[Clifford L. Hughes]

Al:

Why not try dry firing to discover what you are doing wrong? You can snap in in the privacy of your own home. Skilled pistol and revolver shooting requires that you aquire the ability to release the trigger without disturbing your sight alignment. There are many mixed reasons that could adversley effect your grouuping: flinching, closing eyes, jerking trigger, poor sight alignment, trigger finger placement and a poor grip. Your poor groups could be the result of any combination of the above.

Let me share with you how I dry fired when I shot on several Marine Corps rifle and pistol teams. Remember this drill is to develope your ability to release the trigger without disturbing your sight alignment.

Stand about ten feet away from a blank, white wall. Use a kitchen chair back to simulate a firing line bench. Experiment with getting a comfortable grip and trigger finger placement. After you have your grip, afix your eyes to the pistol's sights and align them. Your eyes should follow your pistol's sights to your shooting position Now attempt to release the trigger without disturbing the sight alignment. Any sight movement will be apparent on the blank white wall.

One more important thing when you take your new skills to the range: your eyes can't focus on more that one point at a time so some thing will blurr and that some thing is the target.

Think about this, the target will remain stationary before, during and after the shot, only the pistol moves. If the sights are aligned properly when the trigger releases the pistol can move the distance of the black and you will still hit in the black.

Don't skimp on the number of secessions. I hold a master's classification with the pistol and I would snip in four or five times a week in thirty minute secessions.

Semper Fi.

Gunnery Sergeant
Clifford L. Hughes
USMC Retired