Damn I Suck

T

Toecutter

Inactive
I havent shot a handgun since I was about 14 with my dad, (22 now) anyway on saterday I went and shot a box of ammo at a shooting range. man I couldnt get a group on that target to save my life. no consistency. I need help, what tips can you guys give me... Anything will be helpfull. Do you think I just need more time to get used to the gun? Although it made me feel better when the guy in the lane next to me shot both clips off his target and it fell, atleast I hit the paper.. O well maybe I dont suck as bad as I think I do.

[This message has been edited by Toecutter (edited December 20, 1999).]
 
Try moving your target up to even 7 yards or so try that and then when you get better move it back. Don't worry if you don't look macho, it will make you feel better you even hit the target and will give you more confidence. As you get better move it back more.
 
What handgun were you shooting? Was it a rental?
oops, didn't see your post, JG

[This message has been edited by lowrider (edited December 20, 1999).]
 
What distance were you shootin' at? Were ya shootin' .22's or .44Maggies? It makes a difference for some strange reason. I agree that the target should be fairly close if you had not shot a hand gun in a buncha years. Sometimes it helps to shoot at the simplest target you can find. Nothing fancy with a lot of scoring rings, just a aiming point.

Of course, you could tell people that you are getting blown patterns with your shotgun, when they look at your targets. LOL

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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
 
Oops sorry guys Forgot to say.. Im shooting a TZ-75 9mm, it belongs to me, I was shooting at 10 yards. I hit the paper every time but they were just all over the place, the target was using was an NRA Official 25yd pistol target so its like 10 1/2" X 12".
 
I agree with someone elses idea on a previous thread, because although I had done it with revolvers I had never thought to do it with pistols.. DUH! Crazy me, anyway, have your shooting partner load your mags for you, and have him sneak a couple of snap caps in. I found MY problem when I did similar with a revolver (I just used empty brass with a revolver)my groups tightened right up when I realized how much I flinched in anticipation of a shot. Anyway, hope this helps.


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"...you're thinkin was that 5 shots or was it 6? Well, you've gotta ask yourself one question: Do you feel lucky??? ...Well, do ya PUNK!?!?
 
The first thing I'd do is shoot that pistol from a rest to make sure the gun isn't the problem. If it will shoot decent groups that way, then you know it's something you are doing, probably yanking the trigger some way (or several ways). I'd do some dry firing with a quarter balanced on the barrel, making sure to maintain the sight picture for a full second or so AFTER the hammer drops. Next time at the range, have someone else load a dummy round/snap cap somewhere in each magazine; that will show any bad tendencies real quick. Shooting a .22 can help you get back on track, too.
 
Hey, we all generally sucked a bit when we 1st started shooting. ;)
50,000rnds later & I don't suck anymore !
You weren't doing all your shooting Double Action were you ?

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"The Gun from Down Under !"
http://www.para1911fanclub.w3.to/
E-mail hotshot_2000@hotmail.com
Alternate E-mail
HS2000@ausi.com
 
Go to a sporting goods store and buy a GOOD quality, CO2 powered pellet pistol... the kind that looks like a "real" handgun.

Shooting 500 pellets costs almost nothing and by the time you finish them... you should be able to hit center mass with ANY handgun... but continue to practice with the pellet pistol...

Start off shooting at 10 FEET. You should take AT LEAST 10-15 seconds per shot at first... concentrate on sight picture and trigger pull... Once you can put 5 or more pellets in a 1 inch circle AT 10 FEET... then move it back 5 more feet... and repeat the process, until you get to 30 feet. Once you can put 5 or more pellets into a circle that is 3" or less at 30 feet - you WILL be ready for a "REAL" handgun...

Of course... you can go the easy route and take shortcuts... but then again... you probably won't be be able to do target headshots with any handgun out to 40 or more yards...

GOOD practice insures a LIFETIME of accuracy.

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Stand against evil, lest evil have its way...
 
As was posted above. Also get good hearing protection. I use plugs and muffs so the guy next to me with full house loads dosen't bother me as much. A pellet gun or 22 is a great option. When I am dealing with a new shooter I use a 22 or in some cases "no access to a range" I have even used a paintball gun. It worked great for shotgun training. Tank butstock and sights similar but safety in different location :( But no noise and able to see hits on side of building and use one hit as target.
But snap caps and practice will help you a lot. Don't get discouraged. When I first tried "action shooting" I killed a few hostages. "I said they were BG in disguise/collaberators" But we had lots of people who after some fumbles in reloading/ hit hostage etc wouldn't come back. We tried to tell them "everyone kills the hostage for the first few times, It is different when you have to reload and shoot behind cover at moving targets." I don't think anyone ever made fun of a new shooter. We would kid the "old pros" when their gun jam etc.
Sorry to say other LEO were the worst ones on not comming back. They seemed to feel they lost face if not among the best.??? Always tried to go too fast. If not great wouldn't ever come back. :( :(
Keep in mind I am a lousy shot "compared to some of the group" but I learned a lot.
 
Actually, Toecutter, it's all a matter of luck. But it seems the more you practice, the luckier you get.

Dad2janes advice about the pellet gun is very good. I keep one at my work bench and pop off 10 or 20 every now and then at a pellet catcher about 30' across the room. It is great for sighting and trigger pull practice. Of course, it won't prepare you for recoil or noise. But if you do the sighting and trigger part correctly, then it doesn't matter.
 
The snap cap solution is great for seeing what is really happening and ususlly covered up by recoil and noise. Dry firing with intense concentration on sight picture is great as well.

As a 'fer instance' I found one gun shooting higher than another and used dry firing to determine that the way my finger pulled on the trigger cause a slight elevation in the font sight just as the hammer went down.

Of course this method is also great for the 7:00 blues--recoil anticipation.
 
One of the best tips I ever got was to fire the gun with only the middle finger and the web of the thumb doing any work. Just sort of resting in a relaxed hand with the other fingers on the grip but just loose. Then as you squeeze the trigger you will see any movement. ALSO you will learn that the gun is not going to jump out of your hand. It really leads to a relaxed stance and is invaluable in learning to shoot offhand with the other hand in the pocket and impress the heck out of all the 2 handers. Once you learn that recoil and noise just happen and you don't need to do anything about either, all of a sudden things start getting easy.
 
There is a thread on another board along similar lines. A couple of things come to mind from that conversation.

When shooting, dry firing, etc., make sure that:

1. You have the 'ideal' sight picture: focus on front sight so you have a crisp front sight, almost as crisp rear sight and fuzzy target. This may require mid distance glasses.

2. The front sight is your friend--keep your eye on it and not the target, make the target a 'background' to your front sight. Keep your eye on the front sight as and AFTER you fire, making sure it never wavers. You will find a tendency to look past to the target. As in golf, you want to 'keep your eye on the ball'.

3. Watch the top edge of the front sight. After some practice you will begin to automatically align the tops of the rear sight with the front, so you don't need to get distracted by the mechanics.

I have fired tons of ammo trying to improve, usually wasting it as I needed to learn these 'tricks' for real incremental improvement. You might say I practiced doing things incorrectly. Ouch! I am now reaching a point where accuracy and consistency are almost at a satisfactory level and speed is the next thing to tackle.

Oh, yeah. And also how to translate my offhand accuracy to other positions. Prone, sitting, kneeling and shooting from vertical rest (barricade) are still unsatisfactory. I know there are more 'tricks' to learn.
 
I am only interested in combat. Here is my answer FWIW. I'm assuming you are at the guard position.

1. Focus on the threat
2. Raise the pistol with slight isometric pressure from the guard postition until the front sight meets your line of sight to the threat
3. When the front sight is on the threat shift your focus from the threat to the frontsight
4. Press the trigger
5. Slightly release the trigger until the sear engages, while bringing the pistol out of recoil
6. Reacquire the threat
7. Evaluate the threat's condition, shift focus to the front sight and press again if necessary to neutralize the threat, if the threat is neutralized,move the pistol to the guard position
8. Break you tunnel vision by looking left and right, with pistol following your line of sight to evaluate scene for other threats
9. If no additional threats are present reholster.

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It is far better to dare mighty things, though riddled with failure, than to live in the dull grey of mediocrity.
 
Join your local USPSA club and GO SHOOTIN'!


Good gun (but slug the barrel).

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"All my ammo is factory ammo"
 
If it was Saturday the 11th, not Saturday the 18th, and it was at the S&W Training Center, and the guy got the two clips with three shots from a Glock 19 - then it was probably me, and I was aiming for them :)

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Glock 19
Colt Police Positive .38 Special
Smith & Wesson Model 41[/code]
 
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