Posted: 8/26/2006 1:52:48 PM EDT
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Well I finally went to the range and shot for the first time in 3 years or so. And I'm shooting low. Rented out a HK USP compact and the target was about 35-40ft away. First target was all low and bit to the right. I figure, I havent shot in a few years, ok. Next one, still way low and to the right. Progressivly it got better, but still was low and to the right. I did get 8 rounds all dead center, with about 50% of the rest within 3in of center. The rest i'd rather not talk about. So what I am doing wrong? Last time I shot I had a problem with shooting too high. Now its low. Am I gripping to low? Pulling trigger too hard? I'm thinking I'm tightening my grip harder when I pull but I'm not sure. Practice makes perfect I guess, Gotta shoot more often. Any insight from you more experianced than I would be appreciated. And if I can get my buddies camera I'll put the targets up so you can see where I'm hitting. |
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For starters, the sights on the handgun might be off. First thing to do with a new (or new to you) handgun is bench it and see if the bullet impacts match the sights. (By “bench it”, I mean shoot it from a table using sandbags or such to support it.) That said, when I throw low rounds with a properly sighted in handgun, it invariably is a result of a flinch (anticipation). It this is true in your case - dry firing, and ball and dummy drills should help correct the problem. Beware of gripping too hard. The rule of thumb that works for me is grip the handgun with about the pressure you’d use to hold a hammer when driving a nail. OTOH, gripping too lightly can cause malfunctions. |
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if you're consistently hitting low, and the sights aren't wonky, you're anticipating recoil and muzzle flip....you're subconciously pushing forward against the anticipated recoil. I end up doing the same thing after a few rounds from the .454. It takes me a few shots of 9mm or .45 ACP to recover and remember the basics. best way to determine if you're doing this is to have a buddy load a dummy round or 3 in your magazine so you don't know when it'll go 'bang' |
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for starters lets bring that target back to the minimum distance 5-7 yards (15-21 ft) hopefully. Do not move it out until you can group dead center. Shooting at 15-20 yards is nice if you're a target shooter. You did not choose a target gun. You chose a defensive pistol so lets keep the distance relative. Secondly are you right or left handed? If you're right handed and shooting to the right then you're probably gripping to hard with your left hand. If you were to hold your hands without a pistol in them and you tighten your left hand you will see what happens. If you're left handed and you're shooting to the right you have too much finger on your trigger. All you need is the first pad of your finger NOT your first knuckle. There should be a gap between the frame of your pistol and your trigger finger. 3rd and final. The low hits are anticipation. Novice shooters have this problem most of the time. Right before the gun is fired you give the muzzle a shove. You don't notice your actions due to the big explosion that takes place at the sametime. There are a few ways to help counter this. First start a mantra in your head while you shoot. Think about your stance,sights,grip,target breathing. As you repeat all of this over and over slowly bring the trigger back. Let the shot be a surprise to you. When you do not expect the shot you won't anticipate it. Another great method is randomly loading the magazine with snap caps. That way when one of the is chambered without your knowledge you will see exactly what you're doing. Treat each shot like it were a dummy round and you won't push the gun. Remember let it be a surprise. Shooting a pistol is not as easy as it looks. It takes practice and time. But with both one can master a pistol. Most of all do not let it frustrate you.Good luck. J |