help needed

[serkerone]

soooo i finally admit to being a pretty bad shot with my springfield XD9, at 10 yard i barely make it on the paper, at 25 id be lucky to get a couple on paper... when i aim i line up both dots and then i put the top dot on top of what i want to shoot but no success. what am i doing wrong?

[RobT2K]

Try some "ball and dummy" drills while at the range. That will show if you're flinching or jerking when firing.
Ball and dummy drill

That site has some other great training info, the dry firing drills are very effective also.

[456-SGT]

A bit more info is needed. Where are you hitting on paper? Low left, high right, etc. Another thing might be your eye dominance. While shooting with either eye can be accomplished, using your dominant eye to develop accurate shooting is a must. For example, I am left eye dominant, but a right handed shooter. For the longest time, I used my right eye. It was hard to train myself to use my left, but once I did, my shooting drastically became much more accurate.

Just some thoughts. Post a bit more info and people can likely help you out.

[serkerone]

A bit more info is needed. Where are you hitting on paper? Low left, high right, etc. Another thing might be your eye dominance. While shooting with either eye can be accomplished, using your dominant eye to develop accurate shooting is a must. For example, I am left eye dominant, but a right handed shooter. For the longest time, I used my right eye. It was hard to train myself to use my left, but once I did, my shooting drastically became much more accurate.

Just some thoughts. Post a bit more info and people can likely help you out.

well its hard to tell lot of the time my shots dont even land on the paper either im shooting too low or high, theres times where theyre lot like when i aim at the center at 25 and then i try to adjust by aiming higher and putting the dot on the center of the target, i have snap caps and i use those to practice with, i shoot the p220 better then my xd tho. iv tried different methods on pulling the trigger like with the tip or at the joint and it feels like its smoother when i pull it from the joint.
the type of sights i have are the trijicon sraight 8 sights and i have a 4 inch barrel

[JTROKS]

Do you wear glasses? Can you honestly say your eyesight is good enough to line up iron sights on target? I'm thinking taking it slow and shooting at closer range.

[PorkLover]

start off at the 7 yard line.....when aiming at your target put your front sight on your target and "it" front sight should be blurry.......also, along with the ball and dummy drill, I would recommend doing the "penny" drill while practicing at home to develop a smooth trigger pull......the penny drill is when you put a penny on your front sight and you slowly pull your trigger w/o the penny falling off........obviously make sure your gun is unloaded.....I practic this in front of a mirror so I can watch and see if I am pulling or jerking..........good luck!

[serkerone]

thanks for the quick responses, yes i do wear glasses and i do practice the penny drill

i tried shooting at lets say about 5 yards feet i can hit my target but as i start to pull back and gradually move back i lose consistancy in my shots

[Bronco]

I would suggest starting with the target 10 to 12 feet away and then incorporating all the suggestions the members here have already given you. At 10 feet, with a little concentration and practice, you should soon be able to cover 10 shots with your hand. Only then should you begin to slowly and gradually move the target back. At this point, you need feedback as to where your shots are going more than anything else. Running the target all the way back and then trying to guess where the bullets are missing does you no good at all.

Other than that, it's about focusing on the basics of good marksmanship. Determine which eye is your dominant one, get a solid, easily repeatable two handed grip on the pistol, center the top of the front sight post evenly between - and at the same height as - the rear sight posts, keep the front sight post in clearest focus - allowing the rear sight post and target to be slightly blurry- place the top of the front sight post either just below, or directly in the center of, the intended target spot, make sure the intended target spot is large enough to be easily visible, and then slowly and smoothly increase pressure on the trigger every time your sight picture is properly aligned until the pistol surprises you by going off. Don't worry initially if your shots aren't hitting right at the bullseye. You first just need to get your group size reduced significantly. Then, once all your shots are hitting in the same place, we can recommend ways to get the rounds closer to the bull.

[Greg-Dawg]

Start at 3 yards and work your way back...ultimately, take a basic handgun class.

[Bronco]

...take a basic handgun class.

Another excellent piece of advice.

[dgey]

shoot at short distances until your can hit the target consistantly by memory... then back the target back 2 yards at a time and continue to do the same thing. You'll get better and start hitting what you're aiming at. every gun shoots differently... even my various 1911 have different POI. I've found my best gun and the one I shoot best with and stick with that. In an emergency it the go to gun... It's a Kimber CDP II 1911 btw...

[ojisan]

Just a suggestion...the "shot" is not over when the trigger is pulled, the shot is over when the bullet leaves the muzzle, a brief moment later.
If you relax your hand / grip / arms when the trigger is pulled / hammer released, the shot will go stray.
Shoot slow and practice this:
Follow-through on every shot...maintain the same grip / arm position / muscle tension...the only thing that should move is your trigger finger...keep the sights aligned on target as long as you can until the recoil itself moves the sights away from the target.
It's easy! (NOT!)
A few thousand repetitions and it will get easier.

[hkdad]

Just a suggestion...the "shot" is not over when the trigger is pulled, the shot is over when the bullet leaves the muzzle, a brief moment later.
If you relax your hand / grip / arms when the trigger is pulled / hammer released, the shot will go stray.
Shoot slow and practice this:
Follow-through on every shot...maintain the same grip / arm position / muscle tension...the only thing that should move is your trigger finger...keep the sights aligned on target as long as you can until the recoil itself moves the sights away from the target.
It's easy! (NOT!)
A few thousand repetitions and it will get easier.

very good advice... in short PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!

[HK Dave]

Find a used copy of "Duck Hunt".

[pro defensive greg]

you could always carry pepper spray.