Squeeze Me Gently

Ever since classes began I've had little time to do this one thing I like. No, surprisingly it's not video games but target shooting.

It was only early this year that I first fired a gun and I found it a fun experience. The police officer who was there to teach me gun safety told me that I had a knack for it and needed to practice. I haven't had the time.

The trickiest part of shooting the gun is the pulling of the trigger. Aiming is easy but the actual firing needs practice. The trigger of the gun needs to be squeezed gently; only your trigger finger should move. The tendency is to "pull" the trigger which leads to problems. If a shooter "pulls" the trigger, he pulls the gun along with it and throws his aim off. I was told the reason for this is that people generally fear "the bang" and jerk the gun in anticipation. Everything must be steady and only the trigger moves. Once that's mastered, what's next is to learn how to keep one's aim steady but one thing at a time.

I'd rather be firing than be on the firing line.