Flinch or????

[Steve H]

A while back (I cna't find it now) there was a post about how different things affect the point of impact when shooting a handgun. My whole shooting life, for some reason I always shoot a handgun left of center. I think the thread I saw stated that if you are shooting left you are flinching. Is this true? Aslo what would cause you to shoot high, low & right?

Thanks Much
Happy Christmas and Merry New Year
Steve

[mete]

Flinching ?? Typically you pull the gun down in antcipation of the recoil .I've seen very dramatic demonstrations when a shooter dropped the hammer on an empty chamber !!! I doubt your problem is flinching. A handgun is very sensitive to how you hold the gun and slight changes can change point of impact .Are you pulling the trigger straight back ? Are you contracting other hand muscles as you pull the trigger ?

[Steve H]

A handgun is very sensitive to how you hold the gun and slight changes can change point of impact .Are you pulling the trigger straight back ? Are you contracting other hand muscles as you pull the trigger ?

My guess is that I'm using "too much" finger on the trigger. I think I need the trigger closer to the end of my finger and not so close to the middle of it. Make any sense?

[GRB]

I have a solution for you, no matter how much or little finger you use on the trigger (within reason). Next time you are at the range, and are about to shoot do these things, and as you do them, go over them by telling yourself (mentally) exactly what you are doing:

1. Take a good stance and get a good grip - not tight, just firm - don't choke it, just hold it.

2. Get a good sight picture, and align the sights properly making sure to focus on the front sight.

3. As soon as those are accomplished begin to slowly say squeeze to yourself mentally so as to draw out that word, like in squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze, all the while maintaining a good grip and sight picture. Note that as soon as you start to say the word squeeze to yourself, you steadily start to squeeze the trigger. If the gun goes off almost as if by surprise, you did it right.

Shoot a few like that and check the results.

All the best,
Glenn B

[MikeWSC]

Steve,

I'm a handgunner at heart. Shoot: 10mm, .45ACP, .38/.357, .45LC, .44 Mag,
.445 SuperMag, .454 Casull, S&W 500 Mag , (haven't got the bullets to load
for my 460 yet) and .308 Win. in an Encore.

If your looking for groups, shoot on the rest. Have the gun targrted and gripping
the gun shouldn't move the sights.

Standing or offhand shooting, same grip, same site picture, same stance (try)
every time. I'm right handed and tend to shoot left if my grip changes, and I
relax it to much. Guns trend to recoil differently, from auto's to wheel guns.
If your group is consistent, adjust the sights. I'm sure you figured this one out, but thought I'd mention it.

Keep shootin and have fun!!
Best for the holidays..... Mike

[Manedwolf]

My guess is that I'm using "too much" finger on the trigger. I think I need the trigger closer to the end of my finger and not so close to the middle of it. Make any sense?

Yes, I went left with a DAO Taurus PT745 until I learned to use the tip of the finger, not anything close to or beyond the first knuckle.

[Steve C]

The wheel of misfortune for the right handed shooter, mirror it for a lefty.
http://www.members.aol.com/scoll63101/public/wheel

[FieroCDSP]

I don't know if this'll help or not. At the range last week I noticed that I tended to rotate my wrists a slight bit to the left (counter -clockwise) leaning the sights left of level. I made the correction and my groups tighened. I only mention it because I really didn't notice it at first, and I'm sure it probably threw my shots a little left. I was also trying to pull the front down into the recoil as the shot was coming off, which threw the shot low and left. I relaxed and just let the thing fire and recoil, then dealt with the recoil as I staged for the next shot. At five yards, most of 28 shots were in the ten ring, my best group with the pistol.

Try lining up the sights and relaxing a bit and fire off a single shot, see where it goes. If it's in the ten ring, you were probably flinching of pulling the muzzle down before the bullet cleared previously. The difference in the feel was very apparent to me.