[guns-a-blaze-n]

I just bought my first 1911 style 45. which is from rock island armory, it seems to shoot good so far but, i've only ran 150 rounds thru it and no hang ups yet. My question is how many years of practice does it take before you get to where you can knock the ten ring out with every shot or can you ever get that way?:)

[1911Tuner]

I dunno, mah fren...I've been workin' at it for near 50 years now...:D

Welcome aboard.

[Azrael256]

Good choice on the first 1911. RIAs are a good entry-level gun that will get you into 1911 shooting. Beware, though, they are addictive. You'll be posting about your neato-spiffy tricked out model in no time.

As for learning to shoot accurately... I have seen some people who had superb skills from their first shot. One in particular was a long-time martial arts practicioner. He had spent many years developing precise breathing, muscle control, and mental focus, so learning to shoot was just another move to him. People like that tend to be the exception.

For the rest of us, it takes thousands of rounds before we can hit the ten ring every time (I'll let you know when I get there). Each range trip presents a new set of challenges that have to be overcome. Fortunately, many of the basics can be practiced at home with an empty gun. Stance, trigger control, grip and other important skills can be practiced in your living room and tested out at the range. This saves a whole bunch of money.

If you really want to learn to nail the target one handed while standing on your head (and who doesn't?), get some instruction. Just having a friend who is a decent shot observing you dry-fire in the garage will catch all kinds of little problems. When you're actually on the range, 50 rounds of good instruction beats 1000 rounds of trying to figure it out on your own.

[Wes Janson]

What distance, and how many shots? ;)

[o/u mike]

Start at 15', then 21, then 30, then 36, then 50, then 75, then 100, then 200, then 300, then ....

[XavierBreath]

Well, that all depends........... I shoot half inch one hole groups............

[Longbow]

I agree with O/U Mike's suggestion. But I'll stop at 50 yards. :)
Do do 300-400 rds every weekend for a month. Lean to hold the gun in issoceles and pay attention to your grip and sight allignment. Try your best to make every shot count. Things should really improve from there.