Breathing is a big part of pistol shooting. And if you are right handed for example there is always a tendancy to pull to that side. squeeze the trigger slow and steady and try counting as you do in order to get the rythm so that when the gun fires it is not a surprise. Work off a bench untill you know where your gun is shooting and it is my preference to set up my sites so that the target is on top as opposed to being coverd with the front site. When aquireing the target I like to lay the front site on then then bring up the the back site and squeeze. Also if you have a larger caliber shoot it first then pick up the .22 . I normally shoot .44 mag then a .357 mag Then .38 special and finish the day with the .22. Ten ring all the way. Pistol shooting is practice,practice,practice and if you want to be any good at it you need to shoot lots 500 to a thuosand rounds per session. If I don't shoot for a while it takes a few rounds just to get it back together. One more thing to try is shoot with both eyes open ( if you don't already)once you are used to that you will find target aquesition that much easyer. Being familier with your firearm is also a big part of it. Move up to the target 10 to 15 yards and once comfortable with that range then move back and adjust your gun accordinally. Feet apart elbows slightly bent. I have floresent front site on my .22 but if you don't have that paint it a colour that shows up well ,that sometimes helps. And above all have fun with it don't let it frustrate you. Hope that helps happy shooting.
First thing I would do is bench the pistol and see how accurate the pistol/ammunition combination is. If you don't have or don't want to purchase the equipment for it, simple sand bags will suffice in general terms. Some pistols and ammunition do not play well with each other. An acceptable accuracy for a .22 auto pistol is roughly about 2" group at 25 yards for general purpose. If you've a target pistol, then it should be more like 1/2 to 1" or less (preferably less). I have a ruger mark III competition that I've done extensive work on (trigger, barrel, action, etc) that with ely benchrest gold produces .250" at 25 yards and with RWS R50 slightly over .175" all from a bench rest. Not very impressive for competition but more than sufficient for the average need (did not feel like putting more than 1200 into the pistol). With standard grade consisting of winchester supreme between .500 to 1" from a bench.
Once you've established what your particular firearm prefers for ammunition it goes to shooter technique. For that one it really depends on the shooter. What works for one, may not work for another. Being a welder you should already have the hand control and breathing down, just a matter of translating that to the pistol. Think about how you control the torch or rod, put yourself in that frame of mind, and translate that to the site picture.
My two cents worth,
Gerald
Concentrate on your front sight and squeeze the trigger...don't pull it. Make sure you have an even exposure left and right, and your top of both sights are aligned. Breath control is paramount also. Don't worry about a specific location on a target yet. Just make sure all your shots are in the same general location....then adjust for precision, in relation to where you're aiming.
Lots of practice is number 1.
How you stand is not as important as you might think. If you "do everything wrong" the same way for every shot, you will hit the same place - then it's a matter of where to aim. Later on, you will figure out what works best - for you that is.
Strive for consistency in your grip and your trigger squeeze. This works for me; maybe it will work for you.
Use a hand gripper (exerciser) to build strengh in all fingers, but exercise your trigger finger separately from the other 3. You don't need a "superman" grip, you do need to train your muscles to move independently. I like to do this for both right and left hands, but not for any real reason other than I like to shoot with both.
Also hold a weight at arms length to strengthen the arm muscles. Even with muscular arms, you will end up using some different muscles for shooting.
Hold an imaginary pistol in your hand and pull the imaginary trigger without allowing any other fingers to move or twitch (not that easy to do). Again, this helps to train muscles to move independently- the goal is to break the shot without moving the gun off target. (Don't assume by any of this that I'm good at it. I do OK and have fun trying to do better).
Depending on your gun, dry-firing might not be a good idea, but you can practice holding it on target as long as possible and pressing against trigger with the safety on.
(Just make sure the gun is unloaded, no kids around, and be careful not to freak out the family, housemates, or passers-by looking through your windows, when you "shoot" the bad guys on TV. Terrorizing charges can lead to not having guns anymore - even if it is a misunderstanding)
The advice about benchresting your gun is a good idea. There is no sense beating yourself up trying to do better if the pistol can't do it. But if it is not shooting very well, give the gun a very thorough cleaning and also try different ammo. You might be surprised.
After I think I have the barrel clean, I fit a cork into the muzzle, fill the bore with Shooter's Choice, and let it sit overnight. The helps to remove 'stuff' I didn't think was there. That trick has helped many poor shooting guns shoot well again. Other gun solvents may be just as good as Shooter's Choice but I haven't tried them.
As the others said, first make sure the gun will group. I used to put candle smoke on the sights to make them non-reflective, the oldtimers used a miner's lamp. If You arn't going to shoot in a competition that doesn't allow it, You might as well shoot 2 handed. When I used to shoot, I would put 50 rounds into the standard NRA 25 yard targets every day [from 25 yards, one handed] I never got really good, 70s on the slow fire and 80s, now and then low 90s on the timed & rapid. My .22 is a Ruger Mk 1 bull barrel, it isn't tricked out, trigger pull is not great. On a side note, I suggest You use standard velocity ammo. My friend always shot hi velocity in His High Standard, He shot a lot, and it is pretty worn.
Chet
You would make a great little league baseball coach/welding instructor!!!!! Simple phrase "what works for you". thats is man
Keeping in mind that there are few absolute truths- Determine which is your primary eye. One way is to look through a small hole held at arms length at a small object (like a light), far away (the width of the room is probably enough), with both eyes open. Then close one eye. If the object is still visible the open eye is the primary eye. If the object disappears the closed eye is the primary eye. Most people shoot better with the gun in the hand on the same side as the primary eye, even though that may not be the hand they would write with. Pull the trigger with the ball of your finger. It's easier to pull straight back and avoids other contact between the trigger finger and the gun which can disturb the lie of the gun just as you shoot.
My dad said a quart milk bottle full of water made a good practice weight. The neck is the about right size and the weight is adjustable. It also avoids the potential problem of someone seeing you through the window and assuming you are about to do away with your wife. Now all you have to do is actually find a quart milk bottle in this age of plastic and paper cartons.
Shoot a lot. (edit) and shoot against somebody and bet a nickel on the outcome, sometimes without a little competition you lose concentration and just expend ammo. Join a club and shoot in a league, you'll find most other shooters will be helpful.
Bill
If you can afford it, I would recommend spending the time with a professional instructor. It is truly amazing what these instructors can tell you. They don't have to be good shots themselves, to tell you what you are doing wrong. You just have to be receptive to what they are telling you. A good instructor will sense when you have reached your tolerance limit for corrections during that session. Sorry I do not currently know any pistol instructors to refer you to.
VERTICAL UP SMAW! Holding that equipment for the minute it takes to burn a rod is the best off-range practice you can get.
Use your prefered pistol shooting stance and replicate grip as close as possible. This includes not bracing your elbow(s) agaist something. Adjust electrode angle in the holder to replicate your pistols grip to barrel configuration.
When I was working construction, I felt myself so fortunate to have a job that complimented my hobby of offhand, long range pistol shooting.
I was taught the "BRASS F" method in the Marines,Breathe,Relax,Aim,Stop,Squeeze,Fire,with a slow steady pull on the trigger.
Probabley not an issue with a .22, We used to get togather and shoot big bore rifles and say i was at the bench my buddy would load my rifle or revolver and when I went to shoot I never knew for sure if it was loaded or not. Sounds silly but we never knew how bad we were flinching till we started doing this exercise. It will help you break a lot of bad habits. On semi autos I'm not much good either Now with my mathews dxt bow I'm quite the shot, just haven't figured out how to conceal it. Till then I guess I'll carry my glock and throw it at my attackers if the sound of it going off doesn't scare them lol!!
I'm right handed and a right eye shooter I stand feet shoulders width apart left foot foward and I look at my target and bring the pistol up into my line of sight. Don't know if it's right or if it will help you just the way I was taught and works for me.
pull the trigger.
sorry couldnt resist
Get a picture of your ex and put it out on the gun range...
Topic Chit-Chat & Non-Welding Discussion / Off-Topic Bar and Grill / How do I refine my pistol shooting skills?
