Shooting a rifle is more than just pulling a trigger. It’s a connection between the shooter, the weapon, and the target. 

This article explores powerful ways to sharpen your shooting rifle skills and achieve new proficiency levels.

From perfecting your stance and grip to developing unbreakable focus , you’ll learn how to make every shot count.  

Let’s dive right in.

1. Master Your Riflescope

Mastering your riflescope helps you maintain focus and reduces distractions, leading to better shooting. 

So, learn everything from adjusting elevation to reading the reticle and understanding magnification. 

Why is mastering your scope crucial for target shooting? …because it allows you to handle your rifle confidently from any position. We’ll talk about firing positions in a short while.

2. Enroll in a Shooting Competition

Even though shooting competitions can be terrifying for first-timers, they’re a great place to learn and improve your accuracy.

Besides, most shooters have no problem welcoming newbies.

Participating in a shooting competition introduces you to new platforms and angles that’ll hone your basic skills and improve your ability to make every shot count.

You can start with several shots in the woods or shooting range as you perfect your skills.

Local competitions are excellent in helping you figure out what you need to do to become an accurate shooter and introduce you to titbits that can help improve your shooting skills.  

3. Practice Varmint Hunting

Varmint hunting is one of the handiest ways to sharpen your rifle shooting skills, whether you’re a long-range hunter or a competition shooter.

For starters, varmint hunting allows you to learn how to fire under pressure, enabling good marksmanship.

Indeed, most shooters will agree that zeroing in a big buck or firing a winning shot in a gun competition is incredibly satisfying.

Varmint hunting creates the right environment to create a perfect shot. Besides, most states have no bag limits or hunting season dates for varmint hunting. On top of that, varmint ammunition is affordable and readily available.

4. Build a Private Shooting Range

You don’t have to go to a public shooting range if you have enough land.

Unlike a private one, a private range enables you to customize your shooting needs and preferences.

Further, a private shooting range can be helpful for shooters looking to develop their long-range skills.

Still, you need to ensure adequate safety. That way, you can shoot according to your preferences while ensuring everyone around you stays safe.

As a rule of thumb, remember to wear ear protection. You’ll also need eye protection to keep you safe from flying cartridges.

Word of Caution

Laws regulating shooting on private property vary from state to state. Many cities in the United States don’t allow shooting on private property. Laws tend to be laxer outside city limits, and often you only need to ensure bullets aren’t leaving your property. Check with your state to determine what the law says about shooting on private property.

5. Take Shooting Classes

While you can practice shooting to improve your skills, firing a few rounds won’t take your expertise to the next level.

Joining a shooting school is one of the best ways to become a better shooter.

And the beauty of it is that there’s a wide range of topics to learn, from long-range shooting to sight alignment, how to choose ammunition, gun safety and everything in between.

In addition, you’ll have access to an experienced instructor to help improve your abilities and make you an accomplished shooter.

You can ask your local range if they offer shooting classes; most ranges do.

6. Test New Ammo

The thing is, most ammunition looks the same from the outside, but that’s not the case.

The differences can be significant. Plus, every firearm is compatible with a specific ammunition brand, weight and bullet.

Still, you don’t want to try out new ammo during the hunting season on competition shooting. It’d be best to experiment with new ammunition when determining which best works for your rifle.

Testing out new ammo ensures every bullet you fire counts. The more you can understand your firearm and the bullet, the easier it is to spend time implementing what you learn.

7. Learn the “Academics” of Shooting

If you’re a shooting enthusiast, you’ll love learning the academics of shooting to help you hit targets more accurately.

Acquiring academic knowledge requires dedicating your time to the range. The idea is to enable you to understand in-depth shooting and bullet dynamics. 

For instance, it’d help you know what Minute of Angle is and how it affects your accuracy. You may also want to learn about minute of angle vs. milliradians or how to measure scope height above the bore. 

Even though these don’t directly impact your bullet’s path or trigger pull, you can leverage the academic knowledge in several other helpful strategies.  

8. Learn about Shooting Drills

You can execute shooting drills without firing a shot.

Some helpful drills to help you improve your shooting game include trigger control and target acquisition. You can try dry fire practice if the weather conditions allow it.

In addition, learning to achieve a straight trigger pull and follow through is an essential part of long-range rifle shooting that you can learn without going to the shooting range.

9. Master Various Shooting Positions 

According to the National Rifle Association, taking a proper shooting position is integral in making a confident, accurate shot.

Whether kneeling, sitting, standing or prone, you must be in a position that feels stable.

On top of that, you need a solid shooting platform. You want a platform that allows you to kneel, stand or sit in an optimal position without straining your muscles.

Remember, engaged muscles cause fatigue and, by extension, result in shaky shots.

The Bottom Line

Improving your shooting skills involves implementing a series of tried and tested exercises.

While you cannot become a good marksman overnight, sticking to a consistent routine can help hone your abilities.

And when you’ve finally improved your accuracy remember to obey the basic rules; breathe, relax, aim, squeeze the trigger, and follow through.