The initial target was generally a flat washer the size of a silver dollar. McDaniel would balance it on the third finger of his right hand and loft it straight up into the air in such a way that it would remain parallel to the ground as it rose and fell, and he would give it a spin for stability with his thumb and forefinger as it left his hand. He would throw it about a foot in front of the student so that it would rise 10 or 12 feet and then fall straight down again. McDaniel would tell the student to hold his gun at a high port-arms (diagonally in front of him with the barrel tilted up) initially and to look up in the air. When the washer entered the student's field of view, he would focus upon it and follow its flight, and move both forearms to pivot the gun to seat the butt against his shoulder, with the stock against his cheek, and pull the trigger the instant the gun was seated.