[SV-COP]

After reviewing Brian's book, Saul's book and several threads on here, I decided that I need to add group shooting to my practice sessions. My live fire practice is very limited so I've neglected the group shooting for a long time. These are some of my observations from today:

1. From 10-15 yards I can easily shoot the X/10 ring out of a police style target. The sights, pistol, everything feels good to me.

2. From 25-30 yards my target looks more like a shotgun target. The groups are not consistent and tend to be 2-3 inches, left of POA. If the group wasn't to the left, it wasn't much of a group and rarely did any rounds go right of POA.

3. I tried a few rounds from a bench at about 35 yards. Although the group was not very tight, it was fairly centered around my POA.

4. I noticed that as my pistol recoils, it does not lift straight up and back. It actually lifts up and to the left between the 10 and 11 O'clock position. (I'm left handed)

I know I need LOTS of practice at shooting groups. Now I see how I screwed up my last classifier. The back target had hard cover on both sides of the A zone. My POA was center of the A zone, but 3 of my shots were left of the A zone in the hard cover!!

This post has been edited by rangertrace: 12 February 2009 - 04:32 PM

[Al Capizzo]

You might want to add shooting groups strong and weak hand only also. After a while its a HUGE confidence builder when you shoot classifiers.
"I know I can do this, 'cause I've been doin' it!"

[Rbelote]

If you are left handed and the groups were to the left you are either using to little trigger finger or pulling the trigger to the left. The gun recoiling to the left for a lefty is odd. THe gun should recoil to the weakest point, wich is to the right in the left hand and visa versa. Sometimes when your used to speed shooting it is hard to slow down and focus on the basics for tight groups.

[RV man]

Catfish taught us a game where we fire a headshot and then back up 3 steps and do it again. High Velocity and I ran out of room on a 25 yard bay and had to start going weak hand. I missed the second round so he won that day. I know I can make a 25 yard head shot, so a 5 yard doesn't scare me at all. With the process of stepping back, you see the changes a little at a time. Give yourself three tries to make it at first from each position and you will know exactly where you start to have trouble.

Bill

[SV-COP]

RV man, on Feb 16 2009, 10:36 PM, said:

Catfish taught us a game where we fire a headshot and then back up 3 steps and do it again. High Velocity and I ran out of room on a 25 yard bay and had to start going weak hand. I missed the second round so he won that day. I know I can make a 25 yard head shot, so a 5 yard doesn't scare me at all. With the process of stepping back, you see the changes a little at a time. Give yourself three tries to make it at first from each position and you will know exactly where you start to have trouble.

Bill

What range do you start at?

[SV-COP]

Rbelote, on Feb 16 2009, 10:30 PM, said:

If you are left handed and the groups were to the left you are either using to little trigger finger or pulling the trigger to the left. The gun recoiling to the left for a lefty is odd. THe gun should recoil to the weakest point, wich is to the right in the left hand and visa versa. Sometimes when your used to speed shooting it is hard to slow down and focus on the basics for tight groups.

I'm reading Brian's book again and I read where his gun will do just the opposite of mine, but he's right handed. I also rest my support hand thumb against the frame. I'm going to try to stop that.

[bigbrowndog]

try putting a popper or plate at 10 yds(since you seem to be able to shoot well at that distance) set the popper/plate so that it will not fall when hit. fire 2 slow shots and get hits then move back 3 steps and repeat, continue back until you miss, then start completely over and try again, while doing this be very aware of your sights and trigger control, when you can get to 40yds with no misses, then start over but try and do the 2 shots as quickly as possible without misses. When you miss, start over.

the popper/plate should be no bigger than 8" in the largest spot.

this will help on calling your shot and your accuracy.

trapr

[benos]

I would think that for most right handed shooters, most pistols recoil or "track" slightly to the right, it would make sense that lefty's would see the opposite. But I really don't know because I never shot "supported weak hand."

If your pistol is zeroed off the bench but not while standing, you are probably not just smoothly pulling just the trigger straight to the rear, standing. It's much easier to execute proper trigger control from a bench because the sights are (or should be) dead still. But once the sights are moving around (shooting standing) it's easy to snatch or grab at the trigger, or squeeze your hands, instead of just pulling the trigger.

When shooting standing, to help with this, imagine your pistol is dead still in a vice, and your buddy is downrange, moving the target in the same pattern you see the movement in from your shooting position - and ask yourself, "now what can I do". Nothing, but accept the movement and pull the trigger straight to the rear (so at least you don't make the shot any worse).
be

[Duane Thomas]

Brian,

I heard that piece of advice during your interview with Matt Burkett on Practical Shooting, Volume 3, and since then my ability to fire accurately at distance, in a fairly short time frame has really picked up.

[Catfish]

Trace, we start that drill that Bill was talking about at 3 yards.

[SV-COP]

Thanks for the replies and information. I'm looking forward to trying these things on the range. The more I read, the more I think I may be overgripping the gun a little too.

Thanks again,

Trace

This post has been edited by rangertrace: 18 February 2009 - 05:04 AM