Shooting terms, in plain words.

Short definitions of the words shooters and coaches use most.

Group size: How tightly a set of shots clusters, wherever the cluster sits. A small group means a repeatable shot.
MPI (mean point of impact): The average position of a group of shots. It shows consistent bias relative to the centre.
Consistency: How little your results vary from shot to shot and session to session.
Hold: How steadily the sights stay on the aiming area before the shot breaks.
Trigger control: Releasing the shot without disturbing the aim.
Follow-through: Keeping position and focus for a moment after the shot has gone.
Dry fire: Practising the shot process without ammunition or pellets.
Decimal scoring: Scoring each shot to a tenth of a point, up to 10.9, used in finals and electronic scoring.
ISSF: The International Shooting Sport Federation, which sets the rules for Olympic-programme shooting.
Qualification: The first round of a match, which decides who goes through to the final.

Put it to use

Keep these numbers in a shooter diary and watch the trend. See performance analytics explained.