There are many techniques that go into good shooting. One often overlooked fundamental is breathing correctly, as many people don’t realize that this is one of the most important shooting techniques.

Our bodies are very stressed throughout the day. Shooting accurately requires a smooth, jerk-free trigger pull with the sights lined up correctly. That is difficult to do when your heart is beating fast and your hands are shaking.

Using a breathing technique has the power to slow down your heart rate and focus your actions. The next time you grab a pistol from the gun safe, try using the 4-7-8 technique.

The first step is to close your mouth and breathe in deeply for four seconds. After that, hold your breath for seven seconds. Exhale for about eight seconds. Don’t pull the trigger until you are mid exhale. This may not feel entirely natural; it is therefore important to focus on breathing deeply and pull the trigger as you exhale slowly. The pull of the trigger should be slow and smooth just like the breath you are exhaling.

This is just one of the many breathing strategies for shooters. The important thing to remember next time you take your firearms out from the gun safe for a bit of target practice is to breathe deeply. Remembering this technique, especially if your stressful career requires gun handling, will help keep your shots right on target.