CHAPTER 21:

AIMING FUNDAMENTALS

Scope crosshairs Scope crosshairs Bullet strike

My old aiming point, center of mothball. My new aiming point, 12 o'clock on mothball.

AIMING POINT

f t it important to have a consistent aiming point in Benchrest to the point it

I b..o*", second nature. I used to center the dot on the mothball (quartering the
mothball), and still feel this is the best and fastest aiming point. For some reason, I
am no longer able to do this consistently so I have changed to aiming at 12 o'clock
and having the bullet hit at five o'clock between the ten and the nine rings (below
the bull).
By 12 o'clock, I mean that if you looked at the mothball on the target and imagined
a clock, then 12 o'clock would be the very top of that circle, 6 o'clock the bottom,
and
so on' To me, aiming at 12 o'clock provides a good reference point to hold for wind
changes and it also provides a fast, repeatable spot to aim. If aiming at the center of
the mothball, you can change your hold in any direction by %" by simply moving to
the line on the mothball.
I like the bullet to hit the target away from the aiming point. This ensures that the
reticle does not cover the bullet hole. I do not want to slow down searching for any
changes in the group. i also do not like to
hit the wide black line of the center bull
as I feel the scoring tends to be higher. It becomes harder for the scorer to
see the

235
236 THE BOOK OF RIFLE ACCURACY

outline of the bullet hole so he tends to record a higher number. For these reasons, I
have chosen to hit below the circle at 5 o'clock. This is an arbitrary spot, and it could
just as easily be somewhere else.
I strongly advise against choosing to shoot into an area of the target that could
include the big black square. Bullets impacting this area are very hard to see through
the scope, making it very difficult to do holding adjustments. In addition, the scoring
of a group in the black square is almost always higher.

Scope crosshairs

Alternate aiming method.

Some shooters aim by setting the vertical and horizontal crosshairs on the out-
side of the mothball so that the dot is off the circle at 7:30. This is a very accurate
way to aim, but I just feel it takes a little more time to get back to the aiming point
than I like, since it requires lining up two crosshairs. I also think this method makes
it harder to hold for changing wind conditions as the dot of the scope is hanging in
space without a reference.
You may choose to aim at the center, at 12 o'clock, at 6 o'clock or by touching the
crosshairs to the outside of the circle, but the most important thing to remember is
when you make a choice that works for you and provides you the fastest acquisition
time, practice accordingly until it becomes second nature.
You should be able to acquire a target, reload and shoot a whole group under
normal conditions, so that you can complete your group in 7¿" of wind change
at 100 yards or lr" at200 yards. This means you should be able to adjust your hold
no more than one ring width (as in going from the 10 ring to the 9 ring) while run-
ning a group.
 CHAPTER 20: AIMING FUNDAMENTALS 237

Adjusting the Hold Point

# é+
Wind from left Wind from right

ln rough conditions you can either adjust the scope or change your aiming pont.

When conditions are rougher than normal and I have to hold more than two
rings, I adjust the scope so that my starting aim point stays the same. Some competi-
tors do not like to make windage adjustments on their scopes, preferring to hold at
a different point. They may hold at 9 oilock on the B ring on a strong left to right
wind. I change my scope as needed. If I cannot trust a scope enough to change it
during competition, I replace it.

Record area

Penalty area
(outside record
rectangle)

Sighter area
238 THE BOOK OF RIFLE ACCURACY

TARGET MANAGEMENT
A Benchrest target is broken into two parts-a record area on the top and a sighter
area on the bottom. During the time allowed for a match, competitors can shoot
as many shots as they need on the sighter area, but the area above it is reserved for
the official group. In the record area, any shot outside the target rectangle will be
penalized.
Quite often competitors shoot all over the sighter target until it becomes a con-
fused mess. I use a method that allows me to understand cause and effect of the wind
rvhile retaining a section for record target confirmation.
After the commence fire command is issued, and I need to shoot a fouling
shot, that first shot is into a blank area of the sighter, and not into one of the three
sighter bulls.
When I go to the line, I look for a particular condition that is going to give me the
highest margin of error. For example, I may be looking for a left to right condition
with wind from i0 o'clock, but instead have a blow from 7 o'clock. In this situation,
I might test the high and low limits of that condition on the lower left buil while
waiting for my preferred condition. If conversely I have a reverse condition going
on, say wind from 2 o'clock, I might test that on the lower right sicie bull. I am try-
ing to get information. If the condition I want either does not come or ends before
I have completed my group, I have a decent feel for the alternate conditions. These
two low bulls can also be used to test what load "groups" best when an alternate load
is brought to the bench.
So fari have not put any shots into the center sighter bull. I save this bull to test
changes in conditions if I am forced to stop my group before finishing it in one run.
This way I can test in a clean area without getting confused by other bullet holes.
I never want to stop a group in mid run, but there are times when a reversal or
a severe change comes along, forcing me to stop. You r,vill be grateful if you have a
clean sighter area where you can confi.rm your condition has returned, or at the very
least learn how much to hold.
Some very good shooters, like the Euber brothers and Lester Bruno, shoot many
sighters. They have great memories and can remember the conditions for each of the
sighter shots. These guys are some of the top shooters in this sport, and they have
vast experience. l1leir ability to call shots, combined with their memory,far exceeds
both beginner and those of us not blessed with great memories. For the rest of us,
target management is an essential fundamental.
 CHAPTER20:AIMINGFUNDAMENTALS 239

MIRAGE
Mirage is a term used to describe the optical distortion created by light passing
through different thermal layers between the scope and the target. Light will "fol-
low" the unevenly rising thermal layers in much the same way it follows the path of
a fiber optic cable, or sound waves follow a thermal layer in the ocean. The result is
that you see the target moving around in the scope. A bullet fired in mirage does not
follow the rules of wave propagation, so it could be heading to the wrong place on
the target. There are two common types of mirage: bubbling and rippling.
Most often when the wind is still, the type of mirage is the bubbling variety. This
seems to move the target up and down, and is due to the warm surface air coming
straight up between the scope and target. At times, this tlpe of mirage can be very
severe. Other times it can be slow and deceiving.

,t.

fi
Warm rising air moves the target rmage up.

The rippling type of mirage occurs when warm rising air is moving at some angle
to the target. In some wind conditions, this tlpe of mirage can be severe. I try to wait
out this tlpe of mirage and shoot under lighter conditions.
i went to the IBS Benchrest School in 1979, and I now disagree with two things
they taught. One was that mirage should be used to help shoot groups, and the
other was the first third of the flags are most important. More will come later in the
condition reading.
In 1979,I won a Hall of Fame point by using mirage and flags at the same time.
That was the only point that I got using the motion of mirage to help shoot groups.
Since then, Faye and I do not pay attention to mirage other than if it is so bad the target
cannot be seen, we wait as long as possible for it to clear so that we can shoot.
I use trees and grass as wind indicators to help supplement the information from
the flags, but I have given up on using mirage for aim point adjustment. When we
240 THE BOOK OF RIFLE ACCURACY

started shooting benchrest, all we had were 20 and 25 power Lyman scopes. For some
reason I could see the mirage at the bottom of the target better with those scopes
than I do with the newer 36 or 45 power scopes. Back then, not that many flags were
used, so the mirage was an important factor.
I remember a particular shooter r,vho would brag he shot small groups using
just mirage. I shot smaller groups using wind flags. That was just another indication
that concentrating on wind flags and other wind indicators is more valuable than
using mirage.
About the only time mirage affects is if it slows down aiming. Most of the time,
the first estimate of aiming point turns out to be the best. Do not spend too much
time chasing it. The longer you wait to complete a group, the more base condition
change and stack the odds against you. It is better to be close and fast than slow
and precisel
When there are almost no conditions (trigger pulls) but there is mirage, take
a little more time in aiming. Other shooters will realize they have time to be very
precise, so if you are too quick and miss your aim point even a tiny amount it will
hurt. in those conditions, take a few more seconds to aim.
There are ranges that seem to exhibit less mirage for one wind direction than for
others. It could be the result of differences in terrain between one side of the range
and another. Whatever the cause, if you find that situation when you are shooting
200 yards, it may be beneficial to take advantage of it.

Using Clouds
Remember to take advantage of clouds when there is mirage. That sounds strange
until you see that when there is shade on the field the mirage gets cut down
significantly.
I won a Super Shoot using the shade of a little cloud to help on the last group of
the day. I was on the far left side of the range (the area we "love" so much) shoot-
ing 200 yards, and mirage was very bad. I could hardly see the lines on the target.
I saw a little cloud in the sky that looked like it would come in and block the sun. I
waited, hoping it would come and sure enough it did. I jumped on it, and had the
first four shots in the threes (.3x""). The last one went out a bit, pushing the group
into the fours (.4xx") and I was tickled to death. That little cloud helped me win that
Super Shoot.
 CHAPTER 20: AIMING FUNDAMENTÁ-5 --r'

Mirage Shield
A mirage shield is nothing more than a means to keep the hot air that rises l:t,r.
the surface of a barrel away from the light entering a scope. I believe rising hot eir
distorts the image, thereby increasing mirage. A mirage shield will not help u,ith the
mirage due to the hot air rising from the ground, but it will help eliminate what r-ou
can control. There are many ways to create a mirage shield. Some shooters ro11 up a
target and tape it around the front of the scope and the barrel (that works), others
find an old aluminum Venetian blind blade and Velcro it to the barrel (generally not
very effective because the blind blade is normally too narrow).
I prefer to take thin Mylar or old x-ray film and cut it into a strip approxi-
mately 3 inches wide and 1B inches long. Then I attach it to the top of the barrel
with three small dots of Velcro. When I change barrels all I have to do is put the
matching (male or female) Velcro dots on the new barrel and I can keep using the
same mirage shield.

Mirage Caused by Muzzle

Mirage is also created by air rising out of a hot muzzle. With the bolt open (and no
round in the chamber) there is significant airflow through the barrel and this type
of mirage increases. When you insert a round into the chamber and close the bolt,
the amount of rising air decreases and so does this type of mirage.
On a calm day, if the barrel has been warmed up, there is still enough air rising
with the bolt closed to create significant mirage. To prove this effect, simply wave a
hat in front of the muzzle while looking through the scope. You will see most of the
distortion disappear.
If your groups are larger than they should be under very still conditions then
your aiming point may be moving around due to this type of mirage. This type of
mirage is one of the reasons I do not practice in still conditions. I am never sure if
the load/tune is correct or if I am just being fooled by mirage.

FOLLOW THROUGH
This may be one of the most important subjects in this book. It may also be one of
the hardest things in Benchrest to do correctly.
If you are not aware of where your
aiming point is the instant the gun goes off, then you have no idea where the
bullet is going. You may as well be shooting blind. You will not know if you did
242 THE BOOK OF RIFLE ACCURACY

something at the bench that caused the bullet not to go in the group, or whether
your load was not right.
Shoot with both eyes open. You need to see the target with your right eye (know
where the dot is). At the same time you need to see and be completely aware of the
whole field through your left eye and peripheraliy from your right as well (flags,
grass, clouds, etc.).
Correct follow through is difficult for the novice but essential, and everyone
should practice enough to make it second nature. Seeing the f,eld is more important
than seeing the target, So yslrr attention as you practice and compete, should be
more directed to the field than the target. Target acquisition and aiming become a
background task that is performed reactively. If you over-concentrate on the target
you will get tunnel vision and miss incoming condition changes (pick-ups, let-offs,
angle changes or even reversals). Nevertheless, it is critical that the attention given
to target be sufficient to follow through correctly.
I used to follow through well enough, and had good eyesight. I could see every
shot go thru the moving backer at 100 yards. I never could do it at 200 yards, but at
100 yards I could do it every time. I would see the sudden light spot appear in the
target, and watch it start to shift away as the backer moved behind the target, leaving
a dark bullet hole. If you can do that, you already know where to hold for the next
shot if the flags change or something else indicates a change while you are loading
the next round. There are not many people that say they can do that, but Faye can
still see quite a few of her shots go through the moving backer.
In order to have a good follow through, keep your head still. Do not blink as the
rifle fires and you should expect to see the buliet hole appear on the paper. Even if
you cannot see the hole appear you should be able to tell exactlywhere you expect
the shot to have gone because you will see the scope move off in that direction
and away from the desired aiming point.
Following are some examples of cause and effect you can spot if follow through
is working well:
. If you exert force on the stock of the rifle with the palm of your right hand as
you touch off the trigger, you should see the scope move to the right of the
aiming point as the rifle fires (palming).

' If you press your cheek into the rifle as you fire you will see the scope move to
the left of the desired aiming point. If everlthing else is correct, that is where
the shot will go.
 CHAPTER 20: AIMING FUNDAMENTALS 243

Leaning your cheek into the rifle and then backing offas the trigger is pulled
will cause the bullet to go right.
If you jerk the trigger, depending on where you hit it and at what angle your
finger was going, the bullet will probably go the other way.
If you shoulder the rifle, hitting it with your shoulder in anticipation of recoil,
then the shot will probably go down from your desired aiming point, assum-
ing your shoulder position was correct to start with (this is the most common
fault I see).
If you did not see a thing as the rifle fired, you may have blinked and missed
critical information.
Leaning into the rear bag while aiming and then pulling away as you shoot will
cause the bullet to go to the right. This is common in cold conditions where
the shooter is wearing an extra coat.
ferking the left hand while holding the Farley front rest joystick will cause
bullets to scatter. I hold the joystick whiie shooting but I make sure that the
hand does not move as I pull the trigger.

I had one student who consistently put one or two shots to the right on his
groups, and I could not determine what he was doing. The next da¡ I was shooting
and noticed I was leaning into the side of the rear bag and having the crosshairs
rnove to the left. As i fired, I moved away from the rear bag and the shot went to the
right. I found the student from the previous day and told him to keep his body from
leaning into the rear bag. He tried it and came back thanking me. The problem that
had plagued him for so long was recognized and his groups improved immediately.
I wonder how many of these faults we impose on ourselves end up being blamed on
scopes or other equipment.
After getting your follow through right, it feels if the only things that moving
as
as you shoot are your forearms and hands. Another benefit is the rifle will strike
your shoulder in exactly the same spot every time. The more consistent you fire your
shots, the better the result.
To really make this work you should be able to open the bolt, pick up and load
a round, push the rifle back with your shoulder (or hand if you prefer), close the
bolt and get the rifle back to the firing position without looking away from the field
and target.
244 THE BOOK OF RIFLE ACCURACY

Practice by not looking for the next loaded round to load, not looking at the bolt
or loading port as you load and not lifting your head after recoil. The motions of
running a group should become automatic, which will give you all the time you need
to decide how much to hold or whether to stop. It will take a great deal of practice to
get to that point. Either go to the range as frequently as possible, or augment range
time with home practice.

Opening the Bolt

Try not to lift the bolt handle straight up, or the rifle will rock in the bags. You want
the rifle to stay still in the bags as you open the bolt. The way you do this is by putting
pressure down on the rifle at the same time as you rotate the bolt open.
So how do you put pressure down on the rifle to keep it from rocking? Press
down on the top of the stock with the thumb of your right hand placed just behind
the bolt shroud, and rotate the bolt open with your index finger. If you do this cor-
rectly the rifle will stay still.
Is it OK to push down on the scope or on a scope ring? Yes it probably is OK.
Scopes are stronger than most people give them credit for and scope rings are cer-
tainly capable of handling a little downward pressure. |ust do not touch the eyepiece
of the scope, as that may change the scope setting.
Home practice can augment range practice. Set your equipment on an old table
where you can see outside, get some dummy rounds (no powder or primer) with just
abullet in them (Never a live round!), and just load, dry fire, eject, and so on until
you can do it quickly without taking your eyes off the aiming point.

Farley Front Rest Operation

I am often asked if I hold my hand on the joystick of the Farley front rest while
shooting or if I release my hand as I pull the trigger. I hold the joystick and make
adjustments in aiming as required until i pull the trigger, and never release the
joystick.
I set the joystick so that when I am aiming at the record target, the ball on the
curved handle is pointing down to the bench. My forearm is securely resting on
the bench. This method provides a rrery stable holding position. All that is required
to make fine adjustments is a slight motion of the hand while the forearm gives
needed stability.
 CHAPTER 20: AIMING FUNDAMENTALS 245

Getting Help from a Friend

Find someone who will observe you while you shooting, someone who can spot things
that need correction. Sometimes, getting someone to just watch can be beneficial.
Forget that the person is watching, otherwise you will be on your best behavior
-sort
of like driving while a cop is following you down the road...
Another time to enlist the help of a friend is when you cannot seem to get any-
thing to shoot. You tried everything you can think of and nothing seems to work
consistently. Have a buddy shoot your rifle. If he can beat you 7 5o/o of the time with
your bench setup, your rifle, your load and equal conditions, then there is a good
chance you are doing something at the bench that is hurting accuracy. Often it is
very easy to spot the fault, other times it can be very difficult.
Workyour way from the ground up. Are your feet flat on the ground? Is the stool
adjusted right? Are you sitting in a comfortable position behind the bag? Is your body
posture correct? Are you touching the rifle with anything more than your index fin-
ger? Are you shouldering, palming or jerking the trigger? Can you see the crosshairs
as the rifle goes ofr Are you lifting your head? Are you focusing on the target and
forgetting the flags? Are you rushing the last shot, sort of "wishing" it in? Are you
looking at the shots before reloading? When you open the bolt are you holding the
rifle down with your thumb or are you lifting the gun offthe bags?
Errors in any one of the areas can result in inconsistent accuracy. You may be
able to get by with one or two groups, but you will not be able to agg consistently.