I'm a really bad shot. New Pistol owner. Can anyone relate?
- Thread starter Boostgod
- Start date
Interesting!! That's what I started with. Practice is generally a good thing but not if you are simply repeating the wrong things creating feel and muscle memory that you will eventually have to reverse. Start with good grip fundamentals. Put an empty pistol on a table or chair and practice picking it up and taking your grip over and over. Establish index points and check the relative positions of your fingers and thumbs as suggested by Todd Jarret in the video. Your fingers and thumbs should be in the same place over and over until a bad grips feels BAD and you will know. Practice getting the pad of your trigger finger on the trigger in just the right place until your brain establishes a mental groove so that when you don't gt it right you will know. Many people recommend a 60/40 grip strength ratio favouring the support hand. I tend to agree with that as it relieves stress in the strong hand and contributes to a better trigger PRESS directly back; too little finger on the trigger and you will tend to push left and the opposite is true with too much finger on the trigger. Get someone to check your grip or compare it to the videos and pictures that are readily available. Remember that practising bad fundamentals will produce bad results and it's also expensive!!
Get some coaching, so you are practicing the right way. Otherwise you get good at shooting poorly.
The key to practice is dry firing. Put a target on the way and shoot at it a lot. make sure the sights don't move for the shot.
When you practice live, load a dud round or snap cap randomly in the mags. If the gun jumps on the dud, you are flinching.
The key to practice is dry firing. Put a target on the way and shoot at it a lot. make sure the sights don't move for the shot.
When you practice live, load a dud round or snap cap randomly in the mags. If the gun jumps on the dud, you are flinching.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Begin by dry firing at home. Assume a firm handshake grip on the pistol with your shooting hand, as high on the grip as you can manage, then wrap your supporting hand over the fingers of your shooting hand, with the palm of your supporting hand placed firmly in the space between the fingers and the fleshy part of your thumb. As closely as you can manage, the gun should be inline with the center of your forearm. Your stance should place your feet at shoulder width, with your knees slightly bent. Take a step forward, with the leg on your support side, and if shooting Weaver your shooting hand should be pushing forward and your elbow bent while your support hand pulls rearward. If shooting isosceles, both arms are straight out in front of you, elbows locked.
Find a close target, say a light switch. Bring the gun into your line of sight, don't drop your head, and make contact with the trigger. Put the top of the rear sight across the center of the target, and place the front sight in the center of the notch of the rear sight, even with the top of the rear sight. Concentrate on the front sight, allowing the rear sight and target to blur in your vision. Apply steady increasing pressure to the trigger until the hammer drops. This should come as a surprise, that is to say you don't know exactly when it will drop, but the click should not startle you. Upon hearing the click of the falling hammer, ensure your front sight has not moved off the target. What the front sight covers when the trigger breaks, is what the bullet would of hit. Practice moving your trigger finger independently of the rest of your hand, it takes practice and determination to achieve this. Once this is accomplished you can begin to train with a 5 second surprise break, then decrease the time it takes to break the shot, but the break must always be a surprise, regardless of how short the time interval between your contact with the trigger and the break.
At the range, start with low powered ammunition. Ensure you have adequate hearing protection, most flinching comes from noise, not from recoil that is within reason. If you are shooting a pistol rather than a revolver, don't break contact with the trigger after the shot, just release enough tension of the trigger that it resets, then press again. Start at short range, 5-7 yards, and when you can shoot a tight group, extend the range back to 10-15 yards, then to 25 then to 50. When you can shoot a 5" group at 50 yards off hand, you're off to the races, and from here on its just a matter of adjusting to the recoil of more powerful ammunition or bigger guns, and shooting at longer ranges, or under tighter time constrains. If your interest lies in the tactical world, you can begin shooting on the move and from field expedient positions.
Find a close target, say a light switch. Bring the gun into your line of sight, don't drop your head, and make contact with the trigger. Put the top of the rear sight across the center of the target, and place the front sight in the center of the notch of the rear sight, even with the top of the rear sight. Concentrate on the front sight, allowing the rear sight and target to blur in your vision. Apply steady increasing pressure to the trigger until the hammer drops. This should come as a surprise, that is to say you don't know exactly when it will drop, but the click should not startle you. Upon hearing the click of the falling hammer, ensure your front sight has not moved off the target. What the front sight covers when the trigger breaks, is what the bullet would of hit. Practice moving your trigger finger independently of the rest of your hand, it takes practice and determination to achieve this. Once this is accomplished you can begin to train with a 5 second surprise break, then decrease the time it takes to break the shot, but the break must always be a surprise, regardless of how short the time interval between your contact with the trigger and the break.
At the range, start with low powered ammunition. Ensure you have adequate hearing protection, most flinching comes from noise, not from recoil that is within reason. If you are shooting a pistol rather than a revolver, don't break contact with the trigger after the shot, just release enough tension of the trigger that it resets, then press again. Start at short range, 5-7 yards, and when you can shoot a tight group, extend the range back to 10-15 yards, then to 25 then to 50. When you can shoot a 5" group at 50 yards off hand, you're off to the races, and from here on its just a matter of adjusting to the recoil of more powerful ammunition or bigger guns, and shooting at longer ranges, or under tighter time constrains. If your interest lies in the tactical world, you can begin shooting on the move and from field expedient positions.
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Look for the sportshooterdotcom printable target on google. If you have no one to show you what you're doing wrong then it might help. You'll know which target it is when you see it. There is one for right handed shooter and one for the lefties. Another good idea is to record yourself shooting so you can actually see what it is you're doing.
Make sure your technique is correct by getting coaching. Hollywood makes it look easy, real life is nothing like it; bigger the caliber the larger the mistakes are amplified.
Once someone (ie ask experienced buddy or the RO is watch you shoot) confirms your technique is correct just keep pouring lead downrange.
When someone insist on a number I say at least 1000 rnds downrange for starters.
Once someone (ie ask experienced buddy or the RO is watch you shoot) confirms your technique is correct just keep pouring lead downrange.
When someone insist on a number I say at least 1000 rnds downrange for starters.
Black out the rear white u sight and focus on the front sight being right in the middle of the u. Practice dry firing at a target on the wall unloaded of course and focus on where the front sight is going as you squeeze the trigger, most first time glock owners will shoot low left. Learn to control your trigger pull and steady the front sight and bingo bango start firing some rounds down range. Start at 10 feet on paper and move to steel around 15 feet. Soon youll b hiting steel at 50 yards 
This way my group today at 7 yards. It's my best yet. I still have a long way to go but it's he first time I am seeing progress.
Thanks for the tips and please share more experiences, tips etc. I'll keep you guys posted.
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Like many new shooters you most likely have a bad flinch. I know because I had one too.
I got over mine by buying a .22 and then reading and practicing the basics. When I was getting good groups with the .22 I'd switch back to the 9mm. When the flinch came back in a half a mag or so I'd unload and clear the 9 and go back to a mag of .22 to get the basics back.
Things I learned out of all this that led to me being at least fairly decent were;
As you get more practice you can speed up the pressure build to a half second then faster. But even when shooting fast you still want to use this same sort of controlled pressure build. Once you forget that and begin snatching at the trigger it'll all go to hell again instantly. You'd be surprised how fast you can do a controlled pressure build. All the best shooters are doing just that even when ripping off 6 to 8 shots a second.
I got over mine by buying a .22 and then reading and practicing the basics. When I was getting good groups with the .22 I'd switch back to the 9mm. When the flinch came back in a half a mag or so I'd unload and clear the 9 and go back to a mag of .22 to get the basics back.
Things I learned out of all this that led to me being at least fairly decent were;
- Do not even THINK that you can fight and win against the recoil. Just relax and let it happen. Do your darnest to be as stable and unfeeling as you can. You are just a "holder" for the gun. Act like one.
- Don't pull the trigger with a twitch. It's not a computer mouse or game controller. Instead build pressure against it and let it move as it wants to move and when it wants to move. Dry fire practice this to work at taking about 1 second to build pressure to where the trigger is fully back against the rear limit.
- When you then build pressure with ammo in the gun don't just build until it fires. Keep going to move the trigger to the rear limit then HOLD it there through the recoil. Only when the gun is settled again THEN ease off the pressure with the same control as the pull. Feel a little "click"? That's the trigger reset. Now you can reverse and pull to the rear again.
- Hold the gun with firm pressure but don't "death grip" the thing. If you white knuckle it you will find that it's hard to separate movement in your trigger finger from the steady hold you want with the rest of your hand. You want a firm and supportive hold so the gun doesn't move around in your grip. But don't try to make it bleed oil and powder.
- Again, remember that you are not an "active" support stand. Do NOT try to control the kick. You'll simply mess up your accuracy. But do not act the other way either. I've seen that too. And it's just as bad. Just do your best to be as steady and non reactive as you can other than your trigger finger.
- Don't try to stage the trigger then snatch at it when the sights seem perfect. You'll just jerk the gun to the side. Instead hold as steady a sight picture as you can and perform a smooth steady pressure build to bring the trigger to the rear stop.
As you get more practice you can speed up the pressure build to a half second then faster. But even when shooting fast you still want to use this same sort of controlled pressure build. Once you forget that and begin snatching at the trigger it'll all go to hell again instantly. You'd be surprised how fast you can do a controlled pressure build. All the best shooters are doing just that even when ripping off 6 to 8 shots a second.
ambishooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southeastern Canuckstan
Get some dummy rounds and do plenty of dry-fires. Watch where your flinch-zone is. Then slowly adjust your finger placement by the trigger until your bore lines up with the point of aim. Dry-fire, more dry-fire until you eliminate flinch. Generally, centre-fires are safe for dry-firing. BUt a set of dummy rounds is far cheaper than replacing parts that might be damaged by extended dry-firing practice.
a little advice
hi boostgod
the shots that are everywhere are a result looking at the target instead of the sights. you must watch the front sight with both eyes open and don,t worry about the target looking blurry.
next, the shots that are mostly left are caused by a right handed shooter jerking the trigger, hold the gun a little tighter and squeeze the trigger.
hope this helps.
Brownie
P.S. you should have a spotting scope when you are learning so you see where each shot goes and try to figure out why it went way over there and correct for the next shot.
hi boostgod
the shots that are everywhere are a result looking at the target instead of the sights. you must watch the front sight with both eyes open and don,t worry about the target looking blurry.
next, the shots that are mostly left are caused by a right handed shooter jerking the trigger, hold the gun a little tighter and squeeze the trigger.
hope this helps.
Brownie
P.S. you should have a spotting scope when you are learning so you see where each shot goes and try to figure out why it went way over there and correct for the next shot.
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The 
TRICK if I may.
I've been shooting pistols off-and-on since the mid '70's, and when I started, I was appallingly lousy; I still am, but at least now I know why. We had a "ladies night" at our club last Fall (it was actually a lovely sunny morning). Several of them had never held a pistol in their lives; we were on the 20-yd steels range, and after I told them the trick, several of them hit everything they shot at, first time, every time. I was blown-away, to be honest; these girls were shooting as well as I ever did, the first time out.
So, what's the trick? (I know, just about now you think I'm an arrogant jerk who doesn't know anything about anything - well that's all true,
but anyways...) it's real simple. The human body makes a lousy shooting platform; here you are holding a heavy lump of metal (or polycarbonate) out on the end of two trembling stalks of bone and gristle, trying to line-up three separate points (backsight, foresight and target) with eyes that, if they're as bad as mine, can't focus on any one of them anyways. But what makes it worse is that when you want to pull the trigger, your fingers are all wired together and it's almost impossible to move one finger without moving all the others too, which throws-off your point of aim. How bad is it? Place your hand palm-down on the table in front of you, with the middle finger folded-under, and try to lift the third finger off the table -
- you can't do it, you can not even twitch that finger - it drives me crazy!
So knowing that all your fingers are wired together, the TRICK is to concentrate really hard on only moving the TRIGGER FINGER, and PULLING the trigger straight back. It helps to have a .22 pistol with a lovely light trigger pull, and put a couple boxes of ammo downrange really thinking about moving only the trigger finger and pulling the trigger straight back. Your shooting to the left means that you're shooting right-handed and jerking the trigger; it pulls the gun to the left. I shoot left-handed and when I shoot fast, most of 'em shoot to the right; "SWMBO" is right-handed and when she shoots fast, most of 'em go to the left. As everybody else pointed-out, get some snap-caps and practise your trigger pull; you're trying for the gun absolutely not moving at all when it goes 'click', and then you know your trigger control is perfect.
I hope it works as well for you as it did for those girls at the ladies' night.
TRICK if I may.I've been shooting pistols off-and-on since the mid '70's, and when I started, I was appallingly lousy; I still am, but at least now I know why. We had a "ladies night" at our club last Fall (it was actually a lovely sunny morning). Several of them had never held a pistol in their lives; we were on the 20-yd steels range, and after I told them the trick, several of them hit everything they shot at, first time, every time. I was blown-away, to be honest; these girls were shooting as well as I ever did, the first time out.
So, what's the trick? (I know, just about now you think I'm an arrogant jerk who doesn't know anything about anything - well that's all true,
but anyways...) it's real simple. The human body makes a lousy shooting platform; here you are holding a heavy lump of metal (or polycarbonate) out on the end of two trembling stalks of bone and gristle, trying to line-up three separate points (backsight, foresight and target) with eyes that, if they're as bad as mine, can't focus on any one of them anyways. But what makes it worse is that when you want to pull the trigger, your fingers are all wired together and it's almost impossible to move one finger without moving all the others too, which throws-off your point of aim. How bad is it? Place your hand palm-down on the table in front of you, with the middle finger folded-under, and try to lift the third finger off the table -
- you can't do it, you can not even twitch that finger - it drives me crazy!
So knowing that all your fingers are wired together, the TRICK is to concentrate really hard on only moving the TRIGGER FINGER, and PULLING the trigger straight back. It helps to have a .22 pistol with a lovely light trigger pull, and put a couple boxes of ammo downrange really thinking about moving only the trigger finger and pulling the trigger straight back. Your shooting to the left means that you're shooting right-handed and jerking the trigger; it pulls the gun to the left. I shoot left-handed and when I shoot fast, most of 'em shoot to the right; "SWMBO" is right-handed and when she shoots fast, most of 'em go to the left. As everybody else pointed-out, get some snap-caps and practise your trigger pull; you're trying for the gun absolutely not moving at all when it goes 'click', and then you know your trigger control is perfect.
I hope it works as well for you as it did for those girls at the ladies' night.
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Tongarirohiker
CGN Regular
- Location
- Edmonton, AB
Take a look at http://canadianshooter.wordpress.com/ Not my work, but it's a great summary of some of the better tips I've received since getting my RPAL.
As for my own contribution, shooting with a pistol is a skill which will depreciate without use. Dry fire and a .22 will go a very long way. I even bought myself one of the prohands hand exercisers with the individual springs for each finger so I could practice pressing the trigger finger straight back at work without scaring the ladies in Accounting.
I can say with honesty that it took me around 1000-1100 rounds to start getting groups I was happy with.
As for my own contribution, shooting with a pistol is a skill which will depreciate without use. Dry fire and a .22 will go a very long way. I even bought myself one of the prohands hand exercisers with the individual springs for each finger so I could practice pressing the trigger finger straight back at work without scaring the ladies in Accounting.
I can say with honesty that it took me around 1000-1100 rounds to start getting groups I was happy with.
Start at 5 feet from the target. Use a small piece of target patch or draw a 1"x1" on a big ol piece of paper. Take your time and take note of how each shot went. Once you can hit the mark consecutively move back another couple feet. Repeat process until you're shooting your Glock at 300 yards open sight haha.
If all else fails sell me your Glock for $9 as it is clearly broken.
If all else fails sell me your Glock for $9 as it is clearly broken.
So many things to consider: grip, stance, trigger pull weight, strength of arm and back muscles, sight picture...
As for that last- concentrate on getting the front sight centered in the back sight, then focus on the front sight when it's on target (often at a 6 o'clock hold). You're focussed on the front sight. It should be the one thing that's clear and focussed. The back sight and target will be blurry. Don't worry, you'll still be able to see if you're aiming where you want, even if the target isn't clearly focussed.
As for that last- concentrate on getting the front sight centered in the back sight, then focus on the front sight when it's on target (often at a 6 o'clock hold). You're focussed on the front sight. It should be the one thing that's clear and focussed. The back sight and target will be blurry. Don't worry, you'll still be able to see if you're aiming where you want, even if the target isn't clearly focussed.
