How to Aim a Rifle for a Shot

Aiming a rifle properly will help ensure that you hit your target.

Open sights come factory rigged on most rifles. Shooters who properly use these sights, which comprise two metal parts on top of the rifle, consistently hit the target for which they aim. Open sights generally feature a notch in the shape of a V on the butt-side of the gun, and a post with a bead on the other end of the rifle--near the opening of the barrel.

Instructions

1. Hold the rifle with the stock against the shoulder of your dominant arm. Your dominant hand should be near the trigger, while your other hand supports the weapon near the middle of it.

2. Close your non-dominant eye as if you are blinking. Use your dominant eye to peer down the length of the weapon.

3. Look through the V-shaped sight nearest your eye until you see clearly the end of the rifle.

4. Point the rifle at your desired target. The bead at the end of the gun should be visible right at the bottom of the V in the sight nearest your eye.

5. Determine if the bead is on the spot of the target or animal that you want to hit. If it is, pull the trigger.

References

• ChuckHawks.com: Choosing the Right Sight