Trigger techniques?

TheStook · August 9, 2005, 12:11 AM

I have always read and heard that you should use the tip of your finger to pull a trigger.
I have always trained to put the trigger just before the first knuckle. A friend of mine shoots with the trigger between the first and second knuckle, and he is a great shot. I was practicing skills today by dry firing (still trying to find what works best for me) and i tried putting the trigger between by first and second knuckle. I had NO wiggle during pull. On the double action pull of my 686 and the pull on my sigma i was smoother with the trigger placed between my knuckles. So what is the reason for the tip?

Please tell me before i start practicing something i am going to regret later.

Standing Wolf · August 9, 2005, 12:22 AM

Realistically speaking, there is no best way for all shooters.

Most bullseye shooters of my acquaintance use the middle of the last knuckle rather than the tip—but "the middle" covers a lot of ground.

I've been shooting for years with the trigger about a third of the way from the tip to the knuckle, but am finding arthritis has forced me to move the trigger to about the middle of the pad. I know at least one fairly good bullseye shooter who angles his knuckle over the trigger.

One of the most frequently encountered problems is pull length not being suited to hand size. Small hands often do badly with long pulls, and conversely.

Old Fuff · August 9, 2005, 09:34 AM

The theory behind "shoot with the pad of the finger on the trigger" is that the trigger should be pulled straight back, not at an angle, and that you don't want any part of the finger pressing on the side of the frame. Otherwise you can push shots over to the left (for a right-handed person).

But in practice the theory doesn't always work well, especially with double-action shooting and/or pistols with a long reach to the trigger.

So while the theory is fine, experiment to find out what is right - for you, you're hand and whatever particular gun.

Island Beretta · August 9, 2005, 01:51 PM

the best placement is the one that will allow you to press the trigger straight back.. you also need to strengthen that last joint so that it doesn't attempt to recruit other muscle fibers for assistance when pressing that trigger.

I use elastic bands on the tip and practice moving the tip to and fro under the tension of the elastic bands to strength it, improve its flexibility and also my control and feel over the joint.

Dave Dembinski · August 9, 2005, 02:25 PM

I tried hard to do the finger-tip pull, but over time I found myself using the area between the first and second knuckles instead, more toward the first. I'm stronger there, and it works much better for me. Of course, it does depend which gun I'm shooting, too. On my Buckmark with its light, short pull, I can do the finger-tip pull easily, but that just doesn't fly on my 686 in double-action.

made2cut · August 9, 2005, 02:28 PM

When I started shooting I was contacting the trigger between the first and second knuckle which was causing me to pull the gun to the right at the end of the trigger pull. I was much more accurate and consistent after I started using the tip/middle of the first pad of my finger.

pauli · August 9, 2005, 02:41 PM

my p22 has taught me how to work a trigger with the pad of my finger. i still think this is unnatural and inferior to using the joint, but hey.

August 9, 2005, 12:11 AM	#1
TheStook Member Join Date: July 25, 2005 Posts: 34	Trigger techniques? I have always read and heard that you should use the tip of your finger to pull a trigger. I have always trained to put the trigger just before the first knuckle. A friend of mine shoots with the trigger between the first and second knuckle, and he is a great shot. I was practicing skills today by dry firing (still trying to find what works best for me) and i tried putting the trigger between by first and second knuckle. I had NO wiggle during pull. On the double action pull of my 686 and the pull on my sigma i was smoother with the trigger placed between my knuckles. So what is the reason for the tip? Please tell me before i start practicing something i am going to regret later.

August 9, 2005, 12:22 AM	#2
Standing Wolf Member Join Date: December 24, 2002 Location: Colorado Posts: 23,224	Realistically speaking, there is no best way for all shooters. Most bullseye shooters of my acquaintance use the middle of the last knuckle rather than the tip—but "the middle" covers a lot of ground. I've been shooting for years with the trigger about a third of the way from the tip to the knuckle, but am finding arthritis has forced me to move the trigger to about the middle of the pad. I know at least one fairly good bullseye shooter who angles his knuckle over the trigger. One of the most frequently encountered problems is pull length not being suited to hand size. Small hands often do badly with long pulls, and conversely. __________________ No tyrant should ever be allowed to die a natural death.

August 9, 2005, 02:25 PM	#5
Dave Dembinski Member Join Date: March 1, 2005 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 242	I tried hard to do the finger-tip pull, but over time I found myself using the area between the first and second knuckles instead, more toward the first. I'm stronger there, and it works much better for me. Of course, it does depend which gun I'm shooting, too. On my Buckmark with its light, short pull, I can do the finger-tip pull easily, but that just doesn't fly on my 686 in double-action. __________________ If you can steer between Scylla and Charybdis you may be a functioning human being. Nobody said it was easy. --tellner, THR http://pinkpistols.org/

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August 9, 2005, 09:34 AM	#3
Old Fuff Member Join Date: December 24, 2002 Location: Arizona Posts: 15,329	The theory behind "shoot with the pad of the finger on the trigger" is that the trigger should be pulled straight back, not at an angle, and that you don't want any part of the finger pressing on the side of the frame. Otherwise you can push shots over to the left (for a right-handed person). But in practice the theory doesn't always work well, especially with double-action shooting and/or pistols with a long reach to the trigger. So while the theory is fine, experiment to find out what is right - for you, you're hand and whatever particular gun.

August 9, 2005, 01:51 PM	#4
Island Beretta Member Join Date: January 6, 2003 Location: Up and About Posts: 655	the best placement is the one that will allow you to press the trigger straight back.. you also need to strengthen that last joint so that it doesn't attempt to recruit other muscle fibers for assistance when pressing that trigger. I use elastic bands on the tip and practice moving the tip to and fro under the tension of the elastic bands to strength it, improve its flexibility and also my control and feel over the joint.

August 9, 2005, 02:28 PM	#6
made2cut Member Join Date: May 12, 2005 Location: St. Louis Posts: 172	When I started shooting I was contacting the trigger between the first and second knuckle which was causing me to pull the gun to the right at the end of the trigger pull. I was much more accurate and consistent after I started using the tip/middle of the first pad of my finger.

August 9, 2005, 02:41 PM	#7
pauli Member Join Date: March 17, 2004 Location: herndon, va, usa Posts: 1,459	my p22 has taught me how to work a trigger with the pad of my finger. i still think this is unnatural and inferior to using the joint, but hey.