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Firstly, there is absolutely no shame in using Auto Aim or Aim Assists that are built into video games. In fact, when it's there it's a really helpful feature for anyone who wants to enjoy the story or simply some laid-back gaming time. However, there are others who relish the challenge of improving their aim accuracy and skills without assistance.

Grand Theft Auto V is no exception, which is why it is super handy that the developers give you the choice of having Auto Aim turned off or decreased. There are several ways that you can improve your aim with the assistance turned off but some are definitely more effective than others. That being said, which method helps you will depend on what type of gamer you are.

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This guide focuses mainly on how to improve your aim through the story mode. However, some ideas can be applied to GTA Online.

Updated September 17, 2021, by Marie Pritchard: We've tweaked this guide to make the information in it easier for you to access quickly. After all, you need to be fast when you're creating chaos in Los Santos otherwise the Cops will be on your tail. There is still nothing wrong with using auto-aim and aim assist in games, including using auto-aim in Grand Theft Auto Online. Many of the tips in this guide can apply to your Grand Theft Auto Online experience, but you will need to watch your back as more people there can get you.

How To Turn Auto-Aim Off In GTA 5

GTA V Settings Menu Highlighted

When you are in your game, press your pause button to bring up the pause menu. At the top, you will see a menu bar.

Click on the Settings option.

Then you need to click on the first option on the left-hand side, this should be marked as ''Controls''

GTA V Controls Settings Highlighted

In this menu, you'll be able to access the options to adjust your controls.

You need to go to the second option. It will say ''Targeting Mode''.

GTA V Targeting Settings On and Off

To turn Auto-Aim off completely, you need to scroll through the options until you reach Free Aim.

Click on this.

Your Auto-Aim will now be fully turned off.

How To Turn On Auto-Aim in GTA5

You can turn auto-aim on with exactly the same process you take to turn it off:

  • Go into settings on the pause menu
  • Click on Controls
  • Head down to targeting mode
  • Scroll through the options until you find one that suits you.

There are different levels of auto-aim that you can choose from so you can pick which option suits you the best.

How To Calibrate Your Settings To Suit You

GTA V Prologue Mission Trevor Vs Cops First Person POV

Get A Feel For The Aim Sensitivity

In the prologue of the game, you are given a good amount of time to get used to the controls. This includes the general gameplay mechanics and your aim sensitivity.

Your first chance to get used to your aim sensitivity is when you need to aim your weapon at the people in the Bank to usher them into the back room.

GTA V Prologue Mission Herding People Into Cupboard

There is no need to shoot here. You only need to control your gun and get used to your aim.

The face-off with the FIB ambush at the end of the prologue is the next opportunity to get used to the aim controls.

This time, you will have a chance to test the sensitivity with actual game combat.

Adjust Your Settings

GTA V Control Settings Sensitivity

Once you complete the prologue, it's a good time to look at your calibration settings.

As before you need to open your pause menu and hit settings. This will open a small side menu on the left of the screen where you can select the controls option.

You can increase or decrease your aim sensitivity to suit you. You can also adjust a few other control settings too so it's worth looking at them as well.

One of the best things about the GTA 5 control adjustment options is that you can have different calibrations for the first and third-person mode. This means that if you have different playstyles for the different modes, you can adjust your settings accordingly.

Don't worry too much if you don't get it right the first time, you can always adjust the settings throughout the game.

Use Franklin (and Trevor) In Freeplay Mode

GTA V FRANKLIN AND TREVOR

From the very beginning of the game, each character has different levels of skills in certain areas.

Michael has a high shooting level from the very beginning which means it is harder to develop his shooting skill.

His special ability is also based around shooting, therefore he (and subsequently you) are already pretty decent shots from the start.

GTA V Micheal Skill Stats Game Start

However, Franklin's shooting skills are quite low as his specialty from the start is driving. This makes him the perfect character to use in free-play modes to improve your aim.

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He has the most potential for progression in the shooting skill because it's so low when you meet him.

Your personal improvement will be more noticeable whilst playing as him.

Trevor is a good character to use too in free-play, however, his skill in shooting is also quite high from the beginning.

Go To Ammu-Nation Shooting Ranges

GTA V Franklin At Ammu-Nation Shooting Range

Ammu-Nation is the chain store dotted around the game that sells you any and all weaponry that you may need, no questions asked.

There are several stores spread across the map however there are only two that have shooting ranges. The stores with shooting ranges are the perfect places to make your aim better in GTA 5.

The easiest way to identify them is via their logos on the map.

GTA V Map View Ammu-Nation With Shooting Range Logo

Regular Ammu-Nations just have a gun logo. Ammu-Nations with shooting ranges are a Gun logo with a white circle behind it.

Also, if you scroll through the menu on the right-hand side of your map there will be an option to pick an Ammu-Nation with a shooting range.

If you click on this it will show you one of them.

Ammu-Nation With A Shooting Range - Pillbox Hill

GTA V Ammu-Nation With Shooting Range Pillbox Hill

The first Ammu-Nation with a shooting range is based in the City, not too far from the Strip-Club.

You actually visit this store with Lemar and Stretch earlier in the game.

Ammu-Nation With A Shooting Range - Cyprus Flats

GTA V Ammu-Nation With Shooting Range Cyprus Flats

This one is a little bit out of the way. It is part of a medium-sized industrial complex so you'd be forgiven for driving past it thinking it was a warehouse.

How To Use A Shooting Range In GTA 5

GTA V Franklin In Shooting Range Ammu-Nation Pillbox Hill

Head into one of the stores with a range. The counter will be ahead of you with the Ammu-Nation worker standing behind it.

Walk up to the counter then walk to your left, you will see a larger room.

GTA V Franklin In Ammu-Nation Shooting Range Outer Room

Head to the end of the room and to your right there will be a door.

You will see a message pop up in the top left-hand corner of your screen. This will tell you it is a shooting range and it will cost you $14 to use it.

Agree to pay the fee, then you will be taken in.

If you haven't used a range before then there will be a brief but important tutorial on how they work.

What Happens In The Shooting Range?

GTA V Ammu-Nation Shooting Range Menu

In the range, you will be able to choose from a good selection of weapons.

Each weapon has its own set of challenges for you to undertake through different rounds.

If you hit the goals or the timer runs out, your round will end.

There are three levels of rewards you can gather for completing the rounds. They are Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

There are different challenges focusing on different aspects of shooting.

GTA V Franklin In Shooting Range Challenge Shotgun

Some are based solely on accuracy and some are based on speed. This is what makes them so valuable in improving your aim without having auto-aim on.

You can spend as long as you like in the shooting range.

Take your time in here and really focus on improving your skills.

Do Trevor's Rampages With Auto Aim Turned Off

GTA V Trevor's First Rampage Roof Top

Trevor is notorious for losing his temper and going on a mass killing spree. There are missions solely based on this that are called Rampages.

They are perfect for improving your aim as you need to take on hoards of enemies and kill them all in a short amount of time. You will have all the enemies coming for you, so you don't need to run around seeking them out.

You need to do all of this without dying too, so a lot is riding on improving those shooting skills, and sometimes the best way to learn is by throwing yourself in the deep end.

How To Get Trevor's Rampages

GTA V Map View Trevor's Rampage Strangers and Freaks Location

The missions start as a Strangers and Freaks question mark out in Sandy Shores, near the Alamo Sea. You will be able to see this soon after meeting Trevor.

From the map view, go directly left from Trevor's trailer in Sandy Shores and there will be a question mark on a road not too far away.

GTA V Trevor's Rampages Mission Location

Drive over to this and you should see two men sitting outside the Liquor Store. They are about to have a very bad day.

Walk up to them and they will goad Trevor into a Rampage.

GTA V Trevor's Rampage Missions Orange Map Skulls

Once you complete this mission, all of the other Rampages will show up on the map as orange skulls.

Do Cletus's Hunting Missions

GTA V Trevor Talking To Cletus

Cletus is an NPC and one of the very few that Trevor doesn't end up killing. You can only do these missions as Trevor.

The missions from Cletus revolve around improving your skills using a Sniper Rifle and the challenges within this are extremely useful if you want to improve your aim without auto-aim. The tasks you will be given teach you all about precision and patience.

They are perfectly made for you to focus on improving your aim without worrying about getting a five-star wanted level in the process. Although, there are some easy ways to get five stars if that's what you're looking for.

How To Get Cletus's Missions

The mission from Cletus starts as a Strangers and Freaks question mark.

On the map, it is the question mark that is closest to Trevor's trailer.

When you drive past the question mark, you should see Cletus standing outside whilst pointing his Sniper Rifle at the sky.

GTA V Trevor And Cletus Target Practice

To trigger the mission, you need to talk to him.

He will then take you through a few tasks that test your aim on stationary and moving objects.

GTA V Cletus's Mission Shooting Down Satellite Dishes

Once you complete it, he will mention to you about hunting out in Paleto Bay then you won't hear from him for a while.

Once you are further along in the storyline, you will be able to go to Paleto Bay to find Cletus and he will have hunting challenges for you.

Completing this will unlock the ability to go into the woods and hunt Elk for Cletus. This will be a small trailer sitting in a creek. You can free play Elk Hunting at any time.

Pro Tip: Stand on top of the trailer whilst hunting the Elk. This way you won't become a snack for a Mountain Lion.

Re-Play Early Missions

GTA V Franklin And Lamar at Simeon's Car Dealership

A cool feature of Grand Theft Auto V is that you can replay earlier missions without it damaging your progress in the story.

Returning to play missions you have already completed can help to improve your aim in GTA 5 as you already know what to expect.

If you can anticipate where your enemies are coming from, you can practice getting your shots more precise each time.

How To Replay Missions

GTA V Replay Mission Screen Mr Philips

Open your pause menu.

Click on the ''Game'' section.

Click on the ''Replay Mission'' option on the menu at the left-hand side of your screen.

You will then be able to scroll through all of the missions that you have completed and pick which one to replay.

Pro-Tip: You can use this feature to improve your mission ranking if you're not happy with it. Even if Bronze becomes Gold, you will not earn any more money from it.

Early Missions That Are Good To Replay

GTA V Trevor Vs The Lost Mr Phillips Mission
  • The Long Stretch; Franklin, Lamar, and Stretch end up facing off against a rival gang after being set up. The fight is mainly contained to hallways, therefore you can focus on getting precision shots on the enemy. Also, you'll have a shotgun on this mission and that gun requires you to be accurate.
  • Mr Philips; Trevor, Wade, and Ron (but mostly Trevor) take on the Biker Gang The Lost at their trailer park. The Lost are filtered into two areas, the roads leading in and out of the Trailer park. This means that you do need to move between the areas however this can improve your aim as they will try to shoot you as you move.
  • Dead Man Walking; Micheal wakes up in a Morgue to do a favor for FIB Agent Dave Norton. You need to escape the center without your weapons (until you get to the top floor where they're stashed). Although Micheal has high shooting skills, you still only have one weapon and limited bullets to get out of the building alive. You need to navigate the agents in the halls and take them down. This mission tests your aim accuracy as well as your ability to monitor your surroundings.

Upgrade Your Weapons At Ammu-Nation

GTA V Small Ammu-Nation Store Front

At all the Ammu-Nation stores in the game, you can purchase new weapons and upgrades for those weapons.

The upgrades can be expensive so if you want them, you'll need to have made some money.

The upgrades won't dramatically improve your aim, that is for you to work on.

How To Access Upgrades

GTA V Franklin Ammu-Nation Clerk

The weapons you can buy and the upgrades you can buy will depend on how far you are in the story.

When you go into Ammu-Nation, head up to the counter.

Once you speak to the guy behind it, you will be able to browse through the weapons.

Click the one you want to upgrade.

When you click on the gun, a menu will appear on the left-hand side of your screen.

This will show you all of the upgrade options currently available to you.

Underneath this menu, there is a little statistics tracker for the weapon.

GTA V Upgrading Weapons At Ammu-Nation Stat Tracker

For improving your aim, you need to focus on the accuracy bar. The statistics will increase, decrease or stay the same depending on which upgrade you're hovering over.

Ultimately, improving your aim without auto-aim in GTA 5 will always come down to practice and perseverance. It can be frustrating to try to improve your aim without any assistance. However, Los Santos is a City that many still love so spending some time there to improve your skills isn't too bad. If you keep trying then you will get there in the end.

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