How do I get good?

Learn the following

-proper stance
-proper grip
-proper finger placement
-proper sight picture
-proper take up and trigger control
-proper follow through

Practicing these principles while dry firing and using a point of referance as a target will improve your shooting too. Your sight should never leave your point of aim before, during or after you dry fire.

Remember don't blame your ammo or gun because 99.99% of the time its you that's the problem.
 
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Learn the following

-proper stance
-proper grip
-proper finger placement
-proper sight picture
-proper take up and trigger control
-proper follow through

Practicing these principles while dry firing and using a point of referance as a target will improve your shooting too. Your sight should never leave your point of aim before, during or after you dry fire.

Remember don't blame your ammo or gun because 99.99% of the time its you that's the problem.

Sometimes it IS the pistol though, maybe loose rear sight
 
You’re getting a classic first time handgun shooting problem. Left or low and left is easy to solve with some practise. Set up a target about ten feet away. After double checking the gun is clear, take your normal stance and grip. While dry firing at the target have someone stand behind you and watch how the gun reacts. If they see the gun move left, or left and down you’ll know your problem, and from what you’ve said that’s what they’ll see.
Two things cause this, you’re either slapping, tucking or how ever you’d like to say it, the trigger. Second is your getting involuntary action of the fingers on your trigger hand. Everyone gets this. Hold your trigger hand out like your holding the gun, now make like your squeezing a trigger. All three of your other fingers will move a small amount, it’s normal. If your shots are staying in the rings I’d guess this is what’s happening from a tight trigger hand grip.
As another post stated your trigger hand controls the firing of the gun, your hold hand controls the firearm. Most new handgun shooters grip the gun like they want to squeeze the oil out of it. Relax. Take a nice loose grip with your trigger hand, only, just tight enough that you’re not dropping the gun. Point it down range with your trigger hand. Again holding just tight enough to not drop the gun. Now bring your hold hand in. Tighten the hold hand grip so you can but the gun on target and get it to stay on your aim point. Again only enough,with the hold hand, to keep your sight picture on aim point. Relax your trigger hand more and let the hold hand take over. Do this multi times until you feel comfortable. Load the gun, relax, do just what you practised and squeeze the trigger. If you’re still left relax the trigger hand more and control with the hold hand, fire again, you should see the hits slowly move to point of aim.
When firing 44mag full tilt loads my grip is just tight enough to stop the revolver from hitting me in the forehead or flipping over my shoulder on to the ground. As recoil drops on 45, 9mm or 22 my hold grip gets looser and looser. Just tight enough to keep on target and only with my hold hand. When you bear grip a handgun you’re getting way to many muscles in your hands and arms influencing the shot.
It will take some time and practise. Relax it will come.
 
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anyone here able to speak about how good...or bad Silvercore pistol training is?

They're really good to deal with, I've done a few classes through them with the level 1 handgun being the last class I took. They teach you a lot yet keep it fun with a bit of friendly competition in both the classroom and live fire portions of the class.
 
Training - find a course in your area and take it. Sounds like you're making a classic new shooter's mistake, an instructor will spot it in a second and show you how to avoid it. After that, shoot a lot, then shoot some more, then take another course. Repeat as necessary.

Like enefgee said, this makes perfect sense. Perfect practice make perfect. Find what discipline you want to pursue, and then look for the appropriate instructor for it. Correcting the wrong habits now will give you a bunch more time in the future to shoot correctly .
 
Regardless of the type of handgun you picked up, all I can say is: practice practice practice. Obviously it is easier to do well with one gun over another due to ergonomics, trigger, inherent accuracy etc. However, to get good, you must concentrate on the fundamentals of sight picture and trigger pull, and then practice; a lot. I don't consider myself to be anything special in terms of marksmanship, but, people I take out say I make it look easy. They worry about their wobbles and bobbles while trying to hold,the gun steady and I tell,them I wobble and bobble as well. I also tell them that the only reason it looks easy is because they don't know the amount of lead I have sent down range to be able to do so. Being able to work with this human foible, concentrate and squeeze the trigger will come.
 
You tube is a great technical resource, but probably of limited value in the skills department because it can't critique you on how you're doing.

Practice alone will get you no where. As my high school gym teacher told me:

"Contrary to popular belief, practice does NOT make perfect. Only PERFECT practice makes PERFECT."

What training you get will largely depend on whats available in your area. 10 minutes with a competent coach can save you years of unlearning bad habits.

I concur with much of the advice already covered.

Try finding reactive targets to shoot at, whether they be falling plates, rubber things, or whatever. Getting that immediate audible feedback, or lack of it, immediately reinforces good shots and helps you identify bad ones. There is little value in shooting a ten round grouping and then not knowing which one was the bad one, and more often than not it encourages excuse making rather than sound diagnostics.

Once you feel you have a good grip (pun intended) on the basics, get yourself a holster and a shot clock. Its a lot more fun, and the clock can help you challenge yourself in ways that accuracy alone never will.
 
Thanks for all the great info. I'll definitely seek out some training, but that'll have to wait a bit. This is a busy time of year for me and its hard to commit to anything. Hopefully in fall I'll have a chance.
So what dose training entail? Is something you can pay the trainer buy the hour (like music lessons)? Or is it a class that you take over the course of a weekend?

Oh. And the pistol is a Hk USP 9. I'll likely get a .22 pistol as well. But a AR-15 is next on my list.

Hmmmm. I'm sure you've all been waiting on pins and needles for my scholarly comments on the subject! It's time for me to jump in!

That USP. It's a great gun, Mardigan. In fact, as far as polymer guns go it is arguably the best of the breed; I have one too - the HK .45 USP Tactical. (Did you know the best way to guage a man's intelligence is by how much he agrees with you?)

The problem is this: our guns have what's called 'polygonal rifling'. It works like a hot damn with expensive jacketed bullets - but can be problematic with cheap cast lead bullets. The cool kids will huff and puff and call me a sissy because they've used cast lead forever and ever in their polygonal guns ...but over on the HK forum ... just like clockwork, every couple of months some poor slob goes 'KABOOM' and the only culprit is soft cast lead. It's a stupid way to get hurt. In addition, the 9mm is a high intensity round that can be problematic with cast lead and some will foul their bores with lead even in conventionally rifled pistol barrels. Regrettably...the USP may not be the best gun to start out with. (That's just my two bits - my moral and intellectual superiors here on the forum may veto that!)

After you've taken care of the AR (be sure to consult the wanks on the black rifle forum) and the training - get a reloader! After that, look at a gun with a rep for shooting well with cast lead. I like the 1911 clones myself, in the Holy .45ACP calibre! A good 1911 in this calibre will shoot cast lead and shoot it well - which makes for more rewarding shooting and practice. I used to love reloading...30 years ago. Now I hate it but a nice Dillon makes my pistol reloading a quick proposition.

Again...all this crap is down the road and you can have a ton of fun right now with what you have...just keep cast lead away from that USP!
 
Thanks for all the great info. I'll definitely seek out some training, but that'll have to wait a bit. This is a busy time of year for me and its hard to commit to anything. Hopefully in fall I'll have a chance.
So what dose training entail? Is something you can pay the trainer buy the hour (like music lessons)? Or is it a class that you take over the course of a weekend?

Oh. And the pistol is a Hk USP 9. I'll likely get a .22 pistol as well. But a AR-15 is next on my list.

I'm mostly in your camp right now. Newb for about a year. Although I think maybe "newbness" can be measured in shots fired more than time owning a pistol.

Read my post here to see my first experience with a class. (nobody seems to think its all that worthy of comment, but read it in any case, newb to newb)

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1260924-My-first-Handgun-class
 
I like the 'live dry fire' drill. Buy a snap cap and have someone load your mag with it mixed in with regular rounds. If you're flinching or doing anything else to change PoA you'll know right away.
 
1 meter from target. Fire 5 rounds, when the holes touch. Step back, fire 5 rounds, when they touch, step back, ect, ect to 25m. Keeping in mind that at 25m it's extremely hard to have to bullets holes touch but 2-4ish inches is completely achievable. And you don't progress back until your holes touch or you have a tight clovered grouping.

Each time you run your mag dry, conduct an emergency mag change.

Lots more to it but accuracy is the benchmark. Tactics and techniques are easier to master after becoming proficient at accuracy.

Oh, and shoot better, suck less.
 
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From how you describe where the holes are,looks like you are too much in a hurry to get the shot off in the right moment. Aka, trigger jerking. ( google pics for " pistol group analysis", "target pistol shot Analysis" or just "pistol group chart" ...lots of helpful info there)
First of all, focus on your front sight! Rear and target might appear blurry,but your brain will adjust to that. Then, when you start to squeeze the trigger,don't let off, still focus on the front sight! You hit where you intend to when the shot comes as a "surprise"... all of a sudden the thing goes boom and you made it into the ten or even into the X ring.Concentrate on that. Speed will come with confidence after you get the feeling you can't miss anymore.Take your time to get the initial steps right.
If you're shooting with a two handed grip, lock wrist, elbow and shoulder.Let your upper body take care of the recoil. Tight grip! About 60-70% with the supporting hand.
Should get you there...
CG

Great advice...
 
For the record, there are some good books out there in addition to videos. I am old school and prefer to sit down with a well written book that includes photos and diagrams.
There are some very old books that explain things well written by well known names like Askins and Cooper. Reprints at a reasonable price are available.

CD
 
Anyone care to explain in detail on how to lock your wrist? What am i suppose to feel so i know that my wrists are properly locked? Also any tips on how to keep the gun from slipping off your grip during recoil?
 
Thanks everyone for the excellent advice! I've read every post thoroughly and I've learned a lot.
For now I'm going to dry practice and focus on the points mentioned here.
Soon as I get back from vacation I'll try to get into a course. Seems the $40 I spend to use the indoor range for a day would be better spent on training.
So dose anybody know of a course or a place I can go to get some training in the Calgary area?

Again, thanks everyone who took the time to reply. There's a wealth of knowledge to be had here.
 
Join IPSC

My two cents: if you seriously want to become skilled with your pistol, join IPSC and start to compete. When you first join you will realize how bad you really are, then your skills will start to rapidly improve. You will then very soon be able to out shoot anyone who doesn't compete. Btw, its very fun too.
 
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