One of the most elusive goals for beginning shooters is to become accurate enough to hit right where they are aiming. In fact, the goal of accurate shooting is often hard to accomplish even for seasoned shooters who have let a few of the basics of accurate shooting fall by the wayside over the years. While there are a lot of different components to shooting a firearm accurately—from grip, to sighting, to stance, etc.—none make much of a difference if you don’t have a good trigger pull. So today we’ll take a look at how to ensure that your trigger pull leads to accuracy instead of frustration.

Pull or Squeeze? What is a Good Trigger Pull

On kind of a nitpicky note, a good trigger pull is better described as a good trigger “squeeze.” And another nitpicky note, we’re talking about rifle and pistol shooting here. When used on flying targets, the shotgun trigger pull isn’t quite as critical.

In a nutshell, an accurate shot occurs when the shooter has the gun held steadily with the sights right on the targets and squeezes the trigger straight back without moving the sights off the targeted spot. Pulling the trigger to one side or the other results in moving the sights or scope off sight, leading to an inaccurate shot. The only way to accomplish accuracy is to squeeze the trigger straight back while keeping the sights on the target.

Now, let’s look at a few things that can help you make a perfect trigger squeeze. Trigger finger placement is one factor that can make a tremendous difference in the quality of your trigger squeeze. That’s because how you place your finger on the trigger affects how straight you can pull the trigger rearward.

Some people try to use the tip of their trigger finger for the pull, while others like to get their finger all the way into the trigger guard and place their finger on the trigger somewhere between the first and second knuckle. I’ve found that the flat spot about halfway between the fingertip and the first knuckle gives me the best chance for a perfect trigger squeeze whether shooting a rifle or a pistol. Once you find the sweet spot for you, try to make sure you replicate that position on every shot.

Breath Control

Another important factor is breath control. While not completely related to trigger pull, if you squeeze the trigger while the sights are jumping around on the target because of heavy breathing you’ll likely miss your mark. The best method I’ve found is to inhale deeply, exhale about half of it, hold there and slowly squeeze the trigger. Of course, if you’re in a hurry for whatever reason this might not be possible. But at the range or when hunting, doing so will help afford you a better trigger pull.

Not anticipating recoil is another factor that will help you get a better trigger pull or squeeze. Here’s what I mean by that. If you close your eyes and cringe, or flinch, right as you are pulling the trigger, you’re not going to hit exactly where you are aiming. When my kids began hunting deer with me, I taught them a lesson that has served them, and me, well. I told them to hold their crosshairs on the deer right where they wanted the bullet to hit it and squeeze the trigger without taking their eyes off the crosshairs and that spot on the deer. Concentrating on keeping their eye open and on the targeted spot helped them make a much better trigger pull without flinching, leading to a lot of downed game over the past 25 years.

Dry-Fire Practice

Perhaps the best way to perfect your trigger pull is dry-fire practice. However, in doing so you have to be 100% sure your gun is unloaded, both the chamber and the magazine. When you are completely sure it is unloaded, check again to be positive. Then when doing your dry-fire practice, be sure you’re always pointing the unloaded gun in a safe direction just to be sure you’re completely safe.

Dry-fire practice is simply gripping your gun, putting the sights on target and doing the best trigger squeeze you can while keeping your sights or crosshairs on the target. Whether shooting a handgun, and AR-style rifle or a deer rifle, regular dry-fire practice will help you build a better trigger squeeze, which will lead to increased accuracy.

One last thing to consider on the topic of trigger pull is trigger pull weight. With everything else equal, a crisp, light, short trigger results in a better pull than a long, gritty, heavy trigger. Trigger pull weight, though, is kind of a tradeoff. Go too low, and you might send your bullet downrange before you want to do so. A 4- to 6-pound trigger is a pretty good compromise weight for rifles and pistols as it’s not too light and not too heavy. Note that if you have a gun with a trigger pull that is heavier than you would like, a qualified gunsmith can likely work out those kinks for you. And many models have aftermarket triggers available on the market that can give you a better trigger pull.

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