New to handguns & Steady aim...

Status
Not open for further replies.
F

Fire-4-Effect

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
30
Greetings!

I am new to the forums. I have been shooting rifle's for many, many years but have recently been interested in handguns and have purchased a S&W M&P 45. (Want to buy a few before Obama outlaws them!) I went to the range yesterday and fired off 200 rounds. Man, I really suck! I had a hard time keeping rounds in the black. Most rounds were low and to the bottom left of the target.

My biggest problem seems to be the fact that I cannot keep a steady aim. I shake a lot. I guess this stands to reason since I have shot bench rest my whole life and never really shot off hand at all. Guess I do not have the muscles needed to hold still. My hands have always been a bit shaky since I was a kid (I am healthy and do not know why I have been like this).

Anyways, any suggestions on improving my aim and reducing the "shakes" when aiming?

Thanks ahead of time!

PR
 
Before you fire a string,Take several slow ,deep breaths. Also,place the target at 7 yds and practice by raising the gun from the safe ready position Each time. Fire as quickly as you can. This will reduce the time allowable for the shakes to manifest themselves. This will develope your "instctive shooting" skills and negate the effect of the Chronic shakes!!!:)
 
OK. Several points here...

First, there is physical conditioning. Stick your arms straight out, make small circles. Start with 50 forward and 50 backward, build up to 100 in each direction.

Second, there is mental conditioning. You WILL shake some. We all do. Ignore the movement, focus on keeping the sights aligned and the trigger pressure building. This will result in good scores.

Third, shoot for group - then correct the sights. Are YOU shooting low/left, or is the gun doing it?
 
Dry fire practice.

Low & bottom left hits usually indicate you are "slapping" the trigger or jerking it, instead of slowly squeezing back until the shot goes off.

Dry fire practice will help your muscle memory and help you know how much force is really needed for the shot to break. Also, it will help you learn where the reset is on the trigger so the next shot doesn't require as much force, nor do you have to press the trigger as far.

My abilites increased 5 fold just from dry fire practice alone.

Don't worry about "the shakes". You'll never hold the gun perfectly still anyway. I've seen good shooters/instructors purposefully move the weapon in small cirlces while firing (and maitining COM hits in tight groups) just to demonstrate this.
 
Ahhh...

Thanks guys!

A few answers here:

1. We do not have a 7 yard target at the range I shoot at, just 10 yards and 25. I was shooting at 10 yards

2. I was doing the slow breathe thing as you described. Since I do this when bench rest shooting I was applying the same principles.

3. Physical conditioning: I get the circle exersizes. Would a weight help?

4. Trigger: This is a big one. I was flinching and jerking when pulling the trigger. I guess dry fire is really going to help me a lot.

5. Is it safe to dry fire my S&W M&P 45? Do I need a dry fire device of some sort?

Thanks guys! This is very helpful! I will start practicing.

PR
 
A trick how I learned to shoot:

Take 4 bullets and a snap cap. Let a buddy but them into your magazine, in random order, let him put the magazine in your gun, or just don't look while you put the magazine in.

When you pull the trigger on the snap-cap round, you'll see the movement you make while shooting (recoil anticipation, flinching...)

When shooting a match I have a constant breathing rythm.
shoot, lower gun, 4 deep breaths, raise gun on inhaling 5th breath, breathe out a little, hold your breath (about half way out), aim, fire, repeat. Don't hold your breath or your gun up for more than 5-7 seconds, you arm will start to shake and you'll move the gun too much.

That's just how I shoot, this could be useless for you, but it works OK for me :)
 
It sounds like you are "pushing" the gun in anticipation of the recoil.

I do this too, so I am speaking from experience.

Dryfiring will help a lot (no problems with the MP); but do it deliberately. Three things I do:

1. FOCUS on the front sight. It should be crystal clear; your target slightly blurry. Watch the sight for movement while you squeeze the trigger.

2. I think I saw this on DOWNRANGE TV: Check the gun is unloaded; stand arms-length from a wall and extend your firearm in shooting stance. Your barrel should be just away from the wall. Again, focus on the front sight while you squeeze. If you dip, you'll tap the wall; and you can focus on front sight w/out worrying about target acquisition.

3. At the range, focus on front sight. Center on target. Squeeze the trigger. Don't fight the recoil.

Then, practice!!!

If you can, try a .22 sometime. You'll get the benefits of learning trigger control w/out the recoil of the .45. That, plus a WHOLE lot of practice for a WHOLE lot less money!!!

Q
 
Nobody can hold a handgun perfectly still without moving.

The best pistol shot I ever saw, and a national champion in NRA Bullseye, was a U.S. Army master sargent.
He could not stop a gun from moving all over the target.

To stand behind him and watch him shoot, you had to wonder if any of his bullets would even be on the paper.
But he could shoot perfect scores all day long at 50 yards.

The secret is to focus on the front sight, and apply increasingly more pressure on the trigger each time the sights are aligned.
Eventually, the shot will break when you least expect it, and the bullet will be in the black!

rcmodel
 
http://youtube.com/watch?v=K88ClbfG9yE&feature=related

something to practice. she is only 12, but already has good form.

don't worry about the shakes. start close and slow, and when you pull, let the trigger surprise you when it goes bang.eventually as you get more accurate you can keep your rhythm steady and move the target further back in increments.

google up ipsc training drills and excercises, you can pick up a bunch of stuff from there.
 
You'll get better as time progresses give that you get the fundamentals down. Learn from an experienced shooter but look into getting a good .22 to practice. You will see the flinch and also help correct it. A used Ruger or Buckmark is a good place to start. An air pistol is also good so you can practice at home.

Welcome to the forum

HB
 
i also recommend the walther p22. has some quirks, but they make you get used to working a handgun. it operates more like a 'real' centerfire than a dedicated plinker. i have one and it gets 550 rounds per week, every week. eight thousand rounds and still going. all i've done is polish the top of the trigger bar and stretch the ejector spring, and put some rounds through it, and now it runs like butter. i posted a bunch of info on the walther p22 page at gundirectory.com - nothing beats trigger time, and trigger time doesn't get any cheaper than a 22lr pistol.
 
Very helpful!

Wow, so much great advice! Thanks guys. I will work with the tips and details provided. I would be interested in taking a class. Not the NRA basic stuff... something more focused on good habits. Any ideas? I live in Maryland.

Thanks

PR
 
Any ideas? I live in Maryland.
Click to expand...

move south. :) lol j/k. check our the nra website and see where classes are offered - chances are, if they offer an nra class, they may have other types of classes you may be interested in.

if anything else, www.uspsa.org and look up the nearest club. just a few nights of sport shooting and help from fellow sport shooters and you'll be in better shape than most.
 
AREA 8 - MARYLAND

EASTERN SHORE PRACTICAL SHOOTERS
Located at William T. Roe Memorial Range, Sudlersville, Maryland.
ESPS Matches will continue to be held on the second saturday, March thru October.
Kenny Danz 302-378-2041

MARYLAND PRACTICAL SHOOTERS
Located at Thurmont Conservation and Sportsman's Club,
Frederick Co. Maryland, S.E. of Thurmont, MD.
MPSA shoots on the third Sunday of the month, March through November.
Auxiliary matches will be held at Dug Hill Rod and Gun Club, Carroll Co.
Maryland, N.W. of Baltimore by announcement.
Bill Allred 410-795-6186. No phone calls after 9 p.m.!

ST CHARLES SPORTSMANS CLUB - VA15
Shoots on the 3rd Sunday of each month, March through November
Andrew White, Severna Park, MD 21146
Home: (410) 544-0408, Work: (301) 877-8884, Fax: (301) 877-0914
Click to expand...

http://www.uspsa8.org/clubs.htm
 
A weight does help. I use a iron mallet out of the tool box that's a little heavier than my gun. I present it from ready as many times as I can several times per day.
 
Weight training will help you a lot, I held my pistol in my firing stance as long as I could and then took note of which muscles hurt. The biggest one for me was my deltoid(shoulder). Also work on your forearms and your fingers. If you go to the gym anyway it is easy enough to just do a little extra to help your shooting. Lots of good advice here, just remember to have fun.
 
I personally found that my shake decreased a ton when I started regularly dry firing the double action trigger on a (4" GP-100) revolver. Working to hold the gun steady with a reasonably heavy trigger made me way more steady with all my shooting, and it happened pretty fast.
 
wmeSha--+1 Dry firing a DA revolver is a great way to improve trigger control. Most weigh a fair amount, and have a 10+ pound pull.

Boris +1 this drill is very humbling for anyone to try, and is a very visible way to see the flinch.

What part of your finger are you using to pull the trigger? The pad is ideal. If you use the crease of the joint, this will pull shots left (for right handed shooters.) Most times that shots go low and left the cause is slapping the trigger. In many police shootings, this is a common miss. Going from the finger straight on the frame to pulling the trigger at a high stress moment is asking for trigger slap.

Make sure you have a firm, high grip on the gun. There should be a gap between your trigger fringer and the frame if your pad placement is correct (and the gun fits your hand). The off hand has the thumb straight along the frame, wrist locked down to aid in recoil (meaning roughly a straight line from forearm, wrist, to end of thumb). The fingers are a vice around my strong hand. A good grip, sight alignment (front sight should be crystal clear as stated above!), trigger staged, steady pressure straight back on the trigger, and follow through. Follow through? Try keeping the trigger to the rear after you shoot. Dont let go and have to reacquire the trigger for later shots, as well as loosen the master grip on the gun.(Later on, this will also allow faster more accurate second shots as you only let the trigger go to reset before pressing again) Also, and I know this is hard, but try to focus on the front sight AFTER the shot has gone off. People tend to squeeze off rounds and look down range over the gun at the target, anxious about how they did, causing low and erratic hits.

I have never shot or handled an M&P. I am assuming the trigger is somewhat like an XD or Glock. Dry fire and play with the gun. Play with the trigger. Take up all the slack as slow as possible. Feel each stage in the trigger. Feel the point where the trigger breaks. Try to see how far you can pull the trigger and not fire the gun. You will be able to take up the slack in your trigger in no time. This will allow you to stage your shots. If you can get a DA revolver also, try to stage that trigger. You will feel the cylinder "lock" before the hammer falls.

Lastly, try posting a small orange dot in the center of the black. The small point of aim should help

Good Luck!
 
Last edited:
The only things that matter to hit your point of aim:

-Proper trigger control
-Sight alignment and front sight focus

Since you're new to handguns, you are probably going to get overwhelmed by the various types of grip, stances, and other techniques out there that everyone has an opinion on. It has helped me immensely to learn that those 2 fundamentals are ALL that matters from a pure marksmanship standpoint, meaning hitting exactly where you aim. When other aspects come in to play such as shooting on the move, shooting fast, etc then there are other things to consider like grip and stance. For a grip suggestion, here's a great article on the grip style I prefer: Thumbs Forward Grip

Another thing to learn not to worry about is the gun moving around a bit. We're humans, we breathe, and because of it the gun is not going to stay 100% perfectly still. Many people have an issue with feeling rushed to pull the trigger and break the shot because the gun is wandering a bit in their hands. So as the gun is slowly moving around due to your breathing or whatever, as soon as the sights start to come on target you will unconsciously yank the trigger trying to make the shoot before it's "too late". Don't worry about your hands and the gun not staying still. Just focus hard on that front sight, squeeze the trigger slowly, and you will surprise yourself. :)

One method you can try to help eliminate trigger flinch is doing what is called "surprising" the shot, surprising your trigger finger, etc. Basically what you do is line the sights up, focus hard on that front sight, and just start pulling the trigger very slowly, slowly increasing pressure. The point of this is you will just keep pulling very, very slowly and increasing pressure, and then the gun will go off when you least expect it. If done right, there will be no trigger flinch, and assuming you are focusing on the front sight (I cannot stress that part more, trust me), the shot will hit right on point of aim every time (assuming someone hasn't screwed with the sights already). Try it out and remember, don't feel rushed about anything, just take a second to chill out and move slowly.

Also, I highly recommend checking out this dvd if you really want to learn to become more proficient with handguns:

Link

It has helped me tremendously, and it will really give the beginner a big jump start on things by eliminating a lot of fallacies before you learn about them the hard way. ;)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

M
  • Locked
Question on Aiming
Replies
6
Views
618
arizona98tj
arizona98tj
R
  • Locked
Aiming
Replies
11
Views
812
91101
9
B
  • Locked
Aim or point and shoot?
2 3
Replies
74
Views
4K
Robert
Robert
C
  • Locked
Best to start out with
2 3
Replies
51
Views
2K
woad_yurt
W
S
  • Locked
¿ How To Gain Skill/Aim ?
Replies
23
Views
2K
9mmepiphany
9mmepiphany
Back
Top