Glossary

Predicting where a shot landed from what you observed during the shot, before you look at the target.

A set of shots fired under the same intended conditions, treated as one unit of evidence.

The average position of the shots in a group, also called the mean point of impact.

How closely the shots in a group sit together, commonly described by extreme spread.

The averaged impact position of a group of shots.

The distance between the two furthest-apart shots in a group.

How widely shots are distributed, and in what shape — round, vertical, horizontal, diagonal or irregular.

A shot that lands clearly outside the pattern formed by the rest of the group.

The geometric relationship between the front and rear sight.

The aligned sights seen in relation to the aiming area on the target.

The forward sighting element on the barrel or slide.

The rearward sighting element, usually a notch or aperture.

Aiming with the sights held below the black aiming area rather than on it.

Aiming with the sights on the centre of the aiming area.

Where the sights settle when the body is relaxed in position, without muscular correction.

Continuing the shooting process through and immediately after the shot.

The moment the trigger releases the shot.

Operating the trigger without unnecessarily disturbing sight alignment.

Practising the shot process without live ammunition, where this is safe and appropriate for the firearm.

The sight setting that places the group centre where you intend it to be at a given distance.

The area within which your sights remain while you hold on the target.

Another name for the moving area covered by the sights during the hold.

How closely repeated shots land to each other.