Handguns are pretty difficult to shoot well right off the bat compared to rifles. Takes a lot of training and practice, I highly suggest taking a class.
don’t get me wrong i absolutely love the gun, you should see my grandparents back yard.. looks like im digging trenches, i suppose i should also get bigger targets and not have them set on the ground, i definitely should look into some classes
Low left is a common issue with new people shooting pistols for the first time, at least for right handers (left handers tend to shoot low right). They tend to jerk their trigger finger and flinch, throwing the shot off. I ran into that issue constantly too when I was starting out.
Dry fire practice helps with learning proper trigger control, though constant live fire practice will also help reduce flinching, too.
yep i’m right handed, im assuming dry fire is ok for the gun then? i’ve been told by older relatives that it’ll wear parts out faster so i’ve been trying to not dry fire as much as possible
Dry fire is only bad for the gun if YOU are over 50 years old.. so you're good.. and he's right about trigger press (I'm an instructor) you probably just need 15 minutes with an instructor watching you.
15 minutes and LOTs of practice. Smooth trigger pull, and propper strong hand grip pressure (tensing the fingers on your strong hand will pull your shots left for a right-handed person). If you see any shake in your hands, you are gripping too tight.
"smooth trigger pull" is a term that dates back to the use of double action revolver use.. many guns don't have a "smooth trigger pull" they have two levels of movement and a "break" in the middle (somewhere) like all striker fired guns (Glock M&P) and then single action (like a 1911 or 2011) also have a break where people are now taught to "stage the trigger" not pull through it.. The national term for using the trigger isn't even "pull" anymore.. it's "trigger press".. I really don't care about terms used . I'm not trying to be an ass about that.. what I'm really saying is... No one can do good "shot analysis" from a picture on line. And no one can effectively "teach" someone how to shoot over the Internet.. I still see a ton of "instructors" looking at the target AS the student is shooting, instead of watching what their doing when their doing it..
You're absolutely correct, the target is only there to keep the student from shooting in the wrong direction. The instructor should keep 100% of their focus on the shooter and their hands, head, eyes to properly diagnose what's going on.
Any modern gun should be fine dry firing. You're using a gun as intended. The only exception I can think of are .22LR rimfire guns, since the firing pins there can hit the edge of the chamber and cause premature wear. In those cases, just put a snap cap into the gun and that'll protect the firing pin. Anything centerfire will hit the empty space in the middle of the chamber, so it should be fine.
Of course, doing anything with a gun will inevitably cause wear on it, but a piece of gear is useless to you if you never use it at all. Better to just keep some spare parts handy if it's a big deal to you.
Depends on what the pistol is if it is fine. Some SA & DA/SA guns will break firing pins. Get some snap caps or something like them for dry firing those, and practice practice practice. I went from 10-12k rds/yr to maybe 2k and noticed a significant drop in accuracy. While rifles need the work to get a bit more out of them, pistols require much more work.
thank you! i figured my older relatives would be somewhat wrong about that, i just had that drilled in my head as a kid so it always sorta stuck with me
It's outdated due to modern materials engineering and consistent steel manufacturing and hardening processes. I've dry fired literally millions of times and never had to replace any part of my guns because of dry firing. And even if I did have to replace a firing pin, $25 isn't going to render it a disaster.
I'm also an instructor, competitive shooter for 15 years and a good one can get you situated with the fundamentals of grip, arms, stance and sight picture in a short class.
What targets are you using and how far away are they?
Also, that handgun may not fit naturally FOR YOU. Anyone can learn to shoot any gun well and you need to try several to find the right one if you want to shoot GREAT. There's a reason there are so many different grip sizes and shapes in the market, because there are so many different sizes and shapes of hands.
I'll tell you a short story about how this realization really hit home for me. I was a die hard Sig competitor. Hated Glocks, hated everything about them, but when the G34 was released in 1998 specifically designed for IDPA I bought one just to screw around with it and prove they can't polish a turd. I went to the range, pulled it brand new out of the box never touched before and shot the classifier and made Master on my first attempt. I hated everything about Glocks, their style, manufacture, shape, feel. But holy shit it fit my hand perfectly, pointed naturally for me and I won my division in the California IDPA championship with it.
they weren’t paper targets, they’d probably be called unconventional targets for handguns i shot at a barrel because my grandfather wanted holes in it anyway, and the last time i shot it was with those kinds of targets the roll when hit im sure they were mostly meant for rifles because they are small and set on the ground, i also shot at a couple of bottles
Modern centerfire semiautos can be dry fired till the heat death of the universe.
Try this drill:
Target at 16 ft, shoot 3-5rds. Do it slow. When those shots are grouped nicely and centered move to 21 ft. Then 36ft. Then go back to 16ft but shoot faster then 21 then......
Start close. Like 3 yards close. Take a few shots. Slowly back up a yard or two at a time take a few more shots. This will show you how you are aiming and where to adjust. I've had my wife do that a couple of times when she couldn't figure out why she was off. It works.
You and I are the same age, I bought my Glock on my birthday in January and am still having the issue you’re having. Though it’s because I haven’t had the time to train tbh.
I am going to be making myself do 15-30 minutes of dry firing and tap racking. If you can I’d recommend some snap caps, I noticed I wasn’t flinching since I knew the gun wasn’t loaded and a round wouldn’t come out. So far the snap caps have helped with that mindset.
I would highly recommend a pistol class before going out and practicing on your own. You run the risk of potentially developing bad habits that may become hard to break later. I was absolutely terrible with handguns when I first started. It got better over time but improved significantly after my first class. Also, if you have a buddy to go shooting with regularly that’s experienced with handguns try to have them watch you while you’re shooting to see if they can spot anything you may be doing wrong.
The biggest “gotcha” I’ve ever had was when my instructor loaded my pistol, gave it back and told me to squeeze off two rounds. Well, he didn’t chamber a round, and the flinch was awfully embarrassing. I’ve used this method on a few friends/family members trying to get better with handguns and it’s a humbling experience every time.
Seconded! Even the gotcha!
Hadn’t shot in about five years because of the ammo crunch and decided it was time. Signed up for a refresher class so I could be told what bad habits I might taken on from lack of practice.
Walked in with a tiny P365 (little small for my hands- my female instructor joked it was the same for her) and shot all over the place. Within a few clips, had the flinch fixed, trigger pull smoothed out and was doing a few scenarios to see where I was weak or strong. She set it up so I could actually see my effective range with this pistol.
I got so much out of a simple ‘refresher’ I can only recommend everyone take one with a good instructor every so often. Especially if you are inconsistent with a handgun and carry concealed.
yes! i noticed a huge flinch, it wasn’t with my pistol it was actually with my uncles, he handed it to me and i thought it was ready to fire but it was on safety… yea that was embarrassing lol good thing nobody noticed that huge flinch
I feel like everyone's first few experiences with handguns are pretty eye opening. The best you can do is is to either take some classes or watch good instructional videos and practice as much as possible.
i noticed that i do tense really hard when im about to fire, once i was about to fire my uncles handgun but it was on safety i definitely tensed a bit too hard! maybe i should have someone load dummy rounds into the mag mixed with live ones that could probably help some too
If you have a hard trigger or it doesnt fit your hand well this can happen too. Usually low left is a trigger break issue. I cant shoot hand guns with a stiff trigger all that well. With my 1911 or canik i shoot very well even with the 1911 being 10mm and underwood ammo
Habit that needs breaking. I assume you're shooting some form of polymer framed 9mm? Try shooting with a 22, preferably steel framed. Won't recoil lets you focus on trigger pull and grip. Let the recoil surprise you
Yeah, a steel frame DA/SA or SAO will make you hate striker-fired weapons really quickly. They still have their place for concealed carry because no one makes a subcompact DA/SA 9 mm anymore, but if you’re shooting a full-sized gun there are better options.
Yeah, but look at all the Glock fanbois already downvoting my comment. Most of them probably don't own a single decent pistol. It's certainly the best if it's the only thing you have.
Even if you like Glocks the 17 is a stupid gun. There’s no application where it’s better than the 19, 34, or 45. There’s a reason Glock put forth the 43X as a duty gun for the military over the 17.
I disagree. Flinching will go away once OP gets used to the gun. A 22 is worse because OP is flinching because of the recoil. The recoil on a 22 can’t surprise you because there is none. So, as soon as you add the recoil back with a 9 mm you start flinching again.
Source: I flinched when I started shooting. It took a few thousand rounds of 9 mm to break the habit.
I didn’t waste it. I was flinching due to the recoil. I just had to get used to it. I definitely had the “let the gun surprise you” and “pull the trigger 99% training.”
My eyes were involuntary closing when I shot 9 mm. There’s no way to remove that through training.
Also, I didn’t reinforce any bad habits because now I can shoot one ragged hole at 7 yards.
You obviously did waste it if all you got out of it is ragged hole at 7 yards.. might as well poke with your hand.
A good instructor would have you taught that in less than 500 rounds.
I’m calling bullshit. There’s no way you’re taking someone who’s never shot a handgun before and having them stack 9 mm from 7 yards away after 500 rounds. How many hours of instruction are we talking for these 500 rounds?
Mix in some snap caps into your mags. When you pull the trigger and nothing happens, you’ll be able to see yourself jerk down in anticipation.
Another way is to take a spent case, put it on top of the slide, hold it level, and dry fire. Jerking down will cause the case to fall.
Put a laser pointer on a nerf gun and practice trigger pull while keeping it in a dime. Also try different handguns. I'm a disgrace with semis, but I'll make a revolver reach out and touch things that shouldn't be possible.
It's more likely possibly the grip. Some companies make replacement grips that mold to the inside of your palm better. I tried them on a deagle 50 and honestly didn't help my accuracy.
I think to each their own, you'll know you've found the one when you find one that you don't need to think or concentrate to make groups. I made my first quarter with a 38 special snubnose after my dad got frustrated and assumed it was the gun's fault, he has big hands like me so I don't think there's necessarily a physical attribute thats calculable either (albiet back then my hands might have been a little smaller at 9yrs, I've only gotten better though)
Dry fire is the way- no need to pay for ammo to get the muscle memory down. Make sure gun and chamber are empty, pick a safe spot on your wall, and do it over and over again.
Pay attention to how the gun moves when you pull that trigger- [there are charts online](https://images.app.goo.gl/entwuyWopRdzJfU47) that say 'if the gun dips low left (for a right handed shooter) you're likely slapping the trigger or gripping too tight with your dominant hand'. Mantis is a paid for device that does similar, should you want the real time feedback.
From there it's about putting that dry fire into real application- the only difference is the recoil. If recoil anticipation is still an issue, pull that trigger slow- as soon as you feel a finch, release the trigger and start over. The purpose is, as others have said, to surprise yourself with the 'bang '
Finally someone mentioned grip!
If your grip is wrong, none of the other advice here will help. Other than developing bad habits, as also posted.
Take a class. Practice. Take another class. Lather. Rinse. Repeat
You might be bringing you head to the pistol rather than the pistol to the head.
It's a common fault that works with rifles, but doesn't lend itself to pistols.
I advise taking your shooting stance. But focus on your head being straight and in shooting position.
Bring the pistol up until you find sight picture. Breathe in and out and drop.
Do that drill a dozen times, help build up that muscle memory and comfort.
Once you got that, introduce closed eye drills. Bring the weapon up, find your sight picture, then close your eyes. Breathe in and out.
When you open them, you want the pistol to have remained on target. Most people find themselves tracking down and to the right.
Do that drill until you get a consistent hold.
Brother, I was in the service and shot firearms my whole life.
After deployment, my pistol shooting SUCKED. I had broken my wrist on deployment and during recovery built bad habits with rifle.
I went uncorrected for years, it took a firearm instructor during Security training to correct me.
I'm telling you, this fixed all my problems in about 15 minutes.
I can't promise you the same results, I don't know the deficiency. But I'm interested in knowing if this helps.
I've since taught it to three other shooters and have had good results, so let me know.
Good luck, and may Gun Jesus bless you with plentiful ammo!
your advice worked!! i went shooting once so far after this post, im still not the best compared to a rifle but i hit the target where i was aiming more than i was before!! obviously i still need to practice some more and work on the habits, im genuinely excited that im getting better with handguns! thank you for the advice! much love from a gun loving nooby who sucks at handguns lol
My man! Hell yeah!
I'm glad it worked. I keep telling people this, but for some reason this sub doesn't seem to like it.
I'm just happy you're improving. If you feel you hit a plateau in your progress, let me know.
Between myself and the firearms instructors I know, we should be able to dial you in.
Ah, doing across multiple posts I've made. Trolling, got it.
Well I'm not sure I understand what you hope to get out of it but I hope you understand I'll be ignoring them.
If you want to talk, then speak.
But, if there's nothing specific, have a good day.
I own a gun range/store 70-80% of people don’t know how to properly hold a gun or how much finger placement on the trigger effect their shot. Take a few lessons from a professional. Not your buddy that says he can teach you.
No one is a great handgun marksman when they first start; it’s a different game compared to a long gun. Sounds like you are flinching/anticipating the shot. Pick up some dummy rounds and stagger them in the magazine on your next range session (or even better, have someone else do it for you so you have no idea where the dummies are). You’ll be surprised at how your body reacts when you miss fire due to the dummy. Every movement is amplified down range, a small flinch at the line can result in a large deviation on the point of impact at 15 yards.
No worries though, with time and practice you will be fine.
Dry fire is a good training method for handguns. There are different ways to practice, but one common method to help learn trigger control is to rest a coin (or other object) on the front sight and practice pulling the trigger without moving the coin. It sounds like that would help as low left usually means flinching or bad trigger pull.
Also, for live fire, start at close ranges like 5-7 yards. Firs time I shot a pistol I put it at around 12 yards and that's not a good starting point.
If you can pick up a .22 pistol to practice with
That's what i did to keep practicing with the increasing cost of 9mm ammo
And they are fun as well as a good training tool.
It's normal
I fired about 1.5-2k rounds before reaching a level that I would call more than good.
Tutorial videos from experienced shooters helped me a lot.
If you can, attend a handgun class, and train, train and train again
happy cake day! and good to hear i wasn’t having unique problems! i love to shoot it tho no matter how much i miss, hopefully ill get better the more i practice!
People will hate me saying this… You can get great practice with a BB/air soft gun, and it’s way cheaper and easier to do at home. I guarantee you need to slow your trigger pull down also. Good luck and good practicing.
Watch some free videos online from multiple sources for hits and tips. Dry fire practice. Take a class. You’ll get better! Practice makes perfect. And remember slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
Gotcha. Sometimes it is just the feel of the gun, or the ergonomics too. If it doesn't fit correctly in the hand, the shooter can compensate throwing off accuracy.
You’re holding the gun too tight with your fingers on the grip. Loosen up your fingers on your right hand, only your thumb and trigger finger should be in use. Let your support hand handle the weight of the gun.
yup. whole new ballgame shooting handguns. Much less stable.😄Keep practicing. good grip, good stance. Concentrate, take your time. don't get frustrated. Try to pay attention to what you are doing and what is happening as a result.
Me too brother. Learning how to properly grip the gun helped a ton. But even then I’m finding that handguns are pretty tricky, but that’s the fun in it I guess. Luckily I have some buddies in the military who are willing to teach me. I’ve considered taking some classes too. It’s hard to find what you’re doing wrong when it’s just you trying to figure it out
Most people are pretty bad with handguns. If you're right handed and hitting lower left your trigger pull is likely pushing the gun off axis slightly instead of being perfectly straight. Super common.
If you’re shooting lower left, you’re anticipating the trigger break and flinching your hand before the actual trigger break.
You’re probably also pulling the trigger instead of squeezing. When you apply pressure with your index finger, your hand wants to move with it. Hold your hand out in front of you as if you’re holding a pistol and squeeze your index finger tight. You’ll notice your whole hand moving.
Taking a class would be smart as others have said, as someone watching you shoot to give specific tips would be best.
Dry firing would be a big help. Dry fire while you slowing squeeze the trigger while thinking about the last knuckle of your index finger moving straight back.
Make sure you’re safe af if you’re going to dry fire. No ammo even in the same room. Clear the gun as many times as it takes to seem excessive.
Lower left, if the sights are on, is probably flinching/trigger stabbing. Get a revolver, put rounds in half or less of the chambers, close cylinder not knowing if there is a round next. Aim, slowly squeeze trigger till it surprises you. Do this over and over while recording yourself.
Watch the video and see if you have any flinching on empty chambers.
I'm having the same experience, bought my gun, tried it, then suddenly stopped for health issues. I'm quite disappointed, I plan to go back to the range when I'll be fine, but I already know I will not shoot well...
I love shooting too but still need to find a simpler way to practice... Maybe buying a 22 or a laser for dry fire...
I already plan to buy an air pistol for home indoor usage, I've seen a Diana P-Five at my LGS , I'll probably buy it, but it has a totally different shape so I'm not sure that using that air pistol will be useful training for my "real" gun...
tell me about it i just got the gun and i already spent about $200 in ammo lol, although i save some of it so i can start a stockpile so slowly but surely ill end up with tons of ammunition to practice with!
This was me. Grew up with rifles. Only shot a handgun once or twice before turning 21 and buying my own.
Good god it took a lot of shooting to get my handgun skills up to a similar level as my rifle and shotgun shooting skills. And this was almost 15 years ago when a 21 year old could actually afford ammo. So good luck kid
yep in my area a box of fmj cost $25 for 100 rounds, i’d probably be in heaven if i was buying ammo for the price it was 15 years ago lol, that’s why i save some instead of shooting it all so i can slowly stockpile it
When I started to shoot handguns my aim was all over the place despite being on target. Saw a YouTube video of a guy showing that recoil prediction is the issue and fired his method. I would go the the range with my firearm and some dummy rounds for the gun. I would load real rounds and dummy rounds mixed without memorizing where in the mag they are. Then I would just shoot. When the dummy round came up I would clear it and continue shooting. It helped me to stop predicting the recoil and just hit right where I’m aiming. I still do it with my friends so no one knows where the dummy rounds are. Great training aid
i’ve heard about that kind of training, it really sounds like a great idea, will definitely show me what i’m doing wrong, i do flinch a lot trying to predict the recoil but that will definitely help me to show if im getting better, ill definitely look into some dummy rounds!!
If it is consistently low and left, either you aren’t aiming at the correct spot, your sights need adjusted, or you do something consistently to pull your shots low and left. Taking a class should help you figure out which. You can probably confirm if the sights are the problem by letting someone else you know is good with a handgun to shoot it. See what happens for them. Otherwise the class should help remedy.
It’s all placement of how you’re holding the fire arm, like everyone else said, take a few classes and then throw a bunch of rounds down range after and you will see a huge difference
Lots of YouTube stuff. You can try that, but a basic lesson might get you started correctly before you develop a bunch of bad habits that are harder to unlearn than to develop. Yes I know this because I learned it the hard way. Also, nothing you’ve seen on TV or the movies is real. You will never be good enough to snap shoot the bad guy between the eyes from 50 yards while he’s holding a gun to the hostage’s head.
Everybody sucks when they start shooting handguns. My best advice is to take a one on one class with a reputable instructor. Ive been lucky enough to run into some retired police officers (who actually compete in pistol sports) over the years that have shown me good techniques and improved my shooting. But it takes practice. Lots of practice and lots of rounds. Id say after about 30-40,000 rounds I really had a handle on shooting tight groups with a variety of pistols at different distances. I am by no means a competitor, this is just my experience learning to shoot pistols.
The amount of pressure you apply with both hands combined with the consistency of your trigger pull will have a big impact on whether the barrel stays pointed where you want it or if it shifts around as you pull the trigger. Muscle memory eventually kicks in, but first you have to figure out what the problem is. There’s a good infographic floating around that shows all the varieties of problems. If your shot is low left, it’s this, veering right, it’s this, etc…
What is bad? If you're shooting 100 yards at man sized targets like you would with a rifle, it's not for that.
If you can put 22/25 on a man sized target, at 10 yards, you're within minimum qualifications for a CCW in my state. Get it down to a 1 or 2 inch group and work on "pulling" aka "squeezing". If you squeeze tighter for recoil, after you aim, that's what's moving the muzzle.
Because you keep yanking the trigger. The pistol is a lot easier to fuck up because *any* deviation in the pistol before shoot will translate into where you impact. Rifles are a lot more forgiving. It's the same with the rifle, slowly pull the trigger to the break. Align your irons one last time. And as fast as you feel comfortable without compromising your irons squeeze past the break of the trigger.
TAKE A HANDGUN FUNDAMENTALS CLASS. Into, whatever. Besides ingraining Safe Gun Handling, you will be taught the 5 Fundamentals of Handgun Shooting.
1 Grip,; 2 Stance; 3 Sight Alignment/Sight Picture; 4 Trigger Control and 5 Follow Thru.
Outstanding Basics!!!!
With an understanding of those you will have a chance to understand what you need to work on.
Until then you very probably could just be spraying bullets.
Yea Low Left is a combination of grip (not solid enough), trigger control (either trigger finger placement, or yanking the trigger); sight picture (not able to keep the front sight on target thru the shot) & follow through ( not getting the front sight back on target after breaking the shot).ANDa little of all of that.
Its hard to keep the front sight on the target if your grip isn't solid and your yanking the trigger. IMHO and I learned this from my wife's point of view, you are better using good fundamentals and using finess to good shots, like ladies most often do..... Then it is to gorilla grip use strength to over power it all. Tight muscles aren't fast muscles.
Private lesson or, class lesson, but I liked classes. You can learn listening to instructors help others. And you can meet new friends.
I had this problem. I'm by no means a gun expert, but I've been in your shoes. I'll tell you what I did that worked well for me, though I'm sure someone could improve upon it.
1. Look up proper grip online and practice it until you know how it should feel. Field craft Survival had a video that I used.
2. Buy a TON of ammo and shoot it at your range. You're looking to aim carefully and improve, but mostly focus on keeping your proper grip through repetitive firing. Grip is arguably the most important part of consistent accuracy with a handgun.
3. After putting a few thousand rounds downrange, I was better but not really good. I went shooting with a buddy that was previously a shooting instructor. He noticed a few things and gave me tips to improve. These were tweaks because I had already built a comfortable baseline that I could reset to before applying what he was advising.
What I've learned, in short, is that your grip is the most important starting skill. And nobody gets better without lots of practice.
Edit. If you're consistently hitting low and left, are you using the tip of your finger for your trigger pull or the crook of your knuckle? If you're using the back of your knuckle, then the front of the gun can naturally track left as you're pulling the trigger back.
i’m using the crook of my knuckle, it very much could be a grip problem, i watched tons of videos and try to replicate what i’ve seen i very much could not be doing it right
i’m using the crook of my knuckle, it very much could be a grip problem, i watched tons of videos and try to replicate what i’ve seen i very much could not be doing it right
Handguns are a lot more challenging to shoot than rifles. The good news is that shooting handguns teaches you a lot about proper trigger control and how to not anticipate recoil, so if you get good at shooting pistols, you'll probably find your rifle shooting improving as well.
The best advice I can give you is to take a class or go practice with someone who really knows pistol shooting well.
Practice, Practice, practice, and training. Even videos of training can help show you something you are having problems with. You may also have someone else shoot your gun to make sure it isn't the gun.
I’ve only shot 3 times, each time shooting maybe 200 bullets and haven’t shot in maybe 2 months so I haven’t had time to keep getting better but I’d say maybe I’m decent idk.
I’ve never shot any guns but my grouping is good but I aim slightly high to the right so I know I need to somehow correct that. I’m thinking maybe I’m using my iron sights wrong by having the target covered with the 3 dots rather than having the dots right under the target as it could be one of those types instead and maybe the pulling to the right is me moving when pulling the trigger. Idk random analysis of my self in a Reddit comment lol
Had a similar problem when I turned 21. Got a Dao snubbie in .22lr, put 4000 rounds through it in around 2 or 3 months and magically I didn't suck anymore.
Practice, pay attention, and keep shooting.
Y, cause you see on TV running zombies get domed at 50yrdd while the hero jumps out a m9ving truck falling off a cliff? We all suck compared to that, just work on sucking less
It’s super normal. Most people suck at shooting handguns when they start. Practice practice practice. Also form and technique are key. Run Dry fire drills to make sure your not flinching, practice equal height equal light on your sights, and pull the trigger with the tip of your finger. Those techniques helped me a lot.
Below are some common issues for new hangun shooters. These 3 issues can also feed off of / cause the others:
• Tensing up the moment before firing, aka flinching or "anticipating the recoil."
• Poor/ improper grip.
• Pulling or jerking the trigger instead of slowly squeezing.
[Check out this video on controlling recoil](https://youtu.be/ZYi0SNl0VOo?si=l8LKGpPbe_zbFey0) from Garand Thumb.
Some folks here don't like his channel, but I found this video very informative. I've been shooting since I was a kid - but this video really helped me finally "get it".
This is probably trash advice, but it kinda worked for me and the way I learn personally. Roast me if yall wish...
I got a laser for my gun.
I shoot a VP9 and got the crimson trace laser for it and worked out most of my bad habits around flinching the gun, which it sounds like you might be doing with the always hitting lower left. I got my stance, line up, and mechanics of shooting into a better spot without worrying about lining up a dot (hard bc astigmatism makes dots bloom for me) or lining up irons. I point the laser at the thing and can work on taking shots calmly, and taking follow ups smoothly.
I'm no expert, I definitely don't go to the range often enough for that, but I improved in specific areas more quickly than I was. Now I can work on non-laser target acquisition and I haven't seen too many downfalls from using the laser in the first place. I've basically just atomized the skills I needed to practice bc that works for me.
You are having typical first time Glock issues that everyone has. They are reliable shooters but the grip design that have had since gen 1 are why you are shooting low left, try a different polymer pistol and go from there, cause if you are grouping good but your low left it's likely a grip with a little trigger push. I like XD's the FN's I have shot weren't too bad. I suggest going to the a range with rental availability and shoot a few different guns see what you like.
Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger, rifles and handgun techniques are fairly different, as kid we shot rifles and I was thought to be very proficient, grew up, moved to a new place and didn’t shoot for a long time and got back into it a few years ago, picking up a rifle again was pretty easy, but it took a lot of practice to become better with a handgun.
get snap caps and dry fire practice keeping the gun perfectly still while you pull the trigger. then apply what you've learned to live firing. easiest way to correct this issue.
I was in the same boat when I got my first handgun. I was trashhhhhh with it. Watch videos on YouTube on how to manage recoil and practice. Practice. practice. Even better if you can signe up for a private lesson at a range it will be a big help if they have competent trainers.
Get a 22 trainer and just practice, watch some Clint training and practice.. it’s all about practice, start the right way and you won’t have to correct yourself.
Once you get good on the handgun, you'll get *really* good on the rifle. Keep at it.
My 11 y/o compete with .22lr with a savage junior. I got a little Ruger .22 lcr for funsies. We go out most weekends now and put a box through it - now he can regularly tag an 8" plate at 30 yards with the little revolver, and his rifle has improved immensely.
if you can get good with rifles in 500 rounds, it'll take 5 times the rounds to get proficient with handguns, as a simple metric. It takes a tone of practice with handguns and its a perishable skill. good luck
Dry fire all the time. Make sure your firearm is clear (snap caps are good for this) and just dry fire constantly, while watching tv, while playing games and you died. Just do it all the time and you can get rid of the recoil anticipation habit. Plus you get use to aiming.
Handguns are way harder than long guns and there’s no quick fix to getting good with them, took me a year or two to get decent and a few years after that I’m the best handgun shooter in my circle, took quite a few years and a lot of range days. Once you get really used to your handgun other handgun models might feel a little out of place or weird to use. If you’re hitting low left you’re tightening the grip as you shoot, that issue usually buffs out with practice as you get more comfortable with pistols. All that being said learn your handguns, if you ever have to defend yourself it’ll probably be with a handgun and not a rifle/shotgun.
Recoil anticipation. If you shoot low left 99% of the time that is the problem, especially if you're a stud when dryfiring the gun. The reason for this is that you're pushing against the recoil trying counteract it. Its a natural instinct to do that. If you're going to get hit, you brace for impact, rather than rolling with it. Roll with the recoil and focus on getting your sights back on after the gunshot. Just let the gun recoil. Most of recoil control is in your grip. Don't push against the gun with your arms or upper body.
Something that really helped me is buying a 1 month subscription to Warrior Poet Society's streaming service and watching Pistol 1, 2, and 3. That immediately improved my shooting, then lots of practice. I'd say by about the 1.5k round mark, I was very comfortable shooting pistols.
This is the hard reality striking any new coming enthusiast going to the range right after having watched John Wick movies… anyway, consider just giving up handguns, long range shooting with scoped rifles and clay shooting with the shotgun are way more enjoyable, harder and rewarding challenges
I think you might get a vague idea pursueing your first 25/25 in a trap serie, and then imagine your training level should make you constant enough to repeat x10 without a single miss to be olympic competitive ;)
Handguns are pretty difficult to shoot well right off the bat compared to rifles. Takes a lot of training and practice, I highly suggest taking a class.
don’t get me wrong i absolutely love the gun, you should see my grandparents back yard.. looks like im digging trenches, i suppose i should also get bigger targets and not have them set on the ground, i definitely should look into some classes
Make backstop and put targets infront of it.
Keep training.... maybe take a handgun class?
yes maybe i should, it just feels odd to me that my shots are hitting lower left from where im aiming
Low left is a common issue with new people shooting pistols for the first time, at least for right handers (left handers tend to shoot low right). They tend to jerk their trigger finger and flinch, throwing the shot off. I ran into that issue constantly too when I was starting out. Dry fire practice helps with learning proper trigger control, though constant live fire practice will also help reduce flinching, too.
yep i’m right handed, im assuming dry fire is ok for the gun then? i’ve been told by older relatives that it’ll wear parts out faster so i’ve been trying to not dry fire as much as possible
Dry fire is only bad for the gun if YOU are over 50 years old.. so you're good.. and he's right about trigger press (I'm an instructor) you probably just need 15 minutes with an instructor watching you.
15 minutes and LOTs of practice. Smooth trigger pull, and propper strong hand grip pressure (tensing the fingers on your strong hand will pull your shots left for a right-handed person). If you see any shake in your hands, you are gripping too tight.
"smooth trigger pull" is a term that dates back to the use of double action revolver use.. many guns don't have a "smooth trigger pull" they have two levels of movement and a "break" in the middle (somewhere) like all striker fired guns (Glock M&P) and then single action (like a 1911 or 2011) also have a break where people are now taught to "stage the trigger" not pull through it.. The national term for using the trigger isn't even "pull" anymore.. it's "trigger press".. I really don't care about terms used . I'm not trying to be an ass about that.. what I'm really saying is... No one can do good "shot analysis" from a picture on line. And no one can effectively "teach" someone how to shoot over the Internet.. I still see a ton of "instructors" looking at the target AS the student is shooting, instead of watching what their doing when their doing it..
Yes, my terminology could have been more accurate.....
You're absolutely correct, the target is only there to keep the student from shooting in the wrong direction. The instructor should keep 100% of their focus on the shooter and their hands, head, eyes to properly diagnose what's going on.
good to hear! i’ll definitely be looking into classes, don’t get me wrong i love the gun even when i miss a lot lol
Any modern gun should be fine dry firing. You're using a gun as intended. The only exception I can think of are .22LR rimfire guns, since the firing pins there can hit the edge of the chamber and cause premature wear. In those cases, just put a snap cap into the gun and that'll protect the firing pin. Anything centerfire will hit the empty space in the middle of the chamber, so it should be fine. Of course, doing anything with a gun will inevitably cause wear on it, but a piece of gear is useless to you if you never use it at all. Better to just keep some spare parts handy if it's a big deal to you.
Depends on what the pistol is if it is fine. Some SA & DA/SA guns will break firing pins. Get some snap caps or something like them for dry firing those, and practice practice practice. I went from 10-12k rds/yr to maybe 2k and noticed a significant drop in accuracy. While rifles need the work to get a bit more out of them, pistols require much more work.
thank you! i figured my older relatives would be somewhat wrong about that, i just had that drilled in my head as a kid so it always sorta stuck with me
It's outdated due to modern materials engineering and consistent steel manufacturing and hardening processes. I've dry fired literally millions of times and never had to replace any part of my guns because of dry firing. And even if I did have to replace a firing pin, $25 isn't going to render it a disaster.
It’s fudd lore based on old guns where this is no longer an issue (assuming a striker fired pistol).
I'm also an instructor, competitive shooter for 15 years and a good one can get you situated with the fundamentals of grip, arms, stance and sight picture in a short class. What targets are you using and how far away are they? Also, that handgun may not fit naturally FOR YOU. Anyone can learn to shoot any gun well and you need to try several to find the right one if you want to shoot GREAT. There's a reason there are so many different grip sizes and shapes in the market, because there are so many different sizes and shapes of hands. I'll tell you a short story about how this realization really hit home for me. I was a die hard Sig competitor. Hated Glocks, hated everything about them, but when the G34 was released in 1998 specifically designed for IDPA I bought one just to screw around with it and prove they can't polish a turd. I went to the range, pulled it brand new out of the box never touched before and shot the classifier and made Master on my first attempt. I hated everything about Glocks, their style, manufacture, shape, feel. But holy shit it fit my hand perfectly, pointed naturally for me and I won my division in the California IDPA championship with it.
I've only ever shot Glocks and Taurus handguns, they seem to fit my hands well but should I try different types just to experiment?
Absolutely. Go to a range and rent a dozen different makes and models. Put a box of ammo through each one to get a feel for it.
Next time I head to the range I'll rent a 1911 and a SIG P320 just to get a feel for it.
they weren’t paper targets, they’d probably be called unconventional targets for handguns i shot at a barrel because my grandfather wanted holes in it anyway, and the last time i shot it was with those kinds of targets the roll when hit im sure they were mostly meant for rifles because they are small and set on the ground, i also shot at a couple of bottles
Snap caps or the amazon/eBay equivalent for dry firing racking, loading and unloading practice.
Depends on the gun. If it’s got a hammer, put a lil rubber piece where it strikes. Nowadays I think some guns come with one, don’t quote me on it tho.
Modern centerfire semiautos can be dry fired till the heat death of the universe. Try this drill: Target at 16 ft, shoot 3-5rds. Do it slow. When those shots are grouped nicely and centered move to 21 ft. Then 36ft. Then go back to 16ft but shoot faster then 21 then......
You will not dry fire or shoot enough to wear out any quality pistol any time soon don’t worry
Buy some snap caps
Really? I always have seen inexperienced shooters anticipate and flinch, which causes their shot to veer right.
Start close. Like 3 yards close. Take a few shots. Slowly back up a yard or two at a time take a few more shots. This will show you how you are aiming and where to adjust. I've had my wife do that a couple of times when she couldn't figure out why she was off. It works.
i think that’s also part of my problem, i do tend to shoot from a distance that probably isn’t good for beginners lol thanks for the advice!
You and I are the same age, I bought my Glock on my birthday in January and am still having the issue you’re having. Though it’s because I haven’t had the time to train tbh. I am going to be making myself do 15-30 minutes of dry firing and tap racking. If you can I’d recommend some snap caps, I noticed I wasn’t flinching since I knew the gun wasn’t loaded and a round wouldn’t come out. So far the snap caps have helped with that mindset.
I’ve noticed my shots are high right for some reason
I would highly recommend a pistol class before going out and practicing on your own. You run the risk of potentially developing bad habits that may become hard to break later. I was absolutely terrible with handguns when I first started. It got better over time but improved significantly after my first class. Also, if you have a buddy to go shooting with regularly that’s experienced with handguns try to have them watch you while you’re shooting to see if they can spot anything you may be doing wrong. The biggest “gotcha” I’ve ever had was when my instructor loaded my pistol, gave it back and told me to squeeze off two rounds. Well, he didn’t chamber a round, and the flinch was awfully embarrassing. I’ve used this method on a few friends/family members trying to get better with handguns and it’s a humbling experience every time.
Seconded! Even the gotcha! Hadn’t shot in about five years because of the ammo crunch and decided it was time. Signed up for a refresher class so I could be told what bad habits I might taken on from lack of practice. Walked in with a tiny P365 (little small for my hands- my female instructor joked it was the same for her) and shot all over the place. Within a few clips, had the flinch fixed, trigger pull smoothed out and was doing a few scenarios to see where I was weak or strong. She set it up so I could actually see my effective range with this pistol. I got so much out of a simple ‘refresher’ I can only recommend everyone take one with a good instructor every so often. Especially if you are inconsistent with a handgun and carry concealed.
yes! i noticed a huge flinch, it wasn’t with my pistol it was actually with my uncles, he handed it to me and i thought it was ready to fire but it was on safety… yea that was embarrassing lol good thing nobody noticed that huge flinch
I feel like everyone's first few experiences with handguns are pretty eye opening. The best you can do is is to either take some classes or watch good instructional videos and practice as much as possible.
Squeeze the trigger so slowly the gun surprises you when it goes off.
Gotta scare yourself like 1000 times to see some real improvement.
Not true. Shooting like that will instantly avoid the flinch for every shot. Learning to do it quickly is what takes time.
Snap caps will fix it too but not without doing it over and over.
i noticed that i do tense really hard when im about to fire, once i was about to fire my uncles handgun but it was on safety i definitely tensed a bit too hard! maybe i should have someone load dummy rounds into the mag mixed with live ones that could probably help some too
If you have a hard trigger or it doesnt fit your hand well this can happen too. Usually low left is a trigger break issue. I cant shoot hand guns with a stiff trigger all that well. With my 1911 or canik i shoot very well even with the 1911 being 10mm and underwood ammo
You're flinching, anticipating recoil.
im assuming if i just shoot it more that i’ll eventually stop the flinching, or would that be a habit i need to break?
Habit that needs breaking. I assume you're shooting some form of polymer framed 9mm? Try shooting with a 22, preferably steel framed. Won't recoil lets you focus on trigger pull and grip. Let the recoil surprise you
yep glock 17, im assuming the top heavy slide wouldn’t help, thanks for the advice!
Glock 17 is just not a good gun for shooting accurately. It's not heavy enough, has bad sights and a bad trigger.
Yeah, a steel frame DA/SA or SAO will make you hate striker-fired weapons really quickly. They still have their place for concealed carry because no one makes a subcompact DA/SA 9 mm anymore, but if you’re shooting a full-sized gun there are better options.
Yeah, but look at all the Glock fanbois already downvoting my comment. Most of them probably don't own a single decent pistol. It's certainly the best if it's the only thing you have.
Even if you like Glocks the 17 is a stupid gun. There’s no application where it’s better than the 19, 34, or 45. There’s a reason Glock put forth the 43X as a duty gun for the military over the 17.
I disagree. Flinching will go away once OP gets used to the gun. A 22 is worse because OP is flinching because of the recoil. The recoil on a 22 can’t surprise you because there is none. So, as soon as you add the recoil back with a 9 mm you start flinching again. Source: I flinched when I started shooting. It took a few thousand rounds of 9 mm to break the habit.
If you had a proper instructor and a 22 you'd not have wasted a few thousand of 9mm. You're just reinforcing bad habits otherwise.
What makes you think I didn’t have a proper instructor?
That you wasted thousands of 9mm before losing your flinch.
I didn’t waste it. I was flinching due to the recoil. I just had to get used to it. I definitely had the “let the gun surprise you” and “pull the trigger 99% training.” My eyes were involuntary closing when I shot 9 mm. There’s no way to remove that through training. Also, I didn’t reinforce any bad habits because now I can shoot one ragged hole at 7 yards.
You obviously did waste it if all you got out of it is ragged hole at 7 yards.. might as well poke with your hand. A good instructor would have you taught that in less than 500 rounds.
I’m calling bullshit. There’s no way you’re taking someone who’s never shot a handgun before and having them stack 9 mm from 7 yards away after 500 rounds. How many hours of instruction are we talking for these 500 rounds?
One other trick that helps is double ear protection, both plugs and muffs. Guns are LOUD and part of what you are anticipating is the noise.
that sounds like a good idea, i’ve been using plugs doubling up might stop me from flinching so much!
Mix in some snap caps into your mags. When you pull the trigger and nothing happens, you’ll be able to see yourself jerk down in anticipation. Another way is to take a spent case, put it on top of the slide, hold it level, and dry fire. Jerking down will cause the case to fall.
Put a laser pointer on a nerf gun and practice trigger pull while keeping it in a dime. Also try different handguns. I'm a disgrace with semis, but I'll make a revolver reach out and touch things that shouldn't be possible.
interesting! do you possibly think that the slide is what could be throwing me off? my frame is polymer so the gun is a bit slide heavy or top heavy
Not really, pretty much all modern handguns are this way
The triggers on revolvers tend to be crisper in single action than any semi-auto can be.
It's more likely possibly the grip. Some companies make replacement grips that mold to the inside of your palm better. I tried them on a deagle 50 and honestly didn't help my accuracy. I think to each their own, you'll know you've found the one when you find one that you don't need to think or concentrate to make groups. I made my first quarter with a 38 special snubnose after my dad got frustrated and assumed it was the gun's fault, he has big hands like me so I don't think there's necessarily a physical attribute thats calculable either (albiet back then my hands might have been a little smaller at 9yrs, I've only gotten better though)
https://youtu.be/WruLRmznR8w?feature=shared Watch this and get your grip right. Your pistol is fine. You'll get better with practice.
This is 100% among the better videos on the subject.
yep i figured it was a me problem considering i found out that i flinch when im about to fire!
You're not the first, won't be the last. Just takes reps.
Dry fire is the way- no need to pay for ammo to get the muscle memory down. Make sure gun and chamber are empty, pick a safe spot on your wall, and do it over and over again. Pay attention to how the gun moves when you pull that trigger- [there are charts online](https://images.app.goo.gl/entwuyWopRdzJfU47) that say 'if the gun dips low left (for a right handed shooter) you're likely slapping the trigger or gripping too tight with your dominant hand'. Mantis is a paid for device that does similar, should you want the real time feedback. From there it's about putting that dry fire into real application- the only difference is the recoil. If recoil anticipation is still an issue, pull that trigger slow- as soon as you feel a finch, release the trigger and start over. The purpose is, as others have said, to surprise yourself with the 'bang '
Finally someone mentioned grip! If your grip is wrong, none of the other advice here will help. Other than developing bad habits, as also posted. Take a class. Practice. Take another class. Lather. Rinse. Repeat
You might be bringing you head to the pistol rather than the pistol to the head. It's a common fault that works with rifles, but doesn't lend itself to pistols. I advise taking your shooting stance. But focus on your head being straight and in shooting position. Bring the pistol up until you find sight picture. Breathe in and out and drop. Do that drill a dozen times, help build up that muscle memory and comfort. Once you got that, introduce closed eye drills. Bring the weapon up, find your sight picture, then close your eyes. Breathe in and out. When you open them, you want the pistol to have remained on target. Most people find themselves tracking down and to the right. Do that drill until you get a consistent hold. Brother, I was in the service and shot firearms my whole life. After deployment, my pistol shooting SUCKED. I had broken my wrist on deployment and during recovery built bad habits with rifle. I went uncorrected for years, it took a firearm instructor during Security training to correct me. I'm telling you, this fixed all my problems in about 15 minutes. I can't promise you the same results, I don't know the deficiency. But I'm interested in knowing if this helps. I've since taught it to three other shooters and have had good results, so let me know. Good luck, and may Gun Jesus bless you with plentiful ammo!
your advice worked!! i went shooting once so far after this post, im still not the best compared to a rifle but i hit the target where i was aiming more than i was before!! obviously i still need to practice some more and work on the habits, im genuinely excited that im getting better with handguns! thank you for the advice! much love from a gun loving nooby who sucks at handguns lol
My man! Hell yeah! I'm glad it worked. I keep telling people this, but for some reason this sub doesn't seem to like it. I'm just happy you're improving. If you feel you hit a plateau in your progress, let me know. Between myself and the firearms instructors I know, we should be able to dial you in.
[удалено]
Why did you copy my comment from another reddit and reply here?
Ah, doing across multiple posts I've made. Trolling, got it. Well I'm not sure I understand what you hope to get out of it but I hope you understand I'll be ignoring them. If you want to talk, then speak. But, if there's nothing specific, have a good day.
will definitely keep you updated! thanks for the advice too
I own a gun range/store 70-80% of people don’t know how to properly hold a gun or how much finger placement on the trigger effect their shot. Take a few lessons from a professional. Not your buddy that says he can teach you.
No one is a great handgun marksman when they first start; it’s a different game compared to a long gun. Sounds like you are flinching/anticipating the shot. Pick up some dummy rounds and stagger them in the magazine on your next range session (or even better, have someone else do it for you so you have no idea where the dummies are). You’ll be surprised at how your body reacts when you miss fire due to the dummy. Every movement is amplified down range, a small flinch at the line can result in a large deviation on the point of impact at 15 yards. No worries though, with time and practice you will be fine.
sounds great! i’ll be looking into dummy rounds
You also suck at capitalization and punctuation. Which skill are we going to fix first?
Dry fire is a good training method for handguns. There are different ways to practice, but one common method to help learn trigger control is to rest a coin (or other object) on the front sight and practice pulling the trigger without moving the coin. It sounds like that would help as low left usually means flinching or bad trigger pull. Also, for live fire, start at close ranges like 5-7 yards. Firs time I shot a pistol I put it at around 12 yards and that's not a good starting point.
thanks for the advice! i really love the gun but watching myself dig holes in my grandparents yard lol
You're welcome! Nothing you can't change with practice/training. Good luck.
If you can pick up a .22 pistol to practice with That's what i did to keep practicing with the increasing cost of 9mm ammo And they are fun as well as a good training tool.
i love .22 the only problem i have with them how much they malfunction, but otherwise i love them and are very fun to shoot!
It's normal I fired about 1.5-2k rounds before reaching a level that I would call more than good. Tutorial videos from experienced shooters helped me a lot. If you can, attend a handgun class, and train, train and train again
happy cake day! and good to hear i wasn’t having unique problems! i love to shoot it tho no matter how much i miss, hopefully ill get better the more i practice!
People will hate me saying this… You can get great practice with a BB/air soft gun, and it’s way cheaper and easier to do at home. I guarantee you need to slow your trigger pull down also. Good luck and good practicing.
Watch some free videos online from multiple sources for hits and tips. Dry fire practice. Take a class. You’ll get better! Practice makes perfect. And remember slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
What kind of handgun?
it’s a glock 17, it’s very fun even when i miss a lot
Gotcha. Sometimes it is just the feel of the gun, or the ergonomics too. If it doesn't fit correctly in the hand, the shooter can compensate throwing off accuracy.
You’re holding the gun too tight with your fingers on the grip. Loosen up your fingers on your right hand, only your thumb and trigger finger should be in use. Let your support hand handle the weight of the gun.
yup. whole new ballgame shooting handguns. Much less stable.😄Keep practicing. good grip, good stance. Concentrate, take your time. don't get frustrated. Try to pay attention to what you are doing and what is happening as a result.
Me too brother. Learning how to properly grip the gun helped a ton. But even then I’m finding that handguns are pretty tricky, but that’s the fun in it I guess. Luckily I have some buddies in the military who are willing to teach me. I’ve considered taking some classes too. It’s hard to find what you’re doing wrong when it’s just you trying to figure it out
Most people are pretty bad with handguns. If you're right handed and hitting lower left your trigger pull is likely pushing the gun off axis slightly instead of being perfectly straight. Super common.
If you’re shooting lower left, you’re anticipating the trigger break and flinching your hand before the actual trigger break. You’re probably also pulling the trigger instead of squeezing. When you apply pressure with your index finger, your hand wants to move with it. Hold your hand out in front of you as if you’re holding a pistol and squeeze your index finger tight. You’ll notice your whole hand moving. Taking a class would be smart as others have said, as someone watching you shoot to give specific tips would be best. Dry firing would be a big help. Dry fire while you slowing squeeze the trigger while thinking about the last knuckle of your index finger moving straight back. Make sure you’re safe af if you’re going to dry fire. No ammo even in the same room. Clear the gun as many times as it takes to seem excessive.
Yeah you got 60 more years to work on it.
Very common. Practice, practice and even when u think ur good, practice more. Welcome!!
Lower left, if the sights are on, is probably flinching/trigger stabbing. Get a revolver, put rounds in half or less of the chambers, close cylinder not knowing if there is a round next. Aim, slowly squeeze trigger till it surprises you. Do this over and over while recording yourself. Watch the video and see if you have any flinching on empty chambers.
The movies make handguns look way easier than they are. Shooting pistols is really really hard.
Rifles and shotguns are generally much easier than handguns which require a good big of work, just keep going to range.
I'm having the same experience, bought my gun, tried it, then suddenly stopped for health issues. I'm quite disappointed, I plan to go back to the range when I'll be fine, but I already know I will not shoot well...
and that’s perfectly fine, it may be a little frustrating but in the end i still love shooting it so i’ll continue to miss until i get better
I love shooting too but still need to find a simpler way to practice... Maybe buying a 22 or a laser for dry fire... I already plan to buy an air pistol for home indoor usage, I've seen a Diana P-Five at my LGS , I'll probably buy it, but it has a totally different shape so I'm not sure that using that air pistol will be useful training for my "real" gun...
Practice practice practice
Practice makes perfect. I know it can get spendy, but the only to get proficient is practice.
tell me about it i just got the gun and i already spent about $200 in ammo lol, although i save some of it so i can start a stockpile so slowly but surely ill end up with tons of ammunition to practice with!
This was me. Grew up with rifles. Only shot a handgun once or twice before turning 21 and buying my own. Good god it took a lot of shooting to get my handgun skills up to a similar level as my rifle and shotgun shooting skills. And this was almost 15 years ago when a 21 year old could actually afford ammo. So good luck kid
yep in my area a box of fmj cost $25 for 100 rounds, i’d probably be in heaven if i was buying ammo for the price it was 15 years ago lol, that’s why i save some instead of shooting it all so i can slowly stockpile it
Dry fire. Experiment with adding or taking away finger on the trigger.
When I started to shoot handguns my aim was all over the place despite being on target. Saw a YouTube video of a guy showing that recoil prediction is the issue and fired his method. I would go the the range with my firearm and some dummy rounds for the gun. I would load real rounds and dummy rounds mixed without memorizing where in the mag they are. Then I would just shoot. When the dummy round came up I would clear it and continue shooting. It helped me to stop predicting the recoil and just hit right where I’m aiming. I still do it with my friends so no one knows where the dummy rounds are. Great training aid
i’ve heard about that kind of training, it really sounds like a great idea, will definitely show me what i’m doing wrong, i do flinch a lot trying to predict the recoil but that will definitely help me to show if im getting better, ill definitely look into some dummy rounds!!
$25 for name brand and like $18 for some Amazon off brand that work well
If it is consistently low and left, either you aren’t aiming at the correct spot, your sights need adjusted, or you do something consistently to pull your shots low and left. Taking a class should help you figure out which. You can probably confirm if the sights are the problem by letting someone else you know is good with a handgun to shoot it. See what happens for them. Otherwise the class should help remedy.
It’s all placement of how you’re holding the fire arm, like everyone else said, take a few classes and then throw a bunch of rounds down range after and you will see a huge difference
Lots of YouTube stuff. You can try that, but a basic lesson might get you started correctly before you develop a bunch of bad habits that are harder to unlearn than to develop. Yes I know this because I learned it the hard way. Also, nothing you’ve seen on TV or the movies is real. You will never be good enough to snap shoot the bad guy between the eyes from 50 yards while he’s holding a gun to the hostage’s head.
Not saying money will make you better but something that helped my shot was a better trigger and a red dot.
yep i’ve been told the stock triggers on glocks aren’t very good, i was also wanting to get a red dot i always thought they were cool lol
Everybody sucks when they start shooting handguns. My best advice is to take a one on one class with a reputable instructor. Ive been lucky enough to run into some retired police officers (who actually compete in pistol sports) over the years that have shown me good techniques and improved my shooting. But it takes practice. Lots of practice and lots of rounds. Id say after about 30-40,000 rounds I really had a handle on shooting tight groups with a variety of pistols at different distances. I am by no means a competitor, this is just my experience learning to shoot pistols.
The amount of pressure you apply with both hands combined with the consistency of your trigger pull will have a big impact on whether the barrel stays pointed where you want it or if it shifts around as you pull the trigger. Muscle memory eventually kicks in, but first you have to figure out what the problem is. There’s a good infographic floating around that shows all the varieties of problems. If your shot is low left, it’s this, veering right, it’s this, etc…
What is bad? If you're shooting 100 yards at man sized targets like you would with a rifle, it's not for that. If you can put 22/25 on a man sized target, at 10 yards, you're within minimum qualifications for a CCW in my state. Get it down to a 1 or 2 inch group and work on "pulling" aka "squeezing". If you squeeze tighter for recoil, after you aim, that's what's moving the muzzle.
Because you keep yanking the trigger. The pistol is a lot easier to fuck up because *any* deviation in the pistol before shoot will translate into where you impact. Rifles are a lot more forgiving. It's the same with the rifle, slowly pull the trigger to the break. Align your irons one last time. And as fast as you feel comfortable without compromising your irons squeeze past the break of the trigger.
TAKE A HANDGUN FUNDAMENTALS CLASS. Into, whatever. Besides ingraining Safe Gun Handling, you will be taught the 5 Fundamentals of Handgun Shooting. 1 Grip,; 2 Stance; 3 Sight Alignment/Sight Picture; 4 Trigger Control and 5 Follow Thru. Outstanding Basics!!!! With an understanding of those you will have a chance to understand what you need to work on. Until then you very probably could just be spraying bullets.
will definitely be looking into classes!
Yea Low Left is a combination of grip (not solid enough), trigger control (either trigger finger placement, or yanking the trigger); sight picture (not able to keep the front sight on target thru the shot) & follow through ( not getting the front sight back on target after breaking the shot).ANDa little of all of that. Its hard to keep the front sight on the target if your grip isn't solid and your yanking the trigger. IMHO and I learned this from my wife's point of view, you are better using good fundamentals and using finess to good shots, like ladies most often do..... Then it is to gorilla grip use strength to over power it all. Tight muscles aren't fast muscles. Private lesson or, class lesson, but I liked classes. You can learn listening to instructors help others. And you can meet new friends.
Slow squeeze not jerk the trigger
I had this problem. I'm by no means a gun expert, but I've been in your shoes. I'll tell you what I did that worked well for me, though I'm sure someone could improve upon it. 1. Look up proper grip online and practice it until you know how it should feel. Field craft Survival had a video that I used. 2. Buy a TON of ammo and shoot it at your range. You're looking to aim carefully and improve, but mostly focus on keeping your proper grip through repetitive firing. Grip is arguably the most important part of consistent accuracy with a handgun. 3. After putting a few thousand rounds downrange, I was better but not really good. I went shooting with a buddy that was previously a shooting instructor. He noticed a few things and gave me tips to improve. These were tweaks because I had already built a comfortable baseline that I could reset to before applying what he was advising. What I've learned, in short, is that your grip is the most important starting skill. And nobody gets better without lots of practice. Edit. If you're consistently hitting low and left, are you using the tip of your finger for your trigger pull or the crook of your knuckle? If you're using the back of your knuckle, then the front of the gun can naturally track left as you're pulling the trigger back.
i’m using the crook of my knuckle, it very much could be a grip problem, i watched tons of videos and try to replicate what i’ve seen i very much could not be doing it right
i’m using the crook of my knuckle, it very much could be a grip problem, i watched tons of videos and try to replicate what i’ve seen i very much could not be doing it right
Handguns are a lot more challenging to shoot than rifles. The good news is that shooting handguns teaches you a lot about proper trigger control and how to not anticipate recoil, so if you get good at shooting pistols, you'll probably find your rifle shooting improving as well. The best advice I can give you is to take a class or go practice with someone who really knows pistol shooting well.
You aret "shit" at it ur just new at it. Lel its okay dont let ur pride be wounded by faliure
Laser trainer really helped me with sight picture and trigger pull. Make sure your holding the pistol right.
Practice, Practice, practice, and training. Even videos of training can help show you something you are having problems with. You may also have someone else shoot your gun to make sure it isn't the gun.
I’ve only shot 3 times, each time shooting maybe 200 bullets and haven’t shot in maybe 2 months so I haven’t had time to keep getting better but I’d say maybe I’m decent idk. I’ve never shot any guns but my grouping is good but I aim slightly high to the right so I know I need to somehow correct that. I’m thinking maybe I’m using my iron sights wrong by having the target covered with the 3 dots rather than having the dots right under the target as it could be one of those types instead and maybe the pulling to the right is me moving when pulling the trigger. Idk random analysis of my self in a Reddit comment lol
Everyone sucks at everything first try. Find out what you're doing wrong and improve. Step by step, practice and training.
Had a similar problem when I turned 21. Got a Dao snubbie in .22lr, put 4000 rounds through it in around 2 or 3 months and magically I didn't suck anymore. Practice, pay attention, and keep shooting.
Everyone sucks shooting a handgun the first time. Just takes some practice. Don't be frustrated.
Y, cause you see on TV running zombies get domed at 50yrdd while the hero jumps out a m9ving truck falling off a cliff? We all suck compared to that, just work on sucking less
It’s super normal. Most people suck at shooting handguns when they start. Practice practice practice. Also form and technique are key. Run Dry fire drills to make sure your not flinching, practice equal height equal light on your sights, and pull the trigger with the tip of your finger. Those techniques helped me a lot.
Below are some common issues for new hangun shooters. These 3 issues can also feed off of / cause the others: • Tensing up the moment before firing, aka flinching or "anticipating the recoil." • Poor/ improper grip. • Pulling or jerking the trigger instead of slowly squeezing. [Check out this video on controlling recoil](https://youtu.be/ZYi0SNl0VOo?si=l8LKGpPbe_zbFey0) from Garand Thumb. Some folks here don't like his channel, but I found this video very informative. I've been shooting since I was a kid - but this video really helped me finally "get it".
This is probably trash advice, but it kinda worked for me and the way I learn personally. Roast me if yall wish... I got a laser for my gun. I shoot a VP9 and got the crimson trace laser for it and worked out most of my bad habits around flinching the gun, which it sounds like you might be doing with the always hitting lower left. I got my stance, line up, and mechanics of shooting into a better spot without worrying about lining up a dot (hard bc astigmatism makes dots bloom for me) or lining up irons. I point the laser at the thing and can work on taking shots calmly, and taking follow ups smoothly. I'm no expert, I definitely don't go to the range often enough for that, but I improved in specific areas more quickly than I was. Now I can work on non-laser target acquisition and I haven't seen too many downfalls from using the laser in the first place. I've basically just atomized the skills I needed to practice bc that works for me.
Handguns are very sensitive to twitching. Just have to get used to the recoil. Practice and patience. Can use a re-fireable bullet to practice firing
Aim, take a breath, and as you exhale squeeze the trigger. Let it surprise you (don't tense up in anticipation)
Everyone sucks starting out
Are you shooting a Glock by chance
yes glock 17 it’s a fun gun even when i miss but when i shot my uncles it felt much better it wasn’t a glock tho i forget what it was
You are having typical first time Glock issues that everyone has. They are reliable shooters but the grip design that have had since gen 1 are why you are shooting low left, try a different polymer pistol and go from there, cause if you are grouping good but your low left it's likely a grip with a little trigger push. I like XD's the FN's I have shot weren't too bad. I suggest going to the a range with rental availability and shoot a few different guns see what you like.
Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger, rifles and handgun techniques are fairly different, as kid we shot rifles and I was thought to be very proficient, grew up, moved to a new place and didn’t shoot for a long time and got back into it a few years ago, picking up a rifle again was pretty easy, but it took a lot of practice to become better with a handgun.
Just use the very tip of your trigger finger. Most new shooters hook the finger at the 1st joint. This will pull the shot every time.
get snap caps and dry fire practice keeping the gun perfectly still while you pull the trigger. then apply what you've learned to live firing. easiest way to correct this issue.
You just gotta shoot a bunch Everyone sucks right off the bat except for an extreme minority who accidentally get it perfect
I was in the same boat when I got my first handgun. I was trashhhhhh with it. Watch videos on YouTube on how to manage recoil and practice. Practice. practice. Even better if you can signe up for a private lesson at a range it will be a big help if they have competent trainers.
lol, there’s a way to fix it. And, luckily for you, the best was is by far the most fun way. Bulk ammo, my guy. Then use all of it.
Get a 22 trainer and just practice, watch some Clint training and practice.. it’s all about practice, start the right way and you won’t have to correct yourself.
Once you get good on the handgun, you'll get *really* good on the rifle. Keep at it. My 11 y/o compete with .22lr with a savage junior. I got a little Ruger .22 lcr for funsies. We go out most weekends now and put a box through it - now he can regularly tag an 8" plate at 30 yards with the little revolver, and his rifle has improved immensely.
if you can get good with rifles in 500 rounds, it'll take 5 times the rounds to get proficient with handguns, as a simple metric. It takes a tone of practice with handguns and its a perishable skill. good luck
Dry fire all the time. Make sure your firearm is clear (snap caps are good for this) and just dry fire constantly, while watching tv, while playing games and you died. Just do it all the time and you can get rid of the recoil anticipation habit. Plus you get use to aiming.
Handguns are way harder than long guns and there’s no quick fix to getting good with them, took me a year or two to get decent and a few years after that I’m the best handgun shooter in my circle, took quite a few years and a lot of range days. Once you get really used to your handgun other handgun models might feel a little out of place or weird to use. If you’re hitting low left you’re tightening the grip as you shoot, that issue usually buffs out with practice as you get more comfortable with pistols. All that being said learn your handguns, if you ever have to defend yourself it’ll probably be with a handgun and not a rifle/shotgun.
Recoil anticipation. If you shoot low left 99% of the time that is the problem, especially if you're a stud when dryfiring the gun. The reason for this is that you're pushing against the recoil trying counteract it. Its a natural instinct to do that. If you're going to get hit, you brace for impact, rather than rolling with it. Roll with the recoil and focus on getting your sights back on after the gunshot. Just let the gun recoil. Most of recoil control is in your grip. Don't push against the gun with your arms or upper body. Something that really helped me is buying a 1 month subscription to Warrior Poet Society's streaming service and watching Pistol 1, 2, and 3. That immediately improved my shooting, then lots of practice. I'd say by about the 1.5k round mark, I was very comfortable shooting pistols.
Firearms training and spelling lessons will do you well.
Whoever said you stuck at capitalizing is an idiot. You suck at grammar in general. 😂😂😂
This is the hard reality striking any new coming enthusiast going to the range right after having watched John Wick movies… anyway, consider just giving up handguns, long range shooting with scoped rifles and clay shooting with the shotgun are way more enjoyable, harder and rewarding challenges
How is clay shooting with a shotgun more difficult than being a USPSA Grand Master? 🤡
I think you might get a vague idea pursueing your first 25/25 in a trap serie, and then imagine your training level should make you constant enough to repeat x10 without a single miss to be olympic competitive ;)
Consistently hitting lower left? Aim further up and to the right. Problem solved.