Getting better?

WSA Instructor TK sharing his opinion.

It happens every time we have a group of students on the range.

A student says something to the affect, “hey, how come my gun is shooting left, (right, high, low and anywhere else) and not hitting the 10 ring and big ass X in the middle? 

Really?

 I restrain myself from being the proverbial smart ass that I am and don’t ask the obvious, “Is the gun warped or bent cause it looks straight to me? I am sure it is a manufacture defect. Take it back to the store where you bought it and tell them it doesn’t shoot straight. I am sure they will give you your money back after they are done laughing at you.”

Just kidding. I don’t really think that because most students realize right away what is wrong: it is them. They ask the best question an instructor can hope for: “What am I doing wrong and can you help me?”

If you want an expert opinion, then stop reading here and go surf the web. There are plenty of experts far superior to me that can teach you about how to shoot a pistol and achieve accurate results.

But if you want some practical advice from a regular guy who fights to be better at accuracy with his pistols, stay tuned and enjoy a few stories and thoughts. You shoot better when you know better.

I would tell you I thought I was pretty good with a pistol. Until that is, I put the pressure on myself to MEASURE my results. I was like most recreational shooters. Go to the range, shoot some rounds, feel good because I hit the target, and go home happy.

And as it was put best by one of my dad’s good friends: “Wrongo dongo.”

When I started forcing myself to shoot at specific spots, in groups, analyzing the results and then correcting my mistakes, I knew I had more work to do. This is a process and not an over night result with out some effort. More on that.

In addition during this time, I struggled with the whole two handed versus one-handed grip. What I found out is that I shoot better one handed. Not only that, I learned I can shoot well with my off hand if not better than my strong hand at times! I had a student recently tell me they went to one of the prestigious and well known schools here on the west coast. (A school I might add, that charges a lot of $$$$.) Never once did they talk about single-handed shooting. I can only rationalize that because advanced shooting takes on a “tactical” flavor. And tactical shooting means consistent to the core for every situation.  (Train like you fight and you will fight like you train.) And that’s fine for a lot of folks.

But why not shoot one handed if you’re naturally a better with one hand? Play to your strengths. I like having one hand free to use for other practicalities. Tactical is great but don’t forget practical.

And to support that thought, I cannot count the number of students that have discovered that they too can shoot with their off hand and one handed. You should see the look on their faces after a clip of shots goes near dead center with the new stances and grip. It is like they have discovered the secret ingredient for the Colonels chicken. I mean they can’t shoot two handed worth a bling bling and then switch to one hand and have a fairly well placed group center of target? As Rocky Balboa said to Mr.  T. “Go for it.”

So here you go, a few suggestions on range time.

You have to make your self do some exercises aka drills. I like making a plan with your target to shoot specific spots, commonly called dot drills. I like using 3 inch round orange dots on a white silhouette target. I place 5 dots in an X pattern on the target. I then shoot 20 rounds at each dot. First out, I shoot two dots, 40 rounds and then check for a pattern of holes. There should be multiple holes in the orange dot or close proximity.  To illustrate, jump on this link and see some patterns: Target Group Analysis. Keep working your dots, analyze your patterns and shoot until you over come all the deficiencies.

How long does that take? Depends on you but let me say this. When a student asks for help, I usually start with this question: “How many rounds have you personally shot with that pistol in the last 6 months?” The answer invariably ranges from “not many” to a “few hundred” and “I just bought it recently.” Then what is the solution? More rounds! Ask any martial arts student how many times they must practice a “move” to become good at it. Their rule is 1000 times to “know” it, 10,000 times to master it. Same with shooting. Just be aware that you could shoot 1000 rounds wrong! That is the reason for on going target analysis of your dot drill shooting.

Back to patterns of holes. I get a percentage of students who have no pattern. A lack of pattern indicates that you need to start learning to shoot with a natural point of aim because you have every deficiency on the chart. That is the good news. The bad news is you have a lot of learning to do to become a proficient pistol shooter. Jump again on the web and check out the Wikipedia definition of natural point of aim as it explains it way better than I can: Natural Point of Aim. It all starts with body position, not muscle strength. This really takes a second set of eyes. In that case, join one of the many clubs to find a shooter with more experience to help you on this journey.

Becoming proficient with your handgun could be the difference weather you win or lose the fight. Placement is more important than caliber.  Don’t “practice” aimlessly, start drilling!

-TK