Need some help with my shooting.

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Valkxb70

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Need some help in analyzing some shooting. Here is a group I shot today at 15 yards, 10 shots from my S&W MP9. I seem to always be shooting to the left, this is just the first time I have used my brain and taken a picture. I recall seeing a chart before but I was unable to locate it with a search. Anyone have any helpful advice?

Thanks in advance.

p325275389-11.jpg
 
Shooting problems

Valkxb70 said:
Need some help in analyzing some shooting. Here is a group I shot today at 15 yards, 10 shots from my S&W MP9. I seem to always be shooting to the left, this is just the first time I have used my brain and taken a picture. I recall seeing a chart before but I was unable to locate it with a search. Anyone have any helpful advice?

Thanks in advance.

p325275389-11.jpg
Click to expand...

So the Lee chart I have in front of me says(for right handed shooter) The bullet holes in the white section of your target "Too little trigger finger" The holes below that in the red it says "Tightening Fingers" Sorry but I can't explain it to you but hope it helps. Cheers Roscoe
 
You're likely increasing your grip on the pistol as the shot is broke. Keep a constant grip on the gun and try to only use your index finger to squeeze the trigger, not the whole hand. The low shots are from losing the front sight. Keep your focus on the front sight and the gorup should round out.

If that isn't the problem, then drift the rear sight to the right (if it's not fixed). My first pistol was a Beretta 92. It was previously owned by a lefty. We got the controls swapped over, but never drifted the sight. It shot to the left unless I would shoot it left-handed. Didn't clue into that until 2 years after I traded it.
 
my groups were like that at first. I was anticipating the recoil and pushing it or flinching, whatever its called. Putting a snap cap randomly in the mag proved it to me cus when i fired and nothing happened it was obvious. Dry fire is what helped me most with overcoming it. Still not there but groups slowly coming in.
 
Short Knife Johnson said:
You're likely increasing your grip on the pistol as the shot is broke. Keep a constant grip on the gun and try to only use your index finger to squeeze the trigger, not the whole hand.
Click to expand...

+1. This is the hardest part of shooting a handgun. You must move only your trigger finger when squeezing off a shot, your grip tension must stay as consistent as possible. I found lots of dry firing at home helped a lot for this. At first, the front sight would bounce all over the place as the trigger broke, but over time I got it where the front sight would stay pretty still and my shooting improved as I perfected this.

Mark
 
Dry firing at home is great practice. However, my flinch just doesn't exist at home. I guess its because in the back of my mind I know the gun isn't going to go off. I try inserting a snap cap at the range and it helps a little, but not much. My groups have improved since I first started shooting, but I would love any other tips than this one to help move things along. Tips other than practice lol. I'm practicing as much as I can and it ain't cheap! :confused:
 
Wear plugs and hearing protection on the range at the same time, and shoot a 22 LR Pistol for a bit and your flinch will go away.

A flinch is an "involuntary", physiological response to the pain involved in the noise and recoil of shooting. Take away this stimulus and you will stop flinching. You do not flinch when you pour your coffee in the morning, but if you spilled it on yourself every time you touched the pot you would develop a flinch there to.

If you are shooting and you discover that you are flinching then it is time to stop shooting. Start dry firing on the range, or shoot a 22 until your brain gets wired again that squeezing the trigger will not cause pain.
 
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All good advice. My sights were OK. My personal problem was learning to press the trigger without tightening my hand. Had to learn to take the grip, then apply pressure with just the finger to the trigger. Took a fair amount of practice. That was a long time ago, and has worked ever since.
 
Glockster Dude said:
Dry firing at home is great practice. However, my flinch just doesn't exist at home.
Click to expand...

JBD said:
Wear plugs and hearing protection on the range at the same time, and shoot a 22 LR Pistol for a bit and your flinch will go away.
Click to expand...

+1, get a rimfire ASAP. With both handguns and rifles, I like to alternate shooting with centerfire and rimfire. It keeps you from ingraining a flinch and it keeps you concentrating on the important things like grip, trigger control, breathing and follow through. Also, you get 4x the practice with rimfire compared to centerfire, keeping costs down and practice time up.

Mark
 
Shooting to left of center with the S&W MP9

Valkxb70 said:
Need some help in analyzing some shooting. Here is a group I shot today at 15 yards, 10 shots from my S&W MP9. I seem to always be shooting to the left, this is just the first time I have used my brain and taken a picture. I recall seeing a chart before but I was unable to locate it with a search. Anyone have any helpful advice?

Thanks in advance.

p325275389-11.jpg
Click to expand...

I have the same model as you do. I read most of the answers others have offered and they all seem to be making valid points. Having coached over a number of years, I should like to make these additional suggestions:

1. Whatever your stance is, make sure your position is neutral. This means that you do NOT use your arm muscles to keep the pistol pointed toward the center of the target. Make slight adjustments with your rear foot and at the same time rotate about your longitudinal axis, rotating both feet at the same time.

2. Pay careful attention to the basics of pistol shooting: stance, position, grip, breathing, sight alignment, trigger press, follow-through and calling the shot. Each of these skills need to be practiced at first separately, and then in combination with another skill until you can combine them together automatically. This takes concentrated practice and is best done under the guidance of a knowledgeable pistol coach. Shooting well is hard work and it takes a lot of perseverance over a period of years to become a competent pistol shooter.

Good luck!
 
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