Glossary

A firearm is said to be 'zeroed in' when its sights have been adjusted so that the bullet will hit the center of the target when the sights are properly aligned, and the shooter does not trigger jerk. This is best obtained from a bench rest.

A shorter stock, often ideally sized for teenagers or average-sized women.

A shorter, lighter weight rifle made more for a person of smaller stature, such as a child.

Winchester Magnum Rimfire, also known as .22 Magnum. Cannot be used in .22 LR chambered guns.

Windage refers to the sight adjustment on a firearm used to compensate for the horizontal variation of the projectile's trajectory from the intended point of impact due to wind drift.

Shooter slang for a revolver.

A two-handed pistol shooting position named for its inventor Jack Weaver, a Deputy Sheriff in the 1950s.

A bullet designed with a full diameter flat point for use in a target competition.

Any variety of materials such as felt, paper, cardboard or a plastic disk that are used in a shotshell. In muzzleloading, it's a piece of cloth used to seal the bullet in the barrel.

United States Practical Shooting Association – runs competition events.

The uncomfortable feeling caused by the trigger springing back into the shooter's trigger finger after breaking the trigger seal and firing the gun.

The technical term for the specialized type of hanging scale designed to test trigger pull weight.

An external, passive safety which can be found on the face of some trigger designs that is intended to prevent the trigger from being pulled by objects that should not be inside of the trigger guard.

The actual amount of pressure that the trigger finger must put on the trigger before the gun will fire, measured by the number of pounds and ounces of pressure required to pull the trigger past the break.

A locking device for the trigger mechanism whereby it cannot be fired without first removing it with a key.