How to improve your aim.

F

Firepower!

New member
Hi
I wanted to discuss serious handgun shooting. There are a lot of folks out there with fancy handguns, but cannot shoot well at all. I want to hear from those of you who practice to hit bullseye. I am talking about hitting a 7up can at 100 feet. Please discuss techniques including stance, grip, breathing, aim, and other important factors that help improve aim.

Does it matter if we use pistol or revolver? How do 9, 45, 38spl, 357 and 44 will perform at 100 feet with respect to perfect hit. I am not talking stopping power etc. Just compeition shooting. No 22lr please.
Thanks. (A
 
It takes more than talk

Focus on the front sight.
Concentrate on your trigger pull.

Repeat, carefully, incessantly.

Actually go and put a gun in your hand and do it; you cannot learn how from reading.
 
I want to hear from those of you who practice to hit bullseye. I am talking about hitting a 7up can at 100 feet. Please discuss techniques including stance, grip, breathing, aim, and other important factors that help improve aim.
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This is a loaded question. There's a ton of information already out there - some good some not. If you're interested in improving your own shooting, avail yourself of these resources and practice, practice, practice. Shooting accurately is theoretically easy - just obtain the perfect sight picture and pull the trigger without disturbing the sights. All that's written beyond that is about how to do these 2 things, and how to do them consistently.

To get you started, check out:

http://www.bullseyepistol.com/

There's lots of good info there. Also see if you can find a copy of The Pistol Shooter's Treasury, or the USAMU Marksman Guide (A copy is on the bullseyepistol.com site).

Does it matter if we use pistol or revolver?
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Shootin's shootin'. You can even use an air pistol at home (highly recommended). That said, trigger control while shooting a double action revolver in double action mode is particularly tough to master. Do that, and everything else comes easier. OTOH, if you prefer semi-autos, there's no particular reason, IMO, why one should have to master a DA revo first.

In either case, the fundamentals are the same. If you get good with one particular gun, and are horrible with another, it's a good sign you picked up a bad habit with your first gun and "fixed" it by compensating with a 2nd bad habit. Switching between platforms on occassion keeps you honest, then.


How do 9, 45, 38spl, 357 and 44 will perform at 100 feet with respect to perfect hit.I am not talking stopping power etc. Just compeition shooting.
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When it comes to formal competitive target shooting, there may be some slight advantages of one caliber over another, but I suspect it's more due to the gun itself - e.g. a .45acp shot from a 1911. Very popular gun, and lots of good gunsmiths have figured out how to make it run really well.

All the calibers you listed are capable of excellent accuracy. If a shooter's accuracy generally goes down when shooting a bigger caliber, it generally means they're flinching or a bad habit is being exposed (see above).

No 22lr please.
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I don't know why you'd feel that way. Do you feel it's not a "real" gun? No serious serious student of the handgun would brush off the vallue of a .22LR. Be a student!
 
What you're looking for is the USAMU Pistol Marksmanship Guidle.

It covers everything you ask for. Put out by the best shooters in the world, The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit

AND ITS FREE.

I have it on .pdf file, PM me with your e-mail address and I'll send it to you.

All I ask in return is that it gets shared with anyone else who is interested in imporving their pistol shooting.
 
thank you mrborland

thanks for the detailed post.

The reason I excluded 22 is because I want to use the caliber that i practice with as my ccw.
 
Mind set is another factor that effects accuracy. I know from personal experience that when I'm in a state of mind where I know I CAN hit the bullseye and WILL hit the bullseys, my accuracy imporves.
 
The reason I excluded 22 is because I want to use the caliber that i practice with as my ccw.
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Theoretically, it's not impossible to become a crack shot without a .22LR, but it sure helps. Becoming a good shot takes lots of practice, and given the cost of centerfire ammo, few people have the financial means to get there without shooting a good deal of .22. The price of the .22 gun itself will quickly pay for itself in money saved on ammo. When you get to the point where you feel finances keep you shooting as much as possible, reconsider a .22. Or a quality airgun.


wanted to discuss serious handgun shooting....I am talking about hitting a 7up can at 100 feet.
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I forgot to mention this earlier...use a real target. What you're referring to here is "plinking". Plinking's fine and all, but as far as improving your marksmanship, it's all too easy to forget about the misses. I'd start by placing a real target at 10 or 15 yards. Focus on the fundamentals - sight picture/trigger squeeze. When you get reasonable groups, place the target further away.

It might help you set some goals for yourself if you had some idea of what "good" shooting is: My benchmark for "good", but not "excellent" shooting is a fairly consistent and honest 3" group at 25 yards, meaning there's no such thing as "fliers". This is also shot standing 2-handed, using stock ironsights. Bonus points if you can do this 1-handed or shooting a DA revolver in double action. And double bonus points if it's 1-handed DA! IMO, "excellent" shots can shoot 2" 25 yard groups.

In my experience, it's rare to see even "good" shots at the range, so be leery about using them (or a can of 7up) as examples of good shooting. You can do much better if you're serious about it and practice.

Finally, 2 little tips: 1) Lock onto the front sight and don't peek at the target between shots to see how you're doing. This is a real accuracy killer, and a lot of people do it. Keep your eyes on the front sight - even during recoil and 2) dry fire at home on a regular basis.

Good shooting & post some targets when you can.
 
Practice

"Focus on the front sight.
Concentrate on your trigger pull.

Repeat, carefully, incessantly."

That says it all. If you want good advice, you have certainly gotten it in this thread. Every idea is a good one.
Want to see a good target? This one was posted at the Pennsylvania Firearms Owners site. The sad thing was that, aside from me, no one commented about it.
I wish it were mine.
It was shot with a .22. The target was 25 meters away. Shot one handed, unsupported. Ten xs; it doesn't get any better.
Pete
thum_110854904bad646eca.jpg
 
The sad thing was that, aside from me, no one commented about it.
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Sad to say, I'm not entirely surprised. Mediocre groups are posted on forums like this, and huzzahs are awarded all around, which is fine, as we all shoot for different reasons, and we're supporting and encouraging each other. Yet, superb groups like this one are are occassionally posted and you most frequently hear nothing, or worse. Surprising to me, since those shooters have a lot to offer.
 
Yet, superb groups like this one are are occassionally posted and you most frequently hear nothing, or worse. Surprising to me, since those shooters have a lot to offer.
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Probably because more than one occasion you either have the shooter already patting himself on the back just dying for attention or he doesn't want to be bothered by a compliment to begin with.

This happens from time to time, but more than enough to turn off others from the greater good.
 
The reason I excluded 22 is because I want to use the caliber that i practice with as my ccw.
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I just want to mention that target shooting is completely different than defensive shooting and each require very different practice/training. If you want to practice serious target shooting I would get yourself a high quality .22lr target pistol in addition to whatever higher caliber target pistol you might want to use.

Nothing wrong with doing some target shooting with your CCW, improving your shooting technique is never a bad thing, but remember it is your defensive pistol... practice accordingly.
 
IMO HoraceHogsnort`s, advice on a good mental aspect of any shooting is the ultimate 1st step. Without it all other steps are moot. You have to know you WILL hit that target when you squeeze the trigger.
 
One exercise that helps is ye olde coin drill:

Balance a coin on a flat spot on the top of the pistol while you dry-fire, if you do it right the coin should stay put. If you jerk the trigger, or don't press straight back, or are not as smooth and steady as you should be, the coin will fall off.

Try different size coins on different spots to find the most difficult combination.
 
Here are a few targets I've shot.

This Ruger .22 was set up for Steel Challenge. Still haven't gotten to try it...
2254wtarget.jpg


My Argy HP might be the most accurate centerfire handgun I own if you don't count the Wichita 7mm Silhouette pistol.
I added the sights and safety and did the action job. Hard chrome by Accurate Plating. The barrel is stock. No fitting was required.
BHPwTarget.jpg


This is an Argy 1927 I customized. Still haven't gotten around to the checkering, hence the skateboard tape.
Argywtarget.jpg
 
Thanks, MrB. All shot 2 handed, standing, unsupported.

Trigger control, follow-through and calling the shot.
 
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