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Need some help with shooting technique
- Thread starter HKdrummer
- Start date
I use steel a lot of markmanship. At the last major, I used it to sight in when my sight came loose. A nice freshly painted smooth steel shows exactly where you are hitting
xtry51
NES Member
Most people who shoot steel don't pay attention to the actual hit mark. They just listen for the sound.
You should know if and where your shot went without hearing anything because when you pulled the trigger you should have been watching the sights and your target, not flinching like a girl and closing your eyes
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
Flinching covers a bigger spectrum than what youre probably thinking of- it's not just fear of recoil, noise, etc, but it's also slapping the piss out of the trigger too hard, etc, to get the gun to fire. When you have a rifle in your hands the effect of slapping the piss out of the trigger is (somewhat) diminished, not to mention a lot of rifle triggers just plain break differently than handgun triggers. What kind of a handgun are we talking here... you never specified.... although the fundamentals are the same all the time, some triggers almost "induce" a slap, for example, the single action triggers on a lot of Sig P-series guns do this, because the sear breaks too ****ing heavy- so you end up beating the snot out of it to make the gun fire, which in turn, can pull the muzzle slightly off target.
-Mike
It's been said before. But basic truths need to be believed in.
If the sight picture and alignment are correct when the shot breaks it will hit. That's a fact jack.
Now figure out where the problem is the instant you drop the hammer. And stop doing that.
If the sight picture and alignment are correct when the shot breaks it will hit. That's a fact jack.
Now figure out where the problem is the instant you drop the hammer. And stop doing that.
Quiet
Banned
I understand your issue. Since you're a rifle guy, here are some tips:
1) Try shooting the handgun from a standing position. Prone position with a handgun is very difficult to master.
2) When holding the handgun, do not draw the stock of the gun (referred to by most handgun guys inaccurately as the grip) against your shoulder.
3) When shooting a handgun, the bandolier goes around your waist; only the CCW sash goes over your shoulder.
I hope these tips help, I have them written in the palm of my hand.
1) Try shooting the handgun from a standing position. Prone position with a handgun is very difficult to master.
2) When holding the handgun, do not draw the stock of the gun (referred to by most handgun guys inaccurately as the grip) against your shoulder.
3) When shooting a handgun, the bandolier goes around your waist; only the CCW sash goes over your shoulder.
I hope these tips help, I have them written in the palm of my hand.
ToddDubya
NES Member
I spent a night finding the sweet spot for my finger on the trigger. I found that simply putting the trigger smack dab in the meaty part of the first pad was not the best for me. Like others have said, dry firing to figure this out is much faster and much cheaper than oodles of trips to the range. Watching that front sight move or not move gives instant, honest feedback.
I also figured out that I was pulling the trigger way too slowly. My only "instruction" was at my BPS course where they're trying to get you to get a feel for the trigger break. Taking several seconds to pull the trigger (especially DA on a wheel gun) makes for twitchy shooting. Once I sped up my trigger pull I found my accuracy improving. It's still a "press" not a "yank", but now it's more of a command than a suggestion to the gun to fire.
I still suck, but much less than before.
I also figured out that I was pulling the trigger way too slowly. My only "instruction" was at my BPS course where they're trying to get you to get a feel for the trigger break. Taking several seconds to pull the trigger (especially DA on a wheel gun) makes for twitchy shooting. Once I sped up my trigger pull I found my accuracy improving. It's still a "press" not a "yank", but now it's more of a command than a suggestion to the gun to fire.
I still suck, but much less than before.
Right because fundamentals don't work.....![[rolleyes]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/042.gif "Roll Eyes [rolleyes]")
Fundamentals work and are fundamental. The problem is that the NRA has it wrong in teaching what the fundamentals are. They make it complicated and I think this confuses new shooters with more than they can consciously think about while shooting. There is a better way but the NRA educational material will never change.
I can prove this by drilling the center A-zone from 15 yards while standing on one foot, continuously breathing, with a low, weak grip and no recoil control. If the sights are aligned on target when the shot breaks, the bullet will not care how you stand or grip the gun or breathe or follow through.
That is why my advice to the OP is to hold the sights aligned until the shot breaks. If the bullet hits elsewhere, accept the fact that you didn't hold the sights aligned until the shot broke and figure out what you're doing to disrupt the sights.
I have yet to find anyone who hasn't been helped by this common chart. We have it laminated and posted at our club. The secret? Be totally honest and concentrate on what's actually happening. Most importantly, start at 21'. Not 15 yards but only 21'. You'll feel funny but it's what works best. Once you can blow the hole out of the center of the bull at 21', work out to 15 yards next but no more.
Encyclopedia of Bullseye Pistol
Rome
Encyclopedia of Bullseye Pistol
Rome
scatter
NES Member
When I miss, it's low and left. That's because I jerk the trigger. It's easy to overcome it if I concentrate, but it's hard to get it trained out of me permanently. Dry fire helps a lot. I don't like dummy drills that much, mostly because it makes me mad to see how much I move at the "click."
If you don't remember exactly where your front sight was when the shot went off, so that you know where the shot hit without looking at the target, then you're flinching. You should remember seeing the front sight backlit by the muzzle flash.
Quiet
Banned
Awesome chart. Thank you on behalf of my patience, which is wearing thin while trying to teach wifey.
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dry fire practice. Hold the sights on the target and follow through.
Now load up and repeat.
If that doesn't work I'm guessing you need an eye doctor.
Now load up and repeat.
If that doesn't work I'm guessing you need an eye doctor.
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flintoid
Banned
I want to be this sloppy.
D
Deleted member 12999
Working on it. Lol
I think it depends on what kind of shooting you want to do. For bullseye, I think it's absolutely correct. For defensive shooting, if you can reliably hit 8" plates from c
Varying distances/positions and make good follow up shots, you're doing well.
Just my opinion, worth exactly what you paid for it...
Pretty cool, but we're talking about diffetent disciplines. All you're video shooter is looking for is a "hit". We are talking about pistol fundamentals which means putting the round in the center of the target. Steel is not a good place to start from scratch.
I agree. When I first got my LTC I started shooting paper and once I got comfortable with the gun and proper sight picture, and knew where the POI/POA was for my gun, I got one of those portable evil roy target systems with a 10" plate. I paint it either orange or white with cheap spray paint and you can easily see and hear where the shots are. So much more fun than paper.
As long as you put fresh paint on it regularly while you're shooting, I don't see the big difference between that and paper. As long as you can see where your shots are, then you should be fine. I'm no expert but just my $.02
Pistol fundamentals are the same no matter what game you play
That's called flinching.
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
Don't "compensate" for anything. The only thing that should move is your trigger finger. Don't tighten your grip or loosen your grip. Start shooting your handgun from a rest.
As Bill O said, keep the sights aligned until the shot breaks. You should see the front sight lift and, if you are shooting a semi-auto, the brass ejected. If you don't see the front sight lift and the brass eject, your are blinking when the shot goes off (and probably also flinching).
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Me too.
I agree, but I thought the discussion was what are the fundamentals and what's the best way to learn them. I personally don't think the steel plate rack is the best place to learn the basics. Sort of like learning to drive a car: you don't take lessons at the Daytona Speedway.
gerrycaruso
NES Member
If it's that bad, I'm guessing Supermoto is right about the first part. I don't know about the second part. I shoot short barreled handguns at least twice a week from 7 to 100 yards. I shoot at Harvard. If that's not too far for you let me know. If you can hit with a rifle, you can hit with a handgun.
That's called flinching.
Don't "compensate" for anything. The only thing that should move is your trigger finger. Don't tighten your grip or loosen your grip. Start shooting your handgun from a rest.
As Bill O said, keep the sights aligned until the shot breaks. You should see the front sight lift and, if you are shooting a semi-auto, the brass ejected. If you don't see the front sight lift and the brass eject, your are blinking when the shot goes off (and probably also flinching).
I think it is my grip. After watching the video of the different grips and seeing that the way I somehow came about holding a pistol, I'm doing it alllllll wrong. For starters I have very little support and control the way I am holding it. I tried some if the other grips from the video and without even firing can feel the difference in the control of the firearm. I'm thinking that could be a majority of the issue. I'm hoping to get to the range with something to see if that is what it is. Sadly I have two handguns one of which is a pocket .25 and the other is a p22 which is missing the front sight at the moment. And no, that's not what I've been shooting with lol
Grip support really doesn't have much to do with hitting your target. A tight, firm grip will help you recover the front sight back on target faster, but as long as you are not milking the grip it really won't affect where you are hitting. If you pull the trigger without disturbing the sights, you will hit the target.
D
Deleted member 12999
Yes. Every single problem I've seen is trigger pull disruption or flinching. Grip is most certainty a recoil issue, and how good you look in photographs.
