Better hits moving than when standing still?

[bbbean]

Got the following from a friend, and thought he might get better advice from the enosverse than I can offer alone:

Barry --

I went shooting today, and did pretty well. We alternate courses and time with a stopwatch, not an official timer. On these drills, I am keeping up with law enforcement friends just fine.

However, I am experiencing a rather vexing problem.

When I am shooting on the move, and when I am rapidly aquiring targets and taking multiple shots, my groups are pretty good, and are evenly distributed off center. This is true even at 25-35 yards, when I am under extreme time constraints.

However, when I do what we call "bullethole drills" -- attempting to shoot through the same bullet hole at three yards, slow firing -- or when I am slow firing at longer range -- over 25 yards -- I am consistently shooting low and left. (I am right handed.)

When I dry fire, this does not occur. When I point and shoot, this does not occur. It is only when I slow fire, or "aim and shoot," that I have this problem.

Why I point-and-shoot better than I aim-and-shoot is driving me nuts.

I am clearly anticipating recoil. I've fired thousands of rounds of .45s and 9mm's, and I am not consciously afraid fo the recoil. But I am plagued with this problem.

Any tips?

[jkatz44]

Got the following from a friend, and thought he might get better advice from the enosverse than I can offer alone:

Barry --

I went shooting today, and did pretty well. We alternate courses and time with a stopwatch, not an official timer. On these drills, I am keeping up with law enforcement friends just fine.

However, I am experiencing a rather vexing problem.

When I am shooting on the move, and when I am rapidly aquiring targets and taking multiple shots, my groups are pretty good, and are evenly distributed off center. This is true even at 25-35 yards, when I am under extreme time constraints.

However, when I do what we call "bullethole drills" -- attempting to shoot through the same bullet hole at three yards, slow firing -- or when I am slow firing at longer range -- over 25 yards -- I am consistently shooting low and left. (I am right handed.)

When I dry fire, this does not occur. When I point and shoot, this does not occur. It is only when I slow fire, or "aim and shoot," that I have this problem.

Why I point-and-shoot better than I aim-and-shoot is driving me nuts.

I am clearly anticipating recoil. I've fired thousands of rounds of .45s and 9mm's, and I am not consciously afraid fo the recoil. But I am plagued with this problem.

Any tips?

Maybe, when he is slow firing, he is focusing too hard. Also, tell him to load dummy rounds and live ammo in the same mag. This will help with him anticipating the recoil.

[Pro2AInPA]

Sounds like he's thinking about it too hard/trying too hard slow firing.

[CHA-LEE]

When he shoots slow fire he is anticipating when the gun is going to fire and either mashing the trigger to get the shot over with or is flinching before it fires. Low left hits are usually due to mashing the trigger. If he does not see it in dry fire he is either blinking as the hammer drops so he can’t see the sight misalignment or is in a different mind set because he knows the gun won’t go BANG when he pulls the trigger.

[Calmwater]

I noticed the other day, when shooting groups I was changing my stance and the way I held the gun. I was leaning back, blading and allowing the gun to come up because of it. Without seeing the shooter I have no way of knowing if the problem is the same, but it may be something to think about.

[Flexmoney]

Classic flinch.

[wide45]

Re read the original post. He knows what the problem is.

Notice that even during slow fire, the sights are never completely still. Use that to your advantage.