Breaking bad habits

[enkindler]

So I recently joined a new private shooting range that has pneumatic reactive steel targets and I have noticed that with their limited timed exposure I am shooting low because I am tightening my grip when shooting. I don't have this problem with stationary targets even when trying to double tap or firing strings. I would love to correct the issue with lots of time on the steel but they require you to use frangible ammo so the cost is very high. So my question is, are there any good methods to use on paper targets that will help me break this habit?


Thanks,

enkindler

 

[Loosedhorse]

Wrong approach, I think!

Tightening the grip is GOOD. Feeling time pressure is EXACTLY what'll happen when you're looking at someone pointing a gun at you, so those shots represent where your REAL self-defense shots would end up.

So, practice time pressure and grip tightness on the paper, and adjust those sights to your new and proper zero!

(Be careful: could be it's not grip tightening, but rather trigger-jerking that's causing the low shots. The cure to prevent trigger jerking while under time pressure? Brother, I'll let you know when I find it, but I think it's got something to do with practicing a GENTLE trigger squeeze under pressure. About a million times, for starters.)

Good luck!

 

[Rob Pincus]

Enk,

I don't want to get into details about your issues without actually seeing you shoot, but I would warn you against specifically developing your technique for one specific shooting task..... If you're interest is defense shooting, you should not get overly focused on any one specific target/drill/scenario.

-RJP

 

[spwenger]

Either...

...you are shooting with too loose a grasp of the gun when you are shooting other targets or (and I suspect more likely) you are simply anticipating the shot when under the added time pressure of a target that only exposes itself for a moment.

Begging to differ with Rob Pincus, in a real-life threat, the "target" is not likely to be standing still, so I'd spend some time and sort this one out - so long as you don't do something foolish, such as compensating by aiming higher than where you intend to hit, I don't see how licking this problem will hurt your other shooting.

One thing you could try is grasping the gun as though it weighed 20 pounds. Try this in both modes of shooting and let us know the results.

 

[Rob Pincus]

SPW,

Begging to differ with Rob Pincus, in a real-life threat, the "target" is not likely to be standing still, so I'd spend some time and sort this one out - so long as you don't do something foolish, such as compensating by aiming higher than where you intend to hit, I don't see how licking this problem will hurt your other shooting.

I don't think we're differing in regard to whether or not he should get better at dealing with that drill... we both seem to agree that drastic measures, such as the foolish one you mentioned are NOT a great place to start, for example.

My point was that I can't pretend to be able to offer any assistance with the perceived problem without actually seeing what he is doing and trying to do... I think to do so would rely on assumptions for which I have no evidence....

It is important to remember, perhaps especially as a novice, that there is no "one magic drill" the mastering of which will somehow deliver comprehensive defensive shooting ability. The implication I got from the original post was that Enk had thought he had things figured out and is now confounded by one particularly piece of the puzzle.... in that case, one should not throw out everything else to accommodate this one issue. All shooting is a balance between speed & precision and there are many real word factors that effect that balance. Learning to recognize and deal with all of the ones that are plausible in the context of defensive shooting is important.

Enk, feel free to PM.

 

[enkindler]

Thank you for the advice everyone.

Thinking through it I think I know my problem, but we will have to see about it the next time I go. I was shooting low a lot less when I was holding a a low ready vs. dropping the gun down just enough to see the various poppers, I think I am just getting ahead of myself and pulling the trigger before I am fully on target. At low ready I spent more time aiming even though it took more time to get on target. I had one mag come from the factory with two followers in it, I am going to just grind off the part that engages the slide stop on empty to test the theory. I can't really use inert rounds at the range as you can't go forward from the line to retrieve them and I don't want to break my tap/rack habits.

Thanks,

Enkindler

 

[stork]

If I'm understanding your description correctly,(and its hard to diagnose without being there) you are reacting to the appearance of the target by increasing your grip pressure and creating a dipping motion on the target

I would work on maintaining a tight grip on your weapon. I think it was Bill Blankenship who said in the Pistol Shooters Treasury, grip the weapon until your hand begins to tremble and then loosen up just slightly.

Also spend some time just practicing your dry firing (with an empty weapon of course) against a white background (IE: wall). Pay considerable attention to how your front sight reacts when the hammer drops. If it's diving or twisting to either side, try repositioning your trigger finger until the front sight doesn't move upon firing. Then pay close attention to where this is so next time you can start close to this position. This position is NOT constant. Your correct position will vary depending on temperature and other factors. I try to get in at least 50-100 dry fires every day when I can't get to the range.

When I'm shooting a match I move my finger around on the trigger until the dot/front sight doesn't move when I apply pressure (this is done with the slide back and no magazine in). Then I know when I break the shot, it's not going to dive anywhere because of incorrect finger position.


FWIW

Stork