I don't know how experienced you are, so I'll toss some basics at ya.
Squuueeeeeeeezzzzeeee the Trigger...Breathing...wind speed & direction...it all becomes much more important the farther away the shot.
I think probably the most helpful thing to start out doing is get a Snap Cap or dummy round and practice firing without the bang. I kinda miss those Laser Bullets you used to could get that would help you correct bad shooting form. When you squeezed the trigger, it would shoot a laser dot out for a few seconds...long enough to see if you were pulling to one side or the other, or breathing and getting up/down motion. Handy lil tools
First you need a STEADY firing positon...bags/bipod/leadsled/etc
Aim the rifle at the target by aligning the target system, and fire the rifle without disturbing the alignment by improper breathing or during the trigger squeeze.
Your left hand grip should be LIGHT with a SLIGHT rearward pressure.
Stock Weld...everone is a little different, but you should practice placing your cheek agains the stock in the same place, same way, EVERY time. The neck should be relaxed and comfortable. If you need to do what archers do and put some kind of a KISS BUMP (like some sort of stick-on thingy) on the stock so you can do it the same way every time.
(Yes, I know some folks cuss the practice, but it's
Consistancy you are looking for, not how clean your stock is. If I want two rubber erasers superglued to my stock for the corner of my mouth & the tip of my nose, I'll USE them...and chances are fairly high I'll be more consistant than the guys next to me, and they won't know why. Besides, you can always remove the superglue with nail polish remover if you later wanna sell the rifle.)
Muscle relaxation...you should be RELAXED...almost not doing anything...just snugging the rifle into the natural pocket of your shoulder a wee bit and holding a good point of aim. Then a gentle Squeeze of the trigger...and it should almost surprise you when it goes BANG!
Focus of the Eye...with proper Stock Weld (also called cheek weld) your eye should naturally line up center with the scope so that you are properly centered. When you aim, shoot for the Center of the Center of the target. Like Samual said, the tinyer the DOT you are shooting at, the more focused on hitting it you have to be
Breath Control...TOTALLY overlooked by probably half the shooters out there. A little Zen Breathing never hurt in learning how to control the intake & exhallation of your air supply. Take a Tai Chi class for a few
Or just join the Army and they'll teach you all the above & more
Or go to a Gun Show and pick up Army Manual 23-9, read it, memorize it, and practice it...
The main thing...Practice, Practice, Practice. Even just plinking with a .22lr will give you Time and Experience that will carry over into just about ANY rifle.
And DEFINITELY find an APPLESEED event near you...you can get better practical knowledge from a few hours on the range with a knowledgable instructor than you can on the internet
