First range trip as a gun owner and questions

[cloudedice]

Quick background:
I've been to the range on an off for about three years now using either rented or borrowed guns. I've lived out of my home state during that time so I didn't have an opportunity to buy my own gun. Bought a Sig P299 in .40S&W a few weeks ago and was able take it to the range this weekend for the first time.

The Trip:
I only spent a half-hour at the range as I was kind of pressed for time, but I did get to shoot about 100-125 rounds. I don't feel like I was rushing anything and tried to take my time setting up and making sure everything was lined up.

The gun had a bit of a kick, but not as much as I was expecting. I'm more used to the P226 in 9mm than anything in .40S&W. The P229 is much easier to handle than my brother-in-law's Glock G27 that I'd been using the last couple of trips. I never felt that the Sig was going to come flying out of my hands; it was actually quite comfortable. The sights were a hard to see with tinted glasses (the SCT model has a Tritium/Fiber Optic front sight and SIGLITE Night Sights in the rear.)

I wasn't shooting anything that could be considered a group, though it certainly wasn't due to any flaw in the gun. In fact the one time I fired it before I was ready went about half and inch left of dead center: right where the sights had fallen. Based on this and the clear trend in the holes going down and left (RH shooter) I know I'm doing something wrong.

Question:
I was looking at this target and a little confused. What is the difference between "Tightening fingers" and "Tightening fingers while pulling trigger?"

I know lots and lots of dry fire practice will help with the trigger pull, but how do I correct the "tightening fingers?"

Any other advice?

Thanks,
Ice

 

[rocinante]

flinch maybe? How was your shooting with 9mm generally?

 

[longdayjake]

it could really be several things. You probably need a coach to teach you trigger pull and breathing techniques.

 

[cloudedice]

flinch maybe? How was your shooting with 9mm generally?

Could be. I noticed I was flinching a lot more than I should have been, but most of the time when I noticed a flinch I would stop and reset. 9mm was generally better but I seem to remember it being down and left as well.

it could really be several things. You probably need a coach to teach you trigger pull and breathing techniques.

I'm sure I do, but I just bought a new gun. No money for professional help, yet. It's on the list.

 

[longdayjake]

well, you don't always have to pay someone to teach you. Usually you can find people that know more than you at the range that you can bs with and they will offer their help. Thats the best part about being a gun owner is that we all seem to want to help eachother. Just be careful what kind of advice you take.

 

[chuwee81]

dry firing would be best if you're low on budget. I remembered reading here to put a pencil in the chamber and aim at a specific spot on a piece of paper that you hang/ stick on the wall. That way you can size up the groups, or notice if you're flinching and what not. FWIW i dry fired A LOT, not necessarily with this method, but just keeping an eye on the front sight and target (after making sure that there's no rd in the chamber)

 

[SWDoc]

I second the dry firing. Also, if you fired 100-125 rounds in 30 minutes, and had some setup time in there as well, you ARE rushing a bit, IMO. Do your dry fire exercises, find someone to watch your grip/trigger press (as was said before), and concentrate on getting the hits. Rest often. If you focus on fundamentals now, the rest will fall into place.

Perfect practice makes perfect has been said. Try to think of your practice one shot at a time.

Steve

 

[CountGlockula]

but how do I correct the "tightening fingers?"

Loosen them. Were you holding your gun with the "death grip"? You want to hold it, with your strong hand, as if you're holding a hammer. Where did you place your weak hand? Do you have enough support of the weak hand?

Tightening your fingers with the trigger finger is a big death grip indicator.

Save up for professional lessons, it's a great investment.

 

[cloudedice]

Also, if you fired 100-125 rounds in 30 minutes, and had some setup time in there as well, you ARE rushing a bit, IMO.

I was thinking about it on the ride home, after reading your comment, and I think you're right. Back when I was going to the range more frequently I was definitely shooting slower. There was usually a couple of mags of "fun" shooting without much setup or resting in between, but not at all unsafe. Then the slower, more serious, shooting for the rest of the hour.

Try to think of your practice one shot at a time.

Good advice. Will do.

Loosen them.

Thanks.

Were you holding your gun with the "death grip"?

I think so. I'm used to 9mm and the only other .40S&W I've shot always felt like it was going to fly out of my hand. (It was a subcompact and I have good sized hands) I think I have a tendency to grip pretty hard when I'm not sure how the gun is going to react.

Where did you place your weak hand?

My weak hand grips over my strong hand with my middle knuckles about in line with the trigger guard. My weak thumb folds over my strong thumb. It's the grip I've always used, and I think I read it on here or maybe a youtube video linked to from here.

Do you have enough support of the weak hand?

I think so.

 

[cavman]

I am a Bullseye shooter, so I shoot one handed, but could it be this?

I make a fist with my right hand and cover my right fingers with my left fingers in a "test" grip. I then place my left thumb over my right thumb behind the knuckle on the metacarpal as you indicate you also do in a "real" hold.

If you give a little squeeze with your left thumb does the right hand move to the left?

I usually see two handed shooters place their weak thumb under their shooting thumb so it does not touch the other hand and potentially interfere.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

Use snap caps or you can break your gun.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

What is the difference between "Tightening fingers" and "Tightening fingers while pulling trigger?"

This is tightening your remaining fingers on the grip while pulling the trigger. Put another way, you are squeezing the gun with your entire hand as you squeeze the trigger. This tends to push or pull the gun off target as the shot fires. You must learn to maintain steady - but not excessive - pressure with your gripping fingers and thumb, and let your trigger finger move independently.

 

[cavman]

The Lone Haranguer has explained it exactly!

Once the grip has been established, the only movement is the trigger finger itself.

In Bullseye, keep pressure on the trigger, and use it, with increasing pressure, to stabilize the sights as one brings the sights to target.

As the final "X" is approaching there should be very little left of trigger poundage remaining, then "pow". You will be hitting your spot every time.

The only movement should be the trigger finger. That is why the "ones in the know" always advocate dry firing. Knowing your trigger and its feel (meaning every feel as it moves and the exact moment it actually breaks) will make you a terrific shooter.

There should be no surprise shots. One, if the trigger is so familiar, will know when it breaks. Every shot will hit the "x". Don't worry, as you will get better with practice, and will be hitting the target every time.

In your fast firing style (it sounds like), 3" at 15 yards will become commonplace, (so "x's" are not really required)

By dry firing you will gain a number of skills; 1 is the trigger familiarity mentioned above to know when the trigger will break. A second dry firing exercise is to begin to speed up the trigger itself without causing movement of your sight alignment.
Speeding up this will be a good exercise for you shooting purposes. This dry fire exercise is "simply" trying to get your trigger finger (and trigger finger only!) to move to cause the hammer to break. The trick is to keep the sights on the target without moving!! Get this down and you will be there.

You don't need 200 rounds of ammo at the range for $50. Do this at a spot on the wall, or your favorite TV villain.

best,

Best of luck and keep shooting

 

[cloudedice]

I just wanted to thank everyone again for the suggestions and give an update.

I finally made it out to the range this weekend. I took even more time setting up for most of the shots, concentrated on breathing, focusing on making sure the site picture was right. Even with all the extra focus on doing everything right, I was still consistently shooting down and to the left.

I gave myself a few minutes to relax and decided I was going to re-evaluate my grip. After a few rounds of fiddling with different positions, I realized my biggest issue was the placement of my finger on the trigger.

Originally I was placing my finger as shown at the top of my crudely drawn mspaint rendering.(attached) This was causing me to push the gun to the left slightly as I squeezed my trigger finger. Once I corrected this by moving the trigger to touch the first knuckle, the holes started appearing much closer to where I wanted them.

I still have an problem with the holes being lower than I *think* I'm aiming, but I'm pretty sure that's because the top of my front sight is slightly lower than the top of my rear sights.