First time at range with new Sprinfield XD(m)9mm w/vid. How'd I do?

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Freezebyte

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Allright, at LONG last after weeks of waiting after getting my first handgun, the Springfield XD(m)9mm after Christmas and managing to snag some ammo before all paranoid people cleaned out my town, I got to shoot it. Went and got my temp membership to my local range, drove on out and filmed my first time ever with my gun.

I was really surprised how hard it was to hit a target even 25 yards away. Didn't help either that it was around 40 degrees and the ground was entirely ice. It felt like my shots went all over the place no matter how stifly I held the gun. Guess I need to practice more and get some training, but I had a blast!!! Definetily alot more fun then my .22 marlin rifle ever was! I was amazed at how fast I went through 100 rounds of Winchester white box 9mm lugers from Wal-Mart. I'll need to stock up when I get the chance.

Was cool to see the amount of damage these 9mm solid rounds did to the printer. My .22lr rifle sure couldn't do that. I"d imagine hollow points would do even more.

Any tips or suggestions on how I could improve my shooting would be appreciated! Can't wait to shoot more!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azbWgdwzQUA&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuALlbb1-B0&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD6ATyUvPXw
 
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Was cool to see the amount of damage these 9mm solid rounds did to the printer. My .22lr rifle sure couldn't do that. I"d imagine hollow points would do even more.
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Hollowpoints won't put any more of a hurting on a printer than your ball ammo did. Hollowpoints are made to work on soft tissue. For a comparison, shoot two full, capped milk jugs. One with ball, one with HP. See effects.
 
That was horrible, that was really, really bad.
I don't think you can be trusted w/ that gun you should send it to me immmediately :D

Go get you a whole mess of 9mm and shoot it up
 
I feel sorry for that poor little squirrel.

Lotta smart alecks on this board :rolleyes:
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A few. :D

Good job. It looks like you enjoy shooting the XD(M). Keep practicing, be safe, and have fun. :)
 
No advice? The other boards are tearing me apart in regards to everything I did wrong. :confused:
 
No advice? The other boards are tearing me apart in regards to everything I did wrong.
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Well I wasnt going to say anything but it did look like you were using a little too much finger on the trigger, and possibly slapping it. Did you put a lot low and left?
 
i posted a reply on your "continued shooting" video, user name ffoem. check for the todd jarrett video to improve your grip and stance a little. happy shooting!
 
try starting at a closer range if you can and then work your way back, especially since this is your first handgun, its like everyone else has stated practice more but do it smart and get familiar with different ranges.
 
Freezebyte, thanks for posting that.
You asked for feedback....

How far away were you, guessing 25 yards? That's too far when starting out, and actually too far for most.

First off, you might want to ask an experienced competent friend who is a good shot to sight in your Xd9, just to be sure the sights are 'on'. You could also shoot the gun with your hands on a soft but firm rest, from that concrete benchtop - make sure to deliberately squeeze the trigger in a smooth steady motion till the shot goes off.

This same friend/mentor could demonstrate and coach you in establishing a good steady grip and stance, so that you start off with solid fundamentals.

Suggest next time that you put up a big piece of (5'x5' or 4x4) cardboard stapled to the cross rails. Then add a proper bullseye target with a prominent centre to act as an aim point, stapled to the middle of the big cardboard. The big cardboard will show you where your misses are actually hitting. Set up your camera to record the impact pattern. Use beige masking tape to tape over your holes, between mags. Then post your video and we'll give you some feedback.

Start off close, say 5 yards and shoot a first target. Retrieve the target, and tape your hits on the cardboard, and staple a new bullseye. Then shoot this from 7 yards; do again from 10 yards, then 15, 20, 25 yards. All the while replacing the bullseye and noting the yardage on each target. This will give you a good record of where you are placing the bullets, and how your shooting accuracy varies with distance. 10 rounds per target would be plenty.

From watching your hands and face when you pull the trigger after slidelock (on an empty gun), I would say as someone else already did that you are shooting low, and probably left. Watch yourself and you will probably see the handgun get pulled off target when you pull that trigger. Are your earmuffs any good...it looks like you might be reacting to the muzzle blast.

Some folk practice 'dry-firing' an empty gun (no round chambered, no magazine in grip, all ammo put away) at home, aiming at a target pasted to a basement wall. You will have to pull the slide back a bit I guess to recock that Xd for each shot. So you concentrate on your stance, your grip, your sight picture, your trigger pull, and pay attention to the sight picture at the very moment the gun goes 'click'. Re-cock, and do a bunch of reps, every day between live fire range sessions. You should see an improvement within a week as you are building muscle memory and sight picture memory, and getting a real feel for the trigger -this is essential to good shooting.

All that you are doing now is perfectly normal - you just need to work on your grip, trigger pull, probably your stance, and maybe get higher NR rating muffs.

Remember to keep your targets (with the date, yardage noted on them) and over time you will be able to keep track of your progress.

Perhaps you could hook up with an IDPA or IPSC group nearby. Those guys and girls often know what they are doing, they welcome newcomers, and many are good at helping teach sound basics.

Your candor is refreshing, your attitude is awesome, and I am sure that with proper guidance you will become proficient. Continue having fun and let us know how it goes.
 
I do have one serious comment I noticed that when you first picked up the gun you were a little free W/ the muzzle you might want to work on that a little
 
Thanks for the input guys, hopefully this damn winter weather will clear more so I can practice more and not standing on a sheet of ice.
 
You just need to bring a bigger printer next time. :)

I'm pretty impressed, for a noob you had good control and seemed to be squeezing the trigger instead of pulling it. You were also shooting slightly high which is unusual for a new shooter. New shooters will generally flinch causing shots to go low-left. Your target should be just above the sights. Aiming dead center might explain the high shots.
 
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