trigger finger and hold placement

[fisherman66]

I have always pulled the trigger with the joint between the finger pad and the middle philange(sp). What is the proper hold technique for both the hold hand and trigger finger?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The pad of the finger gives you a better, straight back pull. Ideally, the trigger finger should not touch the side of the gun, only the trigger itself, and the backstrap should lie in the palm, so the barrel is a extension of the forearm.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Vern Humphrey has nailed down the generally accepted best wisdom.

That said™, if hand and gun don't fit each other well, other approaches may be worth pursuing. I know an arthritic shooter whose only choice is the knuckle. There's often a world of difference between a single action pull and a double action pull.

I pull the trigger with the middle of the tip of my index finger, but am finding myself moving the point of contact back from the tip in the direction of the knuckle these days. It usually takes quite awhile longer than you'd think to find one's ideal method.

 

[fisherman66]

I find that I have more control and power (leverage I guess) if I pull from the joint, but I'd rather focus on having a technique that will serve me better in the long run in case my life depends on it. I think the GP grip is too large. A new grip may help solve my problem.

I think I have lots of dry fireing to go to set the new habit.

 

[MikeIsaj]

Finger tip is the generally accepted technique. It got that way because it is the best for control and accuracy. The trigger should not be pulled, it should be squeezed. If you knuckle the trigger and pull, you will literally pull the weapon to the right and you will see this in yourshot pattern. With the pad of your finger the motion will naturally be straight back.

Does the weapon "fit" your hand well. It sounds like the grip may be too big for your hand. You may be able to correct this with different grips or you may need to consider a better fitting gun.

I would go shooting with someone who can coach you on proper technique and work to find the best grip for you.

 

[RyanM]

I've practiced quite a bit with both, and it seems to me like it's the same as Weaver vs. Isosceles. Whatever works for you is what works for you.

Me, I'm equally proficient with either technique, but it's a lot faster for me to get a grip with the pad on the trigger, since my index fingers are freakishly short.