People visit the gun range for many reasons, such as strengthening their shooting skills, interacting with other gun owners, learning safety guidelines, and boosting their confidence levels. Others visit shooting ranges to release stress and have fun. Regardless of why you go to the shooting range, it’s critical to avoid making common mistakes, including those mentioned below.
1. Gripping the Gun Sideways
If you’ve seen a character on a TV show using this grip when firing a gun, you may be tempted to try it yourself. However, it’s a mistake you need to avoid at the shooting range. One of the issues with using a lateral grip is that the casings can eject toward or near your face, leading to severe injuries. The sights are on top of the gun for a reason, so don’t reposition them. You could also increase the risk of breaking your wrist due to misaligned recoil. Sideways gripping could point the muzzle left and lead to dangerous outcomes.
2. Not Staying Focused
Failing to focus can cause various issues, including missing your target and putting yourself and others in harm’s way. Therefore, you should stay focused and leave personal conversations in the parking lot or other areas of the range where shooting isn’t taking place. After the guns have been unloaded or properly stored, you can hold conversations about personal and professional topics, but there should never be any distractions when shooting firearms.
3. Flinching or Controlling the Trigger Poorly
Each time you flinch, your body will tense up, and your hands could move down or forward. While these movements can help you counter the anticipation of the shot, the actions can cause danger. To avoid this mistake, practice dry shooting before taking shots with live ammunition. While trigger control is one of the most vital fundamentals of shooting, it’s an area where many gun owners make mistakes at the range. However, you can enroll in a gun safety class to learn trigger techniques and tips to avoid flinching.
4. Not Following Through
If you immediately release your trigger finger and jerk the gun after shooting, you’ll likely miss your target, and you could hit other objects or people. While practicing at the range, it’s necessary to maintain your shooting position after firing a shot. By following through, you can get off a consistent round of shots at the target. When releasing the trigger, it’s best to go slowly and allow the trigger to reset. These steps will make it easier to fire additional shots.
5. Ignoring Malfunctions
Minor issues can occur, but you should never disregard challenges associated with your firearm. For instance, if the gun doesn’t fire its rounds properly, this could be a sign it’s damaged, and you should stop shooting immediately. The firearm could also be loaded incorrectly, and ignoring the error could damage your handgun and put you and others at risk. If you pull the trigger and it doesn’t fire, don’t make another attempt to shoot the gun. Instead, dispose of the rounds. Always pay close attention when shooting the firearm. If anything feels strange, clear the chamber and inspect the gun.
One of the most important parts of being a safety-conscious gun owner is knowing how to handle it properly, including at a firing range. Fortunately, high-quality firearms training is readily available. If you’d like to learn more about gun safety, taking an online gun safety class, or any other aspect of firearm ownership, reach out to the experts at Gun Safety Training Pros. Contact one of our knowledgeable team members today at [email protected].
