Rider Technique

Back To The Basics

 

Gun Handling and Shooting Techniques

 

As with any precise action sport you have to start with the basics. The great golfer and tennis player has the effortless swing and near perfect form. Mounted Shooting is no different. If you get started in the wrong direction you will develop bad habits that will come back to bite you in the long run. No matter what level of mounted shooter you are at some point in time you have to go back to the basics and refresh your technique.

 

Proper gun handling is a crucial component when it comes to the safety of the horse and rider. So many times I come across students, especially women who are not strong enough to handle the weight of our 2-3 pound pistols all the way through ten targets. Add to this controlling their horse and pulling the hammer back ten times; yup, it’s harder than it looks, trust me! Single action .45 handling takes the strength and dexterity of a strong thumb and a steady arm and wrist. I tell all my students to get the 3-5 pound dumbbells (Page 25) out …strengthen yourself and prepare yourself to handle the guns. Even I go back to the dumbbells when I have not competed in a while to prepare myself for a shoot where I have to make a multitude of runs. Hand stress balls are also great for strength and dexterity training. We must be safely in control of our firearms at all times and if we are not strong enough it can become dangerous and lead to improper gun handling technique.

 

Gun handling can also get sloppy. When we see people AD (accidentally discharge) while running a mounted shooting course that usually means their finger is resting on the trigger and they are not steady. I never touch the trigger until I am ready to shoot my target; instead I always rest my index finger on the inside of the trigger guard until I’m ready to fire (Fig. 1 and 2). This also helps me balance the gun.

 

Men find this particularly challenging when first starting out since they have larger fingers and find their fingers always resting on the trigger. All it takes is practice and patience and of course the right firearm and grip to fit your hand size. We are lucky that there are many great gun companies affiliated with mounted shooting and have great gun choices to fit everyone.

 

So now that you are strong and handling the gun properly, it is imperative to always keep a firm wrist and grip when competing (Fig. 3 and 4). If you shoot with a limp wrist it will cause you to shoot under the targets. I’m guilty of this when I haven’t been working on my strength or I’m just plain exhausted and sloppy.

 

So it’s back to the basics, and this means a firm, strong wrist. Keeping your shooting arm firm and straight is in proper form with an extension of your shoulder reaching forward. Remember we are extending our shooting arm out and slightly cheating forward from our waist (Fig. 5 and 6). I say slightly forward because if you throw your body weight totally forward it will take you and your horse off balance.

 

The idea is to reach with your arm, set yourself in position, aim and shoot. Never throw your arm out each time to shoot, as it will through your timing off. This method, sometimes called point shooting, can be risky and can cost you missed targets. There are a few top mounted shooters that can point shoot and can do it well, but those are the exceptions. Get in the habit of keeping your arm straight, wrist firm and let the targets come to you. With some proper gun handling and good mounted shooting form you are headed in the right direction to becoming a successful mounted shooting competitor.

 

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Annie Bianco-Ellett is a two-time CMSA Overall World Champion Cowgirl and a two-time SASS overall World Champion. Annie teaches students at her ranch in Cave Creek, Arizona and is the host of her video series, The Competitive Edge, available on DVD on the Western Shooting Horse web site: www.wshmag.com.
 

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