Shooting a handgun well is not an easy thing to do.
Shooting well is easy,
in theory. All you have to do is keep the sights perfectly aligned on the target, and pull the trigger
straight back without disturbing your perfect sight alignment.
Of course, that's easier said than done. So it takes practice. Dry-firing is an excellent way to develop trigger control. Once again, the point is to pull the trigger without disturbing sight alignment.
Every shot should surprise you. If you know exactly when the shot is going to go off, you're going to flinch - plain and simple. You flinch with every shot anyways. The difference between a good and bad shot is this: When you anticipate the recoil, your subconscious braces your body for the explosion
before you shoot - resulting in an off-target shot. When you pull the trigger slowly and let the shot surprise you, your body will brace for the shot
after the bullet has left the barrel. This is also a part of trigger control. You also want to follow through (maintain your grip) with every shot.
Grip should be uniform throughout... Never change your grip while shooting. Also,
proper grip is just as important as uniformity. You should grip the pistol about as tight as a firm handshake. Hold your empty hand out like you're holding a gun. Cant your wrist upwards at about a 45 degree angle. See that dent in your wrist, right behind the web of your hand? Your sights should be lined up with that dent. The pistol then becomes an extension of your arm.
Front sight focus is paramount. DO NOT look back and forth between the target and your sights. DO NOT focus on the target... let it blur, and focus on the front sight, and keeping it perfectly centered between the rear sight notches.
I'd recommend a book called
The Pistol Shooter's Treasury. And a .22LR pistol - those 2 tools will have you on your way to getting better in no time. And as has been said before, move your targets in to a reasonable distance, and STAND UP.
50 yards is nice if you have the skill and experience to shoot well at that distance, but most of us can't shoot well at that distance. Personally, I've never tried it with a pistol.
I'm of the opinion that benchrest shooting is just as (if not more) difficult than standing. You have to know what you're doing, and if you're moving your head or hands around to find the sight picture then you might as well just close your eyes and shoot.