why are my groups so terrible?

Considering that you haven't been shooting very long and you're shooting a .40, 4" at 10 yards is decent. HD situations are usually going to A LOT closer than 30 feet.

As an aside, I visit the range at least once per week and my groups with .40 at 7 to 10 yards are 2" to 3" but they're all in center mass. With 9mm they're about 1/2 that. Finally with .22LR, they're about 1" .....Keep practicing but you're not a horrible shot - especially with a Glock.


nolaOE800
my groups are about
<SNIP>.
and usually 4" or less under 10 yds.
<SNIP>
Click to expand...
 
Mind control, relax, enjoy the process, shoot for fun, don't bother with groups or your last shot, just the shot you are firing next. First match I went to I shot the leg out from under my target. Nice group but they were all low left in the target leg, I didn't do that in practice, only in the match. 2 years later I was the new shooter coach and had been to All Navy.

I also sang, whistled, danced, joked around stayed loose and did not look at the scoreboard till the last shot had gone down range by the last shooter. Scores got better when I stopped trying so hard and just shot for fun. Besides that I drove my competitors nuts who were looking at the scoreboard. The madder they got the better my scores looked in comparison. I didn't care, win lose or draw I was shooting and having fun.

10% of shooting is physical, the rest is between your ears. Mistake most people make is buying to much gun to begin with and it makes it harder to overcome rookie mistakes. Get that 22, it really does not matter what flavor, pistol or revolver, long or short barrel it just doesn't matter. All you care about is its cheap to shoot, reasonably accurate and you have a front sight to look at and a trigger to practice pulling. Have fun, the good will come. Relax, enjoy the day.
 
10% of shooting is physical, the rest is between your ears.
Click to expand...
Truer than not. One of the best groups I've ever shot was when I wasn't even trying. I had a few rounds of .22LR left (7 or 8 IIRC) and didn't want to carry home a partially filled box.

So I ran the target all the way out to 25 yards and shot it fairly quickly one-handed. Not just spraying it around, but not really trying either. Just waiting for the sights to settle in between shots and then squeezing off the next round.

When I brought the target back the group was under 2". That was when it finally hit home that the actual mechanics of shooting (sight alignment, trigger control, etc.) are child's play. The hard part of shooting is trying to keep your head from screwing up the simple part.
 
wow wow WOW! I did FANTASTIC at the range today!

I never got to shoot that Mark III but I wanted to take the G22 out anyway and I really tried all the stuff that everyone has mentioned and it all worked beautifully. It probably still would have been a disappointing day for a more skilled shooter, but for me it was a sign of major improvement.

I started out in a resting position about 7 yards out, both eyes open (even though it was hard as hell to focus on everything), letting the bang surprise me, and 12 out of 15 were in the bullseye, and the other 3 weren't far off.
next magazine was the same distance but freestanding instead of resting, and I shot about a 3" group.

my best looking target of the day was 15 rounds at 15 yards, about 5 dead center on a 4" group.

great day! thanks to all you guys for all the great advice!

(edit)......... shooting today shook my front sight loose! anyone know how to work on Glock sights? i just need to tighten it back up.
 
Last edited:
Well done!

Sounds like you're on to something there.

Shooting skills take time and effort to develop. Sometimes it comes easier than others. Hope this is a start on a new level for you.

When ever you get comfortable and consistant with your abilities, try some new things. A little farther out, one handed, etc.
 
...shooting today shook my front sight loose! anyone know how to work on Glock sights? i just need to tighten it back up.
Click to expand...
The best solution is to replace it with a steel sight. Replacing the plastic front sight is the first order of business when I buy a Glock.

Be careful when you purchase the front sight to get one that is held on by a screw. The crimp-on types are cheaper but require a special tool to install.
 
im pretty sure it's on there with a screw already. my Glock came with Trijicon night-sights. it's a little hex-head right on the inside of the slide, right? i tried to tighted it with a 3/16 wrench (it was pretty close but i think the screw head is metric) and the wrench fit pretty well but the screw wouldn't budge as if it were tight already. it certainly isn't tight. I can easily wiggle the sight with my fingers and this is the first time I've noticed that.

bahh. those night sights are expensive and I don't wanna give them up for something cheaper!
 
Can you loosen the screw? When I install a steel sight I usually use a tiny dab of a good structural adhesive (like an epoxy or JB Weld) to make sure it doesn't loosen up.

Usually there's a bit of play between the hole in the slide and the front sight that needs to be dealt with and the screw is a bit fragile to really torque down vigorously.

If you can loosen the screw then take off the sight, get yourself some decent structural adhesive, degrease the sight and the hole in the slide and reinstall the sight with a bit of the glue strategically placed to keep things from working loose. Be sure to wipe any excess off before it hardens.
 
no I can't loosen it either. I suppose maybe it's just some kind of pin?

something very strange that I just noticed a few minutes ago... the front sight is only loose when the gun is field stripped and the barrel and guide rod are out. when the gun is fully assembled, the front sight is solid as a rock.

and even stranger still... (maybe not so strange? but I've never noticed until now) my barrel doesn't sit flush in the slide until I put the guide rod in. if i just set the barrel in place, it won't fall completely flush with the slide unless there is pressure on it. is this normal? I'm beginning to get a little nervous over all this stuff that I never noticed before.:(
 
Installing the sight on a Glock is a very elementery operation. There's a simple hex tool made specifically for tightening the little hex nut that holds the sight on. All Glock owners should have one. Tighten the hex nut after applying some blue Locktite, or similar thread locker. Don't over tighten. Just be firm. Allow to set overnight before shooting.

I also prefer to install good iron sights, front and rear, but tightening the nut hex nut on the plastic factory sight should get you by for a while. Maybe even permanently. Glock also makes a rear sight pusher. When you have shooting sessions where you start missing again, take a deep breath and remember---get back on the front sight.

You're hitting the target not so much because of a bunch of nice tips--- some of which are very helpful. You're hitting the target because you've grasped the importance of concentrating on the front sight while co-ordinating the trigger pull.
 
Last edited:
I suppose maybe it's just some kind of pin?
Click to expand...
Nope, it's a hex head screw. The person who installed it probably used loctite on the threads.

The reason it tightens up when the barrel is installed is because the barrel is bearing against it enough to push it upwards a bit.

If you really want to take it out, you can put a soldering iron on the screw for a few seconds and that will soften the loctite enough to let you remove the screw. There's a chance that the heat might break the tritium vial, however--I've never tried that trick on night sights. It's up to you. Doesn't sound like it's being a little loose is causing any problems though.

What you describe with the barrel doesn't sound like a problem. The gun will loosen up as you shoot it more.
 
i guess if it stays tight when the gun is fully assembled then I'll just leave it alone unless I start to notice accuracy problems that might not be my own fault.
 
Another strong recommendation for a .22LR conversion kit and lots of range time. I also agree that a centerfire is NEVER a good first gun for a beginner, regardless of what anecdotal statements you'll hear to the contrary. It's one thing to make noise at the range, it's quite another to actually become a skilled and proficient shooter.
 
adding to all the good points

I simpily tell a shooter level the pistol, take a good sight picture, SQUEEZE the trigger. And, not to hold pistol in firing position LONG. The longer to hold the more tired and wavering. See if sighting eye is blinking when firing (have someone look at that eye while you fire). To blink when firing is to loose sight picture. To PULL trigger is to pull OFF target. SQUEEZE..............and last (not really) place 'pad' tip of trigger finger onto trigger. don't put trigger in crook of finger.................
 
Breathe and squeeze, Take a deep breathe exhale and squeeze the trigger. next step is sight alignment, Focus on front sight, your target should be blurry, set sight picture with target on top of ront sight, take deep breath exhale and squeeze trigger. bnag on target.
 
Agreed that a .22 and dry fire are the best remedies for a flinch. You can dry fire at home, for free, carefully of course. Picking a "target" that pops up on you TV frequently during a show, the evening news, or a sporting event can be fun.

Not a training expert here but maybe if you forget that you have an auto loader for a while and load one at a time? If a friend loads it for you he can slip a dummy round in or hand it to you empty once in a while. You'll both get laugh out of that. Force yourself to think of each shot one at a time. No more double taps, mozambiques or spray and pray for a while.

A flinch can be hard to get rid of. Heck, I've been shooting .44's for 20+ years and still do the empty chamber trick. And shoot lots of .22's. A conversion for your .40 would be cool.
 
I know a lot of people say to learn on a rimfire... I learned on a centerfire and was fine.

With the Glock you have a longer heavier trigger pull than say a 1911. Here's what I'd recommend.. get yourself some good snap caps, chamber one, check 3 times to be sure you don't have any live rounds in the magazine or chamber. Pick a spot on the wall (preferably not a wedding picture, doesn't go over too well) and practice shooting the trigger 2 stage. Squeeze until you've taken out the slack, pause, then squeeze slowly until the gun "fires" while keeping your sight picture. Try to concentrate on your sight picture not on the trigger, if you do the gun "firing" should surprise you in some ways because you're not focusing on the trigger.

Take a nice deep breath first, let out a bit and hold it, too.
 
Plenty of good advice but let me say it in a different way.

The 40 caliber ammo is not a factor. Or 45acp or 357 magnum or whatever. It boils down to your needing to ignore the recoil.

You need a firm grip using both hands but not overly tight. The grip should be just firm enough to hold the gun steady on target, ensure that the gun doesn't come back far enough or fast enough to hurt you, and lastly ensure that the action will cycle, meaning we don't want any "limp wristing" that might cause the gun to not cycle the next round. If your grip is tight to the point you can't hold the sights steady on target then relax the grip until you can hold steady.

Put the front sight on the target, line up the rear sight and slowly pull the trigger. All concentration should be on the target and the front and rear sights. Give no thought to when the sear might be releasing the striker. The releasing of the striker is the business of the gun, not yours. Your business is holding the sights on target. Pull the trigger slowly and just let it happen.

Sometimes shooting from a seated position while using a hand rest can get you accustomed to concentrating on holding the sights on target.

Last thing. Be sure you are placing the last pad of your trigger finger on the trigger. Don't use the joint between the first and second finger pads and don't use the second pad. Otherwise your finger will pull the gun off target as you begin to pull the trigger.
 
Good stuff

What a great thread. Full of good advice.
Nice to read that the OP had a very positive result from all of this.
A .22 for practice - focus in the front sight - trigger control...
all good.
About the .40 being snappy and hard to shoot. Snappy....that may affect follow-up shots during a sustained firing stage but if a person is learning and shooting slowly...one shot at a time....the snappiness should have no effect, not with the .40 or any gun. Focus, breathe, squeeze, bang. Recovery is not really an issue in slow fire; follow-through is.
Pete
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top