The scope of an air rifle aiming at a target Welcome to the second part of our guide to accurate air gun shooting. In this part, we will look at your air gun grip, as well as the importance of good trigger control. Air gun hold Many people make the mistake of holding an airgun too tightly, as they believe it will make it more stable. This is not the case, and in fact you put your muscles under more pressure, which makes them twitch and causes your aim to wobble. If you have an air rifle, you should look for a good fit that ensures your airgun locks securely into your shoulder. Once it is in there, handle it lightly. Having a gentle hold is even more important if you shoot a gas or spring-powered The shockwaves that come from the moving parts which drives the pellet are still in effect as the pellet moves down the barrel. This creates the recoil, and there is nothing you can do to stop it, so you have to learn to manage it. Hold your airgun with a light but consistent grip every time and the movement will follow the same course with every shot, ensuring your pellets always fly true! Don’t be afraid to lean! Thanks to modern precharged airguns, recoil is a lot lighter, and a lot more predictable! This lack of recoil means that you can take leaning shots without the risk of an unpredictable recoil sending one of your pellets astray. Leaning on a tree, fence, gate etc. should not be thought of as cheating, and should be taken advantage of wherever possible, especially if you have a PCP rifle and are looking to make more accurate shots. Keep your triggers crisp Many a good shot can be spoilt by poor trigger control. It is therefore important that you should have your trigger set at a good middle range. It shouldn’t be set too light, nor should it be so heavy that you pull the crosshairs off of your target as you pull the trigger towards its firing point. For maximum control, only the pad of your finger should be in contact with the trigger blade. As your crosshairs settle onto your target, push back through the first stage until you feel the trigger stop. When you are set to take your shot, touch the trigger to the second stage to send the pellet on its way. The internal movements caused by the firing cycle is still in effect, so try and keep your sights trained on the target until your pellet reaches its mark. If you don’t do this, you can run the risk of pulling the gun away too soon and your shot may go wayward. This might sound a bit longwinded, but with enough practice, it should become second nature. And as always, practice makes perfect!