How is my aim?

**MagRelease** · June 16th, 2013, 07:36 PM

I'm a relatively new shooter, a mere infant compared to probably 90% of the members of this forum. I am just curious what others targets look like at similar ranges with similar firearms.

The neon shoot-and-show target is at about 30 yards free standing, open sights, with a Marlin 60. (CCI standard velocity 40gr lead round)

The next target is also at about 30 yards but propping my arm and pretty much dumping the mag (tube) for 50 rounds one after the other. (CCI standard velocity 40gr lead round)

The final target is at about 10 yards with a Ruger P95, not so great.. I find that my accuracy is great some days and not so great other days. Anyone else experience that? I haven't found my niche yet with pistols, any tips would be appreciated. (Independence 115gr FMJ, and PPU 115gr FMJ)

I don't have too much room currently to go past 30 yards, but I am fixing that. Not in too much of a rush because I need glasses and 30 yards is already hitting my limits as to what I can see well. So what do you guys think? Am I on track or is this pretty plainly rookie shooting? Haha

**yeager484** · June 16th, 2013, 09:00 PM

Shoot first and claim that whatever you hit was the target.

I'm not experienced enough to give advice, but welcome to shooting!

Maybe you can try this target out with the Ruger
http://pistol-training.com/archives/292

**MagRelease** · June 16th, 2013, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by yeager484

Shoot first and claim that whatever you hit was the target.

I'm not experienced enough to give advice, but welcome to shooting!

Maybe you can try this target out with the Ruger
http://pistol-training.com/archives/292

I like that target alot, thank you.

**harold63** · June 16th, 2013, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by chillafusion

I don't have too much room currently to go past 30 yards, but I am fixing that. Not in too much of a rush because I need glasses and 30 yards is already hitting my limits as to what I can see well. So what do you guys think? Am I on track or is this pretty plainly rookie shooting? Haha

If I may...you can hit stuff with the rifle, but at 30 yds with the pistol, you'd have some of your shots off the paper. Luckily, pistol fights aren't usually that far out, otherwise, you may have some splaining to do.

Remember, there are a number of factors that will affect your pistol groups. At 30 yds, ammo choice is going to be last on the list unless it is so inconsistent, the pistol shoots one round and throws the next. Since medium to high adrenaline levels kill small groups, you want to do everything to help it stay low as possible. Caffeine, high glycemic foods, tobacco, and anxiety are things you want to avoid just before you shoot. Also, you have to concentrate on squeezing the trigger. Even the slightest flinch will take a round off paper at 30 yds. It'll come, dude. Just stick with it. Maybe get someone to watch you to be sure you are squeezing the trigger and not anticipating. Oh yea...get your glasses if you think you need them. That may be all the problem is, or at least, a large part of it. ETA - Your pistol target is by no means terrible. I've seen tons worse. With a little more practice, your ten yd groups will fit in a fist sized target, or smaller, even.

**streaker69** · June 16th, 2013, 09:17 PM

Your first target is upside down.

**Mirlen** · June 16th, 2013, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by streaker69

Your first target is upside down.

Maybe he was shooting standing on his head?

**Kabloosh** · June 17th, 2013, 04:26 PM

It is fun to just blow a massive hole in the middle of the target but if you want to make some sort of corrections shoot 3 to 6 rounds in one spot then move onto another. This helps you diagnose if your sights are off too. This kind of shooting should be done on the bench or prone.

Standing shooting is generally always going to be a mess and requires practice of holding the rifle steady and come to terms that you are probably going to have an 8 inch spread at 25 yards if not more. It will get better over time as long as you follow the fundamentals of shooting. I shoot a bit differently when standing because if I'm standing and shooting it is likely I'm on the move and precision shooting is just not going to happen. If I was accurate shots I'll find something to lean up against, take a knee, or go prone then I will bother with accurate shooting.

One tip I suggest outside of precision shooting at the prone position don't bother with your breathing until you have a solid trigger squeeze. A trick I was taught with trigger squeeze is to let it surprise you. Don't anticipate anything and just slowly pull the trigger at a consistent speed. Just like following through with a punch once the trigger breaks and the gun fires continue the pull until it is all the way back and just hold it there for a few seconds and then slowly release the trigger with your finger still on it until it is reset at the standard position or once you are good enough right when it passes the break(there is a clicking noise so listen for it and that is your clue to stop and get ready to pull the trigger again.
You can practice this while dry firing too by when you have pulled the trigger all the way in you then just rack the slide or charging handle or whatever cycles a round. You can then slowly release and get a feel of where the break is. Once you figure it out you will not only be more accurate but you will be able to spray bullets really fast that stay on target.

I'm no super marksman but I thought I'd share my 2 cents.

**eyecanshoot** · June 17th, 2013, 05:13 PM

If your not happy with how your shooting at 30 yards move in closer. Start at 15 or 20 and when your happy with the results then start increasing the distance. If your unhappy with the results at the further distance you may need to move back up. Many times its something you wouldn't notice thats affecting your aim. Sometimes its something as silly as breathing. Try pulling the trigger on slow calm exhales and see if this helps. Practice, practice, practice.

**MagRelease** · June 17th, 2013, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by streaker69

Your first target is upside down.

Haha... Indeed it is good sir, indeed it is.

**MagRelease** · June 17th, 2013, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by 300WM

If I may...you can hit stuff with the rifle, but at 30 yds with the pistol, you'd have some of your shots off the paper. Luckily, pistol fights aren't usually that far out, otherwise, you may have some splaining to do.

Remember, there are a number of factors that will affect your pistol groups. At 30 yds, ammo choice is going to be last on the list unless it is so inconsistent, the pistol shoots one round and throws the next. Since medium to high adrenaline levels kill small groups, you want to do everything to help it stay low as possible. Caffeine, high glycemic foods, tobacco, and anxiety are things you want to avoid just before you shoot. Also, you have to concentrate on squeezing the trigger. Even the slightest flinch will take a round off paper at 30 yds. It'll come, dude. Just stick with it. Maybe get someone to watch you to be sure you are squeezing the trigger and not anticipating. Oh yea...get your glasses if you think you need them. That may be all the problem is, or at least, a large part of it. ETA - Your pistol target is by no means terrible. I've seen tons worse. With a little more practice, your ten yd groups will fit in a fist sized target, or smaller, even.

Haha I may or may not have been sipping on some espresso-fueled homemade iced coffee while shooting... oops. I'm quite certain ALL of my shots would be off of the paper at 30 yards with the pistol most of the time. I practice at 10 because I know I can see some progress there for one, and 10 yards is about the max of what I'd most likely be using the pistol for in a HD situation.

With that being said, I'd like to move up some day to 20 at the most, but I'm not too concerned about hitting well past that with a pistol. But what you said about the trigger pull makes sense. One thing I did notice is that I was very inconsistent on how I was squeezing the trigger. So I will have to work on that.