Operation Manual

12
YOUR WINCHESTER IS A TARGET GUN
Your Winchester Air Rifle has been designed for target shooting and is suited for use both
indoors and out to help you develop your marksmanship skills. However, your Winchester Air Rifle
means greatly increased velocity and energy, so take care to prepare your target. Target traps
designed for use with low-velocity (less than 350 feet-per-second) BB and pellet guns
should not
be used with a Winchester Air Rifle.
Always use a target trap designed to prevent ricochet, and
put extra reinforcement behind your target to compensate for the added power. (See "How to Make
an Indoor-Outdoor Target," page 14.)
TIPS ON MARKSMANSHIP
Many people become proficient at gun handling without learning the basics of proper marksman-
ship. Yet, these basics are intended for one purpose–to increase your skills. If you haven't learned
them, now is the time to start. If you have, this may serve as a timely review.
TRIGGER AND BREATH CONTROL
When you get right down to it, trigger control is simply knowing your gun. Get your sights in line.
The moment you have the proper sight picture, squeeze the trigger. Never jerk the trigger or you will
ruin your aim. To do this, you must know your gun well enough to exert enough pressure on the trig-
ger to where it's just short of firing the gun. Then at the exact instant you wish, the trigger can be
squeezed with as little disturbance to the sight picture as possible. Trigger control comes only with
practice. Keep trying, you'll get it down to an art.
Breathing at the wrong moment can cause your body to move and your aim to go astray. So
breathe properly. Prior to raising the gun to the shooting position, inhale deeply, then exhale partially
with arm in shooting position. Hold the remaining breath until shot is fired.
If after about 7 or 8 seconds you haven't got the shot off, cock your arm back 90 degrees (muz-
zle up), relax and breathe normally for a few seconds. Then take your "aiming breath" and try again.
P
P
R
R
O
O
N
N
E
E
S
S
I
I
T
T
T
T
I
I
N
N
G
G
(
(
L
L
O
O
W
W
)
)
N
N
.
.
R
R
.
.
A
A
.
.
S
S
T
T
A
A
N
N
D
D
I
I
N
N
G
G
K
K
N
N
E
E
E
E
L
L
I
I
N
N
G
G
(
(
L
L
O
O
W
W
)
)
STANDING
• From a position directly facing the target, face to the right of the line of fire. The knees
should be straight but not locked.
• Grasp the forearm of the gun in the left hand and place the butt of your gun in the shoul-
der pocket with the muzzle pointed upward.
• With the right hand, grasp the stock at the pistol grip, then press your cheek gently
against the stock as far forward as possible without straining.