The following information comes from The Elusive Ten by William Reichenbach. The Elusive Ten is also available to purchase in print.
Now, my friends, we come to a chapter which may give the impression of having very little importance. Yet, I assure you, it is very essential. I think a good definition of what I have in mind would be:
When bringing the gun forward into shooting position try to describe with your hand a harmonious oval in an easy flowing, continuous movement.
The intent is more in the nature of an autosuggestion, namely through an easy continuous flow of movement to abolish any and all jerkiness.
Jerks, abrupt and angular movements, are detrimental to the creation of the perfect atmosphere, in which all fibres in the whole body, through absolute relaxation (with the exception of one little part of the trigger finger), work together in ideal coordination.
To be explicit—with the cocked gun in your hand pointed upward and forward at an angle of 45 degrees, start a movement from your shoulder in the direction of the target (describing a flat arc)—aim—squeeze—hold the trigger—continue the arc flatly down and backwards—back to your body—release the trigger at the end of the completed oval—relax.
Again. Cock your gun. Start again from the shoulder (with the muzzle forward)—describe the first and upper part of the oval, in the direction of the target—aim—squeeze—hold trigger down—complete arc back to your body—release trigger—relax.
And the same with every shot.
This constant arc-movement, comprising, as it does, the follow-through (also found in golfing parlance), by keeping the trigger compressed after the shoot, refers to Slow Fire only. In Time and Rapid Fire the gun is kept forward.
A deeply hidden precautionary measure is also put into practice. Never is the gun pointed carelessly at objects which are not meant to be aimed at.
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