Macchina
Member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Messages
- 998
I have been shooting pistols for a few years now, and can keep small (1.5-2") freehand groups at 7 yards when shooting at a decent pace. I can shoot this with my Ruger MkIII as well my CZ and Sig in .40 (Taurus TCP doesn't count here) and I am plenty happy with my group size, I'm working on speeding it up now. The moment I move to the 15 yard range I am lucky to keep all of my carefully aimed shots in a 6" circle. I shoot at targets printed on 8.5x11 standard paper and can keep all shots on the paper, but the paper pretty much is my group. I can do a bit better with the MkIII, but 4-5" groups are the norm here. When I move out to 25 yards, I need a bigger target...
I read gun mags when they review a gun I am interested in and always notice the groups are ridiculous numbers in the 1.5-2" range freehand at 25 yards . Now I know a gun writing has many tens of thousands more rounds downrange than me, but that kind of accuracy seems impossible. I cannot hold steady enough to even dream of that kind of accuracy, let alone lining up combat sights constantly. I understand the fundamentals of shooting (front sight focus, steady/consistent posture and grip, etc.), but I know I have a long way to go until I'm consistently on paper at 25 yards.
Having said all this, I know it is possible. I grew up shooting shotguns and .22's and can instinctively shoot a flushed woodcock or partridge in the thick stuff almost every time. I've progressed to head shots only on squirrels and can get them running most of the time with a .22. I know what good shooting is, just not with a pistol. It seems long gun skills don't seem to transfer over to pistol skills very well.
Let's keep this thread honest here. What kind of accuracy do you actually shoot, and what advice can you give me to tighten up my groups?
Here are some of the problems I know I have:
>Shaky hands (coffee is my enemy here)
>Low groups due to pulling down the muzzle. I know my problem here is trigger pull. I have a hard time breaking the habit of a quick pull instead of a slow press or whatever.
>Fatiguing after 1/2 hour of shooting. This is about my limit before I start to get shaky and my groups deteriorate.
I would like advice on:
>Accurate posture (feet, body angle)
>What angle to hold my elbows at. I currently extend my arms about 75% with my elbow joints parallel with the ground.
>Grip. How tight (I've heard both very and hardly), where to put my thumbs.
I read gun mags when they review a gun I am interested in and always notice the groups are ridiculous numbers in the 1.5-2" range freehand at 25 yards . Now I know a gun writing has many tens of thousands more rounds downrange than me, but that kind of accuracy seems impossible. I cannot hold steady enough to even dream of that kind of accuracy, let alone lining up combat sights constantly. I understand the fundamentals of shooting (front sight focus, steady/consistent posture and grip, etc.), but I know I have a long way to go until I'm consistently on paper at 25 yards.
Having said all this, I know it is possible. I grew up shooting shotguns and .22's and can instinctively shoot a flushed woodcock or partridge in the thick stuff almost every time. I've progressed to head shots only on squirrels and can get them running most of the time with a .22. I know what good shooting is, just not with a pistol. It seems long gun skills don't seem to transfer over to pistol skills very well.
Let's keep this thread honest here. What kind of accuracy do you actually shoot, and what advice can you give me to tighten up my groups?
Here are some of the problems I know I have:
>Shaky hands (coffee is my enemy here)
>Low groups due to pulling down the muzzle. I know my problem here is trigger pull. I have a hard time breaking the habit of a quick pull instead of a slow press or whatever.
>Fatiguing after 1/2 hour of shooting. This is about my limit before I start to get shaky and my groups deteriorate.
I would like advice on:
>Accurate posture (feet, body angle)
>What angle to hold my elbows at. I currently extend my arms about 75% with my elbow joints parallel with the ground.
>Grip. How tight (I've heard both very and hardly), where to put my thumbs.