Glock 17 Accuracy

Lawrence D

Lawrence D

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I can't seem to hit sh...t with my G17. On the other hand my buddies borrow it and get fantastic results without effort. What am I doing wrong? I know what's going in your heads ;) <learn to shoot>. But when I shoot my Sig 226 or the Beretta 92 I have no issues like this.

Is the gun too light at the front? Do I need to change the trigger or get a custom barrel? Is it my technique? Where do I start from?
 
Have one of your buddies load a mag with live and dummy rounds and then have you shoot that way you will not know what the next shot will be.
That is one way to see if you have a flinch or not.
Try using plugs and a headset as well.
Dryfire practice will help too.
 
What you are experiencing is not unique. Some handguns point more naturally than others. This is dependent on the make/model and the shooter. Can you shoot a Glock well? With some practice sure. Does it point naturally for you? No it does not. Accuracy is dependent on the shooter.

TDC
 
Lawrence D said:
I can't seem to hit sh...t with my G17. On the other hand my buddies borrow it and get fantastic results without effort. What am I doing wrong? I know what's going in your heads ;) <learn to shoot>. But when I shoot my Sig 226 or the Beretta 92 I have no issues like this.

Is the gun too light at the front? Do I need to change the trigger or get a custom barrel? Is it my technique? Where do I start from?
Click to expand...

It should be the heavy stuffy mushy trigger problem, you will need sometimes to deal with it, or you can do a .25 trigger job to smooth out a little.

Trigun
 
Lawrence D, are you anywhere near Detroit? If so, contact me and I will teach you how to operate a Glock trigger. My Glock 17 is one of the more accurate 9mms I have ever shot. Regards, Richard:D
 
Proper sight picture and trigger control are the only two things you need to shoot accurately.

How it "points" or "fits your hand" is irrelevant if you do your job.
 
Stevo said:
Proper sight picture and trigger control are the only two things you need to shoot accurately.

How it "points" or "fits your hand" is irrelevant if you do your job.
Click to expand...

I disagree. Sight picture is irrelevant if you learn to "point/instinct shoot". Most rounds I fire are done this way. A close friend only uses point shooting. If the pistol does not point naturally for you. Then you are forced to use the sights for every shot. A pistol that points well(for the individual) will produce better results regardless of whether the sights are used or not.

TDC
 
TDC said:
I disagree. Sight picture is irrelevant if you learn to "point/instinct shoot". Most rounds I fire are done this way. A close friend only uses point shooting. If the pistol does not point naturally for you. Then you are forced to use the sights for every shot. A pistol that points well(for the individual) will produce better results regardless of whether the sights are used or not.

TDC
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Sights work, full stop, period.

Point shooting has it's place in certain instances, but for the rest of the time, is subjective and debatable.

Saying 'sight picture is irrelevant' is just a wee bit of a stretch.....:runaway:
 
Yes I do. As you mentioned, sights work, but they are not a requirement for placing shots on target. instinctive or point shooting is not subjective or debatable. The skill is proven but is not something everyone can master.

beyond 25 yards a sighted, or "mix" sight picture offers advantages. By mix I mean a combination of both traditional sighted and point shooting methods. I rarely ever focus on my front sight. I focus on the target. Front sight focus for short or intermediate range shooting is not a sound tactic IMO. You cannot focus on the threat when you are focusing on the front sight. You cannot watch/spot for hits(or misses) when you are focusing on your sights.

My sight picture includes a fuzzy/blurry image of my sights aligned on the target. I bring my sight picture into my field of view. Relying on my hand eye coordination to ensure my sights are on target. Should I miss my target or produce poor shot placement, I can either make adjustments instinctively or reflex my vision to my sights and resort to traditional sighted fire.

Statistically speaking, most officers who've been involved in a gunfight rarely report ever seeing their sights. So why train to rely on something statistically you will never use??

Another benefit of learning how to shoot without sights, is that someday you might not have any. Whether that be due to sight failure, poor installation or some other factor. Personally I feel that many shooters use their sights as a crutch and cannot operate without them.

For the shooter who plinks at the range, none of this will mean a hill of beans. For those who carry professionally or take their training to a different level. This information could make a dramatic difference.

TDC
 
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TDC,

I'd like to learn an instinctive shooting.
Did you start up close like, 10 yards and only looked at your
hits? I'm just curious how did you learn.

I thought about duct taping my rear sight so that I don't use the
sights at all. How did you start? Any tips for a newbie?
 
Dryfire, dryfire, and then dryfire some more. Pull the trigger as slowly as possible, so you don't know when it's going to break. Keep the sights absolutely still through the whole trigger pull. Practice that until you're sick of it, then do it some more. Then go to the range.
 
I was taught through SigArms Academy. We started in close. 5 yards or less. It seems retarded but it is necessary. Some people can learn without taping their sights, some cannot. Try focusing on your target only. Specifically the point where you want your bullet to go. Press out with your pistol(or draw from the holster) and press the trigger when you "feel" you have your sights on target(without using them). Go slow, the entire motion from the holster should take around 3 seconds. The trick is not over correcting your position. Trust yourself, trust your hand eye coordination and squeeze the trigger. If you haven't grasped the ability to squeeze and not slap the trigger, you'll be fighting an uphill battle.

Doing this drill slowly and at close range helps build confidence and allows you to self critique your trigger press, your draw stroke from the holster and your point shooting skills.

A blank sheet of paper works well. Execute your first shot very slowly. Chase your first shot with your remaining rounds. Always striving for the smallest group possible. Don't get hung up if you don't hit it(its nearly impossible to do with a whole magazine). After you feel confident with your ability increase the range. The speed will come in time, focus on solid hits.

TDC
 
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I am in process of switching to point/instinctive shooting right now. Say, I noticed one reason to use point shooting - it takes almost 0.5 second to re-focus your pupil from target to front pin. Way too long. I can't see it happening on two-way range. Regarding how to start point shooting - I would like to know the right way myself.

I have heard there are laser attachments that switch on with trigger pull. One fellow told me that its correct way to learn point shooting - dry fire with laser. Point the gun, say, from hip level and "shoot" see where did laser point. Correct your aiming. Memorise the feeling and keep on trying again and again until laser will "shoot" where you look. sort of shooting with your eyes.

I am using CO2 pistol right now to save on ammo cost and I shoot with both eyes open and focused on target. I can hit pop can at 15 yards one-handed practically with no aiming and its a huge deal for me. Hope this helps and I also hope someone will spill the beans on how to learn "point" shooting efficiently.
 
damndirtyape said:
Dryfire, dryfire, and then dryfire some more. Pull the trigger as slowly as possible, so you don't know when it's going to break. Keep the sights absolutely still through the whole trigger pull. Practice that until you're sick of it, then do it some more. Then go to the range.
Click to expand...

damndirtyape, that isn't the trick to shooting Glocks well. What is the trick? It is learning when the Glock trigger resets and then pulling the trigger again. You will either hear or feel a click when the trigger resets and that is when you pull the trigger again. If I allow the trigger on my Glocks to go all the way forward, before shooting again, I am a terrible shot with a Glock. Regards, Richard:D
 
Point shooting should not be learned from hip shooting(more appropriately known as retention shooting). Lasers IMO are yet another gimmick and crutch for shooters. I won't argue their merits here. Some believe in them some don't. Regardless whether or not they work, they're expensive and therefore I do not believe they are a common tool that everyone can use.

Point shooting is a replacement for sighted fire at short to intermediate distances. The only difference between the two is whether or not you use your sights. The location/orientation of the pistol when firing does not change. Trick shooting and/or retention firing is something for extreme close range and is not something that improves ones technique.

Damndirtyape,

Dry fire practice can only aid the shooter so much. Live fire will always be more beneficial the shooter. Richardoldfield has it right. Work the reset. Glock trigger travel is around 0.5 inches. The first 3/5 of that travel is take up or free play with a spongy feeling. After this take up the trigger pressure increases, there is a noticeable resistance. It is at this point where further pressure will break the shot. Knowing where your trigger breaks is the key. A "surprise" shot with a handgun is not what you are looking for. Action sports do not cater well to the slow fire "surprise" break technique like that of long range rifle shooters. Even so, I know when the the trigger on my rifle will break the shot.

TDC
 
When I owned a G17 I found that if I didn't really watch my grip pressure to ensure I had a tight enough grip my groups would open up. I did like the Glock a lot and found it quite accurate but it was not very forgiving of inconsistent grip pressure.
 
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