DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Pistol shooters...help with my shooting!

I took the CCW class yesterday and found out that I'm not very good with a pistol to say the least. We shot 38 special revolvers and 9mm Sigs, Glocks, and S&W's. I also shot my .40 S&W M&P today to practice a little more. In all, I've probably shot about 200 or so rounds, most through my S&W so I am still very much a rookie.

Anyhow, I've got a problem where I end up low and left of target (anywhere from 5 inches to 2 feet) on a consistent basis. If I shoot a 38 revolver in single action, where there isn't a lot of trigger travel, I can be fairly accurate between 15 and 25 feet on the range. When I go to double action, or any of the semi-auto pistols, the longer trigger travel is really giving me a difficult time. I know what I am doing - anticipating the "boom" and recoil. I've been practicing taking slow trigger pulls, but that hasn't really helped.

If I loosen my grip, it seems to get a little better, but I do not feel as though I have control of the weapon when it recoils. Maybe I do and I just don't understand how it is supposed to feel. Any tips greatly appreciated!

I've done some Google searches and came up with some ideas there, but thought I'd throw my question out here too.

Thanks!

You have "the flinch", anticipating the boom.

I had it as well, just recently as a matter of fact.

Practice - get used to the gun.

In my opinion, it's just something you need to work through. Pistols are tough. I'd be curious as to what tips/advice you got doing the google search as it may help me.

Short term, you can just aim high and right - but that doesn't fix anything for you - it's not beneficial.

I don't know what to tell you other than the obvious. But, don't be intimidated because anyone that has shot has, at some point in time, had to deal with it.

Doubt it will help, but instead of a trigger "pull", think of it as a squeeze. Take a breath, exhale about half, then "squeeze" the trigger. About all I can offer.

The natural reaction when pulling a trigger is to ... your wrist downward....you can test that sitting at the computer and see what I mean.

Just work on locking the wrist or even better, use the left hand...assume you are right handed...and form a good firm cup grip to provide a good firing platform for your strong hand.

The people at the range can instruct you how to do this.

Keep shooting.


I can't believe I can't say ........sounds like gamecock, when used in a proper form.

Take note of where on your finger the trigger rests as well. I try to keep it somewhere on the pad of my finger and not inside the first knuckle. I've found that anything from the knuckle or further inward tends to skew the aim during a long or heavy trigger pull, like that on a .38 special. Matching up a gun that fits the size of your hand well may also help promote a smooth trigger pull, but nothing will help like practice, practice, practice.

Kind of like golf....if you slice 15 yards right, aim 15 yards left.

The best thing I ever learned to make my accuracy improve was simply to exhale.
Breathing is important.
Just as you reach the end of your breath squeeze the trigger.
I know it sounds simple. And you may already do this.
But this helped me alot.

only thing i can tell you about shooting pistols is, they are all different....

last time i was in Georgia at my father-in-laws we were shooting out back.....first gun i shot was a 9mm from about 40 feet.....cocked the hammer....and hit the target dead center destroying the "10"...he laughed and we shot for awhile....

i have a tendency to have my shots go up and to the right if i am shooting quickly....

like the other posters have said....get a good stance....breath correctly...and only put the tip of your finger on the trigger....i have maybe an 1/8th to a 1/4 inch of finger on the far side of the trigger...

use your other hand to support the shooting hand....

and the biggest thing imo, is remember that all guns are different....

that one pistol, i could shoot "double taps" and put them all inside of a 6 inch circle....i shot a few of his other guns, and some of them i was all over the place...

it comes down to the grip on the gun, and trigger tension...

find one you shoot well, and stick with that one....

Thanks for the tips so far. I'm hoping to be able to get back to the range on Monday for some more practice.

I found a nice picture of what causes different areas of the target to be hit:
http://personal.swayzee.com/jayb/analysis.jpg

I'm in the "squeezing fingertips while applying trigger pull" area.

sounds like they are saying you are sqeezing the gun to tight....

wonder if the grip is too small for ya...

maybe compare how you shoot with the different grip sizes....

some guns just feel like they were made for your hand....others feel just wrong....

My M&P has 3 grip sizes that i can change out (grips came with it). I've got the smallest one in there right now as I have very small hands. I'll change the grips out at the range next time and see if that makes a difference.

Get your shooting style consistant before you go changing grips. Make sure you're squeezing straight back and only with the trigger finger. Like others have said, get your breathing in order. Also be sure to use a consistant grip and stance to rule out those variables. I use a modified isocolese stance because that's what you'll likely find yourself in in most self defense situations.

It takes a lot of repetition to get these things down and get used to the amount of trigger creep your gun has...in other words the "slack" you have to take up before it goes bang. The reps will also decrease the amount of anticipation jerking.

This is good news. As you are coming to the draft party, I don't have to worry about you actually hitting the TV when we make our selection... I will be sure and stay away from low and away left tho.. thanks for the tip.

He may over adjust and start hitting high right

Shaddap Peen!

i wasen't suggesting that he switch grips constantly....

the point i was trying to make, is if the grip is alittle too small, he might be squeezing the grip too hard...how a gun feels in your hand has alot to do with how you shoot it imo...if the grip is the right size, i will feel like it was made just for you....and you won't have to grip it quite so hard...

i agree with what you are saying about getting everything as consistent as possible, and not adding more variables...but in trying at least the medium grip, he might be surprised at how the gun feels in his hand...

that might lead to him relaxing his grip alittle and getting a nice smooth trigger pull without jerking the gun all over the place...

You are right. As a new shooter you have to go through the trial/error process to find what is right for you.

Even experienced shooters have to do this with a new weapon to a degree, as no two are exactly the same and may require some modification.

Practice, practice, and more practice, after a couple thousand rounds you should be good and familiar with the gun, but dont get discouraged, and as always..........SAFETY FIRST!!!!!!!!!! Good Luck!

j/c

I'm getting the itch again, all this talk about shooting. I should have this past saturday, but we had things going on. Now, rain til wednesday.....Oh well, I'll get back out soon.

Take it for what it's worth,....I had never shot a pistol before joining the Marines.

You get a lot more concentrated coaching and expertise handed to you on the Rifle Range than you do with the ol' pistole'. In boot camp, we only fired the .45 for "famililarization." (1972)

I shot a long nose .38 in Embasy Guard School and qualified 'Sharpshooter.'
(1974)

Later as (an officer the pistol is) a required annual qualifiying event, I was lucky enough to run into some professionals who taught me about breathing and relaxing.

Let the whole breath out, stop, relax, SQUEEZE, gently---and the round will go where you aimed it. Really simple,...if the rounds are still going left and down, your sight is dorkburgered. (It's not likely that far off, but still possible.) With SIX different weapons, I fired (six of six years) thereafter as 'Expert', just by watching the breathing.

IT is the biggest factor,....

That is what they said in the CCW class I took. Trigger pressure and breathing are the 2 biggest things.

I went to the range again today and shot 100 rounds - I'm getting a little better at 15ft, but at 25ft I'm still lousy. I am starting to relax more and it is making a big difference - I think I might have been holding the gun too tightly, but I ran out of ammo before I could try some more shots and they were out of .40 rounds at the shop so I couldn't get any more. I'm going back tomorrow to try again.....as has been stated: practice practice practice!

I will say this is getting expensive! I found some bulk rounds (1200) on Cabela's today and order those as they are about 24 cents per round as opposed to 44 cents per round when purchased 50 at a time. It's a lot of money up front but will save me about $180 in the end.

What brand did you get for that price? Thats CHEAP!!!

I was a bit off on my math - .30 per round is what it ended up being; it also came with 2 storage boxes (399.99):

.40 S&W ammo

Though they did have some that was 299.99 for 1200 as well:


More .40 S&W ammo