steve123

If you are watching the front sight while you transition between targets...that will be slow. You will want to see the front sight as you call your shot on your current target, once you see that...THEN snap your eyes to a SPOT on the next target. The eyes will get there quicker than the gun. Be sure to pick a SPOT on the target. Once the gun starts to show up, bring your vision back to a razor sharp focus on the front sight again. Next time I go out I'll try to identify exactly what I am doing. Things are different from 6 years ago when I used to compete a lot. I've had to start wearing reading glasses when I shoot pistol with irons. So now my eyes are focused on the front sight and everything else is blurry. Whats the solution to this problem? My solution to this problem was to get a new prescription from a fellow shooter (optometrist). New glasses for shooting that have the dominant eye focused on the front sight and the non dominant focused at 25 yards out (infinity). By the way, this is a very common fix for us folks over 50. I got my new glasses last December. It took a few days of dry fire and one match to get used to it. Now, I focus on the A zone of a target, the buzzer goes off, I draw and bring the gun up and the front sight is crystal clear in front of the A zone. Try it, you'll like it. Check it out in the equipment section of the forum and you'll find others who concur with this solution. Joe Thanks Joe! I'll go look.

Thanks for the advice Steve. Where do I buy your book?

If you are watching the front sight while you transition between targets...that will be slow. You will want to see the front sight as you call your shot on your current target, once you see that...THEN snap your eyes to a SPOT on the next target. The eyes will get there quicker than the gun. Be sure to pick a SPOT on the target. Once the gun starts to show up, bring your vision back to a razor sharp focus on the front sight again. Next time I go out I'll try to identify exactly what I am doing. Things are different from 6 years ago when I used to compete a lot. I've had to start wearing reading glasses when I shoot pistol with irons. So now my eyes are focused on the front sight and everything else is blurry. Whats the solution to this problem?

Yes I understand. There were days,(still are in other shooting disciplines) that I just packed up and went home. Sometimes things just aren't working out that day. No use in wasting ammo. Duly noted with the dry fire. Still no one has answered my question. When you guys are shooting fast and you happen to have a dud, do you pull the pistol down from recoil subconsciously or do you have perfect follow through? Meaning the pistol remains motionless. Thanks for all your help guys. Steve, What you see when you're shooting fast and the muzzle dips because the gun went "click" instead of "bang" is probably not a flinch response. It's more of a subconcious need translating to a concious effort to attempt to control the recoil and get back on target faster. Saul Kirsch (Thinking Practical Shooting) or Brian Enos talk about it in their book. I can't remember which author (maybe both). Either way, it's pretty normal and not something to be overly concerned with. When a shooter starts advancing in their skills set it happens. Fantastic! Phew,I'm not crazy then. Thanks !

It is perfectly fine, even normal, to be pushing the gun back on target after the bang. This isn't so much controlling recoil as it is getting the gun back on target quickly. Now, if the gun is pushed *prior* to the bang, then that is obviously a bad thing and will result typically in low shots. In other shooting disciplines (i.e. precision shooting) where the time limits are much more liberal, you tend not to see the push after the bang. Generally, there's no need for it. In fact, most shooters from this realm are completely perplexed when you try to explain to them the idea of pushing the gun back on target. Its just not something they do. Grunt Thanks Grunt. Ok I'm fine then. Yes, if I'm shooting slow then I follow through. I have some Olympic air pistols I shoot so with them it's different than how I shoot combat pistol at speed.

Yes I understand. There were days,(still are in other shooting disciplines) that I just packed up and went home. Sometimes things just aren't working out that day. No use in wasting ammo. Duly noted with the dry fire. Still no one has answered my question. When you guys are shooting fast and you happen to have a dud, do you pull the pistol down from recoil subconsciously or do you have perfect follow through? Meaning the pistol remains motionless. Thanks for all your help guys.

I imagine that if I had a official MGM plate rack to practice on and a bunch of other regulation steel at a local venue, like a real shooting range, I would have been able to improve more than I did. See, I think my first premise is 90% of what my problem was. 5000 rounds is not a large enough quantity of practice to achieve a master level. Given that I do have a certain amount of natural shooting ability I was able to go from C to A with relative ease. Going from A to master is another story. Mega practice and probably some mentoring.

Makes sense.

Actually for the present I have no goals. Last Sunday was the first pistol match I've shot in a year. Nothings changed. Still D and C shooters after all these years are going to our local match's. I still probably won the match,even with a procedural. Haven't got the results yet. My question to begin with was how did the pro's break through to the next level? Time for me to read a book on the subject. Maybe starting there would be best.

Thanks Mark, I see what you are saying. Being more efficient with time is a definite fault of mine too. Seems like I'm going fast but obviously not in comparison to more experienced shooters. The more I consider all this info I'm getting from everybody the more I realize I really need professional training to point out what I'm doing wrong and push me in the right direction. Oh and a boat load of ammo as well.

That's an excellent idea! Thanks

I use the modified Weaver stance. Like if one were to get into a fighting stance with knees slightly bent and leaning forward a tad. I use the standard IPSC type grip. It is a weak area for me. I find myself gripping more with my strong hand when I know it should be the opposite. Also I don't have as much range in my wrist as most folks. I can't cock my wrist down as far. It's uncomfortable for me. For the most part I'd be watching the front site. You know how it is when you start off a stage watching the front site and you're hitting stuff then you relax some, take things for granted and start screwing up.

Thanks Grunt for taking the time to write all that out. If I were to add up all the centerfire pistol rounds I've ever shot I doubt I've fired more than 60,000 all together. So I bet that's most of the problem. Not enough trigger time. For practicing, do you guys think getting one of those Tactical Solutions 22lr conversions for my STI would help make me faster or is the money better spent on components ? Also can someone please answer my question from a few posts up on recoil control and follow through? What classification are you so I can get some perspective here. Thanks

That's encouraging! Thanks for the quotes as well.