Need some pointers for basic shooting technique

[hks95134]

Absolutely positively right !!!

[RobertMW]

Apparently my right hand jerks whenever I pulled the trigger and thus messing up my shots.
I've been told about this since I first got my 1911 about a year ago.
I had no idea what it means so I just kept shooting 50 rounds every now and then and
somehow my group got better. (finally able to put most of my shots in 9 point ring @ 15 yard versus barely inside 7)

However, now that I'm starting to shoot ar15, I've noticed that my group has
gone down to crap again. (Can't even do a 50 yard zero at 25 yard)
This made me wonder if its the hand thing again.

So I guess what I'm trying to ask is
1) what do people mean by my hand jerking when pulling the trigger?
2) how do I fix it?

It is either: You are pulling the trigger too quickly and hard with your finger, which is making your whole hand close as well, pushing your gun over as the rest of your fingers continue to curl over. Or it is anticipation of recoil, in which case a person usually presses forward with their wrist, pushing the muzzle downward.

On the second point, just hearing a gunshot is enough to trigger it.

Much of the above are ways to alleviate the problem, but I think the most effective way is spending a little bit of money on a PRIVATE training course. A class course is only going to be about safety and procedures, not about how to fix your individual accuracy problem.

Second most effective is a LOT of dry fire practice. For every shot I fire, I will have pulled the trigger 2-3 times minimum. Professional competition shooters will have done so 10-20 times. Use the dry fire to perfect what you were told in your training.

Third most effective is spending time at the range NOT SHOOTING. Gunfire is very jarring, and if you started out with large bore handguns (or maybe even not) gunfire is attributed with recoil. If you are at a range just watching others shoot (bring some friends so you don't look like a creeper) you are getting the sound of gunfire without the recoil, like dry fire, you are experiencing part of the shooting without the recoil.

Hopefully you are getting a grasp of what is happening with you. Good luck.

[ct1222]

You guys are the best! was only hoping for a few pointers like the ones you get from master po but got slapped with the in depth knowledge instead

I'll definitely start doing dry firing drills and try the penny/dime/quarter trick.
Two follow up questions:

1) are snap caps necessary if im only dry firing?
2) Im currently living in SD near UCSD, can anyone recommend a half-day course that won't break the bank? (I'm a poor college student)

Again, thanks guys!

[ElDub1950]

Cost of a training course can save you double/tripple what you'd spend on wasted ammo training yourself while developing bad habits. I improved more in my first training course than I had been able to do during the first 6 months and ~ 4000 rounds.

All of the tops above are good, but doesn't hurt to search youtube for 'shooting basics' to get some pointers while you're waiting to your training class.

[CGT80]

Pretend that the trigger is an eye dropper. You want to press it just hard enough to get one drop out of it, not a squirt. Our 3 gun (LESA) match director is law enforcement and I think a firearms instructor as well. He was teaching this to a few shooters. It made a lot of sense.

I have used some triggers that were too stiff to dryfire without moving the gun. To me, that is an awful trigger. My mom's XD pistol was that way, but my brother's isn't too bad and mine wasn't all that bad when it was stock either. My AR 15 stock trigger was pretty rough.

Some of my guns have stock triggers which are not real light, but they are smooth enough to keep the gun steady as I dry fire. My Smith X frame revolver has a single action trigger that doesn't even feel like it moves when it goes off. You just have to touch it. It will teach you to carefully use the trigger.

My AR 15 trigger is a Geissele S3g. It is an amazing trigger if you ever want to upgrade to something that is easily dropped in and is light and fast. This trigger is just over 3 pounds and has a smooth pull. I have no idea when the trigger will break, but the travel is only an 1/8" or so to break the shot. When I am ready to fire I gently squeeze the trigger and it just happens. This isn't probably ideal for bench shooting, but it works very well for me. I shoot 3 gun and the trigger can be run very fast for close targets while moving or used for longer shots where you have to really aim.

You also have to be sure not to try and control the recoil. You can't stop it or compensate for it. When the round goes off, you let the gun do what it wants and then bring it back to proper sight alignment. I only control the gun to keep it steady and get a good trigger pull. When the recoil movement of the gun is just about done, I start to move it back into position. Pistols seem to have more movement and I notice the time it takes for the movement to slow down to where I am not fighting the recoil. On rifles, it seems like I immediately am realigning the gun. A newer shooter might think it all happens so fast that it is just a blur, but you will learn to see what is going on almost as if it is in slow motion.

When you get comfortable with what goes on with shooting, your brain will pick up on the details as if it is happening slower. I have been competing in timed events for about 5 years and I have noticed this, but I am nowhere near the level of the pros. They way they describe seeing what happens is pretty cool. Brian Enos is a pro shooter who has books on this. He has a forum for competitive shooters. There is some good info over there, even if you don't compete.

I have been shooting for 20 years and have used a 22 pistol and rifle a lot. I also push myself to take more challenging shots. What really helped me was doing pistol steel shooting competitions on a regular basis. You get positive, fast, and fun feedback from the targets. You need to know how to handle your gun safely and hit a reasonable target, but you don't even need to be a great shooter to do it. You will need to know how to use a holster or find a shooting group to teach you the basics as you go. It doesn't take long to learn what does and doesn't work when you have up to 30 targets for one course and various shooting positions. The shooters at the matches I have been to are more than willing to help out a new person. Some of the advice was great and some wasn't helpful, but I gave me new ideas to try our for my shooting. Also, watching others do it and then asking why or how they made their shots was helpful.

I don't use snap caps for dry fire. I just put all the ammo out of sight and go at it.

Classes would be good, but they can be expensive and the instruction and technique varies. If I had a lot of money to spend on classes, I would have. I found that shooting with the best shooters at the competitions was quite helpful and I could spend the money on the matches and my ammo. I might have progressed even faster with some good classes. It depends on what your goals are and how much time and money you have.

Pistol competitions are the easiest to try. The local matches where I live, are pretty laid back. It is a great way to see other guns and equipment as well. Some of the matches even have loaner equipment, or some shooters will help the new guys out with equipment. Even if you do classes, the matches are a fun way to practice your skills on something other than a single shooting position and single paper target.

As you shoot more, you will gain muscle memory. I can pull my pistol out of the holster with my eyes closed and point it at the target, then open my eyes. The sights will be right there. A slight adjustment will put me right where I want to be. The firearm will become an extension of your body and it will take less effort to align your sights with the target. I can point and shoot without looking at the sights when doing closer targets and I have taken up to 20 yard targets without really seeing the sights line up. I had one that I missed on a stage and I just quickly lined up the gun and got the shot. It is better to always see the sights (part of the Brian Enos training books/forum) but the point is that practice will make getting a good sight picture second nature.

I have put more than 30,000 rounds through my competition pistol. I have probably put 100k+ down range since I started shooting. Ammo isn't cheap, even though I do reload. Others are right about practicing good technique and dry firing. It could save you a lot of money on ammo and range fees to get to your desired skill level. I have been able to teach a few people to shoot who had little or no experience, and I have helped out a few fellow competitors. I was able to get those people going much faster than I did when I was at their level. I am not an instructor and haven't taken classes, other than one intro to pistol competitions class. I have had the same kind of coaching from shooters who are much better than me. Do some classes or find a mentor.

Good luck, OP.