Beginner Tips Thread

[wakefield724]

Thought it would be a good idea to start a thread to help beginner or novice shooters with tips so they can improve their skills and become a better shooter. I am no expert myself but luckily we have expert shooter members on this forum who I'm sure would be glad to contribute their knowledge.

My tip (easier way to rack your slide) ... I noticed many untrained shooters doing this as I did the same for years. Some women or people with weaker grip struggle with racking the slide. Many people grab the weapon by the slide and attempt to pull back the slide to rack it. Instead of doing this there is a much easier, and faster way. If you are right handed, grab the grip of your pistol as you were going to aim or shoot it with your right hand. Grab the slide with your left hand like you would normally rack it. Make sure your finger is off the trigger. Face the weapon forward. Instead of pulling back the slide, squeeze the slide with your left hand, and push the weapon forward with your right hand and release the slide. You'd be amazed how much easier and faster this method is

[HiredGoon]

Tip# 1. ALWAYS shoot Hi-Points

[lross45]

I am sharing this from the Rockwell Tactical tip page from their web site. They have many more if your interested.

Trigger Reset

Here’s what trigger reset is in a nut-shell:
When you first fire your weapon, you squeeze the trigger with your finger until the round goes off. Now slowly release the trigger until you feel (and sometimes hear) a click. When you feel the click, stop releasing the trigger as this is your weapon’s trigger reset point. Notice that this position is a lot closer to the firing position than if you had released the trigger fully. Now, squeeze the trigger again until it fires but BE CAREFUL as there’s really no more trigger slack to account for. You might be surprised at first, but with practice it will become second nature.

Please note that if you’re wearing gloves, take them off when you’re first learning your weapon’s trigger reset point as you might not be able to feel it accurately. Once you become familiar with your weapon, you can put your gloves back on.

The text below was actually sent into us as a testimonial for one of our Carbine classes, but the author did such a fine job of explaining the benefits of trigger reset, that I thought I’d share it with you here.

Thanks for reading,
Jared

---------------------------

I have attended many RTG courses and have greatly improved my skill with a carbine and sidearm through this. Amongst many great skills and tricks learned, I gained the most from ‘trigger reset’. Trigger reset greatly improves accuracy, speed, and control with semi-auto firearms. In my opinion, it is the single most important skill concerning the use a weapon in combat. This simple concept is the basis for many other tactics involving the use of the firearm, including shooting while moving, controlled pairs, and engaging multiple targets. This concept is very simple, but is essential to being effective.

Trigger reset is the method for accurately firing rapidly. The concept is to let off the trigger after firing until the firearm is reset and ready to fire again. Doing this rather than letting completely off the trigger improves control and helps prevent jerking the trigger. If you let completely off the trigger, when your finger returns to the trigger it can easily jerk the trigger left or right, sacrificing accuracy. This gives you the ability to fire rapidly, without losing accuracy.

This concept was very eye opening for me. It proved to me that shooting rapidly does not mean losing accuracy. By gaining this one skill, my confidence in my effectiveness skyrocketed. The possession of this skill changed my mindset of how I engage targets. With this knowledge, I can now engage targets quickly and be effective. Without this skill, I could either shoot quickly or accurately, never both at the same time. This concept is the fundamental building block for effectiveness in combat.

The basis of shooting rapidly while retaining accuracy opens the door to effectively shooting while moving. Shooting while moving is a key aspect of combat. When you are moving you are at your most vulnerable and need to be able to eliminate threats as they arise. Trigger reset gives you that ability. With this strong foundation of a trigger reset, shooting while moving is no longer just a diversion but an effective tactic.

Controlled pairs are a group of two shots fired in rapid succession. This is a great tool for quickly dropping targets. This concept is the primary use of trigger reset. After firing the first shot, you reset the trigger and quickly reacquire the target. After this you immediately fire the second shot. This concept is used for ensuring an effective hit on a target and is another key asset added to your arsenal derived from one stupidly simple concept.

This concept is also fundamental to rapidly engaging multiple targets. The ability to engage multiple targets before they can react is essential to being effective in combat. Trigger reset again is the building block for this tactic. When the technique of rapidly switching aim from one target to the next is combined with the concept of trigger reset, you can quickly and accurately engage multiple targets. With one day at the range, I was able to effectively engage multiple targets with tight groups in a very short amount of time. This is a huge confidence boost! These are just a few of the many very important skills added to your arsenal, built from the simple concept of trigger reset. I have gained more from this one concept than many others combined, it is a great tool and I am very glad to have learned it.

[alpacaheat]

Great thread, Wake. As a fairly-new gun owner myself, I appreciate it.

That racking tip was one of the first things I learned and you're right, the difference is amazing.


I'll have to try that trigger reset tip...sounds a little like when you're shifting fast through a manual transmission without taking your foot off the clutch.

[streaker69]

Always check behind your backstop for the odd feral forest chicken before shooting.

[alpacaheat]

Anyone have cleaning tips? I've cleaned my pistol but I want to make sure I'm doing it right, not over-oiling and getting the right parts.

I use Hoppe's cleaner and lube.

Sure I could fire up Youtube but I'd rather ask the experts than a random yahoo with a camera.

[R L Suehr]

Anyone have cleaning tips? I've cleaned my pistol but I want to make sure I'm doing it right, not over-oiling and getting the right parts.

I use Hoppe's cleaner and lube.

Sure I could fire up Youtube but I'd rather ask the experts than a random yahoo with a camera.

What kind of pistol. Some guns, like my 1911's, like to be run a little more wet than others. Most of the polymer striker guns are good to go if you if you simply clean the gunk out and oil the frame rails up. I use hoppe's to clean as well. I'm currently using some homemade oil that a friend gave me for lubrication. Then the blued ones get a quick spray of rem oil for some rust protection. Especially if they're a carry gun. I also wipe down all my carry guns with a silicon cloth when I get home and put it away.

[QuackXP]

Work on accuracy first, speed will come later.

Also don't think that hitting 8" groups at 7 yards, slow fire, two handed, from a good stance is good enough for "combat accuracy".

That 8" will expand exponentially when you factor in target movement, your movement, one handed on and off hand shooting, less than ideal stance, high heart rate, high breathing rate, low visibility, and the stress that comes when your target may be shooting back.

Anyone have cleaning tips? I've cleaned my pistol but I want to make sure I'm doing it right, not over-oiling and getting the right parts.

I use Hoppe's cleaner and lube.

Sure I could fire up Youtube but I'd rather ask the experts than a random yahoo with a camera.

Gun cleaning when it coems down to the bare basics is a two step process.

1. Remove all foreign material from the firearm.
2. Lubricate metal on metal moving parts.

Just about any name brand over the counter product produced for firearms will get this done. Everyone has their favorites. I see you use Hoppe's. I use it, my father uses it, my grandfather used it so do millions of others so there is nothing wrong on that front.

I would research any solivent/oil not designed for firearms first to make sure it does not damage it. Especially for polymer framed firearms.

As far as correct way to clean you pistol, not knowing what model/type its hard to say. I would look in your manual first for a good idea. If you don't have one just about every manufacture that is still around has manuals on their website.

I will add that the silicone cloth's have worked well for me for a quick wipe down.

[alpacaheat]

What kind of pistol. Some guns, like my 1911's, like to be run a little more wet than others. Most of the polymer striker guns are good to go if you if you simply clean the gunk out and oil the frame rails up. I use hoppe's to clean as well. I'm currently using some homemade oil that a friend gave me for lubrication. Then the blued ones get a quick spray of rem oil for some rust protection. Especially if they're a carry gun. I also wipe down all my carry guns with a silicon cloth when I get home and put it away.

Have a steel frame now, it's a Romanian Walther PPK clone, next one looks like it will be a polymer 40 S&W.

[R L Suehr]

Have a steel frame now, it's a Romanian Walther PPK clone, next one looks like it will be a polymer 40 S&W.

Ha, you had to pick one I don't have any first hand experience with. Never had a ppk, clone or otherwise. I actually don't think I've ever fired one. Damn, anyone with a ppk up for a range trip..

As was said above most any cleaner will do. I would guess since it is a fixed barrel I would probably put a light coat of oil on the barrel and frame rails and see how she runs. If it seems to be having issues maybe increase the lubricant a little and see how that works. Since I'm guessing it is blued or parked the silicon rag treatment on a regular basis will definitely help keep the rust away. If you carry IWB sweat is basically like salt water on you're guns finish and should be wiped down daily. Pocket carry also has it's own problems in that dust and lint get down it the action. If you are pocket carrying I would recommend tearing down and cleaning out the dust at least once a month. I do this with my LCP.