Accurate shooting tips – UPDATED ON 2/11/2016
Hey all,
Just wanted to help out the beginner-shooters in this forum who are having accuracy issues with their gun. WARNING: THIS POST IS PRETTY LENGTHY!
If you are a seasoned marksman or one with a degree in airgunomics, feel free to click on the “back” button of your browser. Nevertheless, if you are a fledgling airgun shooter looking to read on and hopefully try some of the things I would like to share here to help in shooting more accurately before reselling your air rifle, or worse, using it as a crowbar, this post is specifically for you. Or, if you are excitedly waiting for your shiny new weapon of mass extinction (for you pest-heads) to arrive at your doorstep or are feeling frustrated because you just cannot seem to put the pellet where you want, stop thinking about the gun and relax a bit. This post is for you too.
Before going further, I want you to firmly establish this truth into your mindset first: the gun you have or will have is heck of a lot better than you! I don’t care who you claim to be, but it’s the cold, hard truth. If you think this isn’t possible because you happen to be a descendant of Annie Oakley or Bullseye Bill, they would probably feel insulted in gun nirvana right now because they know that it was purely their finely-developed skillset that made them sharpshooters. I personally believe that if your gun has a life of its own with the capacity to shoot by itself, it would humiliate you and thus make you feel unworthy to be a part of Ms. Oakley or Mr. Bill’s lineage.
I actually think that airguns do not need humans to demonstrate the precision they are truly capable of. I believe they are able to put pellets on top of another if they did it themselves in a gravity-less shooting range (if such a thing were to exist) where they are suspended and can operate on their own. That said, one of the key principles to extracting the most accuracy from an air rifle is the minimization of human input as much as possible.
Many times I read posts about a beginning shooter excited to have received his newly-arrived and expensive masterpiece only to be disappointed later because he could not get the accuracy he had read about in the forums, reports, magazines, et cetera. The problem is the individual himself with yet-to-be-developed marksmanship skills. Manufacturers of precision airguns should include a statement on the box and manual that states something like this: NOTE: THIS IS A PRECISION INSTRUMENT. ANY MISSES, BUYER-REMORSE, OR WOUNDED ANIMALS ARE THE RESULTS OF YOUR LACK OF SKILL AND EXPERIENCE! How would that make you feel?
I understand the frustration and disappointment people feel, though, when their gun isn’t doing what it is guaranteed to do because I experienced it myself before. I felt the guilt of having spent hard-earned, musk-scented, sweat-laden, and dirt-smeared dineros on an airgun I had initially thought was going to send not three, not two, but one pellet only to flick the off switch of a sparrow at fifty yards away or etch my initials on target-paper pellet after consecutive pellet. Because of this I kept it in storage for moths and spiders to call their high-tech home.
My shooting skills have improved greatly since then, and I can honestly say that I have a deeper understanding today of the factors that come into play when it comes to shooting accurately. I don’t have any military shooting background. Neither did I ever graduate in the summa cum laude class with a certification in bullseye-busting bad-assery. I attribute my present skills to a better understanding of the physics that govern a rifle from the moment of trigger pull to the end of the shot cycle. To go along with that, it was from lots and lots of practice and pellets. I don’t compete though… someday, maybe.
As a former educator, I can confidently say that the learning process, although often slow and bitter in the initial stages, always turns out to be very rewarding because it reaps pleasure and sweetness in the end. A problem always has a solution, but for disgruntled airgunners it is the road to discovering the solution that they don’t like to tread. They like to take shortcuts and spend more money to quickly get them where they want to be only to be even more frustrated and walk away from airgunning forever. Furthermore, with a precision tool designed to make a pellet repeatedly land on the point-of-aim, still, they usually end up questioning its accuracy when they don’t get it from the gun. They would then think that it should be as easy as writing a letter of the alphabet. After all, it is labeled as a “precision instrument” (If only they thought about how much and what it took for them to write the letter “A” when they were younger.). Shortly after, they tear into their gun, adjusting its valve, polishing a part here and there, changing spring rates, adjusting velocity, blaming the scope, and what have you (feel free to add onto the list).
I like to put things in perspective and to the test. I like to study mechanisms of personal interest and observe and gain insight of the dynamics that surround them in order to learn as much as I can so that I have a solid basis for their application or use in other applications. More importantly, just because I no longer teach does not mean I have lost the desire to share what I have learned. Conversely, I like to learn from sensible others also and the experiences they possess of the same subject matter. So if you have something to add to this or want to share your ideas, feel free to do so.
All right then, let’s get on with it, shall we? Firstly, in a response to a post by bullpup airgun tuner, Ernest Rowe, titled “Mutant Shorty Shot Count in 20 and 25 FPE” in the “Taipan Mutant” forum, I stated a little bit about managing an air rifle’s recoil. However, I did not give a detailed explanation on how to do so. So, this post reveals a bit more information that I was reluctant to provide in that response in the form of tips. The premise of this post is on recoil-management and on concentrating on how to effectively guide the pellet to its point-of-aim before pulling the trigger and thereafter. Note that I stated in the response that pre-charged pneumatic (PCPs) airguns also recoil and the reasons why with respect to Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion, so I feel I do not need to discuss that further here.
In keeping perspective of my background as a former educator, and for lack of a better analogy, launching a pellet to its intended impact point is akin to successfully preparing a child to go off on his or her own. You have to be patient and set a straight, forward, but focused path. In the interest of shooting, you have to take into consideration the external stimuli and their potential to derail the pellet’s intended flight path (similar to protecting a child from negative influences in his or her attempts at success). Factors like wind strength and its direction, instability of the shooting bench, the amount of coffee ingested, heartbeat rate, scope parallax, shooting position and posture, pellet weight and the influence it has on its trajectory, etc., will affect the direction of pellet travel. In this post, I assume you already know about these things. So keep this in mind when reading the tips below. Okay, I’ll end my blabbering here.
Tip 1: Get comfortable in your shooting position
When positioning yourself to line up a shot, it is important not to feel like you are forcing the rifle to the point-of-aim. Ignore this first tip and you can forget about proceeding any further. I can guarantee that if you take a shot while not considering this crucial step your pellet is going to land somewhere else other than your point-of-aim (If you do actually hit what you were aiming at, consider it luck.). The sensation you should get is one in which you feel planted and stationary and that the rifle is steady. Make every effort to ensure that the rifle is not being torqued into its aim point, nor is your hand on the forearm and pistol grip applying any lateral pressure. You should feel relaxed and unrestrained. At the same time, you should have very minimal contact with the rifle. Cheek pressure should be to the extent that your cheek is only “kissing” the cheek-piece of the stock.
Tip 2: Find the rifle’s natural point-of-aim
Once you have come to a comfortable shooting position, it is time to find your rifle’s natural point-of-aim (NPA). This is very critical in establishing a steady sight picture. NPA occurs when the scope’s reticle does not move from its aim point even when you temporarily fix your gaze on something else (without moving your head) instead of the crosshairs and aim point for several seconds and finding that the crosshairs remain fixed to the aim point when you return to view them. When you have arrived at this juncture, you will discover that your muscles are not exerting any tension and applying pressure on the rifle at all, which is what you are after. As stated earlier, the key is minimal contact with the rifle.
Tip 3: Pay careful attention to the crosshairs and target
Because you do not have superhuman vision, you cannot detect even the tiniest movement of the rifle’s barrel from the aim point. After all, it’s the barrel that should be the reference point and tell you if you have deviated from its set position. Fortunately for you, you have your scope to aid you in your efforts to maintain a steady aim and correct sight picture. The scope should project a clear, crisp sight picture whereby the reticle is sharp and the target is clearly focused. This is important as having a clear image will help to eliminate parallax error (a phenomena in which the target appears to move away from the reticle when you move your head vertically and or laterally). More importantly, the crosshairs should not be drifting away from the point-of-aim; they should remain still for about fifteen seconds or longer.
Tip 4: Practice trigger control
Practice trigger control in the middle of taking a shot, you ask? Absolutely! I did mention about being patient earlier didn’t I? Don’t be too trigger-happy and rush the shot. This is one of the most critical steps to precision shooting. When I say practice trigger control before taking the shot, it is for two reasons (This is one of a few secrets of my shooting technique). The first one is to confirm that you have followed the first three tips above correctly. The second reason is to prepare for the straight launch of the pellet. So now you’re probably wondering how on Earth trigger-control can be practiced when the gun is cocked and loaded. This is what I do. I like to use the back part of the trigger – the curved wall directly behind it – and pretend that it is actually a trigger that is at its second stage. I would pull that part and pay attention to the reticle and see if it moves. If the crosshairs move away from the target sideways, up, or down, I go back to doing what is mentioned in tips 1 to 3. Most of the time, it’s just a matter of adjusting my hand on the pistol grip, my elbows, or releasing pressure on the cheek-piece. Sometimes I make all these adjustments.
I cannot emphasize this enough: THE CROSSHAIRS MUST ABSOLUTELY NOT MOVE UP, DOWN, LEFT, OR RIGHT WHEN TESTING TRIGGER PULL! Make the necessary adjustments to ensure that this does not occur. Remember this: Any unwanted movement is going to be magnified when the shot breaks. If the crosshairs do stay stationary when pressing on the area behind the trigger, then proceed to the next tip.
Tip 5: Slowly and smoothly pull the trigger
This is what I think is the most important step to accurate shooting. All the things you did in tips 1 to 4 are riding on careful pulling of the trigger. As practiced in tip 4, apply the same manner-of-pull slowly and smoothly while keeping an eye on the crosshairs’ movement in relation to the point-of-aim. If you detect even a slight horizontal or vertical movement of the crosshairs, let go of the trigger and try again. Of course, you need to make sure that when pulling the trigger you are also applying correct breathing technique. I like to inhale fully, let out half of my breath, pause then smoothly pull the trigger in between heartbeats or pulses until the shot breaks.
Tip 6: Freeze!
When the rifle has fired you are not done. Do not even bring your trigger finger forward! This is a common mistake many shooters make. Leave your trigger position where it was when the shot broke. Additionally, your body position must continue to remain the way it was prior to the shot. This must all be done until the pellet hits AND until the rifle has stopped moving completely. And don’t take your eye off the crosshairs. Pay attention to its movement during the shot all the way to the stop. This is essentially what is called follow-through.
As per Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion, every action has an equal, opposite reaction. Simply stated, the rifle will impart movement that is the reverse movement made by the discharged pellet. Your job is to keep that movement of the rifle straight backwards – the preferred type of recoil movement. If everything has been done perfectly the reticle should appear to remain steady, but the gun has actually moved as per Newton’s law. This is an indication that the rifle has recoiled straight back and is exactly what you want it to do. It is difficult to see (or not see, rather), but you should be able to feel it. Sometimes, the reticle will move vertically upwards. This movement is also a good indication that all the steps have correctly been executed (remember Newton’s law).
The information mentioned in these tips is what I have used to develop a technique that has allowed me to extract as much accuracy as I can from my air rifles. Utilizing this technique has also enabled me to call my shots; before a shot breaks I can almost predict where the pellet is going to land, and if it hits an unintended part of the target I know that it was my fault and not my gun. When doing all the steps become second nature you can almost feel the shot even when shooting in the wind. You also become more competent in applying holdover and hold-under in a variety of distances when shooting. It’s a wonderful feeling, and it took me a number of years to develop. I am sure that with much quality practice time, you too can develop this feeling. It is what inspires confidence in shooting. And I believe it is that confidence that makes shooting more enjoyable.
Shoot safe and have fun guys!
– Spinj
All Replies
One way of comprehending how not to introduce pressure is by doing something like this: let the gun rest while it is aimed at a target. Next, look through your scope; when you bring your firing hand into position the crosshairs should not move away from your aim point. The aim here (excuse the pun) is to let your firing hand function to merely pull the trigger and not be used as additional support in holding the rifle. When slowly pulling the trigger, once you have followed what has been delineated so far, you will see that the crosshairs of your scope stay fixed to your point-of-aim.
ADDENDUM: When pulling the trigger, the motion of your trigger finger should be straight back. Try to draw an imaginary line that runs straight from the center of the trigger shoe to the rear center of the butt of the stock or grip. What I like to do instead is focus on the crosshairs, and as I pull the trigger I imagine that I am reeling them into my sighting eye. It is kind of like how an aircraft ground marshall guides a plane in front of him onto the runway with his two batons.
In order for the pellet to fly straight everything has to be straight! The front and rear bags as well as the movement of your hands and trigger finger-pull has to follow one line and one line only. If these are done perfectly, the crosshairs/sights of your gun will stay glued to the point-of-aim as stated in the article. However, the rifle is actually moving as you slowly pull the trigger, only it is doing so straight back. You just cannot see it; if you are shooting off hand, though, you can feel it move. This is an indication that you have done everything right and are ready to fire.
Hello all! Here is an article on shooting precision to complement the others posted in the past.
Did some precision shooting today. Here’s a 30-shot group at 27 yards. Shooting that much pellets into one group requires serious consistency in shooting technique on my part; because I powered down my Cricket and am shooting the 18-grain pellets at 515 FPS, I need to be as consistent and discliplined as I can (due to pellet dwell time in the barrel).
Another accuracy issue comes from scope parallax. You probably have noticed that even though you’ve focused the target as clearly as you can, there still is some parallax present. Or, if you eliminated it completely to the point in where the reticle is still when you move your head around, you’ve found that the target is a bit blurry. It’s because the ocular lens is not properly adjusted so that parallax is nonexistent when the image (target) is sharply in focus. This is perhaps one reason why some shooters blame their scope for POI issues. Sure you can minimize the effect of parallax by keeping a consistent cheek weld to counteract this issue, but I think it’s better to feel confident knowing that the image is parallax-free at shooting distance when the image is clear, especially when you do not have the means to keep the rifle very still while you do the head dance thing to check for it. Plus, it’s also good when a problem such as this is taken out of the picture (excuse the pun) to increase precision in shooting.
The common advice is to first adjust the ocular lens to a setting that projects a clear reticle to your own eyesight. For some scopes, however, when this is done first and it’s time to focus the objective lens to its clearest at the distance you’re target is at, both the reticle and target is still not in the same focal plane. I’ve discovered this on both of my Hawke Sidewinders. This could be one reason why you are experiencing POI issues.
Here’s how to correct the problem. First, you need to adjust the ocular lens until the reticle appears crisp – this is preliminary only. Next, view an object at a specific distance, for example a flower at 25 yards, and focus it by adjusting the objective lens as clearly as you can. When you’ve completed this, set your rifle still and fixed to the object and move your head around to see if there is parallax error. If there is, continue to adjust the objective lens until you no longer see the reticle move. You may find that you’ve gone beyond the setting from the one which projected a crisp image and now the image is a bit blurry. Not to worry. Go back to the ocular lens and turn the knob clockwise/counterclockwise until the object is sharply focused then test again to see if parallax is nonexistent. If there is no more parallax, you may find that the reticle has lost a bit of its sharpness/clarity (it shouldn’t be too drastic though). But this is okay because your goal is to have confidence that parallax is corrected when your target is sharply focused. Once the ocular lens has been properly adjusted you no longer have to touch it.
Try this test out. You may be surprised.
Cheers!
When the shot breaks, my index finger will remain in the same position and won’t be brought forward until the gun has completely stopped moving – THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!
I need to add more clarity on the statement I made (above) on the post about trigger control. When I say that my trigger finger remains in the same position until the shot cycle, I mean that it is in a position at the end of the trigger’s second-stage travel and remains there until the completion of the shot cycle. Specifically, when pulling the trigger, the index finger should continue to keep moving straight rearwards after the shot breaks while following it up with follow-through. Remember, trigger technique is everything when making a precise shot!
One thing I need to make clear is that when experimenting with your shooting technique, it is absolutely critical that you do so in perfect conditions — indoors or in no-wind environments. If you are doing this even in slight wind (even with a 2 MPH wind with changing directions as close as 15 yards) you’re going to get inconsistent groups and a lot of frustration. It’s better to nail the technique down in no-wind conditions then go off and try to master shooting in the wind. If you don’t have access to an indoor range, try to shoot very early in the morning when there is usually no wind.
Below is a chart that shows how POI can change depending on wind direction. Try to think about how birds and airplanes fly according to the wind. If the air changes due to even slight wind, the pellet’s flight path will be affected.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/goodgrouper/Copy3ofwind_chart_1.jpg
Continuing from the previous post, below are a couple of photos that illustrate the way my shooting hand and arm is positioned whenever I shoot.
In combination with proper trigger finger position and control, the photo below shows how my arm appears when preparing for a shot. Notice how my forearm is parallel to the rifle’s stock. This ensures that when I engage in the trigger-pulling process, the motion of my trigger finger follows a straight line and pulls in the direction of my elbow.
This photo shows what I think is a “hit-or-miss” type of arm angle. This is what I commonly see shooters at the range doing. The reason why this doesn’t work for me is because of the reason stated above. If you try to counteract this, you’re very likely to have inconsistent point-of-impact. Naturally, your index finger is going to pull towards your elbow. So, it’s better to have your elbows straight and parallel to the rifle in the first place.
Here are a couple of photos of some shooting done today. The first picture shows a 25-shot group at 27 yards. The second picture shows a 14-shot group achieved at the same distance.
This photo shows a pellet propped on top of a twig which I attempted to hit.
Here’s the pellet after the shot.
In an ongoing thread dedicated to helping struggling shooters improve their shooting technique, here again is a post which delves deeper into trigger technique and control. Once everything else before follow-through that was stated in the first post have been implemented faithfully, the principle of good trigger technique is essential to precisely directing your pellet onto your intended point-of-aim.
First, in order to get a real good perspective on how your trigger finger pressure affects the movement of the rifle, it may help to emulate the position of your trigger hand when you are actually shooting. Pretend you are shooting and set up your shooting hand as you normally would on the pistol grip of your rifle and pull your index finger as if you’re actually pulling the trigger. Look carefully at the direction your index finger moves. That movement is going to be transferred onto the gun during the shot cycle. Your goal is to impart onto the trigger face a straight motion backwards.
The photo below shows how not to position your trigger finger. If you find that this is how yours looks like when you are shooting you need to adjust your gun’s length-of-pull or the thickness of the grip (e.g. with camo wrap). Or, you may need to adjust the trigger shoe so that when you wrap your hand around the pistol grip the tip of your index finger is not angled inwards or towards your palm. Don’t worry if your trigger or length-of-pull cannot be mechanically adjusted; you can move your hand slightly rearwards until you’ve achieved a position which eliminates this.
The photo below shows how my hand is setup when I’m shooting. Notice how my index finger is positioned before actually pulling the trigger. During the process of pulling, however, my index finger becomes parallel to my rifle’s trigger face once it clears the slack on the first stage of the trigger setup. More importantly, the movement becomes a straight backwards one. When the shot breaks, my index finger will remain in the same position and won’t be brought forward until the gun has completely stopped moving – THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! Also, notice in the photo the area marked which indicates where my fingertip contacts the trigger face. Imagine shooting a 30-06 with the type of hold described below!
A shooter’s hand will obviously be of a different size from another person’s own, so it is crucial that you find which region on the first pad of your index finger allows you to
contact the trigger face that doesn’t allow any sideways movement. You may have seen or read about of some professionals say that the best area to place the pad of your index finger is in between the tip and the first joint. But that’s true if your hand or your gun is the same as theirs. Every shooter’s situation is different, so you’re going to have to experiment which setup suits you the best.
This is a 25-shot group at 27 yards achieved from my TX200 spring-piston rifle done last week. With practice I’m sure you can achieve this or better! Good luck!
Cheers!
Ginuwine, I use duct tape on my target box because it is able to show the true size of my shot groups. Paper tends to tear easily at the edges when the pellet strikes it. Inside the target box are old jeans. When it gets too heavy, I remove the pellets and put them in a container so I can recycle them in the future.
Spinj: What is you’re target box stuffed with? I see it is covered with duct tape which is a very good idea. I am curently puting magazins and or phone books in my target boxes.
The shooter in this video attempts to demonstrate follow-through: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwCqiMj3XYY In my opinion, he did not do a good job doing so. Proper follow-through should also involve not bringing forward the trigger finger right when the shot breaks which the shooter in this video did. Moving the trigger finger will impart unwanted movement during the firing cycle. The trigger finger is supposed to continue rearwards right when the shot breaks and should not be brought forward until the rifle has stopped of all movement. The entire process should involve the shooter keeping to the same position as he/she was in before the shot broke and all the way until the rifle comes to a complete stop.
Follow-through should also be used as a means of observing the firing behavior of the rifle. This way, the shooter is able to track the movement of the reticle so that he/she is able to adjust shooting technique if he/she has observed that the reticle sloppily moved all over the place, which is indicative of incorrect shooting technique. Through proper technique (finding the rifle’s natural point-of-aim, proper breathing, trigger control, and follow-through), the rifle should recoil straight back and not sideways, up, or down. The reticle can show you this if follow-through has been correctly implemented.
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Thanks amjadck! The scope I am using is a Hawke Sidewinder 4-16X50. The magnification was set to 10X when I shot all the groups in the photos posted on this thread.
Nice shooting. what scope are you using?
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Did another practice session shooting in the wind with my Cricket .22. The wind was blowing very unpredictably; it would blow from 5-10 MPH.
Here’s my practice group of the day (28 shots at 27 yards)
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TRIGGER CONTROL
By Spinj
That fictional character’s name pictured in my avatar is Bullseye. He exists in the Marvel universe as one of Daredevil’s nemeses and likes to proclaim that he never misses. He has the uncanny ability to hit anything he aims at using whatever he has at his disposal as the projectile. The only foe he has ever missed a shot attempt on though, according to Marvel canon, is… well… Daredevil. After all, he is the good guy. Since Bullseye is a fictitious shot-expert though, perhaps there may never be a person on Earth having such marksmanship perfection to ever exist. Should there ever be, I believe that will be the day when cows could talk too. If Bullseye is able to hit a tiny-sized object with extreme accuracy using a card as his projectile, imagine his skills behind the trigger of a gun!
Of all the techniques I stated in my articles, the most critical one to pull off (no pun intended) in precision shooting, in my opinion, is trigger control. For the uninitiated or casual shooter, pulling the trigger may seem like an easy operation. Pulling perfect trigger-pull, however, is something else entirely. Unless you are Bullseye, if you ever tried shooting targets the size of a pea at thirty yards or the thin side of a playing card at fifty yards, you know how difficult it is to hit them, even in perfect conditions… on the first shot. And I am certain in saying that it was never the fault of your gun or pellet when you missed. I like to think that as long as a pellet is not unstable in flight or spiraling, the mistake is downright shooter error if the result is a missed shot.
Every gun, whether it is powered by air or powder, will always exhibit recoil. The more powerful the gun is the greater the recoil it exhibits. It is as simple as that. The motion from recoil is so quick it begins right before the projectile is ejected out of the barrel. Neglect any part of or being off just a bit on proper shooting technique and you can bet that your pellet is going to land elsewhere other than what is behind the crosshairs. A millimeter of movement during a shot cycle will translate into wide grouping particularly at greater-than-decent distances. This is why consistency in everything during the process of lining up a shot is crucial to accuracy. From getting into a shooting position all the way to follow-through, being consistent is essential if you want to hit what you are attempting to hit. It is so that the barrel moves to the same position every time during a firing cycle.
Movement is non-preventable during recoil. However, we want to make sure that the movement of a rifle is straight backwards for it is the preferred movement. At least this is what I believe. One way of letting a rifle move straight rearwards is through perfect trigger technique, and thus is the topic of this article. Trigger control is one aspect of shooting that can make or break a perfect shot. The beauty of perfect trigger pull is that even if you are a bit off in your shooting position or natural-point-of-aim (NPA), at its worse, the pellet will land very close to your aim point or sometimes exactly on it, granted everything else was done right and that the trigger broke exactly when the crosshairs were directly superimposed on the target.
It is impossible to prescribe a method which every shooter should adapt to because every shooter has his/her unique way of pulling the trigger. Moreover, every shooter’s hand size and finger’s angle-of-pull is different from others. However, I must say that good trigger technique is very effective when combined with a rest or hold that prevents a rifle from moving sideways or vertically when the trigger is pulled. One of the ways I test this before firing a shot is pretending that the area behind the trigger is actually a trigger. I pull that in the same manner I do when actually pulling the trigger while looking at the crosshairs. If they move horizontally or vertically then it means that my shooting position, hold, or rest the gun is on is set up incorrectly. I make the adjustments until they stay lined up with my aim point when I perform this test.
Having a very light trigger certainly makes things easier, but it does not necessarily mean that a gun with a fair pull-weight will be outshined. It is how pressure is applied to the trigger face that is more important. My method of doing this is through a series of “pulse-pulls.” I do not complete the entire pull in one stroke. Rather, my finger applies “very light” pressure in increments until the shot breaks. I do this because I am slowly and lightly applying very little force a step at a time and not too much all at once so that I do not disturb the sight picture. Moreover, the motion of my finger is one that does not exert any lateral pressure, just straight to the rear. It is very difficult to perceive any lateral pressure despite the crosshairs appearing stationary. It is because you are trying to offset it with your firing hand (or non-firing hand). However, right at the moment when the shot breaks, that sideways force is released resulting in the muzzle moving in that same direction, thus ruining the shot. It is like when you attempt to stretch a rubber band by pulling one end and stopping at a certain point; the rubber band appears to stay still because you are containing that energy. When you let go of the other end, though, the stored energy is released and goes in the direction of the pulled end. I hope this explanation puts things in greater perspective.
Whichever method you prefer to utilize in pulling the trigger is totally up to you. Know though that perfect trigger technique is one that includes a careful, smooth and light pressure application. And as always, it must be consistent.
Shoot safe and have fun guys!