Shooting tips?

[JJK1]

Hello all – I’m a total handgun newbie so go easy on me.
I have owned a few handguns over the years but I never shot them much and always sold them to fund my next shotgun. I could never shoot a handgun very well. I am however an above average shotgunner.

Well – I wanted to get another handgun for a host of reasons - so last week I picked up a CPO SIG P225.
Took it to the range and could not hit the broad side of a barn with it. I mean I’m WAY off – Way low and to the right. By a ton. I had another shooter give it a try and “bulls eye” every time. The gun is fine. It’s me.
Knowing how well I shoot my shotguns I decided I would try to shoot with both eyes open and low and behold – Bulls eye – With both eyes I can hit inside a 10” circle at about 20 - 25 yards pretty consistently.
I know I’ll never be a marksman shooting with both eyes open and I would like to be able to hit the target with proper technique
Any tips?
Thanks
JJK

 

[BADUNAME37]

I believe you SHOULD be able to shoot with both eyes open.

Are you sure you are aiming from the correct eye?

Hold a finger out vertically and line it up with something in the background while looking at your finger with both eyes open. Close one eye, looking at the background and your finger. Do the same with the other eye. Which eye does your finger appear to stay still in relation to the background (in other words, which eye seems to be the same as when you were looking with both eyes open)?

That is the dominant eye that you want to be aiming with.

That's a start.

End of lesson one.

 

[JJK1]

Hey - Thanks for the lesson one!

For what it’s worth – I am right eye dominate and I shoot right handed. I shoot a rifle just fine with open sights and my right eye.
I wear glasses for astigmatism. Not sure why I can’t shoot a handgun with my right eyeball but I sure would like to figure it out.

Thanks again
JJK

 

[LightningMan]

Hello, I would like to say; that while many people can and do shoot with both eyes open, I and others like me can not, as I am somewhat left eye domanent but a right-handed shooter. If I try to leave both eyes open I end up seeing two targets, so I close my left eye to shoot and it works for me. LM

 

[Majic]

You shoot with both eyes open and focus on the front sight. The target will be somewhat blurred depending on your eyesight.

 

[jad0110]

Here is a collection of videos with some good info. Incorporate what works best for you:

http://www.youtube.com/user/shootingcoach

This video is one of my favorites: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4584332856867071363

 

[Frank Ettin]

I shoot everything, pistol, rifle and shotgun, with both eyes open. I'm also a trapshooter an wingshooter, and I have taught and coached both. One of the big differences, and something that give a lot of folks trouble when switching from shotgun to handgun, is sight or target focus. When shooting clays or birds, we focus on the target. When shooting a handgun, we focus on the front sight.

And the following is my standard "new pistol shooter" post:

The first principle of accurate shooting is trigger control: a smooth, press straight back on the trigger with only the trigger finger moving. Maintain your focus on the front sight as you press the trigger, increasing pressure on the trigger until the shot breaks. Don't try to predict exactly when the gun will go off nor try to cause the shot to break at a particular moment. This is what Jeff Cooper called the "surprise break."

BY keeping focus on the front sight and increasing pressure on the trigger until the gun essentially shoots itself, you don’t anticipate the shot breaking. But if you try to make the shot break at that one instant in time when everything seem steady and aligned, you usually wind up jerking the trigger. Of course the gun will wobble some on the target. Try not to worry about the wobble and don’t worry about trying to keep the sight aligned on a single point. Just let the front sight be somewhere in a small, imaginary box in the center of the target.

Also, work on follow through. Be aware of where on the target the front sight is as the shot breaks and watch the front sight lift off that point as the gun recoils – all the time maintaining focus on the front sight.

Also, while practice in very important, remember that practice doesn’t make perfect. It’s “PERFECT practice makes perfect.” More frequent practice shooting fewer rounds, but concentrating hard on what you’re doing, will be more productive than less frequent, higher round count practice.

Practice deliberately, making every shot count, to program good habits and muscle memory. Dry practice is very helpful. You just want to triple check that the gun is not loaded, and there should be no ammunition anywhere around. When engaging in dry practice, religiously follow Rule 2 - Never Let Your Muzzle Cover Anything You Are Not Willing To Destroy." As you dry fire, you want to reach the point where you can't see any movement of the sight as the sear releases and the hammer falls.

Finally, some instruction is always a good idea. I try to take classes from time to time; and I always learn something new.

Think: front sight, press, surprise.

 

[JJK1]

Thanks Guys
I’ll keep working on it. I really had no idea that both eyes open was a proper way to shoot a handgun.
As for focusing on the front site and not the target, as a shot gunner – this is totally foreign to me. It will take lots of practice I’m sure. Also With my “new” P225 I am having a very hard time focusing on the front sight with both eyes open – The rear site is totally messing me up. It’s all over the place and sometimes I’m seeing double. Some of the time I see the front site clearly outside the rear sites from the side with my left eye and sometimes it’s hard to find. It’s very difficult to get the front and rear lined up. – This does not seem to be an issue with my other handgun (revolver with only front sights) I am 100% sure that I am indeed right eye dominate.
If I shoot the gun like a shotgun – Focusing on the target I do OK but obviously precision is lacking.
Suggestions??
Thanks again!
JJK

 

[MrBorland]

Do a search here, and you'll find several threads about shooting 1-eyed or 2. The general consensus is 2-eyed is better, but it's very hard for some people to do, so it's no crime to shoot 1-eyed.

Right now, your brain is getting confusing signals. Fortunately, your brain hates confusing signals, so with practice, your sight picture will get better shooting 2-eyed. Lots of dry fire practice at home. Just practice holding the gun and getting a 2-eyed sight picture. After a week or so of regular practice, your brain ought to start sorting the images.

In the meantime, some find that putting a translucent piece of scotch tape on the non-dominant lens of their shooting glasses helps. At least it helps break the physical habit of closing the non-dominant eye, and you can wean yourself off the tape altogether.

Another thing to try is to turn your head a bit more toward your non-dominant eye. It seems to help your dominant eye be even more dominant. Of course, you can turn your head so far that the bridge of your nose actually blocks your non-dominant eye, and double vision is gone!

As mentioned earlier, sounds like your point of focus is a big issue too, i.e. getting used to focusing on the front sight, rather than the target. If you find it very hard to focus on the front sight while aiming at a target, get rid of the target. Focus on the front sight and shoot into the berm, or turn the target around so you're aiming at a blank sheet of paper. If you're using Shoot-NC targets, don't - the temptation to take your eyes off the front sight and peek at the target is even higher.

Finally, are you flinching or jerking the trigger? Have someone load a dummy round into the magazine for you. A flinch or a jerk would be easier to see.

 

[ar10]

There's only two things that are at fault. It's either the gun or the shooter and you eliminated the first problem. If you can, try and get someone with some experience to watch you as you pull the trigger. Try not to look at the target while you're shooting, You're going for a pattern, not accuracy. The accuracy will come later.

 

[jad0110]

Right now, your brain is getting confusing signals. Fortunately, your brain hates confusing signals, so with practice, your sight picture will get better shooting 2-eyed. Lots of dry fire practice at home. Just practice holding the gun and getting a 2-eyed sight picture. After a week or so of regular practice, your brain ought to start sorting the images.

Exactly out it worked for me. I was seeing double images of the target, but after a few sessions my brain figured it out all by itself . Now it actually seems alien and unnatural to close one eye.

 

[JJK1]

Thanks Guys –
I’ve been practicing the 2 eye front site focus thing all day. It’s getting a little easier. I can pick it up most of the time. I discovered that if I can’t get the front sight in view– I can acquire it by quickly closing my left eye and then opening it again with the front sight remaining in focus. – Is this OK or will it throw the shot off? (I have not been back to the range) – Also the double vision of the target is still an issue. As soon as I stop looking at the target and pick up the front sight, the target splits into 2 images. From what some have suggested that may go away. If it doesn’t I’ll have to go back to one eye I guess.
Yes - I'm going to try to find an instructor

Thanks again!
JJK

 

[MrBorland]

As soon as I stop looking at the target and pick up the front sight, the target splits into 2 images.

Aim for the one on the right

Seriously, though, you may get to the point where you only see one target, but maybe not. Even so, even if I "see" 2 targets, my concentration is on the front sight, and I find I'm not really too aware that there are 2 targets, so I probably just automatically choose the one on the right. When I'm aware that I'm a little confused, I do let my non-dominant eye get a little lazy, and the picture clears right up.

 

[marineman]

Focus on the front sights and not necessarily the target. Make sure there is an equal amount of daylight on both sides of the front sights and the top of the front sight is aligned with the top of the back sights. Gently squeeze the trigger keeping the same picture as just described. Do not anticipate the recoil.

 

[natural marksman]

I've only gone shooting twice, with hand guns. It might be irrelevant to the issues you were having, but my instructor taught me how to fix a little problem with my accuracy:

The trigger pull is very important, and will cause your shots to be too far to one side if you've got too much finger on it when you pull. Have the trigger sit between the tip of the finger and the first joint. If you keep the trigger there, your index finger will have room to move back, and won't move the gun to the side.

Also, sometimes your grip on the gun may have an effect on how high or low the shot is. Play around with how tight you grip the handguns. Using "icometric pressure" is also good for accuracy (push forward with your shooting arm, pull backwards with your support arm). Play around with this as well.


That stuff hasn't got much to do with aiming and all that eyeball confusion and stuff, but I shot with one eye both times I went and did very well for a beginner hehehe!

Hope my info was useful in some way. Good luck.

 

[wanderinwalker]

The advice you have recieved so far is what you need to keep reading and checking. I always find it helpful to remind myself, "front sight, breath, trigger squeeze, follow through." When the shooting isn't going as well as I want it to, I just remind myself that and do one thing at a time.

With your shotgun background, you already know the difference between sight and target focus. Learning to watch the front sight will help. Also, I might suggest focusing on trigger squeeze too. I've seen many new shooters who will just jerk, yank, pull and otherwise "man-handle" the trigger and ruin the shot. Just squeeze it back.

 

[ztnedman1]

If your shooting low and to the side you are jerking the trigger.

Best tip I recieved when I was younger,
"Pull the trigger slowly and smoothly back, do not anticipate the gun firing just let it be a 'surprise' to you"

 

[Matthew Courtney]

Try shooting from a steady rest. If the results from the rest are the same as from a regular standing position, then it is likely an eye or sight picture issue. If they are different, you may have an issue more related to trigger pull.