? Little is thought about it and little is written about it. The experience of the best test benches in the world convincingly proves that when comparing the results of shooting from guns with standard factory-made stocks and from guns with stocks made by the best gunsmiths in the world to order, the latter show an improvement in shooting results for various shooters by 2-5%. For top-class athletes, this is an impressive improvement, but it can hardly be felt even by a very good hunter on the hunt. There are so many additional interferences that they absorb these 2-5% of possible misses associated with insufficient applicability of factory guns in excess. That's why you should not look for the causes of failure in the unapproachability of the gun: look for them in your mistakes and correct them.

Aiming

About offhand shooting, some weapon experts write that with this method the hunter shoots "as if not aiming", but this is far from the case. Due to what happens aiming when shooting offhand? Due to the fact that a person tends to direct his actions where his eyes look. So, a person can quite accurately throw stones, snowballs, a ball; the carpenter hits the heads of the nails with a hammer without missing; a hockey player sends the puck into the goal with a stick; a football player kicks the ball into the goal with his foot; a tennis player, being on the move himself, intercepts the ball with a racket and sends it towards the opponent with enviable accuracy... And all this is done without any aiming devices! The shotgun shooter is in a relatively advantageous position compared to other athletes. It shoots a shot that covers a large area when fired. At optimal firing ranges, the diameter of the circle of actual destruction of a shot sheaf reaches 106 cm and has an area of 8824 cm2, that is, almost a square meter. Such an area of actual damage guarantees against misses with minor errors in the accuracy of the direction of the gun barrels when shooting offhand.

Offhand shooting, like any other, should be done with both eyes open. Anyone who squints one eye when aiming a gun at the point of interception of the target deprives himself of the binocular vision given to him by nature. This makes it difficult to estimate the distance and reduces visual acuity. The whole picture at the time of the shot is not so clear and is remembered worse. Only when a hunter shooting from the right shoulder has the left eye as a command, you either need to squint it or retrain to shoot from the left shoulder.

At the moment of finding the target, the hunter must focus all his attention on it. At the same time, the distance to the target, the direction of its flight are estimated, and the lead is determined. As soon as the magnitude and direction of the lead are worked out, and this happens simultaneously with the application of the gun (and, of course, without any mathematical calculations), the hunter shifts his gaze to the point of interception of the target by the shot sheaf. In this case, the target continues to be in the field of view of the hunter. If the hunter does not move his gaze to the point of interception of the target with a shot sheaf, he will miss, since lead will not work. The hunter sees the aiming bar (trunks) out of focus, very blurry. Some great shooters, focusing on the target, say they can't see the barrels at all, but that's certainly not the case. They see the trunks because, when properly applied, they are in the hunter's field of vision, but in a fit of passion they pay so little attention to them and see them so vaguely that they may get the impression that they do not see them at all.

As already noted, the range of the shotgun is limited. The hunter must have time to shoot while the target is in the zone of actual destruction. The novice hunter must train himself to shoot quickly even if there is time to aim at the game. As soon as aiming begins, the leader slows down, the game flies out of range of the shot and, as a result, a natural miss. If at the beginning of training the hunter shoots quickly and misses, this is a fixable problem. As they say, it's better to start with a miss good style shooting than to get into bad. Bad habits take root and it is very difficult to correct them in the future.

The preemption problem

Determining the amount of lead more than other shooting problems causes controversy and contradictory statements. A huge number of different schemes, tables, graphs and drawings have been created showing what the lead should be when firing at fast-moving targets in one case or another. These allowances show the magnitude and direction of lead. The study of such manuals for a novice hunter is useful, as they provide a basis for reflection and teach you to think about the need for lead, which creates the prerequisites for developing specific shooting skills.

There is also a significant number of sights that assist novice hunters in determining lead. Some hunters at the initial stage of learning to shoot use such devices, but as soon as the basics of shooting offhand are mastered, the need for such sights disappears, and the hunter no longer uses them.

The complexity of solving the problem of determining the lead lies in the extremely short time allotted for its solution, in the incredibly large number of options for shooting at flying game, in the fact that a person tends to make mistakes both in determining the distance to flying game, and in determining the direction and speed of it. movement. So, a lead sufficient to hit a bird flying at a distance of 30 m from you will lead to a miss on the same bird flying at a distance of 40 m from you. Many annoying mistakes are made even by experienced hunters due to the incorrect determination of the angle of takeoff or landing of game . Yes, and different game differs from each other both in flight speed and in flight behavior.

But the most important thing is that each person is individual, and it is almost impossible to meet two equally shooting hunters. Between persons who underestimate this factor, disputes or misunderstandings usually arise when they do not agree with each other regarding the amount of lead in a particular case. In fact, one may have a fast reaction, the other - a slow one. Usually it seems to everyone that he has a quick reaction and that he pulls the trigger as soon as the decision to fire a shot has matured in the brain. In fact, for each person, the time from making a decision to pulling the trigger is different, and even a difference of 0.05 s affects the amount of lead. The speed of applying the gun and turning the body is also different for each hunter, and this, in turn, gives a different speed to the leash with a gun. It should also be taken into account that for each specific hunter, the speed of reaction may vary depending on mood, health status, amount of training, etc.

Usually, the faster the lead with the gun, the less lead. Experience shows that if with a fast leash a lead of 30-40 cm is sufficient, then with a slow leash it can reach 1.5-2 m, and with a leash with a gun stop - 3-4 m. But there may be such cases, when the hunter has a fast leash, but a slow shot reaction. Such a hunter with a lead of 30-40 cm will have misses, and to hit he will need more lead. Conversely, you can meet individuals with a slow leash, but a quick shot reaction (the muscles of the hands are more developed and trained than the muscles of the hip girdle). In short, the great variety of human characters, temperaments, physiological characteristics and ways of thinking does not allow one to unambiguously resolve the question of what should be the lead when shooting at a fast-moving target for a particular hunter. Each hunter must decide this question on his own, or, with the help of good coach or an experienced senior friend.

But there is no need to exaggerate the difficulties of the preemption problem. It is successfully resolved with the acquisition of shooting experience based on the features of our brain to capture only positive shooting results in memory. Misses in the hunter's memory are recorded only when he has accurately determined their cause and, therefore, can eliminate it. The rest are not stored in memory. Hits are fixed in the memory of the hunter always and remain for life. At the same time, our brain fixes in memory not only the position of the barrels in relation to the game, but also the hunter's stance, the speed of applying the gun, the speed of the leash with the barrels, etc. In the future, in similar situations, our brain gives us a timely and accurate command to shoot, obviously solving it by the associative method. Therefore, personal shooting training, personal positive shooting experience is important for each hunter.

It is best to train in offhand shooting on the stand, but not everyone has the conditions for this. It is also possible to train in shooting offhand in any shooting range, both from an air gun and from a small-caliber rifle. You can shoot at both stationary and moving targets, but at the same time you need to forget about the front sight and the rear sight, focus your eyes on the target and pull the trigger when you touch the butt to the shoulder. Having achieved the result, proceed to shooting with the rotation of the body.

It is possible to adapt a flashlight to a hunting rifle, the beam of which is aligned with the direction of the aiming bar or with the axis of the bore. Focus the beam of a flashlight with a narrow beam. The flashlight should turn on when the trigger is pressed. With such a device, you can successfully train in the room.

Before each workout, as well as before going on a hunt, a physical workout for the arms and hip belt is very useful.

These are the basic principles of offhand shooting. Having mastered them, the hunter can begin to comprehend the intricacies of this method of shooting, shooting with a doublet, as well as quickly learn the methods of shooting with careful aiming of the game, if necessary.

But in order for the results of offhand shooting to satisfy you, you need to firmly remember its main provisions: observe the correct stance in anticipating a shot; correctly and uniformly apply the gun with the uniform position of the right hand on the neck of the butt, the left hand on the forearm; direct the gun and make a leash with it only by turning the body; shoot with both eyes open, focus on the game, before pulling the trigger, look at the point of interception of the target with a shot sheaf; fire shots quickly, without delay, without stopping the movement of the barrels; remember the results of the shooting.

A hunter who has learned to shoot well uses the shotgun correctly and shoots within effective range. In this case, the game, as a rule, is struck cleanly, and in case of misses, they also turn out to be clean. With such shooting, there are usually no wounded animals.

Offhand shooting methods

Shooting with a bullet from a rifle or from a smoothbore gun.
Shooting shot at a moving target.

In the first case, when aiming, we combine three points: the rear sight, the front sight and the target, and, trying to maintain this alignment, smoothly press the trigger.
In the second case, in a fraction of a second, we aim the gun at the point of interception of the target with a shot sheaf and at the same time pull the trigger.

In the first case, the gaze focuses on the sights.
In the second, the gaze focuses on the goal.

If the hunter does not learn the difference between the direction of the gun and aiming, he will never be able to master shooting offhand, since at the same time, aiming, which is familiar and known to everyone since childhood, darkening the alignment of the rear sight, front sight and target, does not occur and should not occur.

The trigger mechanism of smoothbore guns, in contrast to the rifle, is structurally designed so that the trigger comes off the sear without preliminary pulling, instantly, upon reaching the required trigger force. This small, at first glance, difference ensures the uniformity of time moments from the decision to shoot to the actual shot, which achieves high performance when shooting at fast moving targets.

If, when shooting from a rifle, the shooter, pulling the trigger, does not know when the shot will occur and, holding his breath, strives to hold the rear sight, front sight and target in a certain position while smoothly pulling the trigger, then the shotgun shooter must clearly and accurately determine the moment the trigger is pressed, that is, the moment of the shot, otherwise it will miss. If a shooter tries to do the same with a rifle, he is unlikely to achieve the desired results, since he will “rip off” the rifle. These differences, although little talked about, are of a fundamental nature and are fundamental to various types of shooting.

It must always be remembered that a shotgun has a limited effective range. So, from trunks with drilling close to cylindrical, the optimal range of actual damage is within 17-30 m (maximum - 35 m), and from trunks with drilling, a full choke is 25-45 m (maximum - 50 m). These restrictions impose their own requirements on the hunter. He must be able to correctly and quickly determine the distance to the target, both to a stationary one and to a fast moving one. This is not such an easy task as it seems at first glance. In order not to deviate from the main topic, I just want to note that in various terrain conditions, depending on the lighting, the density of the vegetation cover, and the size of the game, it is common for a person to err in one direction or another when determining the distance to it. Only constant training in determining the distance to objects in conditions close to hunting conditions, followed by a step-by-step check, can save a hunter from gross mistakes.

Is it difficult to learn to shoot offhand? The answer depends on what results you want to achieve. If we compare the difficulties of achieving average sports results (3, 2 and 1 categories) on a round stand, then they are not at all greater, and for some people even less than achieving the same results in athletics or team sports (volleyball, football, hockey, basketball, gorodki, tennis). I met novice hunters who, after several trainings on a round stand, fulfilled the norm of 3 categories. The difference in results between an average shooter and a high-class shooter lies mainly in willpower and consistency in training. In principle, almost every person with normal coordination of movements, normal vision and athletic temperament can learn to shoot well offhand and achieve high results in shooting sports. But for this you need to strictly adhere to certain rules.

Shooting stance

Attaching a gun when shooting offhand

The most common mistakes beginners make when putting down a gun are:

dragging the butt to the shoulder from under the arm, which slows down the application, does not ensure the constancy of application in the same place - the shoulder cavity; as a result, you have to correct the butt and offhand shooting does not work;
the hunter puts the gun too low to the shoulder and he has to tilt his head too much so that his cheek rests on the comb of the butt; such a habit among some hunters quickly takes root, which slows down the butt, makes shooting offhand difficult; some coaches say: "A good shooter puts the gun to his cheek, a bad shooter puts his cheek to the gun";
sometimes the hunter fires a shot before the comb of the stock touches the cheek. Although such a direction in offhand shooting exists, a novice hunter should not do this, because this method requires stable shooting skills and gun ownership, which is not given immediately. A novice hunter should fire a shot only after his cheek has touched the crest of the butt, since in this case we get a strictly fixed position of the gun barrels, directed to the same point where the hunter's eyes look.

In hunting literature, a lot is written about guns that are applied and non-applicable. I can't talk about handicraft guns and guns with modified stocks, but standard factory-made guns are made with the latest scientific research and are useful for the vast majority of hunters. Of course, a buttstock made at the factory to order, according to the measurements taken from the hunter, is better than the standard one. But how much better? Little is thought about it and little is written about it. The experience of the best test benches in the world convincingly proves that when comparing the results of shooting from guns with standard factory-made stocks and from guns with stocks made by the best gunsmiths in the world to order, the latter show an improvement in shooting results for various shooters by 2-5%. For top-class athletes, this is an impressive improvement, but it can hardly be felt even by a very good hunter on the hunt. There are so many additional interferences that they absorb these 2-5% of possible misses associated with insufficient applicability of factory guns in excess. That's why you should not look for the causes of failure in the unapproachability of the gun: look for them in your mistakes and correct them.

Aiming when shooting offhand

About offhand shooting, some weapon experts write that with this method the hunter shoots "as if not aiming", but this is far from the case. Due to what happens aiming when shooting offhand? Due to the fact that a person tends to direct his actions where his eyes look. So, a person can quite accurately throw stones, snowballs, a ball; the carpenter hits the heads of the nails with a hammer without missing; a hockey player sends the puck into the goal with a stick; a football player kicks the ball into the goal with his foot; a tennis player, being on the move, intercepts the ball with a racket and sends it towards the opponent with enviable accuracy ... And all this is done without any sighting devices! The shotgun shooter is in a relatively advantageous position compared to other athletes. It shoots a shot that covers a large area when fired. At optimal firing ranges, the diameter of the circle of actual destruction of a shot sheaf reaches 106 cm and has an area of 8824 cm2, that is, almost a square meter. Such an area of actual damage guarantees against misses with minor errors in the accuracy of the direction of the gun barrels when shooting offhand.

As already noted, the range of the shotgun is limited. The hunter must have time to shoot while the target is in the zone of actual destruction. The novice hunter must train himself to shoot quickly even if there is time to aim at the game. As soon as aiming begins, the leash slows down, the game flies out of range of the shot and, as a result, a natural miss. If at the beginning of training the hunter shoots quickly and misses, this is a fixable problem. As they say, it's better to miss a good shooting style in the beginning than to hit a bad one. Bad habits take root and it is very difficult to correct them in the future.

The problem of preemption when shooting offhand

But the most important thing is that each person is individual, and it is almost impossible to meet two hunters who shoot the same way. Between persons who underestimate this factor, disputes or misunderstandings usually arise when they do not agree with each other regarding the amount of lead in a particular case. In fact, one may have a fast reaction, the other - a slow one. Usually it seems to everyone that he has a quick reaction and that he pulls the trigger as soon as the decision to fire a shot has matured in the brain. In fact, for each person, the time from making a decision to pulling the trigger is different, and even a difference of 0.05 s affects the amount of lead. The speed of applying the gun and turning the body is also different for each hunter, and this, in turn, gives a different speed to the leash with a gun. It should also be taken into account that for each specific hunter, the speed of reaction may vary depending on mood, health status, amount of training, etc.

Usually, the faster the lead with the gun, the less lead. Experience shows that if with a fast leash a lead of 30-40 cm is sufficient, then with a slow leash it can reach 1.5-2 m, and with a leash with a gun stop - 3-4 m. But there may be such cases, when the hunter has a fast leash, but a slow shot reaction. Such a hunter with a lead of 30-40 cm will have misses, and to hit he will need more lead. Conversely, you can meet individuals with a slow leash, but a quick shot reaction (the muscles of the hands are more developed and trained than the muscles of the hip girdle). In short, the great variety of human characters, temperaments, physiological features and ways of thinking does not allow one to unambiguously solve the question of what should be the lead when shooting at a fast-moving target for this or that hunter. Each hunter must decide this question on his own, either with the help of a good coach or an experienced senior comrade.

But there is no need to exaggerate the difficulties of the preemption problem. It is successfully resolved with the acquisition of shooting experience based on the features of our brain to capture only positive shooting results in memory. Misses in the hunter's memory are recorded only when he has accurately determined their cause and, therefore, can eliminate it. The rest are not stored in memory. Hits are fixed in the memory of the hunter always and remain for life. At the same time, our brain fixes in memory not only the position of the barrels in relation to the game, but also the hunter’s stance, the speed of applying the gun, the speed of the leash with the barrels, etc. In the future, in similar situations, our brain gives us a timely and accurate command to shoot, obviously , solving it by the associative method. Therefore, personal shooting training, personal positive shooting experience is important for each hunter.

Before each workout, as well as before going on a hunt, a physical workout for the arms and hip belt is very useful.

The hunter is obliged to shoot accurately at the target in order to prevent wounded animals and, consequently, unjustified torment of animals!

Offhand shooting.

As already noted, the range of the shotgun is limited. The hunter must have time to shoot while the target is in the zone of actual destruction. The novice hunter must train himself to shoot quickly even if there is time to aim at the game. As soon as aiming begins, the leader slows down, the game flies out of range of the shot and, as a result, a natural miss. If at the beginning of training the hunter shoots quickly and misses, this is a fixable problem. As they say, it's better to miss a good shooting style in the beginning than to hit a bad one. Bad habits take root and it is very difficult to correct them in the future.

Among the young officers of the operational staff of the special forces, disputes sometimes arise: which is better, to shoot accurately or shoot quickly? The question is significant, because when performing special tasks, conducting operational search activities and in detective and forensic practice, from time to time, no, no, and there are unexpected meetings with an armed enemy face to face, at the most inopportune moment.
There comes a situation of a duel without rules (it is also called the “Macedonian duel”, the name is very old), when you need to act instantly, without hesitation, on some reflexes. And to the question - aiming or fast - there can be only one answer: shoot first. On the short distances there are no bad and good shooters in a sudden short-lived fire contact - the gun makes everyone equal. The one who first shot and then talked will turn out to be right. The Americans say about this: "If you miss your chance, there won't be another one." Even an untrained shooter, having fired first, can hit by accident. But still, it is better to shoot instantly, without aiming, offhand from the stomach, having trained according to a special system. Then by chance you can only miss. The method of firing a pistol "offhand" arose almost with the advent of the pistol itself as a weapon. In the last decades of the 19th century, it was significantly improved in Russia by army counterintelligence officers and through the efforts of military doctors. The method is based on the training of the sense of "muscular" memory and spatial orientation. The training system is simple training process in itself is interesting and fascinating, if only because when shooting, the shooter sees where he hits. For this, a simple device is used.

It consists of wooden frame, made along the contour of a human silhouette, on which black paper is pasted.

Behind and at the bottom of the silhouette is an electric light bulb with a power of 100-150 watts (in the old days there were a dozen candles) and a plane pasted over with white paper so that it reflects light from the light bulb (photo 1, 2.2-a)

In reflected light, even a hole from a small-caliber bullet is clearly highlighted. With the naked eye in a dimly lit room, it is visible even at a distance of 15 meters. At this distance, you should start training, and it is better immediately from a large-caliber pistol.

The shooter is located 15 meters from the silhouette. Shooting position: legs half-bent, placed on a line, perpendicular to the direction of shooting (Photo 5).

The left hand is clenched into a fist (as in karate) and pressed to the left side (photo 3). This is done so that it would not accidentally be pushed forward and shot through. The face (line of the eyes) is also turned perpendicular to the direction of fire. Right hand with a pistol pressed to the body inside forearm, the place between the hand and the elbow. This is an indispensable condition, with such a mutual position of the hand and body, the shooter-weapon system is grouped. The pistol, clamped in the hand, is located in the buckle area. The line of sight, aligned with the axis of the weapon's barrel, runs vertically strictly along the plane - pistol-silhouette-buckle-bridge (photo 4). The aiming process is controlled by peripheral vision, as the training progresses, attention shifts more and more to the silhouette. On the early stages training, to facilitate the process, you can draw a straight line with chalk from the center of the silhouette along the floor to the shooting position, stand the arrow on this line perpendicular to it, visually aligning the aiming line with it. The simultaneous weapon must be kept strictly on the horizon, trying not to lower the barrel (photo 5). This is also controlled by peripheral vision. For those who find such a position difficult and uncomfortable, you can take a position for shooting, slightly turning your left shoulder forward, but with the same condition - the aiming line is vertically aligned along the plane - silhouette-gun-brace-bridge (photo ...).

After the preparation is set and worked out, the first shot is fired. The illuminated hole will indicate the location of the hit. Even for an inexperienced shooter, who has diligently worked out the above-described position, the shot will definitely hit the silhouette, usually somewhere on the edge. The fire is transferred closer to the center, but in no case by the movement of the hand, but by turning the body to the right or left, depending on the first hit (photo 7-8). The second bullet will fall closer to the center of the silhouette. The shooter again "turns" a little with the body and with 3-4 bullets is already noticeably approaching the center of the silhouette. And then it is already "attached" visually and gets only to the center. (If the hits were up or down, then the correction is made with the hand holding the gun).

The spatial position of the shooter relative to the surrounding objects, all the muscular efforts and tension of the body, legs, hands with a pistol are remembered by the shooter after the last successful shot. The shooter tries to remember not so much with his head as with muscles, skeletal muscles, bones, skin and spinal cord, all of his physical and spatial state when he fired that lucky last shot. The shooter puts the pistol on the table, moves away from the line of fire, returns there again, takes the pistol and again remembers with his muscles and with his whole being how he stood, how and with what efforts he held the pistol, all the sensations of this last successful shot. The shooter tries to do everything the same as then. Then he shoots, and this time the bullet hits the silhouette immediately and noticeably closer to the center. Then the next shots are fired with the "turn" of the body, until the next bullet lies in the center of the silhouette. The gunslinger remembers again, remembers with all his might, closing his eyes. He moves away, approaches again and checks himself with a shot. And so several times. Little by little, the shooter does not "work" so much with peripheral vision, controlling the position of the pistol near the body, but rather looks at the silhouette and controls the training process for the visible holes that appear.
For a more or less diligent shooter, the results grow very quickly. The training process becomes more difficult. The firing distance gradually increases. The shooter not only increases the distance, but also produces rotational movements(see below). Then again "remembers" and is checked by a shot. Often, at the end of the training, the shooter shoots confidently, hits the center of the silhouette from the first shot. But it's too early to rejoice. Rarely will anyone who comes to the shooting gallery the next day have the same excellent results, they will have to remember again with their muscles, skin, subconsciousness, as it was done last time. And at each training session, remember again and again, strain more and more, increase the level of loads - at the end of the training, when you are tired, shoot "through I do not want to." It is necessary to train - then a spatial sense of a shot is developed, subconscious, at the level of a reflex. That's when you can already shoot selectively - in the leg, in the shoulder, between the eyes, from the first shot hitting offhand where you need to.
The mistakes that the shooter makes when pressing the trigger weaken the control of the hand - the wrist muscles relax, the pistol "pulls" down and to the left (when shooting with the right hand, you need to remember the strength of the tension of these muscles and control this moment when shooting). The second mistake is that the hand with the gun is not pressed against the body and is not fixed. The third characteristic mistake is that corrections are made not by “rotating” the body, but by moving the hand and or or the whole arm. In this case, aiming parallaxes and "separations" of bullets are unpredictable. The foundation of the shooter-weapon system is being broken.
The remaining errors, as in normal shooting, are mainly related to trigger errors. For combat pistols of almost all systems, the trigger has a travel force of about 2 kg. This is done for the reliability of weapons. But after these two kilograms, when the trigger is released, the trigger "fails" occurs, and the gun twitches a little, "pecks" in the hand. This "slightly" means the deflection of the bullet on the target, and quite far away from the aiming point. A trigger force of 2 kg is still 2 kg, it is noticeable, and involuntarily the index finger takes on part of the load of holding the gun. The forces that hold the pistol in the hand when pulling the trigger and aiming are balanced. But at the moment of the descent itself, these 2 kg. On the index finger disappear, there is an imbalance of power and the gun "pecks" in the hand. To neutralize this phenomenon, thumb tightly pressed against the side of the gun. This is an axiom. The trigger can be released better by bending not the entire index finger, but only the joint between the 1st and 2nd phalanges. This joint lies on the trigger (Pic 9-10-11),

Trigger pull training by flexing only 1 joint. The rest of the finger remains motionless. When training for such joint flexion (flexing the joint, putting it not on the trigger, but on the trigger guard, as in the photographs), the finger is trained quite quickly. Both methods largely neutralize the "failure" of the descent and the associated peck of the pistol can be used when shooting with one or two hands in various conditions.
When shooting "offhand" good results can be achieved many times faster by training spatial orientation and spatial memory. To do this, at all times, all peoples had exercises and methods similar to each other: the main exercise is to go blindfolded to the source of the sound, then turn around and exactly come to the place where you came from. Then, as you train, the exercise becomes more difficult - you have to run to the source of the sound and return running. To train the subconscious to the right and left of the direction of the path, barriers were previously equipped - thorny bushes, ditches with water, and recently coils of barbed wire were placed. Cruel need to cope on time, fear of pain, falling, electric shock, etc. exacerbated susceptibility and accelerated the training process.
Orientation exercise - bend down, rest your index finger on the floor, turn around this point clockwise without lifting your finger from the floor, then straighten up and take a few steps in a given direction. This rotation is recommended between test shots, then done while blindfolded.
Training of the vestibular apparatus - walking on a log suspended at both ends on ropes or chains. Ride a skateboard (roller board). Trained; on aviation loping and other air parachute simulators. The value of the vestibular apparatus in all types of shooting is unusually great. It is noticed that pilots, sailors, cavalrymen and those always show the best results in shooting. whose main occupation makes people feel all kinds of rolls and trims.
And finally, balance training. The method is old, coming from the Middle Ages. Fill a glass with water and place it in the palm of your outstretched hand. Take a few steps so that the water does not spill. When you have practiced, place the same glass, but filled to the brim, on the back of your outstretched hand, and go now. What is it? And in the old days, aristocrats forced their young sons to walk with a glass on each hand, an idea on each shoulder and even on their heads. And they were ordered to cruelly flog them for every broken glass, and then for every wet spot on the floor. And only then they gave him a gun. We owe all the knowledge about pistol shooting only to the nobility - at the time of duels on different continents, this was the number one sport. I had to shoot in defense and attack, on foot and on horseback, from a place on the move, standing on my feet and in the fall, in somersaults, moving away from someone else's bullet with a roll. From the old weapons systems it was possible to shoot only once, so misses were excluded. Shooting skills were brought to perfection.

From the old days to the present day came the ways of shooting back. During search activities, when you are moving along the labyrinth, and the enemy is suddenly behind you, turn around for a long time with your whole body, while you turn around, you will be killed. It is easier to shoot, as shown in a series of photos 12 - 17. The sequence of movements - the pistol, as usual, is at the hip (so that it is not kicked out with a foot or a stick), then the body turns to the left on the heels (without lifting the heels from the floor, the hand with the pistol goes down , turns out with the pistol handle "away from you", goes behind your back up to the level of the knife. This movement occurs exactly in the above sequence, for two reasons, firstly, it is faster, and secondly, you will not shoot yourself in the back. For safety reasons the left elbow should be moved as far forward as possible (see photo).The mistakes are the same as when shooting at the silhouette offhand.The wrist muscles are weakened and the gun pulls "down".
In addition, when the pistol is close to the back, it will have nowhere to throw out the spent cartridge case. Erasing keep the gun away from the back and push it back further (see Pics 18-19 again). This method is especially useful when the target is behind and slightly to the side, on the side of your left shoulder. If the target is behind and from the side of the right shoulder, it is better and faster (see photos in sequence 20-24) to sharply step forward with the left foot, place it with the foot turning to the right. At the same time, the right leg remains in place, the hand with the pistol swings around shoulder joint from bottom to top, the front sight immediately equalizes in the rear sight on the rise of the weapon, the pistol rises to the level of the aiming point. Or the arm from the hip is thrown at the target with an extension of the elbow. The first option (from bottom to top) is preferred by those who shooting sports, the second - the paratroopers, who were taught as they were at first. Shooting in the fall, in somersaults, avoiding someone else's hot bullet in somersaults - inventions are also not of today. Everything new is the forgotten good old.
So, there are times when it is necessary to instantly get out from under someone else's shot, it is always reasonable to give way to someone else's bullet. Even better - during the departure to respond with a shot for a shot. In a sudden situation, when your weapon is under your clothes, and the enemy is already pressing the trigger (fix the movement of your finger on the trigger with direct vision, your general attention is the enemy’s body, leg, hands, pistol, there is no need to look into his eyes or concentrate on the pistol , and with peripheral vision control everything else, how it turns out for anyone), the easiest way is to fall. But you need to fall in such a way that at the same time you also shoot and not be stunned when falling. You need to fall quickly, but gently. It’s better to fall yourself, and don’t wait for someone to “fall” you.

Follow the sequence of movements in the series of photos 25-34. they were made in the gym with markings on the floor, so you can see the movement away from the line on which the shooter stands - this is the line of flight of the bullet towards him. You need to fall to the right of yourself, while the right "leg goes forward and to the left, straight at the knee, the left bends, the body sags and collapses to the right (or left leg stands behind the right, then bends, for whom, as it turns out better). The right leg should be straight and kept to the side to the left so as not to get under one's own shot. With the beginning of the sagging of the body, the right hand removes the pistol and stretches towards the target. The body sags and collapses. At this point, you can shoot 1-2 times. The left leg bends and absorbs the fall, the left half-bent arm takes on the load of the body falling to the floor. It is a bent arm, a straightened arm, when falling, that can simply break in the elbow joint. At the moment the hull hits the floor or the ground, it is impossible to shoot - the shock from the impact will be very large, which will take the bullet far to the side. Then you can shoot further. If you are squeezed in a cramped space of a residential or office space, in a cabin, in a corridor, etc., where there is no freedom of maneuver, it’s all the same for you to shoot, lying down or standing, lying down is even better. Having orientated, you can fall for any object that will cover from bullets - behind a table, bedside table, anything else. But if there is room for maneuver near you, you need to use this to get on your feet - it is still easier to maneuver on your feet. To do this, you should sharply push off with your left leg, half-bent when falling, and roll over over your back and head back. This should be done as energetically as possible, which will help you immediately get on your feet from a somersault, without lingering in a pose on the floor on all fours.
Rolling over yourself, observe the indispensable effort, the hand with the pistol during the somersault must be extended all the time towards the target. This is the axis of rotation of your roll. This will allow you to control the target and open fire as soon as you feel that the head was on top, even without getting up yet on your feet. All of the above must be done very quickly and energetically so that at the end of the roll you are immediately on your feet and at least 3 meters from the place where you stood at the beginning.
Trained virtuosos manage to release the floor of the store in the process of somersaulting, and, unbending and getting to their feet, shoot the remaining ammunition. Leaving in this way is good from the machine gun burst - the machine will "pick up" to the right and up, and you will go in the opposite direction and down
If you need to get away from the shot to the left, the procedure is as follows: the left leg takes a sharp step to the left, to the side, bends at the knee, the body bends forward (at the same time the right hand removes the gun), left hand half-bent, does not throw forward so as not to fall under your own shot, and half-bent - it absorbs the shooter's meeting with the ground or with the floor (at this time the right hand is extended towards the target, you can shoot).

The right leg is repelled from the ground or the floor: a half-bent body and a pubescent head meet the ground, the left shoulder takes on the main emphasis, a slightly half-bent left arm; With a correct fall, there should be no impact, the landing should occur elastically, in a roll. There will be no concussion, you can shoot. The shooter enters the roll sideways, and not through the back - the head, as in the previously considered case, rolls over the head on the shoulders. The axis of the roll is again the right hand extended towards the target with a pistol. You can shoot with such a roll from a pistol in which the aiming device looks down or to the side. The push with the right foot should also be strong, so that after the roll you can immediately be on your feet. This is also facilitated by the sharp tilt of the body - grouping, which occurs simultaneously with the departure to the left. See the process in the sequence of actions on a series of photos.

Doing a somersault to the left is good against a pistol - all pistols tend to "throw" up and a little to the left (but this is for professionals, for amateurs the bullets always go sharply down) Also, when firing a pistol, it will not be easy to turn the hand with a pistol after the outgoing target to your right The old left-handed rule is that it is always easier to fire a pistol with a turn to the left than a turn to the right. When you move away from the shot to your left, to the right of the enemy, you have an advantage, and he has a difficulty.
All of the above methods of firing backwards and escaping with rolls must be worked out in vain - without live firing, to full automatism, in order to avoid accidents. And only after that you can train, testing yourself with a live cartridge. The basic principle of shooting training is to work empty, test yourself with a shot. Working only with a cartridge, we won’t learn to shoot even in a prone position and motionless, not like in rolls.
The target for shooting "back" in the rolls is the same black silhouette with illumination. When the backlight is turned on, this is a signal to shoot (backward or in the fall). This type of training is used mainly at medium pistol distances, when it is close for aimed fire and there is not enough time, and for techniques hand-to-hand combat so far that even in a jump the enemy cannot be reached. Previously, in the training system for special services officers, there was sports exercise: the shooter had to pass a certain distance in a darkened shooting range, during its passage, to the right and left, in front or behind him, the backlight installed behind the silhouettes periodically turned on, and a sound signal was given, very short.
It was possible to shoot only once, and even then from a revolver. Did not have time or missed - dropped out. Shooting went to the first miss. Only a professional could execute the program. with a trained ability for instant orientation, worked out to the level animal instinct balance and unconditional muscular-physiological memory, in short, working no longer on the mind, but on reflexes. All of the above - from shooting at the silhouette to somersaults - is a fragment of the system of conducting fire contacts, what is called the mysterious word - the pendulum. The pendulum is not even a shooting system, it is rather a lifestyle and thinking of special forces professionals. Even in calm conditions, a professional conducts mental training in any situation: where you can hide, where and how you can fall and roll, if the space is to the right and left, especially to your left, it’s more profitable to go there (the reason is stated above). In gunshot contact, you can not stand still. Here truly - if you want to live, know how to spin.

For those to whom all this may seem very complicated and for whom there is no particular need to ""spin", who has to shoot three rounds at test firing once or twice a year, we can recommend a very simple, effective and ingenious method of shooting. This method shooting from a revolver, invented by the resourceful lower ranks of the tsarist army - "" sergeant major with a sleeve," as he was called. Its essence lies in the fact that the stretched right sleeve of the tunic or tunic serves as a kind of emphasis and almost completely dampens the vibrations and "peck" of the weapon at the moment of descent. The shooter pinches the sleeve between the palm and the handle of the Weapon (photo 43), grabs the opposite sleeve with the other hand (photo 44) and pulls the clothing so that the tension passes along the line elbows - shoulders - collar, as high as possible (photo 45),

The results of the shooting turned out to be unexpectedly high. True, gentlemen officers disdained to shoot in the sergeant-major way. They considered it below officer dignity. In our time, those who are familiar with this technique, without advertising, use it with great success at inspections. The results are impressive. Try it - make sure.

A.A. Potapov
Special forces training. NPC "Health of the people", LLC "VIPv"

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