Long Distance Shooting Advice Needed

[Rockclimbg]

I have been watching Matt B's AR-15 video lately and noticed that he talked briefly about bringing the gun in from the left hand side of the target to deal with offhand hold/wobble at long range. I've heard this referred to as "ambushing" the target and was told that it was wrong and instead, when shooting long range, you should hold the pistol/rifle on the target and break the shot, granted this was advice I receive years ago and not from an IPSC/experienced shooter. Anyway, when shooting some long distance (50 yards) today, I tried bringing the gun in from the left and breaking the shot as per the AR-15 video. My accuracy wasn't any better than a GOOD day of just holding still and accepting my wobble but it felt more consistent and more repeatable "cold." It felt like I was able to better focus on keeping the sights aligned perfectly when bringing the gun in from the left, almost like I had a little more control over my wobble. Is this a valid technique for pistol shooting or does it only apply to rifles? Or did I just totally misunderstand the technique in the video?

The big questions is: Is this a technique worth playing with and learning or would that time be better spent accepting the wobble and holding as still as possible?

Shooting a stock Glock 35, my groups were around 10'' off hand at 50 yards, which is not stellar by some of your standards but is pretty good for where I am in my shooting now.

Thanks for any advice

Rockclimbg

[wsimpso1]

Cross Training Story:

Even in High Power, where we are working on really steady hold and squeeze techniques, the "approach method" has found favor in Offhand. David Tubb (something like eleven NRA High Power championships) writes about it in his books... To calibrate you, the MR target used at 200 yards for Offhand has a 7" ten ring. Shots are taken one at a time, with the target pulled and marked (about an eight second lag for the marking) between shots, and you are allowed 22 minutes for two sighters and 20 shots, so you are really allowed all of the time your really need for this stage.

Using the technique in High Power, you set up to have NPA that is ON, the gun comes in from whereever you get the best repeatablity (right handed High Power shooters usually build their position from above and to the right, and settle down and left toward their NPA on the target). As it settles toward the center, you start your squeeze so that as you get centered the trigger is near the break, and with just a moment of confirmation on center, it breaks. With a nice follow-through, it works great. It does take practice to get it figured out, and discipline to back off the trigger if it is not running right (wind changes, it is not tracking to the center, etc). Even I have fired at 96% or better the last few matches that I entered. 7" at 200 yards is tough - the best that has ever been done in a Regional or National Match on that target is 200-15x.

I think that it is applicable to the pistol in high speed shooting. Brian Enos talks about it in his book. You have read Brian's book, haven't you? Doing it with the Glock might be a bit tougher than with a 1911 derivative, but still doable.

Good luck with new techniques...

Billski

[eric nielsen]

Sent you a PM.

I like the Tubb method and a tiny, distinct aiming point on the target.

[eric nielsen]

Speaking of David Tubb... I was struggling a little with trigger control last night, trying to find a way to keep the dot from doing a little dance on small dry-fire targets. Like light switches ten yards across the hall. Not the cover - just the switch.

Either a quick slap or a slow squeeze, both would make the dot jump up/down or left/right or make a little circle. All of this I want to go away so I can hit plates without the makeup shots which have been dogging me in matches. I had just put the 4lb striker spring back in my open glock & kept trying to find a spot on the trigger to pull straight back - the jiggle remained.

Then I remembered D. Tubb said he likes to hook the trigger in a little with each release. On paper that seems wrong. I tried it. Oh my GOD what a difference. I squeezed - and slapped - the trigger on the far side from my strong hand. Pulled back from under the fingernail. Almost no dot movement at all. Went back to the heavy striker spring and THAT looked great too.

A tiny change in technique cleaned up my trigger control 10x more than dropping the pull weight by a 1/2 pound. That was a nice surprise. If you have big hands or you shoot a pivot-type trigger you may want to try this.

[Jayman]

Speaking of David Tubb... I was struggling a little with trigger control last night, trying to find a way to keep the dot from doing a little dance on small dry-fire targets. Like light switches ten yards across the hall. Not the cover - just the switch.

Either a quick slap or a slow squeeze, both would make the dot jump up/down or left/right or make a little circle. All of this I want to go away so I can hit plates without the makeup shots which have been dogging me in matches. I had just put the 4lb striker spring back in my open glock & kept trying to find a spot on the trigger to pull straight back - the jiggle remained.

Then I remembered D. Tubb said he likes to hook the trigger in a little with each release. On paper that seems wrong. I tried it. Oh my GOD what a difference. I squeezed - and slapped - the trigger on the far side from my strong hand. Pulled back from under the fingernail. Almost no dot movement at all. Went back to the heavy striker spring and THAT looked great too.

A tiny change in technique cleaned up my trigger control 10x more than dropping the pull weight by a 1/2 pound. That was a nice surprise. If you have big hands or you shoot a pivot-type trigger you may want to try this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You want to describe this technique a little more thoroughly? I'm curious...

[eric nielsen]

Not saying this is good for everyone but it works for me. Still working on it in dry-fire because it's not natural - yet.

I recently changed from wrap-around grip tape -

To wood grips & no wrap-around [maybe not legal in LTD, def. not in Production] -

That was giving me fits back when I pressed the trigger on the front-center.

Looking down over the top of the gun, my trigger finger now curls around to the left side of the trigger face and hooks it in [slightly] toward the right as the shot is getting ready to break.