How to Correct Shooting Low?

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Drakejake

New member
I am accurate with my full-size, double, single action pistols (and revolvers). But I haven't been able to cure my strong tendency to shoot low (and a little to the left) with small DAO's such as Kel-Tec P-11 and Republic Arms Patriot. I know I am pulling the muzzle down when pulling the heavy trigger, but I don't know how to correct this. Any ideas? (I know this is an old question.)

Drakejake
 
I would suggest a lot of dry firing and practice...I used an old 22 revolver w/ a heavy trigger to help me. Once I got used to that, everything was light and smooth. ;)
 
My duty gun (S&W 4506) has a trigger that seems to be made of Immobilum. It takes a LOT of effort to go through the DA pull steadily. I STILL shoot low, after 3 years of dryfiring and practice practice practice ('low' is relative...I'm still in the kill zone, just lower in the kill zone than my POA).

My solution? Aim higher. :D :rolleyes:

Mike
 
Those little guns require a heavy mainspring (hammer spring) because of the lightweight hammer. You can sometimes smooth up the pull without reducing the hammer energy, but you can never get a really light pull.

The 4506, however, should have a fairly decent pull; I would have it checked out.

Best advice is the oldest: Concentrate on the sights and squeeze the trigger.

Jim
 
Practice?

Smoothed-up trigger?

Gripping the pistol a little lower? (That should cause your trigger finger to come more into your hand rather than generating a downward torque.)

Not sure.

Hope you get it sorted out.
 
You may be jerking the trigger a tiny bit, or moving the muzzle own slightly to compensate for anticpated recoil. I sometimes find myself still making this mistake, and I have to consciously work on it.

With a double action revolver, load one round shy of a full cylinder. Spin, randomly close cylinder, and begin your practice. You'll find out very quickly if you're jerking the trigger or tightening your grip in anticipation of the shot .......

Dry firing is great for trigger control and sight alignment, but nothing diagnoses problems like the above drill.

Good luck.
 
Milcaztra is exactly right...If a right handed shooter shoots low & to the left its from flinching or jerking the trigger...I do it as well...My range officer told me to just try to concentrate on the sights & the trigger pull...pull straight back & dont worry about the recoil...easier said then done with some guns...They say shooting a 22 will really help...supposed to correct bad habits....
 
Assuming the sites are properly registered to shoot to point-of-aim (and right-hand shooter);
1) Groups printing to the left indicate that the shooter is 'pushing' the trigger to the left as the trigger is stroked.
2) Groups printing low indicate that the trigger-stroke is simply pulling the muzzle down.
3) Flinching or jerking will produce both.

In some fashion, the trigger-pressure is not straight back during the trigger (long DA) stroke.

It's often difficult for shooters accustomed to SA triggers to adapt to DA trigger-pull, since the trigger action is both heavier and of a much longer duration.

I suggest disciplined dry-fire practice, emphasizing both grip and disciplined trigger-stroke while you monitor how the front sight moves during the trigger-stroke - followed by very disciplined slow-fire practice at the range.

Personally, for defensive carry, I would pick the gun you wish to trust your life to, and train yourself with that gun - either SA or DA, but not both.
 
Drakejake,

Bad4u is dead center.

I found that I had the same trouble with the smaller guns. With a smaller grip and a DA trigger, most people have a tendency to stick their trigger finger further into the trigger guard. This is partially because the smaller grip/trigger dimension, but is also because there is a tendency to use a lower (stronger) part of the finger to pull the stiffer trigger. Granted, this is not true for everyone, but for many people, it will cause you to shoot low and left (if right handed).

On all of my full-size guns (double or single action), my trigger finger contacts the trigger about halfway between the end joint (knuckle) and the tip of the finger (sometimes called the middle f the pad). However, when I shoot a smaller gun (say a Sig P239 or a Ruger SP101), I find that (if I'm not paying attention) the trigger will rest right in that first joint or even below it and I'll hit low and left. If I catch myself and reposition my finger, I'll shoot better. If you get into, or below, that first joint, the natural muscle and joint action of the trigger finger will change your POI.

You can try dry firing with different finger/trigger contact points and you'll see what I mean. No matter where the trigger contacts the finger, dry firing helps build up the finger muscle, so dry firing is always a good idea! Hope this helps.
 
I find that applying more grip pressure with the lower fingers and concentrating on a smooth trigger pull helps keep my barrel from dipping in double action shooting. I do a lot of dryfiring, and, like Kermit, I practice a lot of double action shooting with a .22 -- mine's a Taurus 94 snubby with a horrendous trigger. - Clark
 
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