Target Shooting

Im making this post for others who might be interested in this great sport,i strongly believe anyone can perfect themselves in this sport,not only is it cheap,highly relaxing and helps in improving focus and concnetration,but its a very individual sport allowing for any one to partake in it even if no other friend is present



First some safety tips before u handle a weapon(which is what anything that can shoot a projectile at 600+ feet per seconds easily is)

do not aim at anything unless ur about to shoot it

keep ur finger of the trigger at all times till ur ready to shoot

make sure there is some wall etc behind the target to ensure u dont hit someone else on the pellets trajectory

dont shoot at animals birds etc unless ur hunting/controlling pests such as rodents(in farms where poison is dangerous) etc

always,i repeat,always load the pellet before u cock the mechanism n not after,this is because the spring piston may discharge accidently and the rifle WILL CLOSE RESULTING IN U LOSING FINGERS,its happened a lot

stay at least 33 feet away from target while shooting,pellet tends to richochet back and hard

keep a brick behind the target all the same even if theres a wall for that extra protection











Now on to the rifle
u can get an air pistol but indian ones not good,go for foreign .177 calibre brands

but rifles r more fun ;)


regarding whcih rifle to go for

Pneumatic r recomended for competitons,but ur gona have to start with a spring piston break barrel type (which are more fun anway :D)

regarding calibre u have a choce of .22 n .177
.22 better suited for hunting purposes,so stick with .177 as it has a flatter trajectory than .22 along with a better velocity,this will ensure better acuracy in performance compared to .22


lots of rifles available in market,best wld be of course .177 of foregin makes ut they r expensive n hard to get eg diana company,walther etc

so start with Indian Hume Pipe company ones
here are some of their rifles

http://www.indianhumepipe.com/pistol.html#pneumatic
http://www.indianhumepipe.com/rifle1.html

their pneumatic ones have given problems so avoid them,stick with the NATIONAL - 25 AIR RIFLE or my personal rifle model National 35 posted below,its cheap too n lasts for decades if u treat it right

NATIONAL - 35 AIR RIFLE
Calibre	4.5 mm ( 0.177")
Overall Length	1155 mm
Barrel Length	450 mm
Shooting Range	35 Meters
Cocking	Break Barrel

I use an open sighted one,uc an get a peep sight mounted if u like,it improves accuracy but since i shoot for challenge i avoid it



for pellets u have 3 choices

pointed heads which i dont recommend,as they zig zag n divert trajectory path easily,altho logic wld didctate pointed shape to improve it the skirt behind it spoils it compared to normal pointed bullets


round heads,are ok and have a good "punch"


flatheads great for paper targets coins candle flames etc,best part is not only are they most accurate they also get flattened on impact so less harmfull on ricochet,1 tin of 500 pellets can cost from 120-150 rs only





Tips

relax,dont be tense,take ur time
aim so that pipper in barel lines well with the sight
sight the target,put ur index fingers "pad" to pull the trigger,not the joint area,most use joints it spoils acuracy as while pulling hands tend to move

get used to conditioning both arms to stay steady,i kept mugs of water n 10 pound weights steady for long periods to condition my arms,hence i dont shake much,ull find this problem initialy but it will disapear with practice

get used to "sway",even with steady hands rifle moves when u breathe naturally,its called sway,so learn when sway will bring it back on sight of target in order to indicate perfect time to shoot

squeeze trigger gently,dont pull,it affects a lot in acuracy

when ur lungs are 3/4th empty best to squeeze

even after u squeeze the trigger pellet still in barrel for a few micro seconds,so learn to "follow through",wait till it impacts before moving again

wear glasses if u want extra protection(tho i dont)

learn to make it chalenging by using both shoulders,i shoot with both right n left tho im right handed,bulls eyes r more fun with opposite hand :D


learn to account for recoil,its usualy up n two-five degrees left if u using left hand or right if using right hand

Download printable targets form internet,start with "grid targets" as they will show u where ur rifles sighted to "zero it in" along with getting used to sway n recoil

here are a few good ones
http://www.mytargets.com/

Maintainance:Dont over oil ur rifle,it will "diesel" that oil will burn on friction n damage ur piston seal,instead oil every 500 shots with few drops to moisten seal,moving areas,as well as spring n then clean barrel with surgical grade spirit found in any pharmacist shop,it cleans it of oil grime perfectly



Now someting about recoil
spring pistons have 2 recoils,one is the "true recoil" of pellet leaving barrel n causing recoil
other is that caused my movement of piston when it releases,to cut it down i tape my rifle on the barrel area n then slit the tape to aloow for free movement in cocking the rifle,it helps cut down on vibrations




Good luck,practice a lot,it will help a lot :)