Just the Tips: Trigger Control

Y’all, I think Prince had a song about this.

If you ninjas are out there getting weak-ass accuracy out of your guns, maybe your problem is that you don’t understand the shooting fundamental that is trigger control. So many clowns don’t get that it’s not all about you—you gotta learn how to master that trigger if you wanna get right into the center of that ring over and over again. Trigger control is all about making sure you use your finger exactly the way your gun likes it every time, even and especially if you’re getting tired. Here’s how to get all the love you want at the range.

1-Find Your Finger’s Sweet Spot

The sweet spot on your trigger finger is, basically, the part that’s both the most sensitive and the part that gives you the smoothest angle when you make that little “come here” gesture all the ladies love. If you’re curious about how to do that, there’s some advice here that kinda makes me feel funny in my pants, like climbing the rope in gym class. (And while you’re at it, you should probably clip your nails nice and short…)

2-Find Your Trigger’s Sweet Spot

Finding the sweet spot on the trigger is a little tougher than finding the one on your own finger, but come on, Juggalos: It ain’t all that hard. There’s only a couple of inches of it and it’s gotta be there somewhere. Putting your finger high on the trigger means you gotta push harder, while placing your finger just a little lower will make the trigger feel lighter. You’ve gotta find your Goldilocks “just right” spot, because you need to get that finger in exactly the same spot every time to get, you know, a consistent feeling.

3-Just Keep Doing That

The biggest mistake some ninjas make with trigger control is that once they start getting some hits on the X-Ring, they get all excited and start slamming that trigger like it owes them money. That’s the fastest way to get yourself right out of the cotton-candy zone; instead, you’ve gotta stay consistent and keep that steady, gentle squeeze that was working for you a minute ago. Another big mistake some clowns make is they stop paying attention to their wobble. Introducing a little wobble at this stage might seem like a good idea, but it ain’t—all that bouncing looks like a good time, but it’s actually just you getting too eager. (I’ve got some wobble-reducing Just the Tips here, if you’re interested.) Don’t get ahead of yourself by anticipating all the good stuff to come—just keep doing what was working before as steadily and consistently as you can and you’ll be satisfied eventually.

D. Range Ducats

D. Range Ducats, a semi-retired Chairborne Ranger, is fueled by Faygo and Funyons. He uses all of the time he saves by not cleaning his secondhand tattoo gun to convince readers to let him give them just a tip...or ten.

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