Suggestions for shooting my new handgun

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FLYBYU44

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I finally got my registration paper for my Glock 17 Gen 4 so eagerly headed to the range this morning. It is my first handgun and first large caliber handgun I have shot. I brought 300 rounds of Blazer brass and aluminum cased FMJ.

Our range is under some maintenance work right now, so 20m was the closest target stand. I was shooting those Dirty Bird splatter targets. Here is the issue; in a 10 round magazine I am getting maybe one or two rounds on the target. I'm not sure why as I have shot .22 handguns at that distance and done much better. The Glock is extremely fun to shot, but I don't know if I'm just a really crappy shot or the handgun is broke somehow. The trigger feels quite light in my Glock too, so I'm pretty sure I'm not pulling shots. Any ideas from the pistol gurus on here?
 
Were most of your misses low and left? If yes, that's classic Glock trigger over travel. It gets better with practice, or by installing an aftermarket connector like a Ghost.

You'll want to make sure you're getting as much meat as possible on your Glock. The proper hold can seem a little awkward until you're used to it.

Try to feel for the reset as you slightly let your trigger out. At that point you can gently squeeze off another round. Once you're versed at it you can rapidly and accurately issue follow-up shots.

My advice is find a great Glock teacher and you can learn a ton... If you were closer I could recommend a few, but my resources are on this side of the Rockies!

Good luck!
 
I have the 17 as well as a 21. My two cents, stance, grip and trigger pull are usually the culprits. In a light gun like the Glock, fundamentals are critical and you may have developed some bad habits from the .22? Watch you tubes to see how the experts do it. Try a large piece of poster board, or cardboard to see where you are hitting before going to the dirty bird type targets. Try next time to shoot closer, like 7-10 yards before you go further out. Also, ask veterans at the range or take a pistol course...then just practice.
 
I'm more inclined to say your skills aren't there. Possibly poor technique, trigger control or plain old flinching. Seek out some good tutoring to get your fundamentals in order before you pick up some bad habits.

I know the first time I started shooting centerfire pistols, I think I got 2 bullets out a full 10rnd mag on a 11"x17" target at 25yrds! I was slapping/jerking the trigger instead of squeezing it and also I'd unintentionally flinch before it went off as I was anticipating the recoil.
 
Thanks for the advice guys, most my hits were low and a little left. Guess I will have to work on shooting a little more. I doubt I learned anything bad from the .22 as I only shot it a few times (Ruger revolver). Hopefully they will have a closer target board up next time I am there. I ment to put up my big targets but must have left them at home. Many thanks for the explanation on trigger control.
 
Get yourself some large IPSC targets at that distance and you'll get a better idea where all your shots are going. At 20m a new shooter going from a .22 to a 9mm won't be accurate. Glock triggers aren't exactly crisp, more spongy. Like the others have said, work on stance, grip, sight picture, posture and breathing and it'll come. An experienced shooter to help won't hurt also.
 
Have you checked/adjusted your sights? Use your range bag or something similar and shoot a group from a bench and make sure the bullet is hitting where you think it should. Once you know exactly where the gun shoots then start everything else.
 
Glock grips have a different angle that are tough for new shooters. Practice dry firing to reduce the flinch. Grip the gun tight and evenly and focus on the front sight.
 
I like to say that Glocks are an easy pistol to shoot poorly. The combination of their light weight and unusual trigger pull make them fairly unforgiving of any problems with technique. 20m is a challenging distance, too. Here's what I'd suggest:
  • Grip the pistol quite firmly, like a good firm handshake.
  • Pay attention to the front sight dot during the entire trigger pull
  • Follow through after firing; hold the trigger all the way back for just a bit. This discourages "snatching" the trigger.
  • Allow the trigger to go forward only to the point of reset, then do a nice smooth pull...concentrate on not jerking it.
  • YMMV on this one, but I've found that Glocks prefer to be shot faster instead of slower. Try shooting it maybe one shot every couple of seconds or so...get into a good "Glock-ish" rhythm.
 
Move closer to the target, try 10 meters. If you can, get a good shooter to watch you while you shoot. Hopefully he can tell you what your doing wrong. Also get a snap cap and practice dry firing every chance you can.
 
Shoot closer, 7-10yrds for starters. Work on these basics:

-Stance
-Grip
-Sight alignment, focus on the front sight. Front sight front sight front sight, important. Equal height, equal light with regard to front and rear sight lined up.
-Trigger pull (let the break surprise you, don't anticipate it.) Just concentrate on pulling the trigger straight back till it breaks the shot. Steady even pull and let the shot break without trying to anticipate it.
-Trigger reset, hold the trigger back after the shot. Reaquire the target and align the sights then allow the trigger to reset, this allows you to get back on target quicker. Glocks have a great reset so it should be very audible.

Once your consistently on target, shoot farther distances. Till you're out to 25yrds, dry fire lots. Get used to the break & reset, as well as a smooth trigger pull. The more you work on your fundamentals the more you'll see improvement, don't worry about speed. That will come later, better to make your shots count at a steady pace than blast away wasting ammo.
 
Dry firing while aiming at a specific spot on the wall (light switch for example) will show you how much the gun is moving as you pull through the trigger until it breaks, after the break you need to keep pulling it to the rear and hold it for a bit ( follow through)

I find stock glocks a bit slippery in the hand as well, so some grip tape might help as well.
 
Thanks for all the tips guys. I will try to track down some larger targets to see what is going on. I think I was a little I'll prepared for my first outing. Also great tips on the grip and trigger control, I will have to try some on my next range outing in a couple weeks.
 
Took the Glock and 22/45 out the other day. I'm pretty sure it is my grip/trigger pull. Resting the Glock on the bench I was getting very tight groups at 25 yards, but just holding and shooting it looks like a shotgun pattern. Same issue with the 22/45, but I shot 900 rounds of 22lr through it and the last 200 or so rounds I was getting decent groups at 25 yards. I'm going to try my large grip on the Glock as I think the grip is a little small for my hand and I'm pulling shots with my trigger finger.
 
I stuck a laser pointer in my barrel during dry fire. You can see how much movement you get with your trigger pulls. I found it helped me see the movement caused by flaws.
 
My two cents is to shoot close and shoot lots :sniper: I wouldn't expect too many folks to start shooting tight groups at 25 meters when they are new to handgunning. Get lots of practice in, then when you start blowing the bullseye out of your target at ten meters, you are ready to push the target distance back further.
 
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