Beginner Female Shooter ... Please Critique My Video

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Just started shooting not long ago. I was wondering if there are any common beginner level mistakes I should work on as far as accuracy goes. Any suggestions are appreciated. I just started shooting and am trying to learn as much as possible. I know somethings you cant always learn from a book or from the local yokels.

Here is a video of my first time ever shooting, and then maybe my 3rd or 4th time.

1st video on my YouTube channel tracking my progress.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c3R2dmhKv8&feature=youtu.be&spfreload=10
 
Welcome! :)

I can offer thoughts in two areas: safety and accuracy.

SAFETY: Your shooting clothing should cover your upper body, hot brass down your cleavage is not going to be fun. A baseball cap would also be a good idea. And closed shoes that provide support.

ACCURACY: As a new female shooter myself, two things that have resulted in a big improvement in my accuracy are a) consciously using my chest muscles to grip the gun (the first exercise in the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDjJJsxt0JU is excellent for training this); and b) keeping focused on the front sight -- I was told that people instinctively are already looking to see where their shot hit or where they want to aim next, before the round actually exits the barrel, which results in the muzzle moving -- I didn't know whether I was doing that or not but concentrating on keeping looking at the front sight made a huge improvement so I'm now a believer. :)

Keep up the good work. :)
 
Folks new to any physical activity need coaches. Might be good for you to see if there is one in your area...

And Kathy Jackson's web site is a superb resource for all new shooters and some of us old ones. :)

www.corneredcat.com
 
Welcome to THR!

I second Old Lady New Shooter's advise regarding attire, and it seems like you could grip the gun a little higher.

I also noticed that on your very last attempt to pull the trigger, you pushed the muzzle down in anticipation of the recoil. When I catch myself doing that, I slow down my trigger pull and really focus on maintaining the front sight on target as I squeeze the trigger.

Good on you for being willing to open yourself up to critique. I'm sure I could benefit from similar critique, and I've been shooting since the Reagan Administration.
 
Your last attempted shot at the indoor range with the empty or malfunctioning gun showed that you're jerking the trigger somewhat.
 
Your left hand grip is extremely low. Way low. It's basically going to do nothing to help you control the pistol. This is a very, very common beginner's mistake (and is often shown on TV and in movies, so it doesn't look odd to beginners).

Here's a pretty good youtube video by a highly accomplished shooter that explains and demonstrates in some detail what is now the "state of the art" grip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJrA7wMXuuQ
 
Hi and welcome!

You're doing very well. Some basic suggestions from a first glance:
1) It appears your arms are locked at full extension. You don't want to go all the way out like that. Everybody's body structure is different, but actually locking your elbows will take away some of your control and recoil recovery.

The best way to establish your hold on the gun and present it to the target is like this:
a) Get your firing grip with your right hand, nice and high.
b) Bring your hands together in front of your chest and wrap your support hand around (NOT BELOW) the fingers of your shooting hand so that your thumbs lie together, pointing toward the target along the left side of the slide, high up about where the slide and frame meet.
c) Get the gun up into your line of sight, between your eyes and the target and THEN push the gun out toward the target.
d) The front sight should be appearing in your vision as you're pressing outward and then (ideally) you press the trigger just as the gun is reaching a neutral extended position, maybe about 90% of the way toward full arms-locked extension.

In other words, your elbows should still be bent a little.

2) Stance: I know the first scene was your first time and you probably know better already, but you don't need to stand with your feet so far out like that. A good pistol shooting position simply has you face the target squarely, with your feet about shoulder width apart (no farther) and maybe your left foot just a couple of inches in front of the other. You don't need to kick one foot way forward or pull the other back. The gun isn't going to push you around very much. Then as you bring the gun up and press it out to the target, lean just a little bit forward at the waist and roll your shoulders up (we call it "getting BIG on the gun" or "driving" the gun) and that will put you completely in control of your balance and recoil recovery.

3) Grip it HIGH. Pistols work best when you get your firing hand grip as high as possible, and then wrap your support hand around the strong hand as high as possible. Think of trying to get the barrel of the gun squeezed as low down into your grip as you can.

4) While you do need to get the gun up into your "workspace" and vision for reloads, be aware of your muzzle direction while you do so. There's a balance to this, but you don't need to point the gun right at the ceiling to do a reload. Try rolling the gun a bit to the right (as you raise it) instead of picking it straight up into the air. You really just want to point the open magazine well at your support hand coming in from the left with the magazine, so you can easily insert the magazine. Too much lifting of the gun and muzzle not only can be a safety problem but wastes a little time and motion slowing down your reload.

5) You do not need to get into the habit of whacking your magazine base multiple times to get it to seat. :) There's a smooth firm motion you should develop that gets the top of the mag into the grip, then drives it home in one smooth, hard stroke. That's more secure, and a lot faster, than getting it sortof in there and then hammering on it three times.

Great job so far and good luck developing your handgunning skills!

For a quick lesson from a champion, watch this:

 
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Welcome, and nice shootin'! Congrats for taking on what can be an intimidating hobby, and pistol shooting is the hardest of the three disciplines to learn (pistol/shotgun/rifle).

I'll second a couple points mentioned. A full shirt is best because hot brass can instantly distract you from where the gun is pointing.

Locked elbows send the recoil straight into your shoulders. Slightly bent elbows act as a buffer between your shoulders and the gun.

When handling a pistol, imagine there is a steel rod coming out of the barrel to the target, and the pistol can only spin on that steel rod, it can't be pulled off to point somewhere else. You want to do all your manipulations (reloading, pulling the slide) by rotating the pistol left or right while keeping that barrel pointed at the target.

And remember, have fun!
 
When handling a pistol, imagine there is a steel rod coming out of the barrel to the target, and the pistol can only spin on that steel rod, it can't be pulled off to point somewhere else. You want to do all your manipulations (reloading, pulling the slide) by rotating the pistol left or right while keeping that barrel pointed at the target.
:)

That's good to keep in mind, especially as a new shooter, for safety reasons, but as one progresses and get faster/smoother it will probably to be unnecessarily strict and awkward to say the gun has to be pointed at the target itself through all motions. "Downrange" or "at the berm" is fine. The key is to move as naturally and ergonomically as possible while keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction. Find a good balance, erring on the side of caution always.
 
Yes, I should have said as a NEW shooter. I've used this imaginary steel rod idea with several new shooters and it helps them stay aware of where the barrel is pointing while allowing them to load and rack the pistol and being aware of where the trigger finger is.

As she progresses, she can start bringing the pistol into her "work space" or closer to the face or line of sight for manipulations.
 
All of the above. Also, someone earlier mentioned finding a coach - probably the best advice so far. Who took you shooting the first time? Filmed you? Somebody that knows about shooting and that you trust? See if the range you were at has any beginner's classes or knows a good instructor in the area. You can also check the NRA website. If nothing else, see if there's an NRA "Women on Target" class anywhere in your area. And don't write off the "yokels" yet - go to a range and watch for a while, if you see someone that looks like they know what they're doing, go ahead and ask them some questions.
 
You are doing very well for a total beginner. In the first scene you seem to be leaning into the gun far too much. Take a more relaxed stance. I understand many women like to shoot with stiff even pushing arms but the lower body can and should be more relaxed.

Mike
 
You can't argue with the results, you're hitting the target quite well.

Buy some snap caps and randomly insert them in your magazine. This "dud" will help you work through malfunctions, and you may be surprised how blatant of a twitch or jerk you might have when the round doesn't go bang. Just don't lose the snap cap when you clear it :)
 
Welcome!

Lookin' pretty good for a newcomer. You lean into it, which is fantastic; my single greatest difficulty in teaching female shooters is getting them to not lean back. I don't know why it's so common with women, but it is.

The recommendations on different attire and grip adjustment are excellent advice. You have a bit of recoil anticipation, but you're still managing good hits; accuracy will improve further as you overcome that. The squared off Isosceles stance you use is popular and works well for many, but I do encourage new shooters to try others; some people prefer a Weaver or modified Weaver, some of us (me) like a bladed rifleman's stance, even with handguns. Just gotta figure out what works best for you!

Beyond that, just keep practicing and never stop listening/learning!
 
Welcome! Those above beat me to it. Grip and clothing. You will be amazed at the difference in recoil management with a proper grip. You can practice your grip, stance, and trigger control w/o anticipating recoil to your heart's content for free via dry fire at home.
 
Yep. Exact same username/post showed up for the first time this morning on Glocktalk. She's already been nuked there.

I suspect someone is trying to cash in on youtube ad revenue...lets see, who hangs out on gun forums? Guys! What do guys like? Guns/chicks! Lets make a series of videos of a chick with guns and ask all the guys to watch. We'll be rich.

I wonder how many other web boards "she" joined and posted to today?

http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/threads/americangunchic.155700/
http://www.glocktalk.com/threads/female-newbie-to-shooting.1603953/ (already deleted)
https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6202225
http://www.firearmstalk.com/forums/f14/critique-my-video-learning-shoot-i-need-pointers-117671/

Probably others...but this is getting boring.
 
Well, if it is any consolation...her revenue will likely be pennies. I think the folks quickest to call "spam" don't realize how hard it it to make real money on the internet.
 
Hahahhaaaa WOW!!!

Your right! I did post multiple locations so that I could choose where I wanted to spend my time. I am new to this. I am shooting videos to document my progress! Show me a gun person that got rich off of Youtube! Lol. I started my series because I haven't seen anywhere on youtube where someone (especially a female) started at ground zero and posted videos of their growth.

If you must know, I was a victim of a home invasion where multiple men came in to my home and attacked me and my boyfriend. Only having ever shot a pistol once, (as you see in my video when I am wearing pink) I had a pistol taken away from me in the middle of the altercation.

I WILL NEVER LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN!!!! EVER!!!! GET IT??

In one night I went from being lukewarm to guns to fully understanding their purpose. I was warned that people at GlockTalk could be #$%^ and thats the reason I posted at multiple spots. I wont mention who alerted me to this but he is pretty prominent in the firearms community.

I would be lying to say that I didnt want my videos to grow, but its not about "getting rich". Only Total Clowns would believe that's even possible in firearms videos on youtube!
There are like 10 people that make legitimate money off of youtube and they deal with comedy, video games, and music. I think the highest gun related you tuber I found is FPSRussia and that guy has a job. How rich is James Yeager, FPSRussia, YankeeMarshall?? I DO however want to share my journey so that other women see where I have come from and see that its possible for ANYONE to take active action in their own self defense!!

... and before people pry in to my past, you can kiss my backside! If admins wish to know the details I will briefly explain it to them! But to anyone that questions my purpose with my videos or joining these forums, you know where you can go!

Sincerely,
AGC
 
Although marksmanship is very important I find that in an altercation it plays very little part.

From reading news reports I find that even the police in what I would guess is most cases do not fare any better than their criminal counterparts in controlling their firearms in the heat of a sudden life and death fight.

I am a strong advocate of learning to shoot without sights while moving and at a moving target as well as from different positions, angles etc...

This is not a skill that is taught very often. It takes practice, stamina, and space not normally available at most gun ranges.

One thing I like to do is tape a laser pointer on a non firing replica gun (fake gun for me) and use the gun as a pointer making sure the entire gun is within my peripheral vision.

It might sound funny but I would probably play ring around the rosies pointing it at a stationary object while moving around it.

I also dry fire (it's a fake gun anyway) while pointing at somthing anything with the laser off without using the sights and then turn the laser back on after clicking to see if I had pointed it anywhere near the target. This also helps with trigger control to keep me from jerking the gun while firing.

Some people put a coin on top of the front muzzle and dry fire while holding it so steady the coin doesn't fall off. I have not had much luck with this but I have to admit I have not given much of my practice time in trying to perfect it.

I belive lasers are an excellent training aid they are also useful in an altercation but if you practice enough they become less important just take care not to use them as a crutch.

At the range a good way to help with flinching (which can quickly develope after shooting loud high recoil magnum loads) is to load an empty case or two in a revolver give the cylinder a gentle spin close it and shoot taking care to maintain good trigger control. You won't know which chamber has a live round or an empty case if you have developed any bad flinching habits it will immediately show when you the gun goes click without any recoil or boom to cover it up.

In an auto loader I suppose you can mix one or more of those solid dummy cartridges in with the live rounds in the magazine. That would also help in practicing racking the slide in the case of a malfunction as well as exposing any flinches. Flinching is a hard habit to keep under control for even experienced shooters so don't sweat it just deal with it by controlling and eliminating it the best you can.

Learn the different stances and find the ones you are comfortable with being aware that every smart alec has an opinion on what the best magic stance is. Stances work and there are many good ones you can use but keep in mind if things go down too fast and too close you may not have the time to get in a stance, aquire a sight picture and fire a double or triple tap you may have to fire as soon as it clears the holster of whatever it's in while you aim it using periferal vision to judge where you are going to hit by the position of the gun and while moving.

I am not a fan of powerful high recoil handguns because when you fire them you have to point the gun at the target again everytime it jumps while with an adequateley powered (as in not overpowered) firearm (like a 9mm for instance) it is much easier hold on target. Loud bangs and muzzle flash can distort senses and impair your vision too.

One last and very important thing is study the laws pertaining to self defense in your state. Frank Ettin who is a member has given excellent references in this matter. It is of the utmost importance to be as prepared as you can for the legal nightmare that usaully comes after a self defence shooting please don't ever take this part lightly it can save you from going to jail possibly for the rest of your life even if you were justified.

The responsibilities are huge when you make the decision to use lethal force.

I am thankful you made it out of that home invasion alive.
 
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Congratulations on having the courage to learn to shoot a firearm. You appear to enjoy it, and I think that is great.

I did not see anyone mention this in previous responses; if I overlooked it, my apology.

Please wear safety glasses every time you go shooting. In the first (outdoor) range session, you were not wearing safety glasses. You had them on at the indoor range, I'm sure because the range required you to wear them. Please protect your beautiful eyes at all times. You may not have glasses on in a real life self defense situation, God forbid, but no point in taking chances when you don't have to.

In the same vein, you should consider double covering ear protection, particularly when indoors...use both in-the-ear plugs and Mickey Mouse covers. I have tinnitus in both ears because I did not as a younger shooter. You will not have ear protection on when you are defending yourself in real life but you can protect your hearing during practice.

Others are probably better at some fine points of coaching than I am. I would suggest some practice with only one or two shots in the magazine, and starting with the pistol on the table in front of you. Practice picking the gun up, acquiring the sight picture and single / double tapping the target without hesitation. It's fun to rip off a whole magazine quickly, so do that occasionally, but most of your practice should be learning to make your first shot count. Once in a while put up a bullseye target and see how small a group you can shoot. It's good practice for trigger control.

I am a revolver guy. In addition to learning how to shoot a semiautomatic pistol, try a quality revolver too. It's a different skill, just as much fun, and will make you a better shooter no matter what you decide to carry, assuming you decide to carry.

Finally, join the NRA. Help us all to preserve our shooting sports, and our right to defend ourselves, our homes, and our families.
 
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