Developing your natural point of aim is key in placing shots accurately and consistently with your handgun. And it only takes a few steps to perfect.
What is natural point of aim and how does it make you more accurate?
- Natural point of aim is a comfortable, natural position from which to engage targets.
- This position, when correct, facilitates consistent accuracy with a handgun.
- To diagnose, close your eyes, punch your handgun out, and see if it's aligned on target.
- To correct a misalignment, simply adjust your strong-side leg backward or forward.
What do your feet have to do with your eyes? Plenty, when you’re talking about determining your natural point of aim.
In short, natural point of aim is the most comfortable position you can assume that allows you to accurately and consistently place your shots in the center of your target. As you can imagine, this is a key concept for any handgun shooter, whether it be for target practice, self-defense or competition. And developing it so you’re always on center mass only takes a few steps, as Mark Redl demonstrates in the above video.
Redl goes over the basics of determining your natural point of aim and then the process to correct it so you’re always on target. This requires little more than moving the strong-side leg back if you’re off to the weak side and forward if you’re off to the strong.
Conveniently, ironing out your natural point of aim doesn’t require a trip to the shooting range. A little time during dry-fire practice at home is typically enough to work out the kinks.
While this is typically one of those bedrock skills new shooters need to work on when they're first getting into the game, it is also something seasoned handgunners should evaluate every now and again. There are any number of things that can throw off or even modify stance, thus your natural point of aim. It is well worth the extra effort to occasionally gauge how your position affects your accuracy, especially when you’re fighting to gain an intuitive sight picture or have one too many fliers.
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