In handgun training, learning to maximize your field of view is as key as proper trigger discipline. After all, you can't hit what you can't see.

Shooting, particularly in a self-defense situation, can sometimes involve all five of the senses. But one reigns supreme — sight. Without it, there’s no identifying the target, proper sight alignment, aiming — there’s no shot.

Given its importance, then why in training is it so common to find shooter’s looking away from a target or have their handgun out of their view? They drop their head, hands and gun to execute a reload. They don’t maneuver the pistol with their head when they scan for another target. And they relax their pistol out of sight after making a shot. They’re taking their eyes off the ball, so to speak.

For Mark Redl, there are few nastier habits to develop in practical pistol shooting then not keeping a field of vision where it will do the most good. Frustrating — and in self-defense, potentially life-threatening — as it is, the pro shooter for Aguila Ammunition promises it’s simple to fix. Like everything in shooting, it requires conscientious consistency when running through drills and that means keeping the gun and eyes in what Redl calls the “headbox.”

What that you ask? Easy as pie, it’s the area roughly around your head with you’re eyes looking straightforward. Learning to manipulate the pistol up high in this zone means a shooter can watch not only what’s happening with his handgun, but beyond to a potential threat or the next target in a competition. Furthermore, the gun should never leave the headbox, even when turning side to side. This keeps it at the ready and provides life-saving movements to get the pistol in a fight once a danger is recognized.

There’s a lot of minutiae that must be considered any time you head to the range. One of the most important is keeping your eyes and your gun where they’ll do the most good.

For more information on Aguila Ammunition, please check out: www.aguilaammo.com

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