I'm a horrible handgun shooter

[the_fallguy]

my reasoning behind not doing the locked elbows, is would you jump off a small flight of stairs and lock your knees? your trying to absorb recoil gently as opposed to with alot of force...

and the reason i dont cup and saucer it is the more grip surface you cover the more control of you have over the firearm.. not to mention if you have your elbow bent and aimed up it gives the gun a pivot point...

if you push your elbows out horizontally and then extend to almost full extension but not lock your elbows you will find alot better recoil managment!

I completely agree. That pretty much sums up the book "Surgical Speed Shooting" by Andy Stanford (which is another good resource for improving your handgun shooting ability).

 

[eatont9999]

Find a guy who shoots well or a handgun instructor and ask him what you are doing wrong. Most people are happy to help. Keep practicing with the .22 and larger calibers. Try a .32 and see if you can master that.

 

[blackcash88]

I firmly believe that if you're good enough with a rifle, you'll never have to use a pistol.

Uh, yeah, riiiight... Even in Montana, you're going to get some strange looks with a rifle slung over your shoulder everywhere you go.

What about confined spaces? You really think you can effectively use a rifle in your car/truck against a close in threat?

What if the rifle malfunctions? You wouldn't have a "need" for a side arm?

You really going to carry a rifle around town (or when you go into town) when a pistol is the smarter choice?

Ever go to the movies or out to eat? What are you going to do with your rifle then? I've been to Montana many times when I lived in Idaho and never saw anyone "slinging" a rifle, much less having one propped up at their table at a restaurant, carried in a mall, etc.

Even if you live in the middle of nowhere, what about over penetration? Got any other family members behind walls?

You highly need to rethink your statement/philosophy. You think you're a cowboy or something? Even if you're a hermit that never leaves the "ranch", here's a clue. Even THOSE guys back then carried hand guns as well because there is ALWAYS a real need for them.

 

[jaholder1971]

Find a Bullseye club in your area. Find the guy in charge and tell him your trouble and you need an instructor and a mentor.

I mean Bullseye, not IDPA, CAS or IPSC. You need help hitting the target, one shot at a time, period.

IMHO you need something we simply cannot provide: One on one instruction and immediate feedback while you're shooting.

 

[Gunsby_Blazen]

I may have a similar problem....

I cant shoot my 1911 worth crap! Well... I am slightly decent but out past 25 yards it gets REALLY BAD. And ammo costs too much for me to practice as much as I would like.
Personally, I think i am going to move down to .22 and buy myself a Ruger Mark III to practice with.

Now, after reading this, would it be bad to practice with a .22 in order to hone handgun shooting in general? I would like to get better with every gun I shoot...

Anyway, does practicing with a lower cal make you a better shot with the higher caliber guns???

 

[Madmark]

IHMSA shooters are a tremendous resource when it comes to shooting handguns accurately. Handguns in silhouette competition compete at 25-50-75-100 yards, and the big bore ranges are 50-100-150-200 meters. Factory guns compete against factory guns, scoped against scoped, modified against modified. I have been involved in IHMSA for 3 years, and have never met people so eager to share information and techniques. Heck, they will share their ammo and guns as well! To call it a competition isn't accurate, but saying you are going to a cooperation dosn't sound right!! I warn you, the sport is addictive, and there is nothing quite like shooting steel. PM me your location if you like, and I can put you in contact with someone near you to help you out.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I didn't read all 3 pages so I'm sorry if this is a repeat...

With a handgun trigger control is the name of the game. When I first shot a J frame revolver I couldn't hit the paper from 10 yards out. The solution, Snap Caps! Practice your trigger control with snap caps. Fire that handgun as much as you need to to teach yourself not to move, pull, push or anything else you could be doing wrong.

Dry firing with snap caps will make you a much better shot, I'm sure of it...

Good luck, have fun and don't give up.

 

[WNTFW]

Sorry I didn't read every post. I also didn't see any specifics on what is going wrong.

I'd recommend a bump drill. If you can shoot a .22 well you should be able to migrate to a larger caliber.