Need help/advice at the range

GLP Standard · September 30, 2005, 04:16 PM

Im new to the sport of shooting, and have only been to the range twice, where I shot a Glock Model 23 .40 Caliber. Ive put 100 rounds through it each time (200 total) 50 rounds at each target (4 total) My first time I did decent for a first timer, but my second time I did worse. Lets say that you need a 200 to pass when I qualify with my work, and the first time I think I scored maybe 180 on one target, and 170 on the other, and the second time I went I got around 140 on both.

Can anyone give me any pointers? Ive never had any instruction, aside from the guy basically telling me how to use the gun and how I generally want to aim it so I dont shoot myself or anyone else. I recieved a hint from someone else though, that I was closing the wrong eye when I shoot. Most of my shots were in the bottom left hand corner of the target, with maybe 5 or 6 in the red, and only about 30-35 or so out of 50 hit the target. He told me how to test this, and told me to point at an object with my finger, and close my left eye like im supposed to. He asked me where I was pointing, and I said I was pointing at the object still. I then closed my right eye like he asked me to, how ive been shooting all along, and I was pointing to the right of the object. I figured the reason that im shooting to the left on the target, is because Im closing my right eye, which makes it look like im actually pointing to the right of the object. Get what im saying?

Also, im pretty sure the the way I pull the trigger has a lot to do with it too. I was told to pull it on the first joint of my pointer finger (the one closest to the tip of the finger) Is this correct?

Any other tips or suggestions I can get would be great, as I am qualifying with my work in a week and a half, and I want to make sure ill pass. The instructor is a really great guy ive been told, and ive heard of people that have never fired a gun in their life going there and passing with no problems. Someone thats been through the class described him as "a badass I wouldnt want to f*ck with"

James K · September 30, 2005, 08:30 PM

Try these two sentences:

Concentrate on the sights.

Squeeze the trigger.

I can expand those two sentences into a book, and many folks have, but that is all you really have to do. Keep the sights lined up and squeeze the trigger. You might find it better with the Glock to shift to pulling the trigger with the pad of the middle joint of the index finger.

Jim

spacemanspiff · September 30, 2005, 08:37 PM

what distance are you shooting?

also, consider keeping both eyes open while shooting. you can train your dominant eye to be the only one you focus on the front sight with.

lastly, it sounds like you are new to shooting, so dry fire practice every day. get to know that trigger. dont expect to become a marksman overnight, one day you'll notice that your shots are all in the 10 ring.

one more thing, don't overthink your shooting. i've found that target shooting is a lot like playing pool. the first time you line up your cue with the ball, usually is the best shot to take. when i try to get cute and readjust so the stick hits the ball high or low or left or right, i never drop any in the hole. that first time you line up (provided your mechanics are adequate) is almost always the shot you want to take. the same can apply to shooting.

Rob P. · September 30, 2005, 08:40 PM

If htis is your first gun, then I think you need some training. Both in handling as well as safety and shooting skills.

The NRA has training programs all over the place. This link will take you to their training page. The top left link will take you to their "find a local safety program" page. On that page you can find your State and browse through the classes that are offered in various places near you. I'd suggest "first pistol" as a good starting point.

http://www.nrahq.org/education/train...ictraining.asp

USP45usp · September 30, 2005, 08:43 PM

Spiffy's anology of pool is straight on with shooting. If you're new, just keep it simple. Line up your sights, concentrate on the front sight (everything else will be a blur) and fire.

Dry fire practice is also a good thing to practice.

Don't mean to probe into personal things here, how is the recoil on the .40? Some will develope a flinch when shooting guns that have a bit of a "bite" to them (the recoil "flip" sort of speak) and you could be anticipating your shots. Dry fire practice will show if this is a problem or not.

And Spiffman, keep on practicing your pool. Your "english" will get much better over time

.

edited: Just saw Rob's post, I agree with getting some basic training from the NRA.

Wayne

tripytrucker · September 30, 2005, 08:44 PM

1 Aim
2 Take a normal breath,let out halfway and hold
3 Squeeze trigger slowly (when trigger breaks and gun fires it should suprise you just a little. Don't anticipate and jerk the trigger)
4 Follow thru (release trigger,bring muzzle back to point of aim)
5 Repeat

also print off a couple of these targets they may help if its your grip.

http://www.store.yahoo.com/mycopshop/atcxhs.html

459 · September 30, 2005, 09:37 PM

a couple of things..

get some snap caps and dry fire it about a 1000 times..gives you trigger time..

also squeeze very slowly..most jerk at it..anticipate recoil. You might want to practice with several thousand rounds of .22s ...little recoil but will help you get some trigger time and find the proper balance etc.. also make sure your grip is good...make it comfortable...point as much as aim...

but its all bout practice and practice..you will get better...just takes some time

459 · September 30, 2005, 09:40 PM

yeah then theres the .40 factor..

I dunno but i just dont like them...maybe its velocity im not sure. I like 9mm, .357, 10mm, .45 even .44 on occasion..but .40 its like a 9mm gone bad..im not sure what it is about it I dont like..whether its the noise and flip or the speed of the percieved recoil..its odd..but I truly hate that round...and I will quite happily shoot much heavier stuff...

GLP Standard · September 30, 2005, 09:48 PM

Im shooting from halfway down the range. Dont know how far it is. Probably about 25-30 feet or so. Also, I dont know own a gun yet, I rent at the range, so I cant practice dry firing

Ive gotten lots of good pointers as far as which eye to close, and someone else that I work with told me to focus on the front sight, and not the target. Havent gotten a chance to practice any of these yet. Im going to the range tomorrow with one of the guys that I work with, and hes going to give me some tips and pointers. Hopefully I can shoot atleast a passing score on one of the targets I shoot. Ill let you guys know how it goes

459 · September 30, 2005, 10:13 PM

keep both eyes open..just ignore the stuff from the non dominant eye..it gets easy after awhile...try and buy a cheap used .22 like a ruger for practice..ammo is cheap to.

USP45usp · September 30, 2005, 10:28 PM

I am agreement with 459 on all counts.

Rent?... I'm alittle confused at this point. Are you allowed to purchase and own guns and since you have to qualify with a gun

Quote:

Lets say that you need a 200 to pass when I qualify with my work

I am wondering why you don't practice (rent) the gun that will be issued to you. And if it's the .40, then stick with that and practice as much as you can.

I am ashamed to admit that I get confused easily, but I'm trying to make sense of the post so that maybe we can help to pinpoint the knowledge that you need the most.

Wayne

Swamp Yankee · October 1, 2005, 06:42 AM

+1 for yhe NRA Basic Pistol Course

It is designed for entry level shooters. Like any other activity the fundamentals are needed before you can move on. The NRA Basic Pistol will show you the basics.
Bad habits are hard to break. As a case in point at least a third of the "experienced" shooters that take my Basic Pistol course only because they have to for the CCW permit have a very poor grip, and their marksmanship reflects it.
Take Care

GLP Standard · October 1, 2005, 10:42 AM

In this state, for some reason you cant purchase a handgun until youre 21, but you can shoot them at the age of 18 (I dont understand why) just like you cant buy a rifle or shotgun till youre 18 but you can shoot them at 12. Pretty stupid. But anyway, the range im going to rents handguns. Thats what ive been doing. I could borrow a handgun from my work, but its a pain in the ass, because I have to go there, sign it out, which can take up to an hour if no one is there to do it, then go shoot, return it...but it gets kind of expensive renting. 6 dollars to rent a gun for the day, plus I have to buy their ammunition, which is about 14 dollars per box.

T. O'Heir · October 2, 2005, 12:25 AM

A score of 140 to 180 out of 200 isn't exactly shabby for a new shooter. Join a shooting club though. You'll get lots of help, meet some great people and have fun shooting. However, the fit of a pistol is essential. If you can't easily reach the trigger with the trigger between the pad and first knuckle of your finger, the pistol is too big. Changing grips can sometimes fix it. Mind you, I find stock Glock grip slippery. Again, easily fixed with a slip on rubber adaptor from Pachmayr.
Any job that requires you to carry a firearm should also send you for training. If they don't, look elsewhere for work.
"...I dont understand why..." Logic doesn't apply to firearms laws. Anywhere.

September 30, 2005, 04:16 PM	#1
GLP Standard Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2005 Posts: 286	Need help/advice at the range Im new to the sport of shooting, and have only been to the range twice, where I shot a Glock Model 23 .40 Caliber. Ive put 100 rounds through it each time (200 total) 50 rounds at each target (4 total) My first time I did decent for a first timer, but my second time I did worse. Lets say that you need a 200 to pass when I qualify with my work, and the first time I think I scored maybe 180 on one target, and 170 on the other, and the second time I went I got around 140 on both. Can anyone give me any pointers? Ive never had any instruction, aside from the guy basically telling me how to use the gun and how I generally want to aim it so I dont shoot myself or anyone else. I recieved a hint from someone else though, that I was closing the wrong eye when I shoot. Most of my shots were in the bottom left hand corner of the target, with maybe 5 or 6 in the red, and only about 30-35 or so out of 50 hit the target. He told me how to test this, and told me to point at an object with my finger, and close my left eye like im supposed to. He asked me where I was pointing, and I said I was pointing at the object still. I then closed my right eye like he asked me to, how ive been shooting all along, and I was pointing to the right of the object. I figured the reason that im shooting to the left on the target, is because Im closing my right eye, which makes it look like im actually pointing to the right of the object. Get what im saying? Also, im pretty sure the the way I pull the trigger has a lot to do with it too. I was told to pull it on the first joint of my pointer finger (the one closest to the tip of the finger) Is this correct? Any other tips or suggestions I can get would be great, as I am qualifying with my work in a week and a half, and I want to make sure ill pass. The instructor is a really great guy ive been told, and ive heard of people that have never fired a gun in their life going there and passing with no problems. Someone thats been through the class described him as "a badass I wouldnt want to f*ck with"

September 30, 2005, 08:37 PM	#3
spacemanspiff Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2002 Location: alaska Posts: 3,498	what distance are you shooting? also, consider keeping both eyes open while shooting. you can train your dominant eye to be the only one you focus on the front sight with. lastly, it sounds like you are new to shooting, so dry fire practice every day. get to know that trigger. dont expect to become a marksman overnight, one day you'll notice that your shots are all in the 10 ring. one more thing, don't overthink your shooting. i've found that target shooting is a lot like playing pool. the first time you line up your cue with the ball, usually is the best shot to take. when i try to get cute and readjust so the stick hits the ball high or low or left or right, i never drop any in the hole. that first time you line up (provided your mechanics are adequate) is almost always the shot you want to take. the same can apply to shooting. __________________ "Every man alone is sincere; at the entrance of a second person hypocrisy begins." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." - Soren Kierkegaard

September 30, 2005, 08:30 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Try these two sentences: Concentrate on the sights. Squeeze the trigger. I can expand those two sentences into a book, and many folks have, but that is all you really have to do. Keep the sights lined up and squeeze the trigger. You might find it better with the Glock to shift to pulling the trigger with the pad of the middle joint of the index finger. Jim

September 30, 2005, 08:40 PM	#4
Rob P. Junior member Join Date: September 7, 2005 Posts: 467	If htis is your first gun, then I think you need some training. Both in handling as well as safety and shooting skills. The NRA has training programs all over the place. This link will take you to their training page. The top left link will take you to their "find a local safety program" page. On that page you can find your State and browse through the classes that are offered in various places near you. I'd suggest "first pistol" as a good starting point. http://www.nrahq.org/education/train...ictraining.asp

September 30, 2005, 08:43 PM	#5
USP45usp Junior member Join Date: May 17, 2000 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 3,427	Spiffy's anology of pool is straight on with shooting. If you're new, just keep it simple. Line up your sights, concentrate on the front sight (everything else will be a blur) and fire. Dry fire practice is also a good thing to practice. Don't mean to probe into personal things here, how is the recoil on the .40? Some will develope a flinch when shooting guns that have a bit of a "bite" to them (the recoil "flip" sort of speak) and you could be anticipating your shots. Dry fire practice will show if this is a problem or not. And Spiffman, keep on practicing your pool. Your "english" will get much better over time . edited: Just saw Rob's post, I agree with getting some basic training from the NRA. Wayne

September 30, 2005, 08:44 PM	#6
tripytrucker Member Join Date: September 27, 2005 Location: Virginia Posts: 22	1 Aim 2 Take a normal breath,let out halfway and hold 3 Squeeze trigger slowly (when trigger breaks and gun fires it should suprise you just a little. Don't anticipate and jerk the trigger) 4 Follow thru (release trigger,bring muzzle back to point of aim) 5 Repeat also print off a couple of these targets they may help if its your grip. http://www.store.yahoo.com/mycopshop/atcxhs.html

September 30, 2005, 09:37 PM	#7
459 Junior member Join Date: August 29, 2005 Posts: 290	a couple of things.. get some snap caps and dry fire it about a 1000 times..gives you trigger time.. also squeeze very slowly..most jerk at it..anticipate recoil. You might want to practice with several thousand rounds of .22s ...little recoil but will help you get some trigger time and find the proper balance etc.. also make sure your grip is good...make it comfortable...point as much as aim... but its all bout practice and practice..you will get better...just takes some time

September 30, 2005, 09:40 PM	#8
459 Junior member Join Date: August 29, 2005 Posts: 290	yeah then theres the .40 factor.. I dunno but i just dont like them...maybe its velocity im not sure. I like 9mm, .357, 10mm, .45 even .44 on occasion..but .40 its like a 9mm gone bad..im not sure what it is about it I dont like..whether its the noise and flip or the speed of the percieved recoil..its odd..but I truly hate that round...and I will quite happily shoot much heavier stuff...

September 30, 2005, 09:48 PM	#9
GLP Standard Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2005 Posts: 286	Im shooting from halfway down the range. Dont know how far it is. Probably about 25-30 feet or so. Also, I dont know own a gun yet, I rent at the range, so I cant practice dry firing Ive gotten lots of good pointers as far as which eye to close, and someone else that I work with told me to focus on the front sight, and not the target. Havent gotten a chance to practice any of these yet. Im going to the range tomorrow with one of the guys that I work with, and hes going to give me some tips and pointers. Hopefully I can shoot atleast a passing score on one of the targets I shoot. Ill let you guys know how it goes

September 30, 2005, 10:13 PM	#10
459 Junior member Join Date: August 29, 2005 Posts: 290	keep both eyes open..just ignore the stuff from the non dominant eye..it gets easy after awhile...try and buy a cheap used .22 like a ruger for practice..ammo is cheap to.

October 1, 2005, 06:42 AM	#12
Swamp Yankee Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2000 Location: Northeastern Ct. Posts: 1,019	+1 for yhe NRA Basic Pistol Course It is designed for entry level shooters. Like any other activity the fundamentals are needed before you can move on. The NRA Basic Pistol will show you the basics. Bad habits are hard to break. As a case in point at least a third of the "experienced" shooters that take my Basic Pistol course only because they have to for the CCW permit have a very poor grip, and their marksmanship reflects it. Take Care

October 1, 2005, 10:42 AM	#13
GLP Standard Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2005 Posts: 286	In this state, for some reason you cant purchase a handgun until youre 21, but you can shoot them at the age of 18 (I dont understand why) just like you cant buy a rifle or shotgun till youre 18 but you can shoot them at 12. Pretty stupid. But anyway, the range im going to rents handguns. Thats what ive been doing. I could borrow a handgun from my work, but its a pain in the ass, because I have to go there, sign it out, which can take up to an hour if no one is there to do it, then go shoot, return it...but it gets kind of expensive renting. 6 dollars to rent a gun for the day, plus I have to buy their ammunition, which is about 14 dollars per box.

October 2, 2005, 12:25 AM	#14
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	A score of 140 to 180 out of 200 isn't exactly shabby for a new shooter. Join a shooting club though. You'll get lots of help, meet some great people and have fun shooting. However, the fit of a pistol is essential. If you can't easily reach the trigger with the trigger between the pad and first knuckle of your finger, the pistol is too big. Changing grips can sometimes fix it. Mind you, I find stock Glock grip slippery. Again, easily fixed with a slip on rubber adaptor from Pachmayr. Any job that requires you to carry a firearm should also send you for training. If they don't, look elsewhere for work. "...I dont understand why..." Logic doesn't apply to firearms laws. Anywhere.