Accuracy

I have an old automatic from Eastern Europe that I like to shoot. When I first got it, it was very difficult to hit anything. As time went by, I seemed to get better. At the beginning, I suspected the gun was not very accurate, being as is was old and worn. I do not think my technique improved that much, but maybe it's that last few percent that makes all the difference. After all, accuracy with a firearm is only measurable at the target, not at the shooter. Well, you might be able to measure a shooter's accuracy these days without looking at the target, but I think it would be very difficult. What I am trying to say is that accurate shooting technique only comes with practice. It is not something you can learn just by following step by step instructions. Kind of like ice skating.

Friend of mine wanted to learn to ice skate. Tried it once, had a terrible time. Thought to go read a book on the subject, maybe that would help. First paragraph in the book says ice skating is best learned from someone who already knows how.

So practice with a particular gun would make you more accurate with that gun, and perhaps with other guns of the same make and model. Practice with a variety of firearms might make you a better shot in general. And some people practice a lot. We watched "Down in the Valley" (with Ed Norton) the other night. A bit slow at first, but pretty good overall. As the old guy at the movie store says: "Ed Norton doesn't make a bad movie". Anyway, Ed demonstrates some first rate gun handling. The movie uses this to support the idea that he is really good with a six-gun. It is one thing to be able to handle a gun and shoot it, it is another to actually be able to hit anything with it.