I tried my 1st hand guns today... I wow sucked.

[Big Daddy Grim]

Nobodys great there first time no matter what they say takes practice just like anything. I prefer to start my first time shooters with somthing smaller than a .40 but just keep going you will get better.

 

[Hawaiian]

Don't feel alone and don't give up. I remember my first time out after I bought my first handgun, a Glock 19. I shot at the target and did not hit anywhere on it. I wondered where the hell did the bullets go? It takes time and practice, lots of practice. But at least it is fun to practice.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I remember that feeling. It was about 30 to 35 years ago when I first started.

I said to myself that the guy next to me did not have that problem so I asked for help and he was generous enough to give some basic advice.

Even today I keep learning.

The key thing is to practice what you do poorly until you do it right and well. Get good instruction, practice often and shoot a lot.

 

[XD9WBT]

I call BS on this post.

Who brought the guns you or the NRA instructor? If you brought them how did you get them. That's a lot of guns to just have all of a sudden. I don't think anyone would rent that many to a single person.

If you have shot pheasant, deer, and bear then you know how to line up sights and how to squeeze a trigger.

I think the only thing you missed is telling he truth.

 

[ryanisjimdandy]

Who brought the guns you or the NRA instructor? If you brought them how did you get them. That's a lot of guns to just have all of a sudden. I don't think anyone would rent that many to a single person.

I suppose he could have rented them one at a time. That's how I do it.

If you have shot pheasant, deer, and bear then you know how to line up sights and how to squeeze a trigger.

Hitting a target with a shotgun or a rifle is a bit different than hitting a target with a pistol. With a shotgun or rifle you have a longer sight radius, a shoulder stock and a forward grip to hold onto. Not to mention that a shotgun and rifle may have a shorter, lighter trigger pull depending on the action they use.

 

[the-ghost]

sounds like you don't have enough grip pressure on the left side...

 

[HippieMagic]

I call BS on this post.

Who brought the guns you or the NRA instructor? If you brought them how did you get them. That's a lot of guns to just have all of a sudden. I don't think anyone would rent that many to a single person.

If you have shot pheasant, deer, and bear then you know how to line up sights and how to squeeze a trigger.

I think the only thing you missed is telling he truth.

If you think that I have to call BS on you ever firing a handgun. A rifle is a LOT easier to shoot because it is literally an extension of your body... Kinda hard to hold it wrong and definitely hard to aim wrong considering it BECOMES your arm. Try holding a rifle out, not against your arm, and firing using iron sights and hit the bullseye... its more than likely not going to happen. The case of a shotgun... well if you can't hit something with a shotgun you probably aren't facing it lol.

Handguns are hard as hell to shoot at first and .40s are HORRIBLE to pick up and shoot because they tend to be snappy as hell. The handguns he chose were also polyguns if I remember right which tend to show recoil a little more in my experience. The XD my friend had in 40 was his first handgun and he had the same issue as this shooter so I definitely believe the claims.

 

[warnerwh]

I'm sure you noticed how much the site moves. To make it more steady apply opposing pressure with both hands both sideways and forward backward. This will help steady the site. Just a moderate amount of pressure, not a lot. Only be squeezing as the sights are aligned and hold when they're not. Quite often the gun will go off and it will be a surprise to you. Don't try to anticipate when the gun is going to go off. Squeeze and hold. Anybody who says they can hold a handgun steady is lying and is more than likely not very good with a handgun.

Hold the gun with the same pressure everytime. If this varies it will affect the direction and amount of recoil affecting the accuracy.

I'll go with a .22 is an excellent way to practice. Until you learn how to squeeze the trigger, site picture and form you can't really get good. A .22 is a very mild round and will not take your attention off of what you're supposed to be concentrating on.

One thing I noticed is that women seem to pick up what they need to do rather quickly. Men tend to want to think they already have some skill or something, seems like they don't want to listen as carefully. I can have a woman keep every shot on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper at 21ft every shot after about an hour, two tops.

 

[Ed Ames]

I hate to say this (repetitive), but: GO, NOW, AND GET A 22LR!!! Pistol, revolver, it doesn't matter.

You are looking at $500 guns that are expensive to shoot. For the money it will take to get good with that XD ($500 for the gun+maybe $600-$1200 in ammo, total $1100-$1700) you can get a 22LR pistol ($300, + $100 for enough ammo to get good with), AND the $500 pistol + $200 for enough ammo to make sure it works properly . End result is you'll be a better shot, you'll have two guns so you and your SO can both shoot together, and the .22 will work in better than nothing in a fight -- important if you have to send the centerfire pistol in for repairs.

I'd recommend a .22 pistol and a heavily used .38 revolver before a single glock or XD... though if your budget allows it the XD/CZ level guns are great so long as you also have a .22.

 

[ironvic]

Handguns do take practice to get good with. I sucked first time out, too. Concentrate on the front sight, dry fire practice and don't forget the safety rules. Fundamentals still count.

 

[Sylvan-Forge]

BKP,

Don't give up, bro.
Start with a .22LR, master it, then move into centerfire cartridges.

.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I like to rotate between guns at the range. Changes in weapon characteristics tend to point out handling flaws while allowing rest time from the more punishing rounds.

 

[Shimitup]

Ditto, ditto, the .22, I learned with a Ruger semiauto 35 or so years ago. One thing no one has mentioned is that your gun needs a clean break on the trigger. A seasoned shooter hates, but can manage a creepy trigger. It's terribly frustrating to learn with such. Jim Clark Sr. was once describing to my uncle that a good trigger should be akin to snapping a glass rod. It was he (Clark} that did the trigger job on my Ruger, the best investment I ever made on that gun. My order of business on a shot; inhale partial exhale and hold, sight picture (focused on the front) trigger release. Practice a lot, don't practice in a hurry, analyze what you're doing. You will be able to call your shots some day, that is you won't need to see the holes in the target to know where they are.

Good luck, Keep at it.

 

[wanderinwalker]

Get a good .22LR to start with. Just about any Ruger, Browning, old Colt, High Standard, etc, will shoot better than most of us shooters. Most should be capable of shooting into 1-2" at 25 yards with some kind of .22 ammo the like.

There is a trick though: The .22 pistol is HARDER to shoot really well than the center fire. It has to do with barrel dwell time. That little .22LR bullet is fairly slow, and many .22 handguns have loooong barrels. (Not my preference, but they seem most common in my neck of the woods.) The more time the bullet spends in the barrel, the more time there is for the shooter to give up on the shot and ruin it. You need to focus on follow through and pause a moment longer than you think.

Don't get frustrated. Handguns are harder to shoot than the movies make it look and most people think. Small errors at the gun = big errors on target. Rifles and shotguns are infinitely easier to hit with.

Just remember the basics: Sight alignment, breath control, trigger squeeze and follow through. Focus on the front sight, SQUEEZE the trigger and keep the sight on target. And don't anticipate the trigger break and recoil. Dry-fire practice when you can. It'll come; it just takes time and rounds downrange.

 

[MrBorland]

There is a trick though: The .22 pistol is HARDER to shoot really well than the center fire. It has to do with barrel dwell time. That little .22LR bullet is fairly slow,

"Slow" is relative, I guess. A standard .22LR round travels around 1,000 fps; that's faster than the centerfire target rounds I'd usually shoot.

The difference could also be a bit of an illusion: My .38 wadcutter groups often look tighter, but it's because of the larger holes. When actually measured c-t-c, though, the .22lr groups are no worse.

I agree with everything else, though: Practice the fundamentals, and don't give up.

 

[Redhawk1]

There is a trick though: The .22 pistol is HARDER to shoot really well than the center fire. It has to do with barrel dwell time. That little .22LR bullet is fairly slow, and many .22 handguns have loooong barrels.

What??? The 22 L/R is on par with most smaller centerfire handgun rounds. I am talking velocity. The amount of time your are talking is milliseconds of time here. Not enough to make a difference.

 

[wanderinwalker]

The major problems I see with most shooters are 1) giving up on the shot (lack of follow through) and 2) jerking the trigger.

Milliseconds can make a difference. The lock time on a single action revolver is SLOOOOOWWW compared to a striker fired semi-auto. This is where follow-through plays it's role. Watch the front sight, squeeze the trigger and STAY ON THE SIGHTS!! If you anticipate the break and hammer-fall, and the sights aren't quite where you wanted them, you give up and make a really, really bad shot when the trigger trips. If you hang in there, it's just wherever the front sight was to start with.

It sounds silly, but put say, a Ruger Single Six and a Mk II on target side-by-side, and you'll see the difference between paying attention and just getting by. I've proven it to myself enough times, jumping back and forth between the two at the range. Good group, quickly, with the semi-auto; so-so group with the revolver. Pay attention, and there's little difference between the two.

Edited: I know the Ruger semi-autos aren't striker fired.

 

[Davionmaximus]

I am a great shotgunner... That being said when I first took up handguns I shot w/ both eyes open. Low and to the right. Make sure you only use one eye...

 

[wishn4more]

Single Action!!!

Maybe I didn't read your list right, but I thought they were all DA... How about a single action, like a Browning High Power. Smooth, easy. The flaws will be with your aim (technique) and not so much the DA trigger pull.

 

[modwerdna]

My first attempt with pistols was just like yours. It was the mandatory live firing training for the ny pistol permit process. I sucked ! Now I regularly hit soda cans at 70 yards, keep at it, its an art, you have to develop chest mussels and mussel control. Flinching as anticipating the recoil is your denizen, It's every ones. Next time try a revolver and load only 3 live ones, and 3 empties, and spin the cylinder before you close it not looking so you won't know when it will go bang. Just squeeze them off and be surprised when they go bang, thats the principle to how you should shoot all the time just squeezing till it goes bang and surprised it went off, kinda.

 

[AKElroy]

everything was well to the left of the target. 10 O'clock seemed my preference.. The trigger seemed decently held in the 1st knuckle of my finger. The whole box shot and nothing to the right of the X.
I hope I don't give-up, but driving away I'm thinkin' " Well, that is that".

Assuming you are right handed, you may be knuckling down close to your 2nd finger joint (especially if you have big hands). This causes the base of your finger to put pressure on the top of the grip frame at the end of your stroke, pushing your shots left. Focus on using the pad of the index finger, no lower than the first joint.

 

[HD Fboy]

I started handgunning 40 years ago. Ruger Single Six 22 is what I suggest. This gun is single action, will shoot 22 shorts, LR and magnums. Get the 6 inch barrel. You can hunt squirrels with it. It is as safe a Single action as they make. Very reliable. I have shot many snakes with mine. It has been fired in my back yard to kill a snake. this gun promotes good practices. Dry fire it, dry fire your 40. Downside it is a PITA to clean. I hate cleaning 22 revolvers. This was my first handgun, followed by a .357.

 

[BKP]

Great replies thanks.
I am Left eye Dominate and Right handed.
For rifle/shotguns/bows, I've use my non-dominate right eye all my life.
This Instructor did have me switch to my dominate left eye. I agreed because I knew I needed to try it, and I could see the sight better/cleaner.
The guys mentioning the grip. Might be something there. I'll try a more solid left hand...
BS? ...Yes they rented that many guns to me and I could have kept going as long as I wanted

 

[AK-47Ghost]

It only get's better from here!!!

 

[BCRider]

The major problems I see with most shooters are 1) giving up on the shot (lack of follow through) and 2) jerking the trigger.

There's no doubt that my own groupings got tighter and more consistent when I learned to follow through or "just keep pulling the trigger back after the bang". And shooting with the .22 really was an aid to developing that style.

However I don't think there's much chance of the .22 bullet staying in the barrel of my two .22 pistols for any longer than my 9mm does. I'm shooting high velocity, high power rounds in my own .22's to get a bit more kick to liven them up. Both pistols are the same length as your average semi and the bullets are rated at speeds over 1000 fps. That matches the 9mm stuff and easily beats the plodding ol' .45ACP from my 1911. Maybe this dwell time you speak of becomes a factor on something with a buntline style barrel but for the average .22 I can't see this being an issue. Heck, there's only a few .22 bullets that advertise as being subsonic. Only those couple of underachievers are a match for the .38Spl and the .45 ACP.

Wanderin', I find it interesting that you seem to be saying that there's less lost "time" with a semi than with a revolver. If I'm misinterpreting then I apoligise but it seems like this is what you're saying to me.

Why I find it interesting is that by far my best and most consistent groups when shooting a new, to me, gun are with revolvers. Specifically really NICE feeling S&W's. With care and concentration on the right style I can match them with my CZ semi but for me I find that shooting some of the .38Spl's from at least 3 S&W's I've tried was almost crazy simple to get really nice groupings.

Of course this is certainly a case of YMMV. But I'm pretty sure I'm a revolver sort of guy.