When should you keep your finger off the trigger?

• A. Until you have identified your target and are ready to shoot.
• B. Only when loading.
• C. After you shoot.
• D. When your sights are aligned.

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is safe trigger discipline. Your finger should stay off the trigger until you have clearly identified your target and are ready to shoot. This means you’ve verified what you’re aiming at, what’s beyond it, and there are no unintended targets in the line of fire, so a deliberate decision to fire can be made.

This is why the best option is to keep your finger off the trigger until you’ve identified the target and are ready to shoot. Merely having your sights aligned or waiting for other steps doesn’t guarantee safety. Aligning sights helps with aiming, but it doesn’t ensure you’ve identified the target or that you’re prepared for a shot. Trigger discipline is about preventing accidental discharge, not about the act of aiming. Likewise, touching the trigger during loading or after a shot defeats the safety principle, since the trigger should be engaged only when the decision to fire is made.