I'm A Bad Shot =)

[Solarius]

I just starting shooting pistols recently, and I'm a pretty horrible shot. I have a Steyr M9A1 that I really like, but I'm confused about grip and trigger control on it.

BE says in his book to eliminate all sources of tension and non-neutrality, but when I use a light grip on my pistol then my trigger pull affects my POI and I tend to limp-wrist my shots. Exactly how tight should I grip the gun and what can I expect out of the trigger pull (ie how much should it pull my sights?)

[XRe]

There's an appropriate amount of tension for your grip - in fact, Brian discusses it with a couple of analogies - the grip you use on a steering wheel while driving, or the grip you might use on a hammer. Your body will know how firm to grip the gun. You definitely don't want to limp wrist, and you don't want your trigger pull to disturb your sights. The Production and Revo shooters can probably comment more on that phenomenon for you.

By eliminating tension - think about how tense you might be in other areas - shoulders, elbows, abdomen, legs, etc. There's an appropriate amount of tension, but most folks are way too tense when they approach this game at first. There's also mental tension - and same thing goes there, too.

One of the best ways to address this might be to find a local match, and observe - find the best shooters, and ask them about it. They'll usually be glad to help you get started - many times, it's easier to work that out in person than on a forum I can show you a lot more about my grip pressure by demonstrating than by trying to describe it. For my L-10 gun, it's pretty firm w/ the weak hand, not so firm w/ the strong hand. For Open, I'm not real firm with either hand, but slightly more so with the weak hand than the strong hand. In both cases, I'm in control of the gun, though....

[Putty]

I had the same question for Rob Leatham last week. He had me bring the gun up and then grabbed the end of the slide and moved it around....alot. He had me grip it until he could barely move it. Felt like I had a death grip on it but as I have used it , it is beginning to feel natural and the muzzle flip has decreased to a great degree. I noticed that when I brought my elbows up and almost paralell to the grips plane, that a noticeable amount of shoulder tension would enter into the process.

As I put more live fire down range in practice, utilizing what Lovestoshoot and others have taught me, that many things are working themselves out. I dont think there is a cookie cutter answer, as everyone is individual in thought process and physicality. Brian's book is great and does a very good job at getting you on the journey of self-discovery, where you find your own answers. I like being told definatively what to do and go from there applying it to my own modus of what works.

[Micah]

I just starting shooting pistols recently, and I'm a pretty horrible shot. I have a Steyr M9A1 that I really like, but I'm confused about grip and trigger control on it.

That's no way to talk about your shooting! Everything is a work in progress. I can guarentee you that if you have a negative attitude towards your shooting, than you will have a negative result at the range. You stated that you are somewhat new to pistols. I would suggest that you listen to the professional advice of many of the gents and ladies here, and just enjoy the shooting!

[Shawn Knight]

I had a big problem of throwing shots with a new glock. then I just started dry firing with it and then I started shooting with Snap Caps in the magazine and it made me realize I am a flinch master!! I don't flinch as bad anymore but it still makes me think. I still shoot with random snap caps and it helps alot.

[motorcycle_dan]

I'm a pretty horrible shot.

Most likely it is a trigger control thing. Best thing you can do is lots of dry fire followed by having someone else load snap caps in your mag while practicing. As the trigger is squeezed to the point where the firing pin hits the snap cap, THE sights should not move.

I'm a seasoned bullseye shooter and just now starting to enjoy action pistol events. Wooo hooo lozza fun but a complete different discipline. I once thought that only a 1911 could be shot accurately. Now I'm shooting a springfield XD and a Glock quite well. I was always trigger and recoil sensitive shooting bullseye. My rim fire was near master scores, centerfire was middle expert and my .45 was lower expert/upper sharpshooter (hanging head in shame)

Moving into IPSC competition, every time I tried for speed, My accuracy would drop bad. If I shot slow I shot all Alpha, (they timed me with a calendar.) Eventually I learned that trigger control for me was a matter of not knowing "exactly" when it was going to fire. In bullseye, I just increased finger pressure until it dropped. Any movement of a 1911 trigger and it dropped the hammer.

With IPSC I found myself flinching because as I tried to go faster I was saying I want the gun to fire NOW. Then I'd flinch as I squeezed the trigger. So I have developed a different technique. With the XD or the Glock the trigger has considerable travel before it fires. I get the sights lined up and then squeeze it as if using a revolver double action or pumping a spray bottle. I just start the movement rearward and do not know the exact instant it will fire. I keep the sights aligned as I "pump" the trigger rearward.

I've shot in several matches now and quite happy because my scores keep getting better. I know that there is a plateau coming that will require much work to overcome. Until then, I'm very happy for "Lewis count" scoring. I'm in the money, I'm in the money.

[TreblePlink]

I'm no expert but the biggest single jump in my skill was when I did the standard flinch cure - that is to place a dummy round in your mag, and shoot a string while closely watching your sight picture. If the sights are being pulled off target during the trigger press, you'll imediately see it when you get the click - no recoil excuses. Now, when I'm "in the groove" I'm able to call most modest distance shots because I'm confident that what I see in the sights IS where the shot went. Then again when I'm lousy ...

Dry fire practice also helps alot with this - your ability to execute the fundamentals really becomes apparent. Your grip, stance and mindset enable you to aquire the target and maintain the sight picture - and your trigger control allows you to initiate the shot without upsetting the sight picture.

The hardest thing is doing this faster and faster and faster ...

[Flexmoney]

{Drift alert}

motorcycle_dan, feel free to bring that Tommy gun to Rayner's on Sunday...we'll find a place to shoot it. (Kyle)

[Leadfoot Anny]

I have been shooting for a while, I was having the same problem shooting my steyr M9 for one thing it has the triangle sights and I was using my sights wrong, you line them up just like any other sights. My husband put skate tape on the grip, that has helped me a lot. Another thing I was not standing on the balls of my feet I was putting most of my weight on the heels of my feet. I hope I was a help to you. I have my first shoot tomorrow and I'm a little worried. I have been practicing a lot and getting better. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR NEXT SHOOT!!!!!!!!!!

[Matt Griffin]

I have been shooting for a while, I was having the same problem shooting my steyr M9 for one thing it has the triangle sights and I was using my sights wrong, you line them up just like any other sights. My husband put skate tape on the grip, that has helped me a lot. Another thing I was not standing on the balls of my feet I was putting most of my weight on the heels of my feet. I hope I was a help to you. I have my first shoot tomorrow and I'm a little worried. I have been practicing a lot and getting better. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR NEXT SHOOT!!!!!!!!!!

That's one of the most common things I see in new shooters, the back-on-the-heels posture with the head thrown back and arms locked tight. It took me quite a while to accept that the gun isn't going to hurt me, and that loose-limbed shooting is best.

H.

[Gary1911A1]

I tend to shoot my best when I focus more on the trigger feel more than the sights and only look at them trying to track the front sight. I'm right handed and while shooting today I notice my front sight going left. I guess I nedd more grip pressure in my right hand.

[xd9shtr]

I have been shooting for a while, I was having the same problem shooting my steyr M9 for one thing it has the triangle sights and I was using my sights wrong, you line them up just like any other sights. My husband put skate tape on the grip, that has helped me a lot. Another thing I was not standing on the balls of my feet I was putting most of my weight on the heels of my feet. I hope I was a help to you. I have my first shoot tomorrow and I'm a little worried. I have been practicing a lot and getting better. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR NEXT SHOOT!!!!!!!!!!

Hope your shoot went well!! I shot my third match Saturday and my only complaint is there is not a match here every other day or so!! One other thing I found I was doing and not realizing it was tilting my hips forward instead of leaning into the stance. Once I forced myself to lean forward (I swear I look like the hunchback of ND!!) my shots became considerably more consistent and my groups are quite a bit tighter.

[Jadepanther]

Hear is a good place to start

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5010

also check this out.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=33089

now practic, practice, practice....

[KurtPiet]

The way I was taught was that if your right handed the right hand holds the gun by that I mean that it's tight enough to keep from dropping the gun but tight enough that your trigger is relaxed so that you pull it straight back. Left hand or weak hand is the control hand thats the hand that has the death grip for lack of a better word on the gun. Because if you can't control the weapon you can't hit what you aim at and pretty soon you get discussed and say screw it and give up. Just my 2 cents worth but has worked for me and my students so far. Kurt Be Safe Out There

Edited July 12, 2006 by KurtPiet

[bountyhunter]

I'm a pretty horrible shot.

Most likely it is a trigger control thing.

That is true wisdom.

Shooting a gun perfectly requires only two simple things:

1) Aim it in the right direction.

2) Squeeze the trigger without moving it.

Notice I said two SIMPLE things, not two EASY things....

Most people are much better at #1 than they think they are, and much worse at #2 than they think.

Here is what every beginner (I did it too) does that makes the shots go wild:

1) While aiming, sees the gun sights moving slightly..... because NOBODY can hold a gun perfectly still.

2) Yanks the trigger when the sights are "perfect".... and pulls the shot two feet offline.

3) Closes eyes at firing and does not "snap" a picture of the sights when the gun fires..... if you do, you'll see the sho goes exactly where the sights were aligned when you heard that loud BOOM......

Work on focusing on the sights, aligning: then shift total awareness to the trigger pull and don't try to adjust the sights alignment as you squeeze the trigger. Force yourself to keep your eyes open so you can see if the gun is moving when you pull the trigger. Most shot error is caused by the gun moving at the trigger pull.