Aim Small, Miss Small?

[HoosierQ]

Hope this is the right place for this.

Just watched The Patriot...fun movie if not very accurate.

We all know the scene with the Mel Gibson and the boys doing the ambush to rescue Heath Ledger. "Aim Small, Miss Small".

Is this just a movie line or is this something real? I have tried to think about it and the only thing I can think of is the concept of maintaining focus on the front sight at all times, and placing that front sight on target. But that doesn't seem to fit.

Any ideas?

 

[DHJenkins]

I always thought me meant aim at something specific, light the button on someone's shirt, instead of just aiming genercially at center of mass.

 

[Stirling XD]

When I was young learning to shoot, my dad always told me to aim at as small of a point as possible. When hunting, I was told not to aim at the animal or even the kill zone of that animal, but at as small of a spot within the kill zone of that animal. I don't like shooting at targets 6 inch diameter black circles. I would rather shoot at 1 inch diameter circle. So I prefer to aim small. That doesn't mean that I always miss small. That's just me. I look forward to other opinions as well.

 

[peyton]

I agree with Stirling XD, especially with new shooters, they tend to see the animal instead of the spot where they want the bullet to hit. I explain for them to shoot and be able to tell me where the sights were just as they squeezed the trigger. Shot placement and follow through are critical when hunting. A lot less lost game that way, or the different from 1st place in the match to just "attendee".

 

[LeverGunJunkie]

Hoosier;
Would love to add something to your thread, but all the other responders are dead-on. Took me a while to figure that one out the first time I saw the movie. If you think about it, it is sage advice.

 

[HoosierQ]

Ok will this is good advice.

At my outdoor range, we have to wait until the firing line is clear to set up our targets...obviously...no pulley system.

When I get there, there is a chunk of a cardboard box already pasted up there and it invariable has some logos or trademarks or writing on it. Rather than wait, I just pick out a letter and shoot at that...and I hit it. On time, the cardboard was a diaper box and I had a little two inch teddy bear to shoot at.

Makes a lot of sense.

 

[MT GUNNY]

I think it means, if you aim at a small part of something you want to hit, and you miss that spot you will still hit the Target as a hole.

For instance: If you aim at a human eye ball, shoot, and hit between the two eyeballs you "missed small" Get it?

 

[Blakenzy]

I think it means, if you aim at a small part of something you want to hit, and you miss that spot you will still hit the Target as a hole.

Excellent description. True, except in the situation where you come down with a bad case of "flinchitis", then you'll miss big regardless of your aiming method. When I first started shooting, I had "1-yard-group-itis".

 

[DawgsFan_07]

I sniper I know who was in the Rangers told me he was taught to aim at a button or an exact spot on the head.

 

[cavman]

Flinchitis is right. Avoid at all cost.

If the goal is to hit the diaper box, and you are aiming at the Teddy Bear's head (just seems so wrong), and a heart beat or what ever moves you to the belly button, trust your trigger pull and keep it going. If you do you will definitely hit the diaper box, which is the actual target. You might still actually hit Teddy.

However, if you say to yourself "oh no!" I am now on the belly button and not the head, and make a last minute adjustment, that entire diaper box might be left unscathed, never mind Teddy.

Aim small, miss small; but trust your trigger pull. Keep it going and that diaper box will be yours all day long!

Gotta have goals in life!

 

[KenWP]

How many people do we know that when hunting ducks shoot at the whole flock instead of a single duck. I am sure that people shoot at the whole herd of deer also.

 

[Pistol Toter]

I prefer the spray and pray method.

 

[Tim Burke]

At the Rogers school the full torso targets (there are only 2 of those) get a spot of red paint in the center to serve as an aiming point. Any hit is scored, but you are supposed to aim at the dot.

 

[shdwfx]

It is true.
For once, the shooting advice in a movie isn't as fictional as the plot.

 

[armoredman]

I can never look at a diaper box the same again...

 

[mcdonl]

How many people do we know that when hunting ducks shoot at the whole flock instead of a single duck.

I was that guy when I was a kid... Had a great spot, great blind, decoys, calls... everyone was getting birds but me. My brother-in-law asked which bird I was aiming for... I laughed...

I guess the only time is may not apply is with defensive shooting... when I practice from the draw with my CCW, I just shoot for CM.... not a shirt button or anything.

 

[ninja45]

I myself shoot for the thread that holds the button in the shirt. ;-)

 

[Big Daddy Grim]

Good quote good movie even with some of the bull

 

[Hardtarget]

Cannot remember who said this, but I like it. " The center of every target is the exact same size." The concept is the center is the size of a pin hole...elephant or mouse, the center is the center.

So, aim small, miss small. If you aim for the pin point and miss by half an inch, you'll still hit the mouse.

Wish I always shot that good!

Mark

 

[Isaac's Grandpa]

Mark Baker gave that advise to Mel when he was teaching him how to load and shoot muzzleloaders for the movie. Mel liked the line so much he had it written in to the movie. Mark had an article on this in Muzzleloader magazine back when the movie came out. Mark is an excellent writer about period trekking.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

"Aim small miss small" is an oxymoron. Why teach people that missing your target is okay? "Aim small hit small" makes much better sense.

 

[JWF III]

I was taught this same thing, but not in rifle terms to start.

My dad being primarily a bird hunter (of which I've followed in his footsteps), got me started hunting on dove shoots at 10 years old. I went a few times and never had any "luck". Well he started coaching me in the art of wingshooting. He told me to disregard the bird, disregard the gun, disregard the bead. Focus on nothing but the tip of the birds beak. What do ya know, it worked. The very next hunt, about a half box into it, and a lot of coaching, I killed my first dove. Focusing on just the tip of the beak puts the rest of the process (lead, squeeze, follow thru, etc.) under control of the subconcious.

It does work. It's not just a line in a movie.

Wyman

 

[hank327]

I learned this concept if not the line when learning to shoot a traditional bow instinctively without the use of sights. I was told to concentrate on the smallest spot on the target that I wanted my arrow to hit. A tiny tuft of hair behind a deers front leg is a good example. It works remarkably well.

 

[10-Ring]

The guy that taught me to shoot used the same comment on me -- he would put a small piece of paper w/ a 3/4" orange dot on the center of it out to about 10-15 yards and 5 rounds. I couldn't stop until the dot was missing. He would end up putting up to 6 dots on the same piece of paper before it would cut in half. I use to thing he was cheap before I realized my accuracy got pretty good.

 

[Makotoseven]

i tell my girl to aim for the heart so she'll hit something (hopefully).