a couple novice questions about handgun accuracy

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idek

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I own several handguns (mostly 22lr) but I've never received any formal training, and I'm not a particularly good shot with them.

I could probably ask dozen questions, but I'll start with two.

1) I don't shoot my handguns real often (a few times a month maybe) and not in high volumes--maybe 50 rounds of .22. Less for my centerfire handguns. When I do shoot, it seems that my first 5 shots or so group reasonably well, and it gets worse after that. This is the opposite of my rifle shooting, where my first shots may be more spread out and tighten up as I go. Is this a known issue for other people? If so, what causes it and what could I do to correct it?

2) I've heard different recommendations about where to place the finger on the trigger. Some say place the pad of the finger on the face of the trigger. Others say place the crease of the joint on the face of the trigger. Is it just personal preference? Does one way have advantages over the other?
 
Some direct answers to your questions. Don't get too bogged down here. At the end of the post I'll address the most likely issue.

As you tire, it's normal for groups to open up. Pistols are not nearly as supported as rifles are and holding them out in front of you without much support gets tiring pretty fast. Also, recoil and muzzleblast can result in shooter fatigue and flinching which will cause groups to open up.

Place your finger on the trigger in a position that allows you to pull the trigger straight back into the gun and then release it without causing the gun to move. You don't want the muzzle to move to either side during the trigger pull or dip, or move upwards. It needs to stay still as you pull the trigger.

If your finger is too far through the trigger, there will be a tendency for the muzzle to pull toward your strong hand side when the trigger is operated.
If your finger is not far enough through the triggerguard, there will be a tendency for the muzzle to push away from your strong hand side when the trigger is operated.

Most people will do better shooting with the trigger making contact with the trigger finger somewhere on the last joint. Maybe the tip, maybe the pad, maybe the crease at the last joint. Some of it has to do with hand size (finger length) and strength. Shooters with longer fingers may find it more comfortable to put their finger through the triggerguard farther and use the crease of the last joint. Shooters with shorter fingers may find that they can't get their finger through the triggerguard far enough to get the trigger on the crease. Lower hand strength will make it harder to shoot effectively with just the tip of the finger or the pad, especially if the trigger is heavier.

Ok, enough with all that.

Most new pistol shooters don't achieve the accuracy they want to because of anticipation/flinching. All the technique issues that I discussed above are pretty much moot if the eyes close and the gun is pulled off target by a flinch just before the shot breaks.

If you aren't seeing the gun move in recoil, seeing the sights silhouetted by the muzzle flash (when shooting at an indoor range with practice ammo--in bright sunlight or when shooting premium ammo you may not see muzzle flash) and watching them come back down on target when the muzzle comes back down from recoil, the odds are very good that you're flinching/anticipating.

Flinching is very normal. Your brain is wired to protect itself, your face and eyes. Loud noises, flashes and things jumping around violently right out in front of your face are guaranteed to put your brain into self-protection mode. It's going to try to get your hand to move the object away from it. It's going to try to make your eyes close. You're going to have to fight those reflexes and it won't be easy.

The hardest part can be proving to yourself that you are flinching. Your brain is pretty good at hiding the fact that it's fighting you in order to protect itself and other things it considers to be important to it's survival.
 
That is all great advice. Shooting a handgun is challenging. You need shoulder strength, hand strength, and most importantly trigger time. Please consider dry firing each day (I say it but I am guilty of not doing it enough)...although dry firing rimfire handguns is not optimal. If you build strength and learn to pull the finger straight back you will be in better shape. Then, time on the range will help you with flinch. A .22 is such a great handgun for practice, learning, and fun. Enjoy the ride! Oh, and try to focus on the front sight.
 
Wear good eye protection. Both eyes open. Don’t blink. Roll through the trigger break. If you know where the trigger breaks too well, you will probably flinch just before the break and not even know it.(new shooters) Pull the trigger smooth and steady all the way to the rear. Dry fire is great but won’t stop a flinch during live fire.
 
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I am not an expert, but I have learned a great deal over decades of shooting. Still, all I can relate I’d unowned experiences. I am right handed so the direction of pull on the barrel axis will be reverse if you are left handed. I was shown this in the Corps over 50 years ago, but I can duplicate it today. I was shooting to the right with the M1911. My trainer observed me shoot for one mag load. He told me I was nor properly in the trigger, and that I should shoot thee shots as follows: 1) crease at first digit on trigger center, 2) pad near the tip of the finger centered on trigger, 3) trigger centered a point midway between te tip and the crease.

Results were telling. On the crease resulted in pulling right. On the pad tip resulted in pulling left. The first digit pad centered on the trigger no pull in either direction. My groups got tighter.

Deterioration in group size as you shoot mote likely means you are loosening your grip unconsciously. That can be to lack of attention to weakness of the hand. Both can be remedied easily. First concentrate. Also get a hand exerciser that you squeeze and strengthen the muscle in your hand. I have some arthritis in my hands. My Doc is a shooter, so he understood its affect on accuracy. He told me to buy a hand exercise devise (45 at Walmart), and use it several times a day increasing reps as hand gets strengthened. Three weeks later all the gripping issues were gone. You have to do regularly to maintain the strength.
 
idek said:
1) I don't shoot my handguns real often (a few times a month maybe) and not in high volumes--maybe 50 rounds of .22. Less for my centerfire handguns. When I do shoot, it seems that my first 5 shots or so group reasonably well, and it gets worse after that. This is the opposite of my rifle shooting, where my first shots may be more spread out and tighten up as I go. Is this a known issue for other people? If so, what causes it and what could I do to correct it?
Click to expand...
A few times a month? You're already way ahead. Keep it up.

Your first shots are fresh, focused, and with minimal anticipation; this is your best work. I have been able to slowly extend my best work by:
-slow down, really slow, and "front sight, (slow) press".
-slow enough that the bang is a surprise.
-alternate offhand and rested on a bag. This will focus you on the sights, and reaffirm that technique -> results.
-did I mention slow? Slow builds competence, competence allows speed. Jerry Miculek spends more equivalent mental time lining up each shot them you do. . . but he's so competent at it that the elapsed time spent is <0.20 seconds/shot.
 
I'll give just one bit of simple advice, trigger control is #1. Flinching affects trigger control. I don't shoot with both eyes open, I don't stand exactly how instructors recommend, I may not breathe like you or take the same sight picture as someone else- honestly those things help some but you must control the trigger if you want accuracy .
 
Good points made in here. JohnKSa’s post is a great summary.

Dry fire helps a lot but trigger time helps stop flinch.
 
I'm just starting to get the hang of pistol shooting, after many years. I was (and still do) moving the pistol, ever so slightly, right before trigger release. Almost seems like a natural tendency, to move the sights slightly off-target, right at the moment you fire. I finally caught myself doing it. Double action is more difficult, it's easier to stay on target, at least for me, in single action.

Re-read JohnKSa's post.
 
entropy said:
Do not dry fire .22 rimfires.
Click to expand...
In general yes, but it is gun specific.
We should clarify in case the OP is unaware.

Since rim fire ammo has a chemical primer that is activated by crushing the edge of the rim, the firing pin in most rim fire handguns is oriented in a way that dry firing with nothing in the chamber can cause the pin to strike the edge of the chamber or cylinder. This can damage the firing pin.

Spent cases or dry wall anchors can be used to avoid this. Dummy rounds are available also.

However my SP101 in 22 had the firing pin oriented that it could not come in contact with the cylinder. One could dry fire it all day and do no harm.

So read your manual.
 
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My question would be for the OP, how is your hand/arm/wrist strength and how are you shooting your handguns? One handed, two handed or from a rest? If from a rest, as JohnKSa stated, it's probably flinching. If shooting freehand, it could be fatigue. Holding a handgun out from your body, even for short amounts of time can be a strain, even more so if it's one handed, especially if one does not do it often. It also could be from improper stance. When attempting to accurately shoot a handgun, no matter how good your sight alignment, breath control and other skills are, if your stance doesn't provide you with a stable shooting platform, you’re destined to be inconsistent with your shot placement.
 
How far are you shooting and how are you shooting? Gun rested? Elbows rested? Unsupported? One handed? 3 yards? 5 yards? 7 yards? 10 yards? 25 yards?
 
I also don't consider myself as a good shot by my standards. Largely due to older eyes but I have my best success by shooting a few 22lr and then whatever center fire I am shooting. When accuracy starts to suffer then I go back to 22lr for a few shots (this to help flinching). Then I sit down for a couple minutes and while resting really try to concentrate on what I need to do for my next round of center fire visualizing myself sighting the target and pulling the trigger before continuing . I may do this several times per range session.
 
If you are able, start with a long arm to get yourself "settled in."
Then move to the handguns.
A lot of that will be due to something related to above, that you'll be "relaxed." There's a distinct "comfort zone" for best shooting. Not too strong nor too loose a grip. It's middling natural to be a trace excited because you are able to go shoot (this stuff is supposed to be fun, after all). And, you kind of need to "settle down" from that excitement.

And, this has several levels, too. You live as you train and as you train, so will you live. If you associate shooting with "relaxation" (or calmness, deliberation, zanshin, whatever) you will tend to bring that to all of your shooting.

Which actually helps if/when you get to "stress added" instruction/competition. If you have that core composure "practiced" in, it allows you to better handle stressors.
 
Thanks for the insights and suggestions. A couple people asked about my shooting.

I shoot two-handed from a standing position without any kind of rest/support. I've experimented with weaver vs. isosceles stances. I tend to be a little more consistent with isosceles, but whether I was really doing the weaver stance correctly, I don't know. I live on the boundary of a national forest. My shooting is very informal--against a natural berm in the yard.I typically shoot from more than 10 yards away... sometimes as much as 25 yards depending on the gun and size of the target. I may have overestimated the amount of shooting I do in the OP. It was fairly accurate for this time of year but is less in the winter. As for hand/arm/shoulder strength, I'm healthy and reasonably fit (no arthritis or previous injuries to deal with), but a he-man I am not. I have a hand-strengthening device like some people mentioned, and I should use it more.

.22 pistols I own I own include:
Ruger MkIII (which I believe is among the rimfire pistols that ARE okay to dry-fire).
Beretta 21A Bobcat
Heritage Rough Rider

I also have a S&W 66 and recently got a Beretta PX4.

I suspect I do flinch when shooting. I know I'm more sensitive to noise than most people and often double up plugs and muffs when shooting. I'll try some of the suggestions people have made regarding dry-fire practice, finger placement, and general focus on sights and trigger control.
 
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Not near as experienced as most contributors but your never going to get consistency on trigger without consistency on grip.
 
My reccomendation is to start closer. 5 to 7 yards. Focus on stance/grip/trigger/sight/follow-through every shot. When your groups are tight, back up to 10 yards, and start the process again. It'll take some time and ammo, but don't rush it and you'll be shooting nice groups at 25 yards with the Mkiii. Then you can start the whole process over with the 66 as you master the double action pull on a revolver.
 
Have some one load your gun. Tell them to put a couple of empty cases in. As you are firing you will not know when you are on an empty. This will help ease anticipation and when you drop on an empty you will start noticing things you might be doing. Do this till all you anticipation goes away and every drop of the hammer feels the same whether it fires or snaps.
Relax. Breath steady. Raise the pistol up to point of aim and don't linger. Hold the pistol to a fit that feels natural for your hand size. Find the point on your trigger finger that affords a straight back squeeze. Get a memory for it so that no matter from where you grasp it that posture is automatic. Don't tense up your arm it will just tire faster. Fire a cylinder full and take your time getting to the next.
Once you get the smooth consistency practice some point and shoot. This will help you understand what positioning of you and the pistol fits for good alignment to a target. Once that is figured then your aiming will get faster because your point and shoot posture will get you closer to targeting from the start.
 
Pad of finger on trigger, definitely not joint of finger.
I keep the front sight in clear focus, target fuzzy, focus on front sight.
Keep aiming until after the bullet hits, follow through.
Wrist rigid, not flexible, strong wrist.
Dry fire a few times at target, the trigger should not be subsequently heavier when the gun has ammo in it.
Do not stand square to target both arms outstretched elbows locked out, slightly leaned back, no, no, no.
 
If there is an NRA Basic Pistol class available in your area (ours cancelled due to Covid 19), taking it will help you with the fundamentals described by other posters.
 
Thanks for the continued input. I plan to try some of the suggestions later today.

Quick question about dry-firing my centerfire handguns. I already have snap caps for my S&W 66. I don't have any yet for my PX4 (9mm). Is it okay to dry-fire hundreds of times without snap caps, or should I get some?
 
If you have benches at your target range then shoot off a bench while seated and use a padded rest under your pistol. Shoot single action and concentrate on your sight picture so that when the pistol goes off it's a surprise. Make sure you have a bottle of water and in between groups take a sip of two and just relax. You should see your groups tighten up considerably. Over a period of time you'll see that your pistol is much more accurate than you thought. You'll also understand that your poor accuracy in shooting off hand was a result of tired arms as others have already commented on.
 
idek said:
Thanks for the continued input. I plan to try some of the suggestions later today.

Quick question about dry-firing my centerfire handguns. I already have snap caps for my S&W 66. I don't have any yet for my PX4 (9mm). Is it okay to dry-fire hundreds of times without snap caps, or should I get some?
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I would get caps or use an empty.
 
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