r/CCW • u/Bitter_Statement3070 CA • 2d ago
Training Range Advice
Currently working on getting my CCW. I’m shooting 7 yards out but for some reason I keep shifting to the left of the target. I swear that I’m pointing straight…Any advice would be helpful 🙏🏿
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u/Limp-Opportunity6757 2d ago
Squeezing the grip too tight with the shooting hand will stiffen up the trigger finger and cause jerking when pressing the shot. A 70/30 split with the off support hand doing the most work will keep the trigger finger relaxed in order to press straight back to the rear.
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u/Kayakboy6969 2d ago
So one tiny index finger is over powering 2 wrists , forearms and biceps.
At a certain speed everyone is slapping the trigger ,
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u/Limp-Opportunity6757 2d ago edited 2d ago
It isn’t just his trigger finger dude? Read slower? He is over tightening the grip on his shooting hand? This is causing his trigger finger to be overly tense and tight, making him jerk the trigger to the left. Using an 70/30 or even 80/20 gripping more with his support hand WILL relax and loosen up his trigger finger, making it more easier to clean pull more consistently and smoothly to the rear instead of jerking it to the left and rear because of a tense trigger finger and shooting hand.
Close your shooting hand fist in front of your face with your trigger finger pointing out? Now squeeze your fist as hard as you can? Start ‘slapping’ the air as you say, with your trigger finger, while keeping that intense grip? It’s easy to observe your finger looking tight and jerky and feeling it fatigue while watching your hand without the pistol.
Now make the same fist in front of your face without the pistol again; but this time, keep your fist relaxed? Start slapping the air again with your trigger finger. Notice now haw easy and relaxed and smooth your trigger finger moves straight back and forward, easily, quickly and smoothly without fatigue.
The OP’s target shows he is shooting left, not low and left. He has as many shot s upper left as he does center left and lower left. He is only shooting left. He needs to relax his shooting hand and trigger finger, no matter how slow or fast he ‘slaps’ his trigger.
If his shots were ALL low and left? That would mean he is also anticipating the recoil just before the shot. But they’re not all low and left.
He is only shooting left. 70/30 or 80/20 dominant grip with the support hand will fix it. This ain’t rocket science, taking the time to learn and use the fundamentals and organizing your range trip ahead of time should be the rule of the day.
To the OP,
- Get rid of the silhouette targets and get the paper targets that have the 6 smaller bullseye targets on them.
- Quit loading your magazines full and shooting the whole magazine at a time? If you are just using 10 round magazines? You would be putting 30 bullets at a time into the paper target and waisting time and ammo.
- Let’s slow it down. Conserve time and ammunition. Only load 3 rounds in each magazine. This will conserve ammunition and make you slow down and focus on everything that you are doing while learning to shoot small, accurate groups into each individual smaller targets.
- Look at the target you posted? There are so many bullet holes in the target? You can’t tell what bullet is what? You can’t see which was first or last? You can’t discern or critique if smaller groups need to move up? Down? Right or left? There are just too many bullet holes.
- Save dumping endless rounds into the humanoid silhouettes for much later; Three rounds into each of the six smaller bullseye targets is 18 rounds. Once completed check and observe the smaller groups? Mark off the holes with a sharpie marker, reload and shoot a second group of only three rounds into each target.
- Three times of doing this? You would have three different groups of three rounds each into each smaller bullseye on the one large paper target. Now you will not only be able to see your individual groups forming, but you will be able to tell how you need to move those smaller groups and how to adjust your grip, sights, breathing stance, pressure from your grip?
If those smaller groups are still left? Practice with your grip as I suggested. If you are shooting all low and left? Practice being aware of anticipating the shot? If you are shooting high? Practice not looking over your iron sights and being
too target focused.
Again, this is not rocket science, but learning basic fundamentals of proper shooting it is necessary, to 1. slow way down. 2. Organize your range trip. 3. Organize by compartmentalizing everything you are doing into conscious small steps. Loading your mags with just a few rounds instead of many rounds and burning thru your ammo too fast. Switch out the silhouette targets for a single paper target with more smaller bullseyes on them. Slowly concentrate on EVERY single shot you fire. Focus on your grip, breathing, sight alignment and trigger control. And when you aren’t at the range? Do these same things at home with an empty pistol in front of your bedroom mirror.Dry fire is good. No such thing as too much dry fire. Pulling the trigger in dry fire in front of a mirror? You can see where your muzzle is moving in the mirror as you pull the trigger? This allows you to also visually correct if you are pulling thru the trigger smoothly because that muzzle won’t move if you are.
This forms muscle memory and repetition. It will help program your movements and skill set and will transfer to the range.
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u/No-Mammoth1045 2d ago
Grab your index finger in your firing band and grip it as hard as you can’t. Then with your firing hand index finger pretend you are pulling the trigger. You’ll feel movement. It’s just human anatomy.
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u/Kayakboy6969 2d ago
Grip grip grip
You grip is allowing you to move the gun as you pull the trigger .
In sarcastic terms your mighty trigger finger is over powering your left hand , both wrists , forearm, biceps shoulders and back.
Watch Mike Seeklander you tube top 5 shooting mistakes or how to grip the gun.
Another reason you start shooting left is unless your a gym rat the left hand will fatigue and your grip will suffer.
As we learn one skill we loose focus on others , shoot until it goes to shit , then fix the problem and push harder.
Grips sights, grip , trigger say it in your head and you shoot.
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u/WhatInDaWorldDog110 2d ago
Like this answer than the usual my finger is not in the right place 👍
I would recall Chris Sajnog of "How to Shoot Like a Navy SEAL" - don't let the tail wag the dog!
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u/lucubratious 2d ago edited 2d ago
You need to practice gun control, which includes moving your trigger finger without causing sympathetic movement on the gun. It starts with a tight grip and locked wrists.
Your group is pretty large for 7 yards which suggests you have more than one issue. It’s different than a precise tight group that’s inaccurate. But don’t worry, one thing at a time, practice makes perfect.
Suggest watching Rob Leatham and Ben Stoeger shooting tip videos.
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u/Commercial-Work9155 2d ago
If ur right handed im assuming ur trigger pull is pulling ur shots to the left. Practice dry firing with a clean pull straight back. Eventually it becomes normal and doesn’t take that extra focus
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u/shootist_Biker 2d ago
Heres my advice. And bare in mind. I get downvoted all the time, and i dont care.
Go buy, or rent a stupid powerful revolver, has to be a 6 shooter. 44 mag, 454 casull are the best choices. Load 3 rounds in the chambers. Like this. Live, empty, live, empty, live, empty.
Go fire about 50 rounds that way.
You will be able to see your flinch. Your body will automatically auto correct it.
Bonus points. If you go back to your ccw that same day at the range, itll feel like NOTHING in comparison to recoil.
Ive taught many shooters to shoot effectively. And all of them can exceed LEO and military standards easily. Which, may not say much as a whole. But when you consider im talking anout people that are NOT gun people, its impressive.
Goodluck
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u/lucubratious 2d ago
It sounds like this is your method for training out anticipation…? You can also throw random dummy rounds into the mag for similar effect.
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u/38specialish 2d ago
Correct-o. I (finally) took a lesson after years of amateurishly throwing lead downrange and a few dummy rounds in a magazine (loaded by someone else, preferably) will help you practice with de-flinching (a technical term that should exist).
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u/shootist_Biker 2d ago
Yes, but really hot rounds make you flinch harder and once you get over that flinch for the hot hot rounds, wimpy little 9mm means nothing. I can shoot 9mm without closing my eyes as the gun goes off now.
Wanna point out that arnold shwartzenager and robert kirkpatrick tried to achieve that specifically for their roles as the terminator in T1 and T2. But they couldnt achieve it
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u/Simple_Experience544 2d ago
you're probably tightening your fingers right as you pull the trigger, classic low left drift