Technique details . . .book?

[Nathan]

Just having some struggles with nitty gritty details related to fast shooting.

Are there any books you reccomend for something like this? Most of what I read doesn't deal with exact trigger pull secrets, exact grip, stance, etc secrets. There is a lot of try it and find what works for you.

I have a trigger pull technique that I use. I'll try to explain it to give you an idea of what I'm looking for.

I have been shooting pretty regularly for almost 30 years. Through that time, especially learning, I had some bad triggers. So, I kind of learned to deal with them.

At first, I was shooting a rifle. I would get my hold down to minimal movement and squeeze the trigger slow until i surprise broke. I got pretty good at that, but realized that my accuracy still left something to be desired. ~1.5" position groups with a WW2 30'06 conversion. Good enough, but I could feel the trigger breaking when I was not on target.

So then I decided. . .over many years of frustration, breathing, slow squeezes, hard holds, etc that I really needed to know exactly when my trigger breaks and at that moment, I need the sights on target.

I also realized that I needed a way to not feel creep, crap, overtravel, grit in a trigger pull. The key here is all triggers have a speed which the feel best when you pull them. After 1000's of dry fires, I can get to this best feel in about 50 pulls with a new gun. I have super 1911 triggers through 12lb S&W DA, heavy Kahr striker triggers, AR 2 stage, Savage accutrigger. . .So this works for all.

When you get the best feel speed nailed, you have to know exactly when in that stroke it is breaking. When you know that, you know the key.

Then, get your hold pattern repeatable. Literally, do many presentations and dry holds to get your movement patterns dialed. Ideally, your gun should shake in a ~figure 8 pattern caused by you tensing muscles to push back on target. With pistols, you really want to shoot a moving gun, not a held gun..I equate this to leading a target and pulling the trigger when shotgunning. The idea is you want to develop a known "stroke" which crosses the target slowly.

Of course, breathing enters into this also, especially with rifles.

The final result is a pistol moving onto target with the hammer releasing right as it gets to the bullseye.

This is opposed to trying to hold still, squeeze without moving or breathing as is traditionally taught.

So here is my issue. That is all the first shot. My first shots are usually good, but how do I groove a repeatable recoil stroke. I have tried alot of techniques and am getting pretty good. I can mag dump my 40 S&W into a paper plate a 7 yards pretty easily and quickly, but since recoil strokes are so fast there can be no thought processed before it is time to fire again. I would like to develop this recoil stroke knowledge to where I can mag dump or double tap into 12" at 15 or 25 yards. Right now I mag dump because I'm a shoot to stop kind of guy. I think I need to learn to stop at 2 or 3 and access. I mean, heck I'm shooting 40, 45 and 357. 2 ought to be convincing enough!

Anyways, know how about these details from a Brian Enos or something would be super, if someone is writing a book on these topics, I would like to read it.

Most tactics books I find are all telling me things like I need to carry 5 guns, go to safe places and shoot first. Great material, but less detail oriented than I want to see.

Any thoughts? Any book suggestions?

[2damnold4this]

I think I'd try to find a qualified instructor and take a class. Even a small amount of training seemed to help me more than reading.

[MrBorland]

Anyways, know how about these details from a Brian Enos or something would be super, if someone is writing a book on these topics, I would like to read it.

Funny you should mention an Enos book. Practical Shooting, Beyond Fundamentals has earned a reputation as the definitive book on the subject. Check out other books & CDs on his site as well.

BTW, many high level competitive shooters hang out on the BE forum, and it's chocked full of good info.

Even a small amount of training seemed to help me more than reading.

True. A little instruction (and a whole lot of post-instruction practice) goes a long way.

[Nathan]

Thanks.

[Murdock]

Combat Focus Shooting, Evolution 2010 by Rob Pincus and Stressfire by Massad Ayoob.

[Murdock]

I have re-read your post in detail, and stand by my book recommendations.

That said, I feel that you are over-thinking this problem (if it is a problem). Are you shooting competitively?
Perhaps shooting in that kind of environment will help with recoil management and follow ups.

One of the things I like about Rob Pincus is his discussion of the role of intuition in defensive shooting. I believe that it has helped me to shoot faster with reasonable precision.
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