Competition shooting, and accuracy help

[protective measures]

By far the very best tools to use to improve trigger press & accuracy with pistols are dummy rounds.

Years ago when I was considering opening up my school I asked some older Instructors who had been teaching for years what the number one problem was with shooters hitting their target w/ a pistol. Without hesitation the response was simply, "Trigger control".

Some old-timers will simply point their index finger up in the air & simulate pressing a trigger while keeping their other fingers still.

Dummy rounds mixed in w/ live rounds are the single best training aid available to allow the shooter (& an Instructor or training partner) to evaluate their trigger control. I call them, "An Instructor in a bag".

Virtually every problem related to improper trigger control can be identified, evaluated, & usually corrected (or at least improved) during shooting exercises while using them.
Dry-fire is great to a point but if the shooter knows the gun is not going to go "bang" then the reflex to flinch, jerk, milk, etc. is unlikely to be there.
All of the top shooters from my school who have went on to compete (many quite successfully) in matches use them whenever their hits start drifting away from the bull.

They are not made for .22's as far as I know but are available for most centerfire pistols.
They are NOT the same as snapcaps as they are intended for two different applications though snapcaps could be used sparingly in that role they are more fragile & expensive.

Finding a good Instructor to help you build a solid foundation of the fundamentals needed is a good idea... especially before you start getting any "range scars".
Ask any tennis or golf Instructor & they will tell you that the "self-taught" guys are some of the hardest to teach because they first have a lot to unlearn.

Learn how to shoot properly the right way from the beginning so that your practice will be "perfect" as opposed to reinforcing bad/im proper technique.

 

[protective measures]

Freedom makes a good point, I'd listen. If you can see 7 yards start there. I seem to remember reading something many years ago that said something like 90% of self defense shooting (outside the military) happens at 7 yards or less.

Though there are no absolutes the most commonly quoted distance for civilian S.D. shootings is 0'-7'.

 

[insulinboy]

They do make dummy rounds for .22 for dry fire (I have one that came with the sig, I thought it was a nice touch. Manual even tells you to use it for dry fire practice) I still need to get a few for the .380

 

[brad sweet]

I'm not quite sure if this was the right forum but it seemed like a good fit. I also apologize in advance for the long winded post you're about to read. Grammar and spelling are not high points of mine so I will also do my best to make it as painless as possible for those with higher reading/writing aptitudes than I.


Recently I bought my first house (January 2nd 2014) and am Finally starting to get financially stable (though I still have my issues) so I have started rebuilding a firearms collection (I lost my old collection in a flood years ago at my parents house where all my firearms were stored) 10 years ago when my vision allowed me to I could hit about a 2" target at 100+ yards open sights with my Nagant 91/30 (god I miss that rifle). Now my vision sucks a lot more (poor diabetes control) and I cant see a small target that far anymore but I'm still a good shot as far as I can see with a rifle, I've also always been very good with a bow (of course I haven't shot a bow in at least 7 years). I grew up in NY so I never handled a pistol til I moved to Georgia about 8 years ago, Hell I was flabbergasted that you were allowed to walk out with a gun and bullets in the same purchase on the same day you decided to make the purchase. I got my carry permit (for two reasons, one I co-owned and ran a small cash only shop and felt better at night with a pistol under the register, and the other to make purchasing a gun at a gun show easier) and have slowly been trying out different pistols to see my liking.

However, I am clearly doing something wrong and I'm not sure what it is. I could never hit the broad side of a barn from inside it with a shotgun, and I'm almost as good with a handgun apparently. I've tried several pistols in many calibers. A high point 9mm was my first (it was cheap, lay off. I wasn't going to turn down $100 gun for my first pistol) and I couldn't hit crap with it (I attributed it to it being cheap) then I got a CZ72 in .32.. holy crap that is a ****ty round. I did like the weapon however. Then I got a RIA 1911 .45 because I always wanted one.. and I was almost as good with it as I was the High Point, I came across some Llama .380 that was a much smaller 1911 that I loved, and I could hit within what I considered to be a reasonable grouping with it (in other words at least I always hit the paper at 25 yards). I ended up selling it and being without for a while after my shop closed and I didn't need a weapon anymore, and I needed the money more. I hate that, I loved that gun and want another one.

Anyway fast forward to now. I have a Sig Sauer mosquito and a Walther PK380 (I like the round, hate how expensive it is) and I'm still only as good as well, I can hit the paper at least at 25 or so yards (the limit of my vision open sights anymore to see the bullseye in the paper) I love both guns, and I am sadly a much better shot with the .380 still. But my friend can consistently hit the bullseye with my pistol and put shots on top of shots and I just cant. I'm sure its something I'm doing wrong but I cant figure out what. I'm using a proper grip on the weapon, pulling the trigger with the tip of my index finger, I just don't get it. My friend cant teach me because of time, and because he just doesn't know how to teach the same as I play guitar well but I couldn't teach him how to do it because I don't know how to instruct him to do so. Is there some kind of class I should go to? Anybody have any tips, or that could help me out?


The second question I have is, while I am not accurate at all once I do get things settled in I would love to do competition shooting in some aspect, and I've no idea how to start or where to even look to get into it. Can someone point me into that direction as well?

Again, I apologize for the longwindedness of my post

go to diagnosing pistol shots on YouTube to get a general idea about how and were your hitting then see Monti (protective Measures)

 

[BHJ]

You just need Practice, practice, practice
I'd say, nothing more, nothing less

 

[insulinboy]

Tried concentrating on just the front sight today which was a lot harder for me than It should have been I think. Actually forcing myself to do it and think about it I have been focusing on the rear sight.

Fired 2 mags with the Walther .380 and 6 with the Sig Sauer .22. I did a few double taps with the .380 with the first shot in what I consider to be a comfortable area with the second shot high and left but still on the paper. The second mag I shot at the 5" steel spinner target I have and was very happy to land all but my last shot that I know pulled low and left when my finger slid on the trigger. My hands don't work so well cold.

I fired 5 mags with the .22 at the paper, with one mag at the 5" target at the end. I hit the steel target about half the shots I fired with the .22, and you can see I was consistantly right on the target with a mismatch of high and low hits. I changed my grip on the weapon a little and while I felt I had less control with the .380 I had a little better control I think with the .22.

I should also note I haven't messed with the sights with the .380 because I'm still not consistent with where they are going (though I'm much happier with the size of the inconsistency vs. the .22) but I have moved the rear sight on the .22 as far to the right as it will go to try to bring my grouping to center. The shots I did place on center were aimed at the small white section to the left of center, as well I was aiming well to the left of the 5" target to hit it.




And it just now dawns on me that I've been moving the sight the wrong way. I was just turning the adjustment screw the way the book said to adjust my shot and wasn't thinking about the fact that the sight was going the wrong way til I posted this.. I feel less than intelligent right now

 

[insulinboy]

For what its worth I was shooting from roughly 12-15 yards today. I need to measure it but there is a rock sticking up out of the ground just perfect for me to place my rear foot against for leverage and so I know I'm always standing in the same spot. Helps for locating the brass to clean up later