Larry Nichols
Because we are humans and not androids, it is difficult for most to hold an object out in front of us and keep it from moving around.
When aiming at a target through a firearm’s sighting system, the front sight post, red dot, or crosshairs in the scope tend to move unevenly across the aiming point on the target. This is referred to as “the natural wobble area” or “the wobble zone” and it cannot be completely stopped by the shooter. Inexperienced shooters find their natural wobble area sizable, moving from side to side in a figure eight across the aiming point on the target. With proper training and practice, the natural wobble area can be reduced in size, but it will never stop. The reason it cannot be stopped is because there are several natural biological functions occurring in our bodies which prevent us from holding a firearm still. Everyone from master marksmen to novice shooters experience this movement and each person must become comfortable with their natural wobble area for every shot they fire.
Understanding the Problem
Two major obstacles which inexperienced shooters cope with are mastering proper sight alignment and proper trigger control. The novice shooter often stares at the target waiting for the sighting system to be on the aiming point and then jerk the trigger, missing the aiming point on the target. All hits on the target will be in the low left area of the target for a right-handed shooter and in the low right area of the target for the left-handed shooter. An accomplished shooter will focus on the sighting system, allowing their natural wobble area to move across their aiming point while steadily pressing their trigger flat and straight back. All of their shots will hit the target within their wobble area, leaving a small rounded group.
I have had handgun shooters tell me that they do not like red dot sights because they say the dot moves around too much in the sight. I explain that the dot does not move within the sight; they just see their natural wobble area intensified on the target. Standard front sights when aligned correctly with the rear sight (sight alignment) on handguns cover more of the target at any given distance than a two or three mil-dot sight, so you do not notice the natural wobble area as much with standard sights. You will have the same size wobble area with standard sights as you will with a mil-dot sight. The difference between the standard sights and a mil-dot sight is that you will see a small, vivid red dot dancing around on your target instead of thick standard sights covering more of the target.
Offering a Solution
To shoot and hit within your natural wobble area, you must focus your eyes directly on the front sight while looking through the rear sight or mil-dot while smoothly and continuously pressing the trigger flat and straight back until the handgun fires. Never force the shot. Your wobble area will get smaller with proper training and practice. When practicing, try to remember: The wobble area will always be there. Just take a couple of deep breaths, relax and do not shoot more than two shots. After firing two shots, bring the handgun down, trigger finger off the trigger, muzzle pointing at the ground in front of you, maintaining your shooting grip, do not look at the target, take a couple of deep breaths, and shoot two more shots. Repeat this drill for ten shots.
Four of the seven fundamentals of marksmanship must be understood and practiced frequently by the shooter to reduce the size of their natural wobble area. They are:
Grip – The shooting hand must grip as high as the backstrap will permit, shooting hand thumb held up, trigger finger straight alongside the slide, lower three fingers wrapped firmly around the magazine well, support hand wrapped around shooting hand, thumb held up. To aid in controlling the handgun’s recoil, thus controlling the handgun, you must apply maximum pressure with both hands when firing the handgun.
Sight alignment – Sight alignment on a firearm equipped with a rear sight and a front sight is a matter of properly aligning the front sight with the rear sight as you look through the rear sight aperture. To acquire and maintain sight alignment, the shooter must look directly at the front sight through the rear sight. The front sight must be the focal point, with the rear sight slightly out of focus and the target a complete blur. To sustain proper sight alignment, the shooter must stare at the front sight through the rear sight aperture throughout the trigger press. Scopes and dot sights do not require any positioning within its self.
Sight picture – Sight picture is basically positioning the appropriate sight alignment, red dot, green dot system, or scope crosshairs directly on the desired aiming point on the target and hold it still. Everyone has a natural wobble area, some bigger than others, but no one can hold their firearm perfectly still while aiming. I have had students tell me their sights were centered on their aiming point and I am sure they were until the student jerked the trigger, moving the muzzle either low left or low right. That brings us to lack of proper trigger control.
Trigger control – Trigger control is more of a psychological dilemma than a physical one. The shooter must have command of their emotions before they can effectively control physical movement. Trigger control is broken down into two phases; the independent action of the trigger finger steadily pressing the trigger straight to the rear and follow through. Follow-through is the act or manner of continuing the rearward pressure on the trigger through the recoil cycle. Trigger reset (reengaging the sear) is a part of follow-through. When the recoil cycle has ended, the shooter deliberately allows the trigger to move forward just enough to reset the sear, usually an audible click. The trigger finger must maintain contact with the trigger from beginning to end of the firing and recovery sequence.
What Truly Counts
In order to take command of the four listed shooter errors, novice shooters must be willing to practice patience, proper attitude, time, dry firing, and enlist the help of a coach. To develop the skills necessary to master trigger control, perfect practice must be continual. Precise dry firing practice, with the aid of a qualified coach, will help develop the skills necessary for the student to control the trigger throughout the firing sequence. With proper trigger control, you will be able to hit within your natural wobble area, forming a rounded group. The application of time, patience, attitude, and perfect practice will unquestionably reduce your natural wobble area.
Larry J. Nichols retired in 2011 after 27 years of honorable service as the Senior Rangemaster/Armorer for the Burbank (CA) Police Department. He served five years with the Orange County (CA) Sheriff’s Department as their Firearms Instructor/Armorer before moving to Burbank, California.
Larry has over 40 years of experience as a professional firearms instructor, with over 31 years as a law enforcement lethal, less lethal and less than lethal force instructor. He is internationally noted for his innovative and pioneering work in the planning, development and implementation of realistic law enforcement firearms training programs.