Review: Precision Shooter 1
Center Mass Tactical Training
June 27–28 2015, Taylorsville GA
Coaches Sean Brogan and Brian Hill
The essence of perfection is to act without doing.
CMTT’s Precision Shooter 1 teaches students to be precise (and accurate) shooters by focusing on a principle known as “natural point of aim” which is a Zen-like approach to putting rounds on target. The shooter seeks to eliminate all sources of torque on the rifle, body, and mind so that the reticle falls upon the target seemingly without effort by the shooter. This minimum-effort approach means less fatigue to stay on target, a near-magical ability to make the hit, and a faster return to target.
This class had six students of mixed professional backgrounds, levels of shooting experience, and equipment choices. The 3:1 student-to-coach ratio provided many opportunities for one-on-one coaching in a relaxed environment. Two of the students were repeating the course to improve on their previous performance. One student in particular made an enormous leap in shooting competence and confidence by the end of the class, shooting “just” a factory M4 from a bag rest. I had taken some other precision rifle courses, but don’t shoot larger rifles at distance very often, so I was looking for some coaching on improving my shot follow-through. My previous classes had mentioned natural point of aim as something to think about, but this class was the first to make it a central tenant of the curriculum and to make it real for me.
The course of fire starts with establishing a short-range zero at fifty yards to make sure everyone’s equipment is functioning and to practice the natural point of aim technique. The very short range involved means that any variation in impact is due to the shooter and not the equipment or environment. In this setup phase of the class, students learn about ballistic calculators and will receive accurate muzzle-velocity data to plug into their solutions.
All of the lecture blocks are short and are incorporated into the shooting exercises, rather than having a specific classroom portion. Sean makes a point of breaking down the massive wall of everything that can theoretically affect a shot into just those that have practical relevance by having students consider their their specific shooting application. Different kinds of targets and shooting applications all have different acceptable levels of accuracy and precision. Students are encouraged to think about time-of-flight and ballistic coefficient as the main inputs to their mental shooting model, rather than distance, velocity and caliber, since all external ballistic effects are time- and BC- dependent.
Throughout the class, students are encouraged to take note of data that they may otherwise not pay attention to, such as where the reticle winds up after the recoil impulse and what their senses other than vision are telling them before during and after the shot. This emphasis on non-visual information becomes crucial to finding a natural point of aim.
There are several points during the course at which students are evaluated for performance. At close ranges, the students are tested on how well they use natural point of aim. The shooter establishes a good sight picture, settles into a natural point of aim, and puts one round into the target.
It sounds simple, but there’s a catch: the shooter can’t see the target while making the shot. Once the shooter is ready, the coach blocks the student’s vision with a sheet of paper. The student must take two complete breath cycles before firing. A shooter that has not found a natural point of aim will drift off target without the visual input that allows for micro-corrections to keep the rifle on target. A shooter that has found a natural point of aim and who pays attention to senses other than vision will make the shot. Additional practice followed by an NPA test is repeated at 100 and 200 yards.
After the 200-yard work, the class switches to making unknown-distance shots from ever-increasing ranges “about over there” against a deep and wide field of targets, both steel and robotic. This block of instruction starts with the class’s longest lecture and discussion on range and wind estimation. Ideally, the close-range practice has improved the student’s shot-over-shot consistency now that the class is switching to shooting engagements where time of flight does have significant effect. The NPA tests are replaced with shooter-spotter tests that require ranging and engaging multiple targets. The engagements aren’t timed and my misses at these longer distances were caused by muscling the rifle onto the next target, rather than adjusting to a new natural point of aim.
The unknown-distance engagements culminate in making a single shot at 650+ yards onto a two-thirds IPSC steel target. Hearing that lead-on-steel thwack after a long time of flight is a great feeling after two days in the field.
In terms of equipment, there was a good mix of 5.56 and .308 in both bolt-guns and semi-autos. The students shooting smaller calibers were not at any significant disadvantage during the class up until they were pushing the performance envelope of the cartridge, but they still made hits at distance. The only gear-related problems were due to inconsistent ammunition.
Consider Precision Shooter 1 if you want to be a better shooter at any range and are willing to put your ego on the line to perform on demand.
