Shooting really poorly

Not without watching you shoot. But you might try some exercises.

Make sure your weapon is unloaded. Aim at a fixed spot. Pull the trigger until the hammer falls. When the hammer falls, notice where your sight picture is. That's where the bullet is landing.

If it's different guns, it sounds like you're flinching.

At the range, load a revolver with only 3 bullets, assuming a six shooter. Stagger the bullets. Then spin the cylinder and without looking at where the bullets are, close the cylinder. Then take careful aim and pull the trigger.

When the hammer falls on an empty chamber, again, notice where the sight picture is.

You need to practice the above until the sight picture is on the target, loaded or not.

there is a chart on one of the shooting pages, I can"t remember which, that divides up a circle, and tells you what you are dong wrong, based on where the hits are. I will look for it. the chart explains whet yo might be dioing wrong in grip, trigger pull, etc. based on where the pullet hits the target. Pretty cool.


Here it is:
http://www.sportshooter.com/improving/targetgallery.asp

Several different guns, multiple calibers.

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Does one of those include a .22? I was shooting low and left a lot until I picked up a .22. It did wonders for tightening up my groups.

You're either jerking or slapping the trigger or tightening your grip while pulling the trigger. Here is the targets that can help you correct what you're dooing.
Right handed:
http://www.reloadbench.com/pdf/files/TargetRightHanded.pdf
Left Handed:
http://www.reloadbench.com/pdf/files/TargetLeftHanded.pdf

Wait till you read that chart. Looks like you are slapping the trigger, a common problem.
http://www.sportshooter.com/improving/targetgallery.asp

It's a trigger control issue. You are anticipating the recoil and jerking the trigger, sending the shots low and left. It's a very common error for right handed shooters. (Lefties send the shots low and right).

The fix is easy. Do ALOT of dry-fire at home. Triple check to make sure the gun is unloaded and use a safe backstop. When you hold the pistol the only part of your trigger-finger that touches the gun should be the part of your finger that actually touches the trigger. Practice smoothly pulling the trigger straight back without moving any of part of the gun or disturbing the sight picture. Do some dry-fire every day or as often as you can. It's better to do 10 or 15 reps every day for 10 days then to try to do 100 reps in one day, for instance.

When you get to the range, do a few repititions of dry-fire to reinforce the correct technique before you load. Then do some live-fire, concentrating on maintaining a smooth, straight back, trigger pull. You should notice some improvement right away.

You'll also want to make sure you maintain good follow-through when you switch to live-fire. Focus on the front sight. Avoid the temptation to look for the bullet hole immediately after you fire. When you start doing that you'll keep dropping shots low as you'll actually start to lower the gun before the bullet has completely left the barrel. You won't realize that your doing it, but it is very common. (It's an especially common problem to fall into as your trying to fix the "low and left" problem as you'll be tempted to watch each shoot to see if you are still shooting low and left. Avoid the temptation))

Just pick a specific point on the target, place the front sight on that point, and pull the trigger smoothly. Watch the front sight as it moves with the recoil. DO NOT LOOK FOR THE BULLET HOLE. Just place the front sight on that exact same specific point and pull the trigger smootly again. When you've fired about 5 or 6 shots, then check your group. You aren't trying to hit that specific spot so much as just use it as a consistent aim point for each shot. Avoid the temptation to change your aim point after each shot. You're going for a tight group here, not trying to hit the "X" ring.

Try this and report back on how it worked. I bet it will solve your problem.

Would the amount of pressure he is using while holding the gun also effect this? Meaning, if he is squezzing to tightly.

It's a trigger control issue. You are anticipating the recoil and jerking the trigger, sending the shots low and left. It's a very common error for right handed shooters. (Lefties send the shots low and right).

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You spoke my mind! I couldn't agree more it sounds like a genuine trigger control issue.

Would the amount of pressure he is using while holding the gun also effect this? Meaning, if he is squezzing to tightly.

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How tight you hold the gun can affect your accuracy, but that is not his problem here.

Shots going "low and left" is *the* classic sign of a trigger control issue for a right handed shooter. If his shots were good for elevation, but were to the left of the bull, then I'd suspect he was pushing the gun a bit. But, the "low and left" shots is a classic indicator.

As Uncle Ted always says "Squeeze Your Whole Hand Not Just Your Trigger Finger."

As Uncle Ted always says "Squeeze Your Whole Hand Not Just Your Trigger Finger."

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Actually, no. For best results only your trigger finger should be pulled (not squeezed) straight back.

PinnedAndRecessed has some good suggestion. Dryfire a lot and surprise yourself with an empty chamber once in a while. Don't forget to use the lightest recoiling load you can find or make while learning to shoot straight, might help a little for to take the flinch out. Gook luck and don't get discouraged. Shooting accurately is a lot of fun. Chief aka Maxx Load

to get used to a new trigger i always throw on a lser device if applicable and dry fire the piss out of it until i get a good feel for it, that is a technique that i have been using for a while, for every rd that has been put through my handguns, it has been dry fired probally twice to three times as much as the actual rds fired.

also you can tape a small piece of paper on the wall, line up the sights and gently pull the trigger, and work on it until you have little movement and disruption of the sights. as you go get quicker with the trigger pull, farther away form the paper and use smaller pieces until you have the desired results.

the laser is my prefered method and really allows you to see what you are doing wrong and gives good feed back.

You are jerking the trigger is what it sounds like. Concentrate more on that front site and dry fire and concentrate on the front site and trigger squeeze.

Someone posted this when I had the same problem. My left arm was not positioned correctly when shooting and thus throwing my shots low and left or straight left.

http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Mark...-With-a-Pistol

What has worked for me...

If you are a righty, squeeze tightly w/ the left hand and almost none at all (initially) with the trigger hand. Let the trigger hand only worry about the trigger finger. This helps prevent sympathetic squeeze of your whole right hand when you pull the trigger which may be throwing your shots left.

Also, make sure you have enough pressure on your trigger hand's thumb - it opposes the trigger finger's movement. Make sure thumbs are forward and along frame to help counteract triggering yanking torquing.

Like I says - it REALLY worked for me YMMV

Dry Fire.

Dry Fire. Over and over again. You will be amazed how your shooting will improve.

Try this: dry fire with your eyes closed. Focus on feeling the trigger move to the rear very slowly. It should surprise you when the hammer falls. Do that about 10 times right before you fire. Then do that for the first four or five shots you fire (except with your eyes open), focus on the front sight and see what it does. You should be surprised when the shot breaks.

Make sure you are relaxed and not moving anything but your trigger finger when you press the trigger.

These may help too:
www.pistolmaster.com

I can't remember where I read this tip, but it's a good one. When dryfiring and even when firing, pretend that the front sight is attached to the trigger. When you squeeze the trigger, pretend that you are trying to "pull" the front sight back through the notch in the rear sight. This mental picture really helped me.

What are you shooting (caliber wise)? Sounds like you've developed a bit of a flinch. I would start shooting a 22lr wheelgun & work on some trigger control basics & proper sight alignment and you should be fine in short order.