Trigger technique on 20-yard targets

[Andreas]

I'm curious how I should be running the trigger on paper targets out around 20 yards. At 10 yards, I'm blasting through the take-up and release points in one smooth motion, but at 20 I'm distinctly aware of pausing once I take up the slack and increasing the pressure over about 1/3 second to release the shot. Too many shots are going low, perhaps due to this dawdling. FWIW, this is with a CZ-75 that's been worked over by CZ Custom.

[DonovanM]

I could wax on and on about rolling up to and easing over the speed bump, but in reality the only way you'll be able to learn this for yourself is to do 10,000 trigger pulls in dry fire with zero sight movement as fast as you are able to.

[Mr Badger]

This is what it's all about I guess. The slightest movement when firing will magnify the error as the distance increases. A great shot at 10 yards can be 4 inches off when the same shot is fired from 35 yards, easy.

[Andreas]

I could wax on and on about rolling up to and easing over the speed bump, but in reality the only way you'll be able to learn this for yourself is to do 10,000 trigger pulls in dry fire with zero sight movement as fast as you are able to.

By speed bump, I assume that you mean the release point for the hammer. That would imply that I'm heading in the correct general direction with my dry-fire routine ;-)

[glandry51]

This is what it's all about I guess. The slightest movement when firing will magnify the error as the distance increases. A great shot at 10 yards can be 4 inches off when the same shot is fired from 35 yards, easy.

I watched a segment by Larry Vickers about trigger control that would help with this. He had his student put an empty shell case on the front of the pistol and dry fire without having the case fall off.

[Ronnie j]

I watched a segment by Larry Vickers about trigger control that would help with this. He had his student put an empty shell case on the front of the pistol and dry fire without having the case fall off.

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When I hear this I wonder how one can see the sights with a case in the way . I also think you can pull the shot enough to sore a d hit at 25 or so and still balance a case on the gun.

[gearguywb]

Every shot only requires the amount of control to hit that shot's A-zone...anything else is a waste of time....

[Andreas]

Every shot only requires the amount of control to hit that shot's A-zone...anything else is a waste of time....

That's certainly true, but it applies to every trigger technique under the sun, including holding the pistol upside-down and running the trigger with your pinky. I'm wondering if any approaches will naturally make your statement easier than others.

[gearguywb]

Every shot only requires the amount of control to hit that shot's A-zone...anything else is a waste of time....

That's certainly true, but it applies to every trigger technique under the sun, including holding the pistol upside-down and running the trigger with your pinky. I'm wondering if any approaches will naturally make your statement easier than others.

For a two stage trigger, just get through the over travel. The actual trigger manipulation starts at the pressure point.

You are over thinking this, and frankly, for the majority of IPSC type shooting, proper grip is far more important than trigger control. Where shooters have a real problem is the other 9 fingers. If your grip is such that your trigger finger can force the gun out of the target (or off the A-zone) then you have found the source of the problem.

Of course the more difficult the shot then the more the focus must be on breaking the shot clean....but unless you are shooting one-handed, or very difficult shots, this is usually not the case.

[Andreas]

If your grip is such that your trigger finger can force the gun out of the target (or off the A-zone) then you have found the source of the problem.

Sage advice. It's not my trigger finger that's the problem for the shots I have in mind discussing