Dissect my pistol shooting

Thanks for all the advice. I just got A-Zoom Snap Caps on Tuesday and have been dry-firing at home. I've changed my grip abit and am using a more natural feeling grip and trigger pull. I'll try it out next week and report back.

I've heard mixing snap caps and live rounds at the range can be helpful, should I look into doing this?
 
M_A_T_T said:
Thanks for all the advice. I just got A-Zoom Snap Caps on Tuesday and have been dry-firing at home. I've changed my grip abit and am using a more natural feeling grip and trigger pull. I'll try it out next week and report back.

I've heard mixing snap caps and live rounds at the range can be helpful, should I look into doing this?
Click to expand...

Very solid advice here. As to the snap caps and live rounds mix, it can be helpful in seeing if you've got a 'flinch' and as a clearing excercise.

BTW, you're doing pretty good so far. My take is that it's mostly grip and how you are triggering the pistol as you seem consistent in going low and right......keep your eye on the front sight, squeeze the trigger, keep your eye on the sights and resist the temptation to 'follow the bullet to the target', once the recoil impulse is finished and your pistol settles you should be back on target with a minimal of effort, repeat.....if you want to see where you're hitting do so after the magazine is empty (load fewer rounds in your magazine if you want to check frequently).
 
Last edited:
2x... excellent advice given.

Master these points you are well on the way.

I'll just add another VERY MINOR 0.02 cents:

I have a 92FS with fixed sights and it always has printed low with factory 147gr at 50 yrds. If yours is a fixed sight too, it is hard to make that back sight grow.

If you don't handload yet, try a box of 115gr and I'd almost guarantee your group popping back up into the same horizontal plane as the bullseye - windage is a different story. YMMV and it doesn't help when you want to shoot 147gr though. And this should be no excuse for sloppy fundamentals.

The biggest thing is practice practice practice and as your fundamentals improve, you will be slowly able to tell when its the gun not hitting the target and when its you.

Just remember, 99% of the time its the shooter who is out of whack, 1% the gun is the problem.
 
I agree with piperdown, but there is so many things that could be happening and unless someone is watching you its a hard call. Find an instructor that you respect and stick with his system untill you feel very! confident before you take anybody else's opinion on instruction,as there is so many different opinions when it comes to shooting and it will just get confusing if you get to many ? Slavex is the man for skills and drills night out at Abby fish & game, cheap and 3 hrs of instruction in one night P.S.he's a Beretta guru.
 
Change the rear sight

Shoot the same as you. Mine is a 90-2 Beretta in 9mm.
I moved the rear sight slightly to the left. Worked fine.
Remove the slide and do in on a bench. When you tap it to the left, make sure the slide is NOT resting on the left hand safety.
Its trial and error of course, but it worked for me....
 
hatman1793 said:
Shoot the same as you. Mine is a 90-2 Beretta in 9mm.
I moved the rear sight slightly to the left. Worked fine.
Remove the slide and do in on a bench. When you tap it to the left, make sure the slide is NOT resting on the left hand safety.
Its trial and error of course, but it worked for me....
Click to expand...

I've tried adjusting the rear sight and I think I got it to move a TINY amount, but beyond that it will not budge. I even setup a make-shift sight pusher and could not get it to move.
 
Shot two more targets tonight. I adjusted my grip and trigger finger as per advice given here and on another forum. I also moved the placement of my thumb to a position the RO said may work, and on the second target tried leaning more of my weight foreward toward the gun based on advice from a fellow shooter at the range (I have a small frame).

55 shots standing with 51 hitting paper. Five of these were handloads a guy let me try. Four made it onto the black area and one went completely off the paper:

210ec886.jpg


50 shots standing with 48 hitting paper (I'm not counting the five large shots in squares at the top which are .45's, a guy let me shoot his CZ :cool:):

cd0d247e.jpg


Looks like I'm definately improving. I really appreciate everyone's advice. :)
 
Last edited:
Shot three more tonight. I changed my grip again, used it for all three targets, and refrained from leaning my weight into the shots as that felt awkward. I also brought the gun down to a rest alot of the time between shots. Concentrating on each shot seemed easier as I'm getting used to the gun, and I worked on not jerking the trigger.

50 shots standing with 48 hitting paper:

a7ae636b.jpg


50 shots standing with 50 hitting paper:

2866adbb.jpg


50 shots standing with 50 hitting paper:

4cddc906.jpg


Everyone's advice and practice is really paying off. :)
 
Last edited:
Seams like you doing fine right now. Now take longer breaks between shots, hyperventilate before each shoot, and go down in number of rounds. Shoot each bullet like your life depends on it. Take your time, do not rush. Let the gun surprise you each time. If you run out of breath do not shoot, take a break and start all over again.

By the way, that last target was it at 7 or 10 m distance?
 
Pietro Beretta said:
Try to use the "push N pull" firm grip, and dont wrap your finger around the trigger. Use the tip of your finger near the bottom of the trigger.
Click to expand...
That was a big part of the reason his groups were low to the right.

That is a huge improvement in both your group size and MPI.
Always, always focus on your front sight and hold the trigger back till the gun comes out of recoil (follow through).
These are the biggest problems most shooters I train have.
As mentioned above, take your time when shooting.
Get good, fast will come later. ;)

AS I mentioned earlier..try shooting 5 round groups, check your target and correct any problems when you shoot your next group. Patch out after each five round group.
This will give you better feedback then shooting 50 rounds at once.

For example, you shoot 5 rounds and it's a nice tight group center of mass. Your next group looks like a shotgun was fired at the target.
Pretty good indication you weren't focusing on your front sight for that group.
 
Got back to shooting the Beretta after Christmas break this week. I bought Pachmayr wrap around grips for it last week and really like the feel, the gun feels tighter in my hand.

All targets were shot from 20yrds standing.

Only 49 were shot at the first target as I had one live round jam, but 50 were shot at the other two. 100% hitting the paper, and most hitting inside the black area. First two shot yesterday, last one tonight. The black portion is 5.5" across.

9a81943b.jpg


f26d7669.jpg


22c37586.jpg


I bought these today and tried them out. I shot these tonight before the last large target. 10 shots each, 100% hit. Only one shot each on the second and third were outside the target at the top. These are 8" across.

8f718832.jpg


1fd9a888.jpg


971b1c6b.jpg


This is the fifth one I shot, my best IMO, too bad for the one in the green.

54083892.jpg
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom