I can't shoot handguns worth a $#&@!!!!

T

TheArmyMan204

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Alright first off, this is very hard to admit. I have fired 10's of thousands of rounds in my military and civilian life. Not trying to blow my own horn, but I am generally a above average shot with a rifle, sometimes surprising myself with results.

Anyhow, I am an absolutely terrible shot with hand guns. I've always passed my PWT in the army with a browning 9mm but just barely. I own a S&W M&P40 now and have about 500 rounds through it and results are less than favorable. I took a buddy to the range whose never shot a handgun in his life and he was nailing the bullseye at 15 yards with only a few flyers, and I'm all over the place.

So what I'm asking is does anyone now of any websites/YouTube videos that show good fundamentals of hand gun shooting? This is a rather embarrassing problem I'd like to solve. I'm just lucky I brought my xcr to the range so I could at least prove somewhat that I know what I'm doing


Ps. I know I need to practice practice practice but I still need a lesson in fundamentals like I received in rifle shooting
 
Same boat. It's that I dislike performing in front of others. I can do fine on my own, but in a large, busy range, I feel judged. Went to the range with a buddy, I was doing poorly. He leaves to go to the bathroom, no one round, BAM put them in the centre. Comes back, suck again.
Of course it's unrealistic to ever have an empty range. So I gotta find a way to not suck
 
I generally suck shooting my HG's also but I find revolvers are more accurate(for me)...none the less I still enjoy them and that's all that matters:)
I just picked up a black powder 1851 Navy....I guess I'll be visiting that forum now.
 
I find if you have good people at your range they can help a great deal. I was shooting next to a fellow and he started giving me pointers, at first my ego was a little bruised, but I listened to him and immediatly I was seeing results.
 
The best thing I can think of is dry fire practice. I couldn't tell you how many people I've seen with a HUGE flinch when shooting handguns, and they don't even realize they're doing it, or don't want to admit it. I've proved it a couple times by loading a revolver with only 5 rounds. Seems to me to be the biggest cause of poor handgun shooting. More often than not, it's not the gun, it's the jerk behind the trigger :)

 
I've come to the conclusion that handgun shooting is alot like ###, you don't have to be good at it, to realy enjoy yourself.
 
If you want to have good results quickly buy yourself a 6 inch barreled S&W revolver in 357 and shoot 38 special in it and you won't beleive how good you will be able to shoot.

I take many new shooters to range all the time and I have never seen anyone do better with a semi then they do with a revolver at first, and for that matter there are not many people who can shoot a semi better then they cam a quality revolver.

Graydiog
 
Shooting a short radius sighted firearm is 15% physical & 85% mental. You really need more focus on the fundamentals compared to long guns.

Best thing would be someone experienced behind you when you shoot for a full range session. It would be easy for him to spot your flaws and correct them on the spot. Looking at some vids is not a good thing IMO because chances are you will never know whats wrong with your shooting. You may try to copy what is shown without ever correcting your basic flaws and therefore you won't be able to shoot those short firearms to your full potential. JMHO
 
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Concentrate on the front sight. Ignore the rear and point the gun like it was your finger. It works.

i also found a wwii video on you tube once that taught pistol fundamentals. It was great. I'll try to find it and post it.
 
jeff270 said:
Get a .22 .
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THIS!!!

It also sounds to me like you are jerking the trigger, which pulls your sights off target, which sends your rounds all over the place - as you already know from rifle shooting.

My advice is get a .22LR (like a Ruger MKIII or Browning Buckmark) handgun that has decent sights and a decent trigger, and practice squeezing , not jerking, the trigger. Do it slow fire for a while, then pick up the pace a bit.

.22LR ammo is cheap, so you can get lots of practice in! Your handgun skills should improve rapidly.
 
try one of these targets that tell you what is wrong.

I use this one
teachtargetbetter.gif


but some prefer this one
correction_chart%20color%20center.jpg
 
suits me said:
i also found a wwii video on you tube once that taught pistol fundamentals. It was great.
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Great as a history lesson? Lots has changed in the world of shooting since WWII.

But trying to learn something from a video is a poor excuse for proper instruction. Self assessment is very inaccurate.
 
Avoid at all cost Youtube videos. Yes they can show you some good stuff ( ex: reviews, optics, handling/drills options etc... ) but in no way you will be able to tell by yourself if your form is right or wrong.

Think weight lifting. Would you watch a video on how to and hit the gym? Chances you would hurt yourself. Find a good trainer so he can correct your form in real time. After that it's all yours.

Also this is my next very important advice:

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein"

;)

P.S. I love this site and don't get me wrong here. Lot's of good info and all but as for coaching experience? I suspect many here don't have a clue what they are talking about. No hard feelings.

I know for a fact that finding a good coach for pistols in the army is not common but can you find someone around to help you?
 
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silverfoxdj said:
...and Hickok45 has some decent vids.
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Usually along the lines of "I haven't had one of these since 1981 and have just put a few rounds down range before doing this video... Let's go out and touch the gong [80 yards]..." and then proceeds to put 8 out of 10 rounds on the gong. Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!! Mind you, if any of us had a 40-acre back yard range and shot as much as he does, we could probably do the same.

The comment about 15% physical and 85% mental may well be right. I was out on the range a few days ago with my S&W Model 14 and was doing pretty poorly at 12 yards, both on paper and on steel plates. (I hadn't done any shooting since the late fall, but had done lots of dry-fire practice at home.) Oddly enough I did better with my Ruger SR9. Just before I left I went back to the .38 and for some reason I was able to relax and began to develop a rhythm, for want of a better term, and began shooting better (this was double action.) I wasn't shooting fast, but somehow the rhythm of pulling the trigger "settled in" in some fashion. Note to self: go shooting more often!

:) Stuart
 
Why starting at 15 yards if you can't group? Start at 3 yards and put them all in an inch. Bullet dispersion is a simple concept. Do good close and you it will do decent at longer distances.
 
Are you shooting your rifle with irons or always with a scope? Pistol is an irons game. Focus on the front sight post and the rest should be blurry. Also, trigger control is crucial. Slow, and straight back.

Dry fire every day for at least 3 months (not joking) and you'll shoot tighter groups than 95% of pistol owners.
 
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