Will dry fire help me?

[mattdennis3]

Well of course it would but here's my situation:

I've picked up the nasty habit of consistently shooting low left (call it 6:30, but any where between 5:45 and 7:15). I put on a pretty good demo this last saturday of consistently hitting the target stand if I do say so myself. Correct me if I'm wrong but this could be caused by a number of things:

- trigger slap/jerk
- flinching/breaking wrist
- tightening of my grip prior to breaking the shot
- just plain ol' poor sight picture

I've been hitting the dry fire pretty hard here lately and I'm diligent in making sure the front sight doesn't move the entire time, but still am shooting low left. One thing I know for sure is that its the indian and not the arrow, as it happens regardless of what pistol I shoot. As a side note (not sure if its help diagnose the real issue), I'm also one who closes the non-dominent eye when shooting. I've tried breaking this habit as well but seem to always fall back to it after the first miss.

Any thoughts? Suggestions on different things I should try would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[HalfCocked]

Don't know if this will help or not, but when I dry fire I balance a snap cap on the flat part of the slide. The snap cap is vertical. It will block your sight picture but if you have any movement at all when firing the cap will fall off the gun. I find it is a very good tell.

 

[rvb]

dryfire will absolutely help. You need to be able to break the shot without disturbing the sights. But if you have a flinch, that needs to ALSO be worked out on the range. Dryfire develops the trigger control, but you also need to develop the ability to watch the frontsight through the entire firing/recoil cycle. If on the range you are flinching, and closing your eyes the instant the shot breaks, you have no way of ever improving accuracy.

Learn to call your shots. When you can know where the bullet hits based on nothing more than feedback from the sights, then you cannot also be flinching.

Don't know if this will help or not, but when I dry fire I balance a snap cap on the flat part of the slide. The snap cap is vertical. It will block your sight picture but if you have any movement at all when firing the cap will fall off the gun. I find it is a very good tell.

blocking the sights defeats the purpose of learning to "look the shot off" and you'll never gain what you should visually from dryfiring. I suggest ballancing a dime on the front sight, instead.

-rvb

 

[HalfCocked]

blocking the sights defeats the purpose of learning to "look the shot off" and you'll never gain what you should visually from dryfiring. I suggest ballancing a dime on the front sight, instead.

-rvb[/QUOTE]

Well unless you got a hella flinch a dime isn't going to give you the feed back that a vertical snap cap would. That is unless you balance it on end . Why can't he work on getting trigger control and then sight picture?

 

[Coach]

blocking the sights defeats the purpose of learning to "look the shot off" and you'll never gain what you should visually from dryfiring. I suggest ballancing a dime on the front sight, instead.

-rvb

Well unless you got a hella flinch a dime isn't going to give you the feed back that a vertical snap cap would. That is unless you balance it on end . Why can't he work on getting trigger control and then sight picture?[/QUOTE]

If the dime is on the front sight instead of the slide it will tell him what he needs to know and he can still see the front sight.

 

[scottka]

If you're dryfiring without moving the sights as you say you are, but still shooting low left, I'd say your not translating what you've learned from dryfiring to the range. I suggest shooting a .22 pistol for awhile because my guess is that you're flinching from recoil.

Also, have someone load a snap cap(s) into your magazine along with live rounds but not let you know where it is. It will become VERY apparent whether you are flinching/slapping the trigger when you get to the snap cap because the recoil won't hide your problem.

 

[bmbutch]

If you're dryfiring without moving the sights as you say you are, but still shooting low left, I'd say your not translating what you've learned from dryfiring to the range. I suggest shooting a .22 pistol for awhile because my guess is that you're flinching from recoil.

Also, have someone load a snap cap(s) into your magazine along with live rounds but not let you know where it is. It will become VERY apparent whether you are flinching/slapping the trigger when you get to the snap cap because the recoil won't hide your problem.

^^^^THIS^^^^

My son was horrible with handguns, not just off target, but off plywood. Stuck him with GSG .22 for a few hundred rounds, then random snap caps in 9mm. Proud to say he's much improved! On target @ 25 yds & improving. 8" target.

 

[rvb]

Well unless you got a hella flinch a dime isn't going to give you the feed back that a vertical snap cap would. That is unless you balance it on end . Why can't he work on getting trigger control and then sight picture?

You said snap cap on SLIDE. I said dime [flat on] FRONT SITE. Much harder (assuming the slide isn't round, like a 1911). Learning to SEE the sight move is an important part of learning accuracy. They should not be separate.

-rvb

 

[wizard_of_ahs]

If you're dryfiring without moving the sights as you say you are, but still shooting low left, I'd say your not translating what you've learned from dryfiring to the range. I suggest shooting a .22 pistol for awhile because my guess is that you're flinching from recoil.

Also, have someone load a snap cap(s) into your magazine along with live rounds but not let you know where it is. It will become VERY apparent whether you are flinching/slapping the trigger when you get to the snap cap because the recoil won't hide your problem.

 

[OkieGirl]

I am not an expert, but I am an opinionated woman.

Check to see if you are holding the trigger with the tip/pad of your index finger and not at the joint. Trigger pull at the joint could pull your shot off target.

Sometimes adjusting your grip so that you lean a bit forward at the waist and push the firearm out at chest height helps to steady it. You want the recoil to be absorbed back thru your arms into your shoulders.

 

[rvb]

I am not an expert, but I am an opinionated woman.

Check to see if you are holding the trigger with the tip/pad of your index finger and not at the joint. Trigger pull at the joint could pull your shot off target.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/general_firearms_discussion/239516-finger_position_help.html

-rvb

 

[mattdennis3]

dryfire will absolutely help. You need to be able to break the shot without disturbing the sights. But if you have a flinch, that needs to ALSO be worked out on the range. Dryfire develops the trigger control, but you also need to develop the ability to watch the frontsight through the entire firing/recoil cycle. If on the range you are flinching, and closing your eyes the instant the shot breaks, you have no way of ever improving accuracy.

Learn to call your shots. When you can know where the bullet hits based on nothing more than feedback from the sights, then you cannot also be flinching.

blocking the sights defeats the purpose of learning to "look the shot off" and you'll never gain what you should visually from dryfiring. I suggest ballancing a dime on the front sight, instead.

-rvb

Thanks for the help. I will give the dime balance a try.

 

[mattdennis3]

If you're dryfiring without moving the sights as you say you are, but still shooting low left, I'd say your not translating what you've learned from dryfiring to the range. I suggest shooting a .22 pistol for awhile because my guess is that you're flinching from recoil.

Also, have someone load a snap cap(s) into your magazine along with live rounds but not let you know where it is. It will become VERY apparent whether you are flinching/slapping the trigger when you get to the snap cap because the recoil won't hide your problem.

I will be spending some quality time with the .22 this weekend.

I'm not totally convinced its a flinch because I do it with every pistol I pick up. I mean it could be, but I'm wondering if its more of a grip or trigger problem.

And yes, I do agree with the posters who have suggested learning to truly see the front sight and being able to call my shots.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. I've got my work cut out for me to get ready for the 2013 competition season.

 

[HalfCocked]

You said snap cap on SLIDE. I said dime [flat on] FRONT SITE.

-rvb

Oh, man, I miss read your post. You're right that would be a much harder drill.

 

[OkieGirl]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/general_firearms_discussion/239516-finger_position_help.html

-rvb

Sorry, I didn't learn it on the internet. When I struggled with my aim and flinch I picked up a book called "The Experts' Guide to Handgun Marksmanship" with excerpts from Jack O'Connor's Sportsman's Arms and Ammunition Manual (published in 1952). Page 65 covers positions for handgun shooting..."To apply correct trigger squeeze, the trigger finger should contact the trigger between the tip of the finger and the second joint (without touching the weapon anywhere else). Where contact is made depends on the length of the firer's trigger finger. If pressure from the trigger finger is applied to the right side of the trigger or weapon, the strike of the bullet will be to the left" The OP said he was low to the left so there is a chance his contact w/ the trigger needs adjusting.

 

[mattdennis3]

Sorry, I didn't learn it on the internet. When I struggled with my aim and flinch I picked up a book called "The Experts' Guide to Handgun Marksmanship" with excerpts from Jack O'Connor's Sportsman's Arms and Ammunition Manual (published in 1952). Page 65 covers positions for handgun shooting..."To apply correct trigger squeeze, the trigger finger should contact the trigger between the tip of the finger and the second joint (without touching the weapon anywhere else). Where contact is made depends on the length of the firer's trigger finger. If pressure from the trigger finger is applied to the right side of the trigger or weapon, the strike of the bullet will be to the left" The OP said he was low to the left so there is a chance his contact w/ the trigger needs adjusting.

I might have the check the book out. And I will definitely pay much closer attention to my trigger position during dryfire and my next trips to the range.

 

[bmbutch]

Clarification: When doing "random snap cap" drills, focus on sight alignment, when u get to a snapcap, it will be very obvious if you are flinching. Sight Alignment + Trigger Control = Happy Shooter!

 

[indyjohn]

I might have the check the book out.

Let me help you with that..
Shop | Palladium Press

 

[HalfCocked]

One other quick thought. Are you sure you know which eye is dominate? I am right handed but left eye. When I try to shoot using the right eye for sighting my patterns are always low and left. Just a thought.

 

[Double T]

Sounds like you are anticipating recoil and flinching. Dry fire will get you used to the breaking point and jerk more. Just work on a slow squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze until it fires...while maintaining proper sight alignment.