Can you suggest a few books or videos I can read to help...

T

Trip20

New member
...me improve my shooting abilities with semi-auto and wheelies?

I'd appreciate it, especially if any books or videos have helped you - please feel free to suggest and elaborate on what you found helpful about said book/video.

I suppose money is no object here. I mean how can I justify purchasing expensive guns if I won't spend the money to learn how to efficiently use them.

I'm sick of being happy hitting an 8x11 sheet of paper at 15 yards off-hand, when I hear everyone talk about 3" groups at 25 yrds with their pistols!

Sunday, from a rest, I was only able to get about a 3 and a half, maybe 4 inch group at 15 yards.

I'm interested in starting from scratch. Grip, stance, sight picture...etc.

Thanks in advance.
 
Trip, . . . if I may, . . . let me suggest that you find an indoor range near your abode, . . . and go there looking for personal instruction.

I say this because most people cannot see their own flaws, . . . even if they read the book 20 times. An objective instructor can see where you need to adjust, move up, change, whatever.

In actuality, also, with the cost of books these days, . . . you probably won't spend much more, . . . but you will get the results much quicker. Pick up two or at the most three "pointers" each session and go home, . . . practice them until they become "the" way you do it. Go back next week for another session and a few more pointers.

Most any good indoor range has a few "instructors" who will work with you.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
Find a local NRA pistol instructor. Take the basic pistol class from them.

The student book you get for the course has some of the most sound "basics" I've ever seen.

I assume you are after the basics-not higher level "tactical" stuff here right?
 
Dwight - great advice, thank you. I suppose your right, having an instructor to give constructive criticism & direction is probably more productive than trying to read, comprehend, and pick apart my own flaws. Thanks for the tip. May God bless you as well.

Ben Sheperd – correct. I am not after the tactical stuff... yet. Baby steps, my friend ;)

I'm sure once I begin to become more confident/satisfied with my abilities, I'll want to learn the tactical/defense philosophy.
 
Once again-

Take the basic pistol class from an instructor. As far as pure basics there's none better I am aware of. But remember that should be nowhere near the end of your training, just the begining. :D

Shoot well------and often!!!
 
Your main problem is not getting in the shooting practice.
Purchase a good pellet gun (beeman, webley, model tempest) as an example.

Now, you can practice in your living room with either a commercial pellet trap or manufacture something yourself.

Next, go out someplace where you can take a nice leisurely walk. Shoot at twigs, small stones, bottle caps, etc.

When you have gotten this part down, able to hit what you see out to about 35-40 feet. (bottle cap off a plastice soda bottle) your ready for the next step.

Find a nice swamp, where you won't be bothered and where no one can watch/interfer with your practice.

Now, using the pellet gun begin shooting dragonflies, butterflies, moving insects. This teaches you "snap" shooting, and also teaches you how to move with the gun...body, spins to the left because your right handed and out of the corner of your left eye you spot movement...you turn, snap shoot at the insect!

When you have fired about 25,000 - 30.000 rounds, you will find this training carries over with "no" transition to a nice .22 handgun...shoot 10,000 rounds with the .22 and then go to the 9mm...

The bottom line is to shoot, shoot, shoot and shoot some more. Not only at fixed objects (little bullseye at 25 feet) but objects at varing ranges, moving objects.

When you are done shooting as I have describes, you will find you can go 50-60 feet from a soda can, whip your gun up and keep the can moving in the air without any problems...front sight alines and trigger goes off, all by reflex!
 
The gun I'm shooting most often is a Ruger P97. But I'm having the same problem with my friends Springfield XD9. Similarly he let me try his S&W 357mag (not sure what model, I'm less familiar with revolvers than semi-autos), results are slightly better, but... still not like what I hear is possible.

I'm not sure I want to blame it all on trigger pull... I've actually become quite good at this as I competatively shoot sillouette (10/22). I know pistol is different than rifle, but still the philosophy is the same...

Maybe I should be shooting at closer distances than 45 feet (15yrds). This is the closest target position I can use at my local range. Oh well, I found a good website that I'm going to read in addition to getting personal instruction. I've researched NRA instruction in my area and I'll be driving at least 2 hours for this, and paying at least $150. When possible, that's what I'll be doing.
 
Trip

I don't think you need to worry about 1+2" groups at 25yds. Many stock handguns won't give groups that tight from a benchrest much less offhand. As to keeping a can in the air at any distance, not going to happen either. Most rounds pass through so quick you won't even know if it was hit. I have shot 1lb LP bottles with my .45 at 10-15ft and thought I missed, had to move closer and look for the hole.. I read the 1 1/2" groups at 50yds with the same mindset that I listen to the; it was running full speed, in the woods, kills on deer at 400-500yds. Unless you are a competition shooter with a custom rig, I think you should be pleased with 3" groups at 25ft, from a bench 4-6" at 25yds. Unless you are willing to make shooting your fulltime job, and even then 2-3" groups at 25yds might not be possible with the equipment you have. However, you should do everything you can so that you are confident and reasonably competent with your weapon.

OK guys let me have it. :)
 
Number 1 step to ensure you will improve your accuracy

I used to give much of the same type of advice as what has already been posted as my first suggestion. That all changed when a student other instructors could not seem to help was given to me. She seamed to have a knowledge and fair ability to do the fundamentals, but was terribly inaccurate. I checked to see that she was using her master eye, she was. She was not jerking the trigger. She understood front sight focus and sight alignment. After asking her to describe to me what she saw when she focused on the front sight it was obvious she had a vision problem. Glasses immediately improved her accuracy.

Number 1 step to ensure you will improve your accuracy is get your vision checked. Degradation of vision is insidious. Most people do not realize it is happening until it is really, really obvious. I just changed my prescription again and it shows in my shooting.

Number 2 step is train with purpose and proper technique, don't just promiscuously blast bullets down range.

Number 3 step is consider using a quality air pistol to work on the fundamentals. My Webley Hurricane Air Pistol trained me to consistantly hit .308 casings at 30 feet offhand. Quality Air Guns are incredibly accurate and cheap to shoot. With my FWB 300 Universal Air Rifle I used to obliderate flys on a wall at 10 meters from prone unsupported.

Number 4 step is find an instructor to critique you. This is the hardest step because there are many instructors who understand and can demonstrate good technique, but don't have good diagnostic skills. I would rather have a mediocre shooter who is a superior diagnostician critique me than a good shooter who happens to be an instructor.

My comments are based on experience teaching at USAJFKSWC and NSA, and as a civilian NRA certified instructor.


"In a world devoid of semiautomatics, a properly set-up Webley is the ultimate full-size self-defense handgun".
 
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