Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-31
TEN COMMANDMENTS.
OF RIFLE SHOOTING
And the Ninth, on the Final Trig-
ger Squeeze, is the
Greatest.

w. II. Ric hard, the crack rife shot, has
laid down ten commandments for shoot
ing. These commands are:
Adjust sling high position as degrees;
rife hard on shoulder; freeze face to
stock; take command of trigger; align
sights; hold breath; last focus of bull;
final trigger squeeze; call shot.
The first commandment has reference
to the sling strap with which all military
type of rifles, both % cal. and 30 cal,
are equipped and rs used as an aid to
steady the piece in aiming. IL is thoroughly
practical and is used by all the better
class OF shots both in target and service
shooting The sling should be so adjusted
80 that the loop hangs from the upper
swivel to about under the comb of the
stock just back of the grip. The arm
should then be placed through the coop
up under the arm pit; or as high on the
arm as it is possible to keep it. A button
or hook sewed on the shooting coat will
assist in keeping the sling in place and
from slipping down on the arm. In placing
the left arm in the loop, first give it a
quarter turn TO left so that the strap will
lie fat against the back of the hand. Place
the left hand on the rifle stock Just back
of the upper sling swivel, or as far out
ward as it will go. Now, when you lie
prone, taking commandment No. 2, your
left elbow will be we'll under the rifle and
with the sling tension, will form sort of q
fulcrum over which the rifle will be held
IN place.
No. g. Rife hard on shoulder, which
means that the butt plate is put in po-
sition on the right shoulder at the junction
of the arm and shoulder. The writer has
never found it necessary to jam the rife
butt hard against the shoulder or arm,
but Just firm enough to hold IL in place
when the weight of the head is laid on the
comb of the stock Some inst ructors
cause the pupil to jam the butt against
the shoulder so hard that the flesh blackens
from the operation without firing a shot.
This is uncalled for and unnecessary.
No. e. Freeze face to stock simply
means lay the weight of the head on the
stock so that this weight helps to bind
the rife IN place, throwing the weight
forward and increasing the tension on the
sling about the arm. The eye should be
in natural alignment with the sights.
No. 5. Military rifles have prelimi-
nary takeup OF the trigger before the final
pull off as an added factor of safety
against premature or accidental discharge,
and to take command" of trigger means
10 take up this preliminary pull
No 6. Sight alignment Is partially ex-
planned in the paragraph on weighing
the stock with the head and care should
be taken that one does not throw the
face too far forward, causing the eye TO
look out close under the eyebrow. Lay
the face fat against the stock 50 that YOU
Will look squarely out Of the eye or as
nearly naturally straight forward rs pos
sible
No Z. When your sights are aligned
on the target, take a full breath and you
will notice, if YOU have the position cor
rect, that the muzzle or front sight viii
depreSs ur-l it tips below the mark.
Thus, by eXhaling part Of the breath 1t
will raise until it comes in line, after which
the breath should be held until the short
is fired.
No. s. Last focus on Bull means that
while the breath is held for the final
squeeze YOU are checking up your aim
TO be certain that it is as nearly correct
as possible.
No. O. The final trigger squeeze is
term over which there Is much argument
among the most expert shots as 10 whether
or not it is a correct term. Some in
structors claim that the final let off Is a
pull, Others claim the term cannot be der
fined as the rife just naturally cracks
when the proper alignment is made with
out conscious effort. The effort is there,
but whether it is pull or a squeeze OF
the trigger is immaterial so long as the
sight alignment is not deranged. II might
be said here that the let off is the most
important part of the training in learning
TO shoot the rife More wild shots are
occasioned and more perfectly good rifles
and ammunition are condemned through
faulty trigger let off than any other de-
feet The disease is commonly known as
''fiinching' and in its most virulent form
as buck fever" When you have mastered
trigger squeeze, pull, or whatever your
pet name may be for the operation, YOU
have become an expert shot and in a fair
way to win any event in which you may
shoot
No TO- Calling the shot is just telling
the world where YOU think the shot you
have Just fred should hit the target. II
it is where you expect it 10 be, you are
learning to shoot. If not. one usually
blames the rife or ammunition, or both.
The real trouble, or at least 9S per cent of
the trouble reverts back to the ninth COM
mandment