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Breath Control was last updated: 20091228 1801

Breath Control
Breath control is important to the aiming process. If the shooter
breathes while trying to aim, the rise and fall of his chest will cause the rifle
to move vertically. The shooter breathes while he does sight alignment, but he
must be able to hold his breath to complete the process of aiming. To properly
hold his breath, the shooter inhales, exhales normally, and stops at the
moment of natural respiratory pause. If the shooter does not have the correct
sight picture, he must change his position.

A respiratory cycle lasts 4 to 5 seconds. Inhalation and exhalation
require only about 2 seconds. Thus, between each respiratory cycle, there is a
pause of 2 to 3 seconds. This pause can be expanded to 12 to 15 seconds
without any special effort or unpleasant sensation; however, the maximum
safe pause is 8 to 10 seconds. The shooter must fire the shot during an
extended pause between breaths or start the process over again. During the
respiratory pause, the breathing muscles are relaxed and the shooter thus
avoids straining the diaphragm.

A shooter should assume his position and breathe naturally until his
hold begins to settle. Many shooters then take a slightly deeper breath, exhale
and pause, expecting to fire the shot during the pause. If the hold does not
settle sufficiently to allow the shot to be fired, the shooter resumes normal
breathing and repeats the process.

The respiratory pause should never feel unnatural. If the pause is
extended for too long, the body suffers from oxygen deficiency and sends out
signals to resume breathing. These signals produce slight involuntary
movements in the diaphragm and interfere with the shooter's ability to
concentrate. The heart rate also increases and there is a decrease of oxygen to
the eyes. This lack of oxygen causes the eyes to have difficulty focusing and
results in eyestrain. During multiple, rapid-fire engagements, the breathing
cycle should be forced through a rapid, shallow cycle between shots instead of
trying to hold the breath or breathing. Firing should be accomplished at the
forced respiratory pause.

The natural tendency of the rifle to rise and fall during
breathing allows the shooter to fine-tune his aim by holding his breath at
the point in which the sights rest on the aiming point.