Front sight bounce

[G34-Driver]

First off, I want to say that I've learned a great deal (ALLOT) here. I have been trying to get my grip down a little better. I feel that I'm relaxing my grip while I'm shooting. Mostly my weak (left) hand. My question is this. I watch the sights lift and return but I notice a slight bounce at the bottom of the return. Is this normal, or grip realted? I think the slight bounce is me pushing the gun back down and re-aligning the sights. Does anyone experience a slight bounce at the bottom.

Thanks in advance

[G34-Driver]

After re-reading my post, the realignment is not an issue as the front sight drops back into the notch but dips and comes back up, hence the bounce. For the glock shooters out there, what would you say your grip pressure is. 60/40 70/30

Thanks again

[Flexmoney]

Matt Burkett's timing drills. (click here)

[Matthew_Mink]

50/50 and very relaxed.

[10ring]

I'm still learning myself but I experience the sight bouncing at the end of recoil. I think this is normal but it would be good for some of the Master+ shooters to comment here.

I once saw some slow motion video of Doug Keonig shooting and his sights would dip one time during recoil and when they swung back to being lined up he would let another round go. Like a finely tuned machine.

[benos]

I remember the bounce, which I later realized could be the result of too much tension in the grip/arms, and not enough attention in vision. (Should be seeing the sight slide back down in the notch and shooting as soon as it gets there.)

be

[bountyhunter]

(Should be seeing the sight slide back down in the notch and shooting as soon as it gets there.)

be

When you shoot a red dot, do you try to "follow" the dot up and down or do you stay focused on the target point and wait for the dot to return to field of view and then track it from there?

[Singlestack]

When you shoot a red dot, do you try to "follow" the dot up and down or do you stay focused on the target point and wait for the dot to return to field of view and then track it from there?

I don't follow it but I see it all the time. It moves to fast to follow for me. I see a streak as it tracks.

[G34-Driver]

Thanks for all the great replies. I think I may be tightening up my strong hand as I shoot which is probably adding tension. Time for more timing drills. Thanks again for your input.

[benos]

When you shoot a red dot, do you try to "follow" the dot up and down or do you stay focused on the target point and wait for the dot to return to field of view and then track it from there?

I found it best to keep my eyes looking hard at the target, or at the exact spot on the target, all the time. All the time while looking like this, you are aware of the dots movements, peripherally, but you don't ever try to follow it.

be

[bountyhunter]

When you shoot a red dot, do you try to "follow" the dot up and down or do you stay focused on the target point and wait for the dot to return to field of view and then track it from there?

I found it best to keep my eyes looking hard at the target, or at the exact spot on the target, all the time. All the time while looking like this, you are aware of the dots movements, peripherally, but you don't ever try to follow it.

be

Thanks, that's what I do as well.

[Paladin]

You are fighting the recoil and so when it is no more (gun resettled) you pull the gun down..during this phase you realise you have fallen below horizontal and so your rushed attempts to correct results in this jerk (bounce).

2 recommended drills- one dry-fire, the other live fire:

1. Simulation of recoil: (as always maintain the 4 safety rules)- dry fire the gun and when the hammer falls, get a momentary pause and then push the gun up as if simulating recoil or better yet have someone hit the underside of the gun up with a soft object (we used to use loosely rolled newspapers). OBSERVE WHAT HAPPENS, WHAT YOU DO AND HOW YOU ARE BEING TO BRING THE SIGHT PICTURE BACK (Many times we catch back the sight alignment but is the gun aligned on where we want to shoot?)!! DID THE GUN TRACK STRAIGHT UP WHEN HIT, DID IT BOUNCE, ARE YOU ANTICIPATING THE GUN BEING HIT AND TENSING UP ETC..Well guess what? you probably are doing the same thing in live fire..Let Recoil happen!! Work through what you have observed to correct but one solution should never be to hold the gun so strong that it doesn't move when struck!!

2. Alternate this with timing drills (Burkett's drills are good).

This is not a dry-fire or round intensive drill.. a few minutes a day for a couple weeks and it will come..

PURE OBSERVATION IS THE KEY TO SOLVING THIS~~

~ the way of the warrior~

[CAB33]

I would like to bring this topic back up.

After shooting an open gun a few weeks ago I noticed how much the front of the gun was bouncing.

With the same gun a two friends had no bounce and one had about half of what I did.

The problem is definitely me, it occurs no matter what gun I shoot except my .22

The 1st thing I tried to cure the issue was to shoot with my arms not so rigid.

I didn't have any signs of improvement, I even let the muzzle stay up and I noticed the same bounce.

I then tried bending at the elbows more to hopefully act as shock absorbers... nothing.

Since then I have just been shooting and being aware of the bounce, seeing if it would settle

down on it's own... no luck so far.

Anyone else worked there way through this? Any other ideas to point me in the right direction?

[Matt Griffin]

Try adding rigidity to your wrists. It's a funny feeling, but if you tense without moving, that can help stabilize during recoil. It's different from adding strength in a direction, like a grip, but more of a tightening of muscles in general.

H.

[ap3]

Well, I have struggled with sight bounce for years, due mainly to small hands and the lose of recoil control that small hands bring. For me, it is all about too much strong hand grip. Generally I shoot about a 70/30. Lighter recoil springs will help, but not solve the problem.

The past year I have made the best strides by doing three things.

One is shooting 5 shot group within a 2.5 inch circle at 10 to 15 yards if I can figure out how to attach a file I'll post the target. dot_drill.doc

The second is extensive practice with strong hand to improve my timing.

The third is shooting the gun with my weak hand, and using the strong hand finger only in order to trip the trigger which got my brain to believe in the power of my weak hand to control the gun during recoil.

Once, you get a handle on sight bounce on slow fire, then the next step is learn how to keep that type of grip during a fast hoser stage where you instinct is to grip tight on close targets and then keep this grip while trying to shoot a tight target. For this aspect I will set up a full open targets at 7 yards to draw on and then three mini-popper size targets at 20 yards to transitions to. I will shoot this drill with a timer in order to add to the transition pressure. Just as you have to learn to concentrate on changing the type of sight focus you have to change your grip pressure used for the different targets.

Another recoil control drill for sight bounce under speed that has helped is Bills Drills at 15 yards using a very agrressive goal based on your classification. For example, if you shoot a 7 yard Bill's drill at 2 seconds then your goal at 15 yards it should be 3 seconds or less

Hope this helps.

[SA Friday]

I've been working with a lot of new shooters lately, and I've been seeing a lot of grip problems causing issues like this, especially with a Glock. I really focus on getting them to center their strong hand on the gun and point the thumb on their weak hand. Roll your weak hand wrist down, point your weak hand thumb at a target, and then set the gun into the weak hand. Mate together your right and left thumbs together, with the strong hand thumb resting on top of the weak hand. Don't leave an opening between where the two thumbs and palms meet.

It seems to help stressing to point both thumbs at the target and rolling the wrists forward a little. The Glock grip angle pretty much forces this, but it can be fudged. It's when the fudging occurs, the recoil starts to be a problem. I almost get a feeling that my slide is pointing 1 degree downward when my grip is right on my Glocks. It really isn't, but that's how I know I'm gripping the gun right. Proper grip will make you more in control of the firearm during the recoil, stopping the overgripping and trying to compensate for recoil. It should help smooth out the shooting sequence.

I'm pretty sure there is a link to a video of Todd Jarrett talking about proper grip somewhere here on BE. It's good stuff. Do a search and you should easily find it.

[Paladin]

.. it is not a grip technique issue.. it is about your own 'way of being' when shooting the gun'.. let recoil happen!!.. there are videos on the net showing a guy firing a gun with only his left hand on the gun in the supporting position.. the gun resettles with no bounce..

is it that the solution is so simple as to be incredulous?..

[CAB33]

I am on the way to fixing the problem.

I have found if I relax my arms the bounce goes away.

I was being to rigid in the arms.

I am now just trying to be able to grip firmly with my hands without

my arms getting to tense.

[Paladin]

..CAB33, the 'trick' is to lock the tendons not the muscle... look at your emotional state as well when shooting.. are u nervous, feeling rushed, pressured etc... all these things lead to 'negative' tension...and affects everything right down to your trigger control....