First Day at the Range Yesterday - Help

F

fsfty

New member
I've been shooting rifles for years and am pretty good at it:). Bought my first 2 pistols, a glock 19 and S&W 686. I took the Glock to the range yesterday having never fired a pistol before, and needless to say, I wasn't too accurate. I mostly missed high and left..very left at 10 yards.

I was pretty discouraged and did some reading and looking at videos. One thing I realized was I wasn't taking up the slack on the trigger. Its a 2 stage and I didn't realize it.:eek:. Therefore, the DA trigger had a very long pull so I hope taking up the slack will help. Also, I think I had too much finger on the trigger; I was putting the trigger in the first "knuckle" of my index finger. Finally, I wasn't following through.

Do you think if I work on these items, I will improve? Im pretty discouraged right now. Can you recommend anything else I can work on? Thanks.
 
I found this on the M1911.org technical site. It might help.

http://www.m1911.org/technic30.htm

diagnostictarget.jpg


The target is supposed to be downloadable, so you can print your own copy to toss in your range bag. It's for right-handers, so if you're a southpaw you'll have to mentally make a mirror image.
 
Thanks...yeah, i actually used the chart as a target yesterday and i know to a degree i was anticipating recoil. Thats why im hoping next week when i take in the slack i will have a shorter pull and hopefully resolve it to a degree. I shoot a rifle very well, but Im quickly finding that firing a rifle is a lot different than firing a handgun...any other advice?
 
Don't beat yourself up too bad over accuracy. Like anything else, you will become better and more proficient with time and practice. A glock 19 and S&W 686 are two excellent choices in a handgun. Sounds like you did your homework in the selection process. Concentrate on trigger control and sight picture, you'll be surprised how quickly those targets will start to improve.
 
Thanks 4 Paws...you sound like my brother; he said the same thing to me on the way home from the range. I guess i didn't realize how different shooting a handgun is from a rifle. I guess its gonna be practice practice practice. Bought 900 rounds when i got home yesterday....
 
I bought some ammo for the 686 today, but I want to work out the Glock sitch before i move on to the 686. You're right though..the SA on the 686 seems like some sweet action:)
 
If you are shooting consistemt groups, but the group is displaced from center, the chart in post #2 will help.

If you are distributing rounds all over the place...the chart will serve no purpose.

Not trying to be an arse, but handgun shooting is a bit different than rifle (or shotgun) shooting.

Best regards, Rich
 
The first principle of accurate shooting is trigger control: a smooth, press straight back on the trigger with only the trigger finger moving. Maintain your focus on the front sight as you press the trigger, increasing pressure on the trigger until the shot breaks. Don't try to predict exactly when the gun will go off nor try to cause the shot to break at a particular moment. This is what Jeff Cooper called the "surprise break."


By keeping focus on the front sight and increasing pressure on the trigger until the gun essentially shoots itself, you don’t anticipate the shot breaking. But if you try to make the shot break at that one instant in time when everything seem steady and aligned, you usually wind up jerking the trigger. Of course the gun will wobble some on the target. Try not to worry about the wobble and don’t worry about trying to keep the sight aligned on a single point. Just let the front sight be somewhere in a small, imaginary box in the center of the target.

Also, work on follow through. Be aware of where on the target the front sight is as the shot breaks and watch the front sight lift off that point as the gun recoils – all the time maintaining focus on the front sight.

Practice deliberately, making every shot count, to program good habits and muscle memory. Dry practice is very helpful. You just want to triple check that the gun is not loaded, and there should be no ammunition anywhere around. When engaging in dry practice, religiously follow Rule 2 - Never Let Your Muzzle Cover Anything You Are Not Willing To Destroy." As you dry fire, you want to reach the point where you can't see any movement of the sight as the sear releases and the hammer falls.

Finally, some instruction is always a good idea. The purpose of instruction is to teach you what to practice and how to practice it. When you understand that, you can begin to practice perfectly and improve.

Remember, it's not just a matter of trigger time or more practice. Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect. Practice also makes permanent. So if you keep shooting badly you just become an expert at shooting badly.
 
Think less about hands and more about eyes. Learn to lock your focus on the front sight, and don't lose sight of it until the gun fires.

After that, your primary focus should be on reaquiring the front sight and keeping it in focus. Do not apply pressure on the trigger until that condition is met.

Take as much time as you need between shots to do this. It's not a race!
 
First things first: DON"T GET DISCOURAGED!

It's hard when you're good at one discipline, rifle shooting, in your case, and then struggle in another. Your frustration is absolutely understandable, but don't let it sour you on pistol shooting. If you're out buying more ammo already and asking for help, I don't think that's going to be a problem. :D

Work on steady, smooth, consistent pressure in your trigger pull. Don't think "sights lined up, stopped wobbling, BANG!" You'll probably end up anticipating the recoil and getting shots all over the target. Steady squeeze, straight back on the trigger, and the round firing should almost be a surprise. Get some snap caps and practice dry firing. Put a quarter on top of your front sight or on top of your slide. Pull the trigger and the quarter shouldn't move.

Also, it helps to take the snap caps with you to the range. Have a friend randomly load them into a magazine/cylinder without you looking. As you shoot through the mag, when you unexpectedly hit the snap caps you will be able to see what you're doing wrong, whether you're flinching or breaking your wrist up or whatever else.

Proper grip and stance are important as well. Todd Jarrett says it better than I possibly can: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa50-plo48

Shoot slowly! It's not a race, as somebody said earlier. Sometimes I find it helpful to either underload your magazines (especially if they're really high capacity) or take a break halfway through to evaluate what you're doing and where you're hitting on the target.

Getting a good .22 semiauto like a ruger 22/45 is great training as well. Cheap ammo means lots more trigger time. Also the lack of recoil can really help you work on proper mechanics.

YMMV, these are just some things that have helped me get more consistent in my pistol shooting.

Take luck!
 
I would find a qualified instructor. Take some lessons. Most people who learn on their own develop bad habits that can't be broken. There is no way someone who has never seen you shoot can provide you with useful help. If you spend 1k on lessons over the next year you will be light years ahead of those trying to teach you online.

I have been shooting skeet for over 30 years. I still take lessons every few months. I shoot with the 65 and up national sporting clays champ on a regular basis. If he spots anything constantly bad in my technique I take a few lessons. We both have the same problems that many older shooters face. We are often injured or have a nagging pain. To compensate we develop bad habits that don't hurt.
 
Move to 7 yard line, watch front sight more, take your time, practice, consider a 22 to enhance practice without high cost and recoil. Practice.
 
One thing you can try with the Glock is how you pull the trigger. After the first shot DO NOT release the trigger. Once your on target again slowly release the trigger until you feel the reset. From there you can squeeze the trigger and fire again. This will reduce the amount you pull the trigger by about 75%. Oh and practice, practice, practice.
 
I would not mess around with 'Tricky' trigger control with the Glock, but I would switch to the 686 with .38 Specials and shoot it double action, not single action.
 
TMD said:
Huh, how do you figure this is "Tricky"?
Click to expand...
Can't speak for Hook686, but having taught NRA Basic Handgun classes for a number of years, and several hundred new handgun shooters, I can say from experience that trigger reset can be a fairly difficult concept for a new handgun shooter to grasp. While we work with students on trigger reset, we consider basic trigger control, a smooth press and surprise break, to be much more important.

It appears that the OP is at a stage in his handgun shooting development at which basic trigger control and front sight focus ought to be his primary goals. If he can work in trigger reset, fine. But it's not really a priority.
 
Thanks for everyone's help. I got some snap caps and will be practicing trigger control, follow through and front sight attention while dryfring this week. I'll probably actually shoot half as many as I did last week when I go to the range Saturday and worry about quality, not quantity.
 
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