Pistol shooting tips

[duragezic]

I found out last week that the pistol club here has pistols you can use for free, which I hadn't known else all this time I would've joined and practiced with their pistols.

So I went that day, it was pretty fun. They start you off on some Ruger .22LR pistols, but they have a couple of larger calibers to use once you get better.

I ended up firing 150 rounds over three targets. My first target was pretty bad, the second one had much better grouping, and the third one I was getting tired and it was like the first.

Anyway, I remember a picture being posted here before that had a target separated into quadrants, so like if your shots are consistently off in one quadrant, it gave a possible reason for doing so.

I had a hard time holding it steady (my hands aren't very still) and also I couldn't get a real comfortable grip on it. But it was great fun and I plan to become a member to shoot twice a week.

I've read a few articles, but I'm looking for any other good sites or just some tips from people on stance, holding it good, etc on how to get better. I've only shot guns once before last week so I'm a newb and I know I just need to practice more, but I'd also like tips to avoid picking up any bad habits and such.

 

[olds]

They didn't offer advise at the club?

 

[Safeway]

Squeeze the trigger slowly and deliberately. No yanking.

 

[tfinch2]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa50-plo48

What made the biggest difference for me was not pulling the trigger with the tip of my finger. When I did it, it would cause me to either jerk the trigger or turn the gun slightly during the motion.

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: Safeway
Squeeze the trigger slowly and deliberately. No yanking.

 

[Cold Steel]

http://www.corneredcat.com/Basics/stance.aspx

Some decent information on stances. Most common, in my experience anyway, is the Weaver stance. But basically, control breathing, squeeze slowly. You want to be "surprised" by the gun going off. Breathing is a HUGE part.

 

[KK]

heres that diagram.

 

[duragezic]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
They didn't offer advise at the club?

I forgot to mention that. An officer did a brief session on safety, stance, and holding it. Then he watched as I fired 5 rounds to make sure I shot safely and made sure I knew the cease fire procedure correctly of removing the magazine and having the chamber open so they can check weapons if cease fire needs to be called. After that, I was pretty much on my own.

One of the regular members corrected me on my stance later on, where I started out about shoulder length apart but was closing my legs in without realizing it.

So there is some help to be bad there, but I expect there more to know that I could read about on my own then try out there when I go shooting on Tuesday.

 

[DangerAardvark]

Hold it sideways. Makes it shoot better.

 

[Safeway]

Originally posted by: DangerAardvark
Hold it sideways. Makes it shoot better.

You get more head shots.

 

[FallenHero]

Originally posted by: Cold Steel
http://www.corneredcat.com/Basics/stance.aspx

Some decent information on stances. Most common, in my experience anyway, is the Weaver stance. But basically, control breathing, squeeze slowly. You want to be "surprised" by the gun going off. Breathing is a HUGE part.

Weaver is huge, but OP, don't let anyone's preference for a stance influence your choice. I went with weaver for awhile and shot well with it, but modified weaver brought my groupings in quickly and now I accurately shoot at 25 years (missing maybe 10-15% of the time, probably because I still somewhat anticipate recoil.) Try out each stance to the point where you feel like you are shooting very well with it and then make your choice.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Feet apart, facing the target, two hand hold, take a deep breath and gently squeeze the trigger. Don't jerk it, just squeeze gently while keeping the target in sight so that you are surprised when it goes off.

 

[Kelvrick]

Here are some good videos to watch.

http://www.downrange.tv/player.htm

 

[adairusmc]

Originally posted by: Safeway

Originally posted by: DangerAardvark
Hold it sideways. Makes it shoot better.

You get more head shots.

Only with these sights though.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Feet apart, facing the target, two hand hold, take a deep breath and gently squeeze the trigger. Don't jerk it, just squeeze gently while keeping the target in sight so that you are surprised when it goes off.

 

[0roo0roo]

do the john woo, its super cool.

 

[PrinceofWands]

SSSSB=Bullseye

Stance
Sight alignment
Sight picture
Squeeze
Breathe

Work on all of them.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

I do modified isosceles. Knees slightly bent, ass out, leaning into it. Makes stage transitions quicker for me.

Grip is all on the left hand. Get as much meat on the grip and trigger guard, thumb forward. Right hand wraps around, thumb forward. No real pressure from the right hand, all it's doing is centering the bore between the thumb and index, and first digit of index finger for trigger.

It's just whatever works for you.

 

[FallenHero]

Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
I do modified isosceles. Knees slightly bent, ass out, leaning into it. Makes stage transitions quicker for me.

Grip is all on the left hand. Get as much meat on the grip and trigger guard, thumb forward. Right hand wraps around, thumb forward. No real pressure from the right hand, all it's doing is centering the bore between the thumb and index, and first digit of index finger for trigger.

It's just whatever works for you.

are you left handed or am I reading it wrong? Never heard of a right handed guy using the left hand for a main portion of the grip.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Originally posted by: FallenHero

Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
I do modified isosceles. Knees slightly bent, ass out, leaning into it. Makes stage transitions quicker for me.

Grip is all on the left hand. Get as much meat on the grip and trigger guard, thumb forward. Right hand wraps around, thumb forward. No real pressure from the right hand, all it's doing is centering the bore between the thumb and index, and first digit of index finger for trigger.

It's just whatever works for you.

are you left handed or am I reading it wrong? Never heard of a right handed guy using the left hand for a main portion of the grip.

Right handed. Only really works on full size pistols. I only keep a couple of compacts at my duplex or I'd make a vid

 

[pontifex]

i don't know about you guys, but everything i've ever read and everything i've ever heard says to focus on the front sight so that the target is blurry. i can't for the life of me do this. both the sight and the target are clear when i shoot.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Originally posted by: pontifex
i don't know about you guys, but everything i've ever read and everything i've ever heard says to focus on the front sight so that the target is blurry. i can't for the life of me do this. both the sight and the target are clear when i shoot.

How close are your targets?

If you're relatively close, that may be it.

If you're shooting 300+ yards, the target will be blurry for sho'

 

[BuckNaked]

The Todd Jarret vid that TFinch2 posted has a lot of good info for a 4 1/2 minute video... I was going to post a link to the same thing.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Feet apart, facing the target, two hand hold, take a deep breath and gently squeeze the trigger. Don't jerk it, just squeeze gently while keeping the target in sight so that you are surprised when it goes off.

Stance differs a lot for people though. I tend to use a very bladed variant of the modified Weaver stance, with my off arm tucked in close so that my elbow rests against my ribcage. Everyone's a little different on exactly how they prefer to stand.

ZV