You can shoot better!

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In: Training

So, you bought a new handgun and you have been going to the range and practicing.  Now you are shooting something like this:

A) 

You are not alone.  When I go to a range, I’d guess over half the people shoot targets like the one above.  With practice, a maybe another 30% shoot like this:

B) 

Pretty good, right?  Maybe…maybe not.  It is definitely better, but it really depends on how many bad habits you are reinforcing, which will prevent progression and improvement.

Looking around the range, very few people shoot like this:

 

C) 

or this:

D) 

And really, even those can be improved on.

It starts with going back to basics.  Don’t get in the habit of just pointing and pulling the trigger and hoping for the best.  Let’s go back to the fundamentals and go through each one.  Any successful building requires a strong foundation.  The foundation of a building is made of many elements like cement, rebar, posts, piers, anchor bolts, etc.  Let us go through the elements of your shooting foundation step by step.  Let us help you get each piece correct.  I think you will be amazed with the improvement.

  1. Stance – Is yours correct?  Comfortable?  Helping you be more accurate or fighting you preventing accuracy?
  2. Eye Dominance – Just because you are right handed, that does not mean you are right eye dominant.  Do you know for sure?
  3.  Grip – If you don’t hold the firearm correctly and consistently, you will not achieve good results.
  4. Sight Alignment – Sounds simple.  Just line up the back sight with the front one.  This is a key area.  Close is not good enough.
  5. Sight Picture – Do you know what you are supposed to be seeing when you look at the target?  The correct answer is counterintuitive, so most people don’t.
  6. Breath – Breathing is natural.  Are you aware of how it impacts accuracy?  Are you fighting your natural rhythm?
  7. Hold – Are you holding perfectly still?  Hint: You can’t, so how do you use this to your advantage?
  8. Trigger – What part of your finger is touching the trigger.  It varies depending on what you are shooting and how you are shooting it.  How are you applying pressure? Many pitfalls here…are you sure you are doing it right?
  9. Follow through – It seems most things requiring accuracy require follow through.  Shooting baskets, shooting pool, shooting guns…follow through is important.

That is a lot of pieces to focus on each time you pull the trigger.  Let us identify which ones are causing you the most issues and work on those.  Then let us help you put all the pieces together in a way that makes it natural and promotes success.

If you are brand new to handguns, I recommend the NRA course.  It is very comprehensive: https://magic-firearms.com/product/nra-basics-of-pistol-shooting/

If you are experienced, but just want to shoot better, book an hour of simulation or range time: https://magic-firearms.com/product-category/training/hourly/