a leftie hitting low and the the right

[mrming]

Ok, I give up. I tried with several pistols this weekend and found in most any two-hand grip that I hit consistantly low and to the right at 25 feet. Not significantly, just the group center is low and right by about 3-4 inches. Overall group size is about the same for 10-15 rounds.

I do it with my sig 220, Xd9, and friends makarov and hipower. With the sig and the mak, I was regularly getting 2 or 3 rounds through the same hole. This was about a shot per second, so it wasn't a real slow fire.

If I switch to a one handed grip and stance, I start hitting POA. I didn't mess much with grouping one handed as I just don't shoot that way regularly.

Got any ideas as to what i'm screwing up? If it was poor trigger control, I would have expected worse groups.

[hillbilly]

Shooting left handed and hitting low and to the right?

Could be a flinch, but the fact you hit one-handed says it probably isn't.

I'm going to guess you are putting too much finger into the trigger guard.

Only the mid-point of the very first pad of your finger--the fleshy part between the very tip of the finger and the first joint of the finger--should be on the trigger.

Putting too much finger on the trigger results in pushing the pistol.

To the left for righties, to the right for lefties.

hillbilly

[Lennyjoe]

Try a stable pistol rest and shoot at 7yds. See where the bullet impact is. If its dead on then its the shooter. There is a target out there somewhere that helps shooters identify problems such as too much finger, grip issues and such but I can't find it. Hopefully someone out here has the link to it.

[5Wire]

Standard Correction Chart from U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Manual (available for downloading, Google it):

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y286/5Wire/LHCorrect.jpg

JPG of text for chart, you'll have to adjust terms right for left to analyze for lefties:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y286/5Wire/TargetAnalysis.jpg

[pax]

My guess is that if you're not doing it one-handed, but are doing it two-handed, that you are holding the gun more tightly in the one-handed hold. The looser grip means that as you flex your trigger finger, your other fingers are tightening sympathetically, pulling your sights off target at the moment of truth.

Try tightening your grip -- what some instructors call a "crush grip" -- until the gun starts to shake a little from your efforts. Then relax your grip just until it stops shaking and hold it that firmly all the time.

pax

[mrming]

Thanks gents. I can definitely see it being my grip tightening just before the trigger breaks. Or, it might be me pulling back with my off-hand just a touch more in anticipation.


I'll try doing some dry fire work before I head out again. Maybe I can identify which issue it is..

[bakert]

Many new or occasional right handed shooters hit low left. I do myself after not shooting for a while with an auto pistol. I'm Assuming lefties would be the opposite. Dry firing will probably give you an idea what you're doing wrong. I have a copy of the chart 5WIRE posted. Study it while dry firing.

[Lennyjoe]

Thanks 5wire, thats the target I was talking about. I have it saved at home but not here at work.

[Skyviking]

The "grip" is established by the thumb and middle finger. The ring and and little finger are just along for the ride and, contrary to popular belief, should (ideally) exert no pressure on the grip. In fact, as pressure is applied with these ancillary fingers, the power of the grip actually diminishes! Try it yourself by gripping your wrist as hard as you can with the thumb & middle finger only, then applying the ring and pinky to the wrist and then tighten them up as hard as you can... Squeezing these lower two fingers only causes the gun to go low and L or R, depending on the shooting hand.

In a two-handed "freestyle", or Weaver grip, the dominant hand should provide about 40% of the gripping power, with the support hand providing about 60% of the gripping force. The trigger finger should contact only the front of trigger. If it rests against the frame and/or side of the trigger, it causes pressure to the L or R, depending on if the shooter is R or L handed.

The heel of the support hand (the continuation of the thumb toward the palm) should contact the area of the grip not covered by the dominant hand's fingers and heel, covering as much area of the grip as possible. The support hand should be firmly supporting the dominant hand, but not squeezed tighter after the initial grip is established, or during the trigger press. Again, only the middle finger(s) should be exerting the pressure of the grip.Squeezing the fingers of the support hand will cause shots to go low and left. for a LH shooter, opposiite for a RHer.