Help with Aiming

M

moneypit

Inactive
I'm a relatively new shooter.

Now that is out of the way I went to the range last night to practice for my local gun clubs proficiency test. This can be done two handed or single handed. The two handed requires shooting 10 shots in the 7 ring at 25 yards. No practice shots and no more than ten shots. The single hand expands the 7" ring to a 24" square.

I failed miserably with the two handed attempt. I practiced single handed and after the first few attempts of consistently hitting 11 out of 13 shots, I was hitting every shot I took. So, I went back to the two handed and couldn't hit the 24" square more than 8 times out of 13.

I went back to single handed, using the same 9mm sig P228 and again hit the 24" SQ at 25 yards without issue everytime. I then tried a new purchase, a S&W 1911 E series and hit the 24" square single handed everytime but, two handed I was hitting 5 out of 7 shots.

When shooting two handed I am trying to keep both eyes open, But when I focus on the sights, my eyes cross and I see double targets. When shooting single handed, I close my left eye (Shooting with my right hand).

Any tips on how to eliminate the eye crossing? Should I be closing one eye for two handed shooting as well?

Thanks
 
Less Stress Shooting at a 24" square=better score

Close 1 eye or use a Flip-Down Blinder. Then focus on the front sight. Try closing 1 eye at first, till your master eye takes over. Then open both eyes . Bullseye shooters use this item> http://www.midwayusa.com/product/411483/hyskore-flip-down-blinder-white?cm_mmc=Froogle-_-Shooting+-+Range+Supplies+%26+Equipment-_-PriceCompListing-_-411483
411483.jpg
 
You don't need any contraption like that. Put a piece of tape over your shooting glasses directly in the path of vision of your left eye. This will allow for you to keep both eyes open but not get double vision, etc. You could also use more tape, but a small square works just as good. You can always just close your non-dominant eye too...no shame in that. Some people just don't like to, or can't, shoot with both eyes open.

Always focus on the front sight, not the target (target should be blurred, not the front sight). Try to keep the front sight on target while you squeeze the trigger, you should be "surprised" when the gun fires. You do not want to jerk the trigger to have the gun fire. Practicing those two things should help your accuracy substantially.
 
As he said - focus on the front sight and tigger pull w/ a "surprise break". When these become second nature the accuracy improves dramatically.

But personally I find that with my bifocals the front sight is still blurred most of the time even when I focus on it which doesn't help. Hopefully you are younger and have better eyes! But I still need to focus on that blurred sight and not on the target.

Also the "surprise break" is deceptivley difficult at first. Your natural inclination is to be the one that fires the pistol. You have to forget about that and let the gun fire itself. Concentrate on the finger pull and learn to ignore the bang.

Start slow concentrating on these two things and let them become second nature. If the gun itself is inherently accurate enough it should help.
 
Thank you all for the tips, it is reassurring to know that just using my dominant eye is not considered a no-no.

Unfortunately I have progressive lenses and the blurry front sight is also an issue for me.
 
Money Pit:

Why don't you have a pair of shooting glasses only ground and have their focus adjusted to focus on the front sight? That way the front sight will be sharp and the target blurred.

Semper Fi.

Gunnery sergeant
Clifford L. Hughes
USMC Retired
 
Grip and breathing contribute to a lot of problems.

Use your weak hand as a rest do not grip.

Develop a pattern of breathing so that you breath between shots.

It takes time to learn to shoot a pistol just the same as it took you time to master your long guns.

My best coach explained the sequence to me in this manner.

Grip, stance,acquire target, breath site, site site, start trigger pull, site, site, buyah, site site, breath lower weapon.
 
Save Some Money

I've had enough people call me crazy, but get yourself a cheep CO2 powered airsoft or bb gun from walmart.

Both trigger control and sight picture need to be the same as shooting the real thing to shoot accurately.

When i bout my first 1911 I could hit my target, but not the tight/fast groups i wanted. I bought a airsoft 1911 (higher quality, had the recoil of a .22lr and cycled like the real thing too!).

A total of $30 bucks of bb's and CO2 canisters and I shoot 1911's a whole lot better now. When you consider that thats about 5000 trigger pulls its no wonder why.
 
Thanks to everyone's input and some practice using your suggestions, I successfully passed my proficiency test today using single handed shooting techniques.

Now, off to the range to practice, practice, practice ...and work on two hand shooting.
 
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