Yes exactly like that. I paint most of my backplates so they stand out more. Black on black is hard to see.
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improving my shooting with a self defense handgun?
- Thread starter raisins
- Start date
so if you had a dot on the center of the backplate, then that dot would be centered on the target while trying to keep the everything in line with the backplate?
Maybe this will help. I know I have a bit of an issue anticipating the recoil and unconsciously tighten the grip of my three non-trigger fingers as I pull the trigger on my striker fired handgun.
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I can tell you from experience, the Ruger LCP is a difficult pistol to shoot well. The S&W compact is fairly light for a .45, thus producing fairly heavy recoil. Neither of those pistols has a very good trigger either. Have you tried shooting a 1911?
years ago I shot a 1911
I want to carry with a loaded chamber and not worry about a safety, so I’m only interested in striker fire or da/sa right now
Shooting a pistol well is considerably more difficult than shooting a rifle well and skill with a pistol is far more perishable IMO.
Have you ever taken a class or received any formal instruction on shooting a pistol? One of the biggest issues I see is that people will just pick up a pistol and start shooting without actually having any of the fundamentals down. I would strongly recommend taking a formal class, and it should be a basic handgun class. I know it feels like a hit to the ego to take a “basic” class, but it’s the best thing to do.
A decent practice/training regimen is important too if you actually want to shoot well. I shoot a lot of USPSA and Steel Challenge, and 95% of my regimen consists of dry fire. I normally dry fire ~15 minutes a day and it will make a big difference in your shooting.
Have you ever taken a class or received any formal instruction on shooting a pistol? One of the biggest issues I see is that people will just pick up a pistol and start shooting without actually having any of the fundamentals down. I would strongly recommend taking a formal class, and it should be a basic handgun class. I know it feels like a hit to the ego to take a “basic” class, but it’s the best thing to do.
A decent practice/training regimen is important too if you actually want to shoot well. I shoot a lot of USPSA and Steel Challenge, and 95% of my regimen consists of dry fire. I normally dry fire ~15 minutes a day and it will make a big difference in your shooting.
1st thing, everyone sucks with a pistol until trained. I was a small arms master instructor in the military and also pride myself on being a very good shooter. I use the mantis laser trainer and besides live fire it is hands down the best trainer out there. Biggest thing about pistol shooting is trigger pull, trigger pull, trigger pull bc of the short barrel it matters the most. Proper grip placement and being able to pull the trigger straight back is key. Also getting a pistol that fits you, you can never go wrong with some kind of Glock or sig. That’s why I like the laser trainer bc even if you think it’s coming straight back I assure you it’s not. Not just practice but proper practice makes perfect.
Without being there with you to see your stance, grip and trigger finger, I am defaulting to your grip being an issue. This is based on the fact that you stated even at seven yards your grouping is inconsistent.
Someone else already posted the pie chart graphic and the beast mentioned trigger slap/ anticipation.
Watch this video, do what he says and also limit your trigger finger to only the width of your index finger fingernail. Meaning do not put your entire finger in there and don’t put too little in there. Then dry fire as often as possible. That shouid clean your group up very quickly.
Someone else already posted the pie chart graphic and the beast mentioned trigger slap/ anticipation.
Watch this video, do what he says and also limit your trigger finger to only the width of your index finger fingernail. Meaning do not put your entire finger in there and don’t put too little in there. Then dry fire as often as possible. That shouid clean your group up very quickly.
Same principles as your bow and rifle apply. So if you shoot those fine, stop changing what works. That chart is really good at giving an idea or start. It sounds like you are not following through and trying to see where the bullet hit.
Here is my advice for archery and it’s the same for firearms. Seek out a decent pro. I bet one lesson will have things straightened out. It’s hard to fix without seeing. Good luck.
Here is my advice for archery and it’s the same for firearms. Seek out a decent pro. I bet one lesson will have things straightened out. It’s hard to fix without seeing. Good luck.
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Get a CZ P07 or (my favorite and EDC) a CZ PCR. Both hammer fired da/sa with a decocker. I hate manual safeties.
Being an NRA Pistol instructor, I carry and recommend anything Glock. Carry whatever u like, just be proficient w/it. The best improvement I ever tried is a Holosun Red Dot, esspecially for aging eyes. It improved my sight aquisition and sight allignment 100%.
Another thing I just thought of as well. When I was teaching my daughter to shoot pistol we started with .45 ACP (the only caliber I have). She also shot it consistently low, sometimes as much as 4 ft low. After watching her a bit from the side I could plainly see that she was pushing the muzzle down as she pulled the trigger to try to offset the recoil. The gun was just too much for her and she was trying to anticipate and control the recoil. She subsequently bought a 9mm and after shooting it a bit she found she wasn't intimidated by the recoil and quit pushing the barrel down. Honestly she shoots better than me now.
I'm not suggesting that you're afraid of the recoil but you could be doing something similar if you're conscious enough of the recoil that your gripping so hard your hand is shaking after a box of shells. It may as simple as relaxing your hand and letting the recoil happen.
I'm not suggesting that you're afraid of the recoil but you could be doing something similar if you're conscious enough of the recoil that your gripping so hard your hand is shaking after a box of shells. It may as simple as relaxing your hand and letting the recoil happen.
Heavy trigger will cause you to point the barrel down. I feel it’s definitely trigger pull issue. If you point your hand and squeeze you hand a little while pulling the trigger it will most likely show you pushing the barrel down. Hopefully that makes sense. Make sure to Pull the trigger with you finger not squeeze your hand. Next time you shoot point you pinky instead of squeezing it
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You’ve got four different triggers on the ones you listed. Pick one and practice, practice, practice. The shorter the sight radius the more difficult to maintain a consistent sight picture. Learn to shoot with both eyes open and practice a bunch. Did I mention practicing?
Honestly the best thing to do is to link up with a shooting coach, or take a basic pistol marksmanship class. Look at Project Appleseed "Pistoleer" classes. Trying to self-diagnose form and error - and then correct it - is nigh-impossible. If you have a membership at a range, one of the officers of the governing board can probably link you up with someone reputable. Barring that, I'm sure a saddle hunter near you would love to get some range time with you.
From what you describe, though, I'm thinking you're probably flinching. Like, really bad. You can try balancing a penny on your front sight during your shot cycle; if you flinch before the shot breaks the penny will fall prior to the shot breaking. You can also do a ball-and-dummy drill by loading some mix of live rounds and dummy rounds / snap caps in your magazine; recoil can hide flinching but as there's no recoil on a dummy round any flinching will be apparent. Lastly, lots of dry-fire practice. Like, 100 dry-fire shot cycles for every live shot. Start with your Ruger .22 (which is an excellent pistol, I've got a MkIII 22/45 target pistol) and develop proficiency there before going back to centerfire. Always use snap caps when dry-firing .22s; while modern Ruger rimfires have stronger firing pins that can tolerate dry fire, why risk it, when snap caps are cheap and repairs are not?
From what you describe, though, I'm thinking you're probably flinching. Like, really bad. You can try balancing a penny on your front sight during your shot cycle; if you flinch before the shot breaks the penny will fall prior to the shot breaking. You can also do a ball-and-dummy drill by loading some mix of live rounds and dummy rounds / snap caps in your magazine; recoil can hide flinching but as there's no recoil on a dummy round any flinching will be apparent. Lastly, lots of dry-fire practice. Like, 100 dry-fire shot cycles for every live shot. Start with your Ruger .22 (which is an excellent pistol, I've got a MkIII 22/45 target pistol) and develop proficiency there before going back to centerfire. Always use snap caps when dry-firing .22s; while modern Ruger rimfires have stronger firing pins that can tolerate dry fire, why risk it, when snap caps are cheap and repairs are not?