Handgun shooting tips for beginners?

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Samuraigg

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Hey folks, I just got into handgun shooting and I was looking for any tips you could all offer or websites I could look at. As it stands now I probably couldn't hit *anything* I shoot at.

I guess a downside I have is that for the time being, I am learning on a .45 sig p220, not the best caliber for beginners; but for the time being I can't buy anything else.

A second question I had is.. how do I know what kind of trigger pull my gun has; and should I have it adjusted. If so, where at? Also, would I be able to take it anywhere to check that the sights are properly aligned?

I already know one thing I'm going to try, I am going to go to the range with a friend and have them load some magazines with one live round, and others with snap caps. Then I'll load them without knowing which is which and fire, at least I can test to see if I'm flinching when I fire.

Thanks!
 
Sigs have a pretty good stock trigger. Most target shooting will be in single actions, with the hammer cocked. First shot DA should be practiced a couple of times at a close range target for self defense situations.

You can read the Army Pistol Marksmanship Manual and other good information at bullseyepistol.com/. This link http://www.bullseyepistol.com/training.htm has invaluable information on error correction

While the information is orientated to one handed shooting as required in the sport of Bullseye pistol shooting the basic techniques of trigger, breathing control and site alignment is still the same if you use 2 hands. Like Coach used to say, "Its called a hand gun not a hands gun."
 
I'm in the same boat and still consider myself very new at this. I went to the public library and checked out several books that were helpful. The think what has helped the most is observing others at the range and getting their input. I have found most avid shooters love to share their expertise!:D
 
I'm in the same boat and still consider myself very new at this. I went to the public library and checked out several books that were helpful. The think what has helped the most is observing others at the range and getting their input. I have found most avid shooters love to share their expertise!
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Wow, great idea with going to the library, hadn't thought of that!

A quick check shows that mine actually has a VHS on general pistol use, including marksmanship. I'll check it out on Monday.

Also, thanks for the links Steve C.
 
I guess a downside I have is that for the time being, I am learning on a .45 sig p220, not the best caliber for beginners; but for the time being I can't buy anything else.
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I also learned on a .45...if nothing else it makes shooting other calibers easy. Unfortunately bad habits are hard to break.

A second question I had is.. how do I know what kind of trigger pull my gun has; and should I have it adjusted. If so, where at? Also, would I be able to take it anywhere to check that the sights are properly aligned?
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I would not worry about adjusting anything mechanical on the gun unless there is a serious issue. If you mean weight, you can check that with a fish scale if you have one - make sure the gun is unloaded! They make special scales as well to measure trigger pull.

First I would have a friend that is a decent shot test out the gun if you seriously think that the sites are WAY off. Are you even on paper? How far away are you shooting? What sort of group size are you getting?

Snap caps are good. Dry firing is good. Dry firing while at the range in between live fire is fine, do it all the time.
 
I also learned on a .45...if nothing else it makes shooting other calibers easy. Unfortunately bad habits are hard to break.
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Cool, glad to hear someone else has done it too.

I would not worry about adjusting anything mechanical on the gun unless there is a serious issue. If you mean weight, you can check that with a fish scale if you have one - make sure the gun is unloaded! They make special scales as well to measure trigger pull.
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Yeah I think the trigger is just fine. I just wanted to make sure. When I practice pulling the trigger with snap caps, the trigger gives a bit of leeway until it stops. Put a tad more force on it and it breaks and the hammer drops.

First I would have a friend that is a decent shot test out the gun if you seriously think that the sites are WAY off. Are you even on paper? How far away are you shooting? What sort of group size are you getting?
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I don't even get on the paper.. and this is at the closest range possible at my pistol range. I don't quite know how far away the target is in yards, but its not far at all. So I assume its a complete lack of skill on my part, but I still worry the sights might be off.

I don't have any friends that shoot that could really go along with me to the range. If I see someone else pistol shooting next time I go to the range, I might just ask them to fire a few shots and see what they think about the sights.

In the meantime I am going to keep practice with snap caps and read up on the links I have been given here.
 
When I practice pulling the trigger with snap caps, the trigger gives a bit of leeway until it stops. Put a tad more force on it and it breaks and the hammer drops.
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I do not own a P220, but that is pretty much exactly what it is like shooting both my Glock and my Walther P22. Much like driving a manual transmission you need to find the point where resistance goes from easy to hard. This is where you will do you shooting. Come to think of it my Mossberg 500 is also that way.

My guess is 7 yards.

Is there an indoor range where you can shoot at 3 yards? I was AWFUL when I first started shooting. I was fortunate in that I had a friend that was also just starting and we had access to a LOT of property. So we set up at 3 yards and blasted away trying to make a small ragged hole, then moved back to 5, 7, 10, 15, etc.

Does the range offer any beginner classes?

When dry firing do you have a purpose? I always like to dry fire at a target so I can watch if my front sight moves.

Make sure you have a good grip, a lot of problems start right there.

I bet if you ask someone they will be happy to help. I know I always like to shoot someone else's gun and ammo :)

Best of luck!
 
I suggest you try to find someone to teach you. I found a trainer by hanging out on forums. I went to gun forums specific to my home state.

Here is an alternative suggestion: Go check out one of the competitions for IDPA http://www.idpa.com/clublist.asp?state=IL That is a link to the ones in your state.

I showed up at one and asked to just watch. While there I met a lot of great people and got some good advice.
 
Here is the advice I give anyone who wants to learn to shoot and who ask me-

Buy a .22lr pistol. The amount of money you will save shooting .22lr instead of .45 will pay for the gun. I also tell people to get a .22 revolver, like a Taurus Tracker, and learn to shoot double action but thats where most people stop listening to me. The way I figure if you can shoot a double action revolver well you can shoot anything well and if that revolvers a .22lr you can shoot that it all day long if you want.
 
The one thing you must do in shooting handguns is learn to pick-up the front sight. Keep your eye on the front sight. This will leave the rear sight and target some what out of focus. Try bringing the gun down on the target. This works better than bring the gun up on the target.
Now we are talking target shooting here. This is different than shooting Center Mass as in combat shooting. The point is you must learn to target shoot before you can be become a good combat shooter. The .22 of your choice is a good place to start. You can shoot many more targets with the .22. If you can learn the art of one hand bulls eye shooting it will make you a better handgunner. When you go to the 2 handed shooting, you will already know about control of your weapon. Learn how to hold and how much finger you need on the trigger. For instance a right handed shooter with too much finger on the trigger tends to shoot right etc. You will learn you can only hold the gun steady so long maybe only 5 to 7 seconds with out starting to shake. Know these things about your self. Excuse the rants of an old combat Inst.:)
 
I agree with the above recommendations to get a .22LR. Or an airpistol (you can practice at home, if legal). If you're practicing a lot, it'll pay for itself in short order.

As far as learning on a DA revolver, I love revolvers, and agree if you can master a DA trigger, any SA ought to be a piece of cake. However, developing a good DA trigger pull takes lots of practice, so if you're trying to learn basic marksmanship, it might be easier and less discouraging to use a semi-auto at first. A .22LR semi-auto will therefore let you focus on sight picture and trigger control easier and cheaper, without developing a flinch in the process (which would be a very hard habit to break). IMHO, trick with a semi-auto is to slow-down! It's much too easy to fire off a bunch of rounds without thinking about sight picture & trigger control on each and every shot. It may be one of the advantages to a revolver. Learning the "spray & pray" method of shooting as a beginner is definitely another bad habit, and yes, it's very difficult to unlearn bad habits!

Also good advice to focus on the front sight. A small misalignment between the front & rear sights will lead to big inaccuracy, and you keep the sights aligned best by focusing on the front sight. And once you begin shooting a string of shots keep your eye crisply focused on the front sight. Even during the recoil. Taking your eye off the front sight, even momentarily (or lowering the gun and/or re-adjusting your grip between shots), to look at the target to see where you're hitting will kill your accuracy. Just aim, align the sights, mentally decide you will focus everything you've got on the front sight for the next several rounds, release your breath, then, with a slow controlled trigger pull, bang...bang...bang...bang...bang...bang. Then repeat this several thousand times. :D
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys.. if I am able to buy a .22lr pistol, any recommendations for me as to what to buy? I know I would rather not buy another pistol, but I do believe that I would save money in the long run with how cheap .22 ammo is.
 
Are 22 conversion kits available for the 220? Better yet, a used one? ...and may a good beginner's course
 
Ruger Mark III or Browning Buckmark.

You can get those and about 5 bricks of bulk ammo for around $300.

I have a P22, and it is okay, but required some TLC to get it running like a top. The Ruger or the Browning should run fine right out of the box.
 
I know I would rather not buy another pistol, but I do believe that I would save money in the long run with how cheap .22 ammo is.
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Yup. If you only go to the range once week and shoot 100 rounds of .45acp, you'll spend approximately $26/week on ammo. If you go buy a .22, and shoot 250 rounds of .22 and 50 rounds of .45acp, you'll spend just under $20. In a year, that difference will pay for the .22 pistol, and you've have practiced three times as much! Shoot the .22 exclusively, and it'll pay for itself in under 6 months. IMO, it's a no-brainer.
 
The Ruger is a good choice, and you'll find they aren't just for beginners.
I take my Browning Buckmark out every trip to start and end with. I also get it out every time I get a little off on one of the bigger guns. Every time I shoot it I think it's my favorite, until I pick up another favorite...

On the target problem:

If you're not hitting the paper, it sounds like it could be a pretty big flinch, dipping the muzzle, etc. The snap caps should help. You might also have a problem with which eye is dominant? Are you shooting with both eyes open? Do you know whick is your dominant eye? That could be a part of the problem as well.

Couple of things to think about:

Can you take a basic pistol course in your area?
Can you find a shooting instructor in your area?

There's some good tips on safety, stance, etc on this website: http://www.corneredcat.com/TOC.aspx

Good luck
 
The Neos is a fine pistol but don't get the 7.5' barrel. Also its grip is a bit on the small side, which is great if you have small hands and not so great if you have big ones.
 
Before you develop bad habits

Most ranges have an instructor available or have names of several who conduct basic classes. Others have given you good instruction and provided the same suggestion but I would strongly suggest - attend a class or two and get some instruction before you have to unlearn some bad habits!

Towns of any size normally have gunshops were you can learn about an upcoming class - often taught by NRA certified instructors and cover the basics with visuals and range time. Price is usually very modest or even free.

John
Charlotte, NC
 
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