How Do I Become A Better Shooter?
- Thread starter algerunc
- Start date
- Status
SCKimberFan
Member
Works for most everything.
Riss
Member
Must also stress that lots of practice CAN be good. But most of the time is not. Regular ractice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. Once you feel, when practicing, that all is going in the wrong direction it is time to move on to something else for a little while.
Zerodefect
member
Unless your practicing the wrong technique. Then you'll be real good at shooting bad.
I practiced the weaver stance for years, until I saw some competitions and noticed none of the good shooters useing it.
Thats when an old timer told me about todays combat stance: Both sholders square to the target, feet pointed in the direction I want to move (if I want to move), support hand rotated forward with its thumb pointing straight at the target as straight as can be.
I practiced the weaver stance for years, until I saw some competitions and noticed none of the good shooters useing it.
Thats when an old timer told me about todays combat stance: Both sholders square to the target, feet pointed in the direction I want to move (if I want to move), support hand rotated forward with its thumb pointing straight at the target as straight as can be.
I just stumbled on this page. Full of great articles by Ed Hall on pistol marksmanship:
http://www.starreloaders.com/edhall/articlesand.html
Some good reading there, even if you're not into formal bullseye competition.
http://www.starreloaders.com/edhall/articlesand.html
Some good reading there, even if you're not into formal bullseye competition.
And some good, professional instruction is always a good idea. There is really no good substitute for having a qualified instructor watch you and comment on what you're doing.
OldCavSoldier
Member
Snap caps et al
Get some A-Zoom snap caps and practice "dry firing" with them in the chamber. When you are tired of that, do it some more.
Then, go to the range and practice, practice, practice live firing....
...practice is the only way I know to improve one's ability....
Get some A-Zoom snap caps and practice "dry firing" with them in the chamber. When you are tired of that, do it some more.
Then, go to the range and practice, practice, practice live firing....
...practice is the only way I know to improve one's ability....
joe817
Member
I couldn't agree more OldCavSoldier! After being out of the shooting hobby for over 20 years, that's exactly what I've done, and my shot groups keep tightening whenever I go to the range.
The ratio I try to keep on dry cap firing vs. live firing is 4-1.
That and working on the grip, sight picture(I look at the front sight instead of the target when I squeeze a round off), trigger work and breathing. I haven't started working on the stance yet, which I need to.
The ratio I try to keep on dry cap firing vs. live firing is 4-1.
That and working on the grip, sight picture(I look at the front sight instead of the target when I squeeze a round off), trigger work and breathing. I haven't started working on the stance yet, which I need to.
BRASS
Breathe deeply so you can hold it without discomfort. This will help you to
Relax into a stable position. Check your natural point of aim.
Align your sights on target: check both alignment and placement. Hold your breath.
Steadily (or Slack)
Squeeze until the shot breaks. Follow-through and prepare for the next shot.
Breathe deeply so you can hold it without discomfort. This will help you to
Relax into a stable position. Check your natural point of aim.
Align your sights on target: check both alignment and placement. Hold your breath.
Steadily (or Slack)
Squeeze until the shot breaks. Follow-through and prepare for the next shot.
joe817
Member
After a session on the firing line, I wasn't pleased with the shot groups, so I asked the guy behind the counter what I was doing wrong. He pulled out a target like this:
http://alcotarget.com/osb/itemdetails.cfm?ID=129
Compare an actual target you have used to this one. You have to look carefully but you can see what you are doing wrong by the text on the target. And sure enough it was true. They make that target for both right handed and left handed shooters.
Google "improving handgun accuracy", and you'll get a bazillion hits. I've saved about 10 to my favorites and read them in my spare time(when I'm not reading here in my spare time, lol!) And I've put into practice many things I've learned from those sites. Practice, practice and practice....both live fire, and ESPECIALLY dry fire using snap caps. One of the articles I read for novice shooters is to practice dry firing 1,000 times before going to the range. I only lasted 300 dry fires. But it helped. I compared before and after and the difference was startling.
http://alcotarget.com/osb/itemdetails.cfm?ID=129
Compare an actual target you have used to this one. You have to look carefully but you can see what you are doing wrong by the text on the target. And sure enough it was true. They make that target for both right handed and left handed shooters.
Google "improving handgun accuracy", and you'll get a bazillion hits. I've saved about 10 to my favorites and read them in my spare time(when I'm not reading here in my spare time, lol!) And I've put into practice many things I've learned from those sites. Practice, practice and practice....both live fire, and ESPECIALLY dry fire using snap caps. One of the articles I read for novice shooters is to practice dry firing 1,000 times before going to the range. I only lasted 300 dry fires. But it helped. I compared before and after and the difference was startling.
Fred Fuller
Moderator Emeritus
http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/basictraining.asp - class descriptions and a class locator for the biggest network of trainers in the nation.
Practice is great, but you need to know what to practice. Training is a good way to learn what to practice. Practice helps you 'groove' what you learned in training.
lpl
Practice is great, but you need to know what to practice. Training is a good way to learn what to practice. Practice helps you 'groove' what you learned in training.
lpl
The only advice I can offer is don't buy a sigma...heh. That's what I bought first, and I can still do much better with less-spongy triggers (i.e. the XD, which I first started practicing with before buying my own). I've lightened it up but it still doesn't really "snap" like other guns. However, with more practice, I can be as good as a guy with a more expensive gun. The same goes for anyone - just practice and correct what you're doing wrong. There's a pistol correction target online (may have been posted in this topic already) that'll tell you what you're doing wrong based on where the shot hits.
Don't just dry fire at home, dry fire at the range too.
After shooting for a bit, stop and dry fire at the target to check for a flinch, and if you are flinching keep dry firing until you quit. You'd be surprised what habits the recoil is hiding.
I made a huge improvement by only loading the magazine with 3 rounds for a couple trips. I found that as a went "deeper" into a high capacity mag I lost concentration on the fundamentals. Having to reload the magazine forced me to take short but frequent breaks and regain focus.
If you carry, spend some time practicing with the gun in the method you carry it in. I believe in your case that means DA then SA shots. With a 1911 it means working with the manual safety. For reliability checks, top off the mag after loading the chamber since this puts more upwards pressure on the slide and its probably how you carry it.
After shooting for a bit, stop and dry fire at the target to check for a flinch, and if you are flinching keep dry firing until you quit. You'd be surprised what habits the recoil is hiding.
I made a huge improvement by only loading the magazine with 3 rounds for a couple trips. I found that as a went "deeper" into a high capacity mag I lost concentration on the fundamentals. Having to reload the magazine forced me to take short but frequent breaks and regain focus.
If you carry, spend some time practicing with the gun in the method you carry it in. I believe in your case that means DA then SA shots. With a 1911 it means working with the manual safety. For reliability checks, top off the mag after loading the chamber since this puts more upwards pressure on the slide and its probably how you carry it.
"I made a huge improvement by only loading the magazine with 3 rounds for a couple trips."
You said it exactly, MDPuckett. I still have yet to load more than 5 rounds. Not only do you conserve ammunition, but you are limited to the number of shots you have, so you try to get it right the first time and focus.
Personally, I like loading 1 or 2 in each mag and telling myself "alright, you've got one shot to hit this" or the same for 2 shots.
You said it exactly, MDPuckett. I still have yet to load more than 5 rounds. Not only do you conserve ammunition, but you are limited to the number of shots you have, so you try to get it right the first time and focus.
Personally, I like loading 1 or 2 in each mag and telling myself "alright, you've got one shot to hit this" or the same for 2 shots.
orionengnr
Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2005
- Messages
- 5,713
Well, I can only tell you what worked for me.
1. Get a .22 pistol. Mine is a Ruger MkII.
2. Shoot every week, at least 100 rounds.
3. Focus on the basics (already enumerated in prior posts).
And for me, probably most important:
4. Aim small, miss small. Ever since reading that, I've been using 3x5 index cards as targets. I stick a 1" orange dot in the middle, run it out to 15, 21, 25 feet, and concentrate on that little dot on that little card. I'm convinced that has improved my shooting more than anything else. I am nowhere near world class, but my improvement over the last year or two has been noteworthy. And it translates directly into my revolver and 1911 shooting.
1. Get a .22 pistol. Mine is a Ruger MkII.
2. Shoot every week, at least 100 rounds.
3. Focus on the basics (already enumerated in prior posts).
And for me, probably most important:
4. Aim small, miss small. Ever since reading that, I've been using 3x5 index cards as targets. I stick a 1" orange dot in the middle, run it out to 15, 21, 25 feet, and concentrate on that little dot on that little card. I'm convinced that has improved my shooting more than anything else. I am nowhere near world class, but my improvement over the last year or two has been noteworthy. And it translates directly into my revolver and 1911 shooting.
Confederate
Member
Handle the gun a lot. Like basketball players that have to take basketballs around with them from room to room, get to feel comfortable with what you're trying to master. Do a lot of aiming and dry firing.
The upside of this is that the gun will become second nature to you. The downside, of course, is that you may lose some of your respect for the gun and pick up bad habits. Still, it's possible to handle it safely as long as you obey the safety rules
Learn how to shoot with the front sight of the gun. One problem that many people make is that they lose the sight picture, or they think the picture has to be perfect. It doesn't at close ranges and the front sight will always take you to your target in close in shootings.
The upside of this is that the gun will become second nature to you. The downside, of course, is that you may lose some of your respect for the gun and pick up bad habits. Still, it's possible to handle it safely as long as you obey the safety rules
Learn how to shoot with the front sight of the gun. One problem that many people make is that they lose the sight picture, or they think the picture has to be perfect. It doesn't at close ranges and the front sight will always take you to your target in close in shootings.
- Status
