Need some serious help!

**Ghost001** · April 23rd, 2007, 03:58 PM

Just got back from the range today. My wife has a Kimber Ultra Carry II. She is right handed, left eye dominant. Hopefully she doesn't read this but she can't hit pooh with it! Now, I have seen her shoot full size guns and she is 1,000 times better with them than she is with a compact. She has shot my G31, G17, P220 and my CQB. She is dead on with those guns. She has also shot a G33, G32, G19 SA Micro-Compact and a P239. She cannot hit the broad side of a barn with them. Is my assumption right that she is better off with a full size rather than a compact? She graduated at the top of her class at the academy for marksmanship and she qualified with a P89 and P226. Thanks!

**jdlv4_0** · April 23rd, 2007, 04:15 PM

First off, at what range was she shooting? 3" 1911s are not 25 yard guns. From what you've stated she's a shooter so she knows what shes doing. But looking at groups from a 3" bbl at 25 yards is very....disturbing to those who are used to full size guns.

The size is the biggest issue to overcome for female shooters looking for a carry gun. My wife loves my 5" Springfield but thankfully it's too big for her to conceal.

She carries a Kimber Ultra and at first when shooting at 25 yards she was not happy becasue groups were non existant. Now that she's shooting at 7-10 yards she's knocking out the bull and is moving the target further back.

She also didn't understand why the guys writing for the gun rags get 3" groups with a tiny gun at 25 yards, after explaining that most if not all the time the guys are shooting from a rest, she now has a better understanding of her guns accuracy.

Again not knowing at what distance she was shooting, who knows.

My first suggestion without knowing distance is move the target closer, then extend the distance as she gets more comfotable with the gun.

**JustinM** · April 23rd, 2007, 04:16 PM

If she uses a fullsize better than a compact, then she's better off witha full size, but it wouldn't hurt to practice more with the compact.

**Warners Surplus** · April 23rd, 2007, 06:27 PM

Is she throwing to the right? Alot of shooters who are good with the longer trigger pulls on the Glock & Ruger tend to pull the shots to the right when they switch over to a lighter shorter trigger pull on something like a Kimber.

Everything that she has been shooting looks to me to be a 5 lb. and up trigger pull and the length on the Glock and Ruger is almost 3 times the travel distance of the Kimber.

If this is the cause, she can change muscle memory to adjust to the Kimber.
It's easy to do once you know if thats the problem.

Rich W.

**27hand** · April 23rd, 2007, 07:01 PM

I wonder if there is a little recoil sensitivity with the shorter lighter pistols.

Front sight -press should be the same aside from longer sight on full sized pistols.

27hand

**Ghost001** · April 23rd, 2007, 07:38 PM

We set the range from 0-7 yards. I tend to take it out a little further for myself but I try to keep her in the 0-7 yard range. The hits are soooo inconsitent that it is impossible to tell what the whole problem is. I stood behind her today and watched as she shot. POA was the head (John Q Targets) POI was 6 inches low 10 inches right 5 inches left 2 inches high and so on. I was watching to see if I could see any wrist breaks, limp wristing, jerking and so on. I didn't see any. Should I maybe take her from 1-7 yards in weekly incriments? Kind of like week 1=1 yard. Week 2=2 yards and so on?

**FUNDAMENTALS** · April 23rd, 2007, 08:08 PM

I would suggest from expierence it is "Anticipation". How about a little "Ball &
"Dummy" drill. Have her turn around, while you load the pistol with a live
or dummy rounds, have her come back to the firing line. Have the pistol in
the ready condition. Have her go to the Low Ready Position. Have her get to
the shooting position, Note: watch from the left side rear at a 45 degree angle. This will give you a better overall observation of Grip, Trigger PUll. Notice how much and where her trigger finger is. To Much, To Little, Just Right. Start with
this to rule out any signs of "Anticipation".

**autorim** · April 23rd, 2007, 08:31 PM

Borrow or buy a .22 rimfire to start with. When she can hit with that - move up. I went to my range yesterday and fired maybe 300 .22 rounds before I started shooting the .45's.

**Ghost001** · April 23rd, 2007, 09:20 PM

Thanks all for the help and info. Keep it coming. I'm so used to telling a troop, when I was in the Army, what they are doing wrong and have them fix it. It's a little harder with it being my wife. I don't want to "intimidate" her or make her feel not so good.

**Steve in PA** · April 23rd, 2007, 09:50 PM

Having a shooter hit all over the place is extremely hard to correct because you cannot accurately diagnose the problem. She's obviooulsy doing something different on each shot if she's not getting a "grouping".

Could be a grip problem, trigger, sighting, etc. From 7 yards she should be able to hold a decent group. With the smaller pistols I'm going to say its a combination of trigger and recoil.

My wife is also right handed-left eye dominant but manages to shoot quite well.