Improved my shooting skills

[steelerfan]

Ok,so I've been shooting my S&W M&P .40 for over a year now with mixed results,all shots on target but all over the target. Maybe hit the bullseye 2 or 3 times then can't hit it again to save my life. This has been driving me nuts trying to figure out what I've been doing wrong. I decided to try something to help my old eyes as I wear blended lenses,which means when the target is in focus the sights are blurry. I took my glasses off & focused on a nice clear sight,even though the target was now blurry, & then proceded to shoot the snot out of the middle of the target. Wow,I would'nt have believed that could make such a difference ! Any of you older guys try this before ?

[twoguns]

Please wear some kind of protective glasses. It is dangerous to shoot without eye and ear protection.

Having said that, it is important to focus on the front sight in handgun shooting. That is the key, along with slow steady even pressure...squeeze the trigger. Dry firing is the best and cheapest way to practice that trigger squeeze.

[steelerfan]

Got the trigger squeeze down just fine,which is only one of the reasons I couldn't figure out why my shooting was inconsistant.Yes,eye protection,just not corrective eye glasses as that is what has been messing me up. Keeping the eyes protected is VERY important

[synergy]

Ok,so I've been shooting my S&W M&P .40 for over a year now with mixed results,all shots on target but all over the target. Maybe hit the bullseye 2 or 3 times then can't hit it again to save my life. This has been driving me nuts trying to figure out what I've been doing wrong. I decided to try something to help my old eyes as I wear blended lenses,which means when the target is in focus the sights are blurry. I took my glasses off & focused on a nice clear sight,even though the target was now blurry, & then proceded to shoot the snot out of the middle of the target. Wow,I would'nt have believed that could make such a difference ! Any of you older guys try this before ?

With the sights being out of focus, you weren't trying to line them up perfectly and ambush the trigger when they were perfect (snatching the trigger).

The benefit you saw was likely your trigger finger pressing in a more controlled (smooth) fashion, not from a shift in your visual focus.

[steelerfan]

With the sights being out of focus, you weren't trying to line them up perfectly and ambush the trigger when they were perfect (snatching the trigger).

The benefit you saw was likely your trigger finger pressing in a more controlled (smooth) fashion, not from a shift in your visual focus.

Interesting,but whatever the reason it sure made a huge difference. Thanks

[silverado_mick]

One of the fundamnetals of marksmanship is sight alignment. Proper sight alignment includes the front sight centered in the rear, and your vision focused on the clear tip of the front sight post. The reason you were all over the place before taking off your glasses was because you were looking and focusing on the target. You need to do whatever it takes to see that front sight tip clearly. Then you center it in the blurry target and press the trigger straight to the rear.

I would suggest moving the target to around 3-5 yards and practicing a "one-hole" type of drill where you shoot one round then focus on trying to put the next round through the same hole using the above method of sight alignment. Once you get proficient at that range, you can start incresing speed and distance as your skills improve. Good luck and don't get discouraged. Keep shooting!

[steelerfan]

Thanks for the tip ! I will certainly do that when I get back to the range this week

[Shawn.L]

My guess from your sig line

Bird hunter's moto :If it flies,it dies !

is that your used to shooting shotgun, skeet maybe, where a target focus is used.
With a handgun for accuracy at distance you need a front sight focus.

It is easiest for the brain to line up 3 objects (rear sight, front sight, target) by looking at the one in the middle, and you cannot focus on more than one distance at once, and this gets amplified with poor vision and age.

A good way for you to practice at home is to dry fire ( unloaded, tripple check, safe direction) with no target on abare wall and practice just breaking the trigger and watching the front sight and making sure it stays centeredin the rear notch. That way you get good trigger press reps, and your brain gets used to seeing what a front sight should look like when you break an accurate shot.

[steelerfan]

Good observation & good point. I've been shooting shotguns for over 30 years but I've only been shooting handguns for a little over a year now. It's funny all the little things that come into play when you want accuracy & you're shooting different types of firearms. I'm good with a shotgun & scoped rifle but up until a few days ago struggled a little with handguns. Now that I've got that sorted out & with the help & advice I've received here I hope to become even better. Thanks very much to all !

[silverado_mick]

My guess from your sig line



is that your used to shooting shotgun, skeet maybe, where a target focus is used.
With a handgun for accuracy at distance you need a front sight focus.

It is easiest for the brain to line up 3 objects (rear sight, front sight, target) by looking at the one in the middle, and you cannot focus on more than one distance at once, and this gets amplified with poor vision and age.
A good way for you to practice at home is to dry fire ( unloaded, tripple check, safe direction) with no target on abare wall and practice just breaking the trigger and watching the front sight and making sure it stays centeredin the rear notch. That way you get good trigger press reps, and your brain gets used to seeing what a front sight should look like when you break an accurate shot.

This is an excellent explination of what I was trying to say. I fully intend to use this later when teaching other shooters, so consider it stolen!

In regards to dry fire practice, in my opinion it is one of the single most important things that you can do to improve your trigger control, sight picture, and followthrough. I cannot stress enough the importance of dry fire practice. Add another element once you begin to get comfortable and run through your malfuntion drill every time you press the trigger and hear that "click". That way you are incorporating another important element of fighting with a magazine fed firearm into your dry fire practice sessions, and soon your sight alignment, sight picture, trigger press, and malfunction drills become second nature through the magic of muscle memory.

When I dry fire (which is often done in front of the TV during the rare free moment) I triple check to ensure the weapon is empty. I then sight in on whovever is on screen that I don't like (affords a target rich environment), squeeze off a shot, then run through "tap, rack, ready" before repeating the process. Just make sure that weapon is clear before you begin though, or you may find yourself looking for another flatscreen or worse.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!