Tips for controlling handgun recoil

[skyadrenaline]

When reviewing my targets, I usually find that the first three hits are good hits, then after that a good amount of my shots tend to stray towards the upper right of my target. Today at the range I noticed that after the first three shots, after I pull the trigger, the recoil motion of my handgun consists of my handgun rotating clockwise to 1 o clock and moving backwards while leaning right.

I also noticed that the gun isn't as steady for the first couple hits, and no matter how hard I try to keep the sights aligned on the bulls eye, squeeze slowly and hold the trigger at the back of the press - I just hit high and right on the last six or so bullets of my magazine.

So I shoot from a weaver stance, with isometric tension with my right hand pushing forward on the back of the grip, and my left hand pulling back on the gun, with my left elbow bent. (The way Front Sight taught me) .

Any ideas for fixing the clockwise rotation of the gun and the general landing of bullets in the upper right?

[FuzzyBrows]

might sound silly but work out your fore arm muscles.

[G-forceJunkie]

What gun(s)? Do you shoot with "high thumbs?" Is there any gap at all between the web of your hand and the beavertail area of the gun? (assuming we are not talking revolvers here.)

[i1800collect]

It sounds like you're anticipating the recoil.

The reason I say this is your first few shots probably go off as more of a surprise to you, not giving you time to anticipate the recoil. After a few shots you get into a "rhythm" and you're more able to gauge when the gun is going to fire. High and to the right for a righty generally means you're "heeling" the gun; you push on the grip with the heel of your hand in anticipation of the recoil resulting in the front sight rising to the right.

[tortoisethunder]

What type of handgun? Site picture and trigger control, what is your site picture? If you are right handed and shooting high and to the right you are "flinching".

How are you holding the gun? Hold it firm, but don't squeeze hard, hold it like a firm handshake. Get you hand high as possible on the grip, without exposing your hand to the slide recoil., this will limit your "rotation"...don't flinch...site picture...press...do the same thing everytime.

Aim small...miss small

Shoot 1,000 rounds in a day, get rid of that flinch.

[NSR500]

[Vacaville]

Sounds like you are already examining your grip and stance, which would be first on my list to look at.

Recoil is a product of power vs. gun weight. If you're shooting super light-weight guns, you might not be able to do much about it except get a new, heavier gun. Methods to try to reduce recoil include shooting lighter grain, less powerful ammo; getting new grips (like Hogue); or installing a compensator to add weight to the muzzle.

If you are experiencing problems with consistent grouping, it may be a flinch. For revolver users who are developing a flinch you want to try this. Load the cylinder with two bullets, skip a chamber, then load another round, and then skip the next two. Then give it a spin and try not to look at the back of the cylinder as you line up your sights. You don't want to know if you are firing a round or dropping the hammer on an empty chamber. You'll know if you have a flinch or not when you hit an empty chamber expecting a bullet to fire - believe me, it will be really obvious.

[Beelzy]

Practice, Practice, Practice......It's the Flinch, and practice is the only thing that will cure it.
Also, slow down and let the gun become an extension of your arm when shooting.

Dry Fire sessions are helpful as well.

[thefinger]

Try squeezing tightly (and I mean like borderline death-grip) with your support hand. This will allow you to relax your strong hand a bit and get nicer trigger pulls. Your follow up shots will be right on target qickly if you get used to this method. I never used to understand how guys got such accurate and quick doubletaps, but now I can pull off fast and accurate rapid fire easily. Use that support hand!

[gorenut]

If you say your first few shots are dead on, then I definitely think you're anticipating recoil. I am guilty of doing this too when I switch around calibers. If I shoot 9s all day, I'm fine. If I shoot 40s all day, I'm fine.. but if I shoot 9, then 40, then back to 9 in one session... I notice a drastic decline in performance when shooting the 9s again.

[Creampuff]

Buy some snap caps before you go to the range. Mix in a couple of snap caps and watch how you are anticipating the recoil.
You titled your post controlling recoil. Don't worry about controlling recoil, the bullet is out of the gun before you recoil. It's the anticipation of recoil that is getting you. Keep working with snap caps until you no longer anticipate the recoil, and just let it "surprise" you instead.

[Greg-Dawg]

When shooting at the range, you should be like a frozen statue where only your trigger finger is the only part that moves.

After your three shots, you've become "loosy goosey".

[Sinister_1]

use two hands, and dont hold it sideways...

[shy 7th]

For revolver users who are developing a flinch you want to try this. Load the cylinder with two bullets, skip a chamber, then load another round, and then skip the next two. Then give it a spin and try not to look at the back of the cylinder as you line up your sights. You don't want to know if you are firing a round or dropping the hammer on an empty chamber. You'll know if you have a flinch or not when you hit an empty chamber expecting a bullet to fire - believe me, it will be really obvious.

I did this. but instead of leaving the chambers empty, I used spent casings instead. This way, even if I was tempted to cheat and look at the back of the cylinder, they would look like like the live ones.

Buy some snap caps before you go to the range. Mix in a couple of snap caps and watch how you are anticipating the recoil.

This didn't work for me because they are a different color than the regular cartriges... I was able to see them in the back of my revolver's cylinder... However, I can see this method working well in automatics.

Edit: for automatics you should have somone else load you magazine with a random placement of a snap cap(s), obviously. Because if you do it yourself, you'll know where you placed it (them) in sequence, defeating the purpose of the exercise.

[stphnman20]