I am a new shooter. I took the NRA First Pistol course and I have been to the range 4 times. What type of accuracy should I expect (not from the gun but from me)?

 

I have been shooting a semi-automatic pistol at 25 yards using a 10" target. I have shot a few hundred rounds. I find the best I can do is get about 7-8 out of 10 rounds on the target. I wear glasses and when focusing on the front site the target is not very clear.

 

What type of accuracy does an experienced shooter get?

Thanks.

Move your target closer and get your groups tight. You won't really be able to pick up where your problems are if you are shooting too far away and are inaccurate. Shots on target is one thing. GROUPS are what is important. Groups show your consistency. Focusing on the front site, for some people, can be tricky. The way I usually explain it is, the rear sights should be blurry, the front should be less blurry, and the target should be clear. Some people might say that you should focus on the front sight, and the target should be blurry as paper isn't going to move around on you. Those are two different ways.

Here, read this

 

Pistol Marksmanship Training Guide

 

http://www.preterhum...ning_Manual.pdf

Agreed. The only way to easily correct shooting problems is by starting very close, like at 7 yards (make it 5 yards if you are not shooting well enough at 7). There is no shame in a close target. Get good and move back as you do. Repeat as necessary. Becoming a good shooter is about baby steps.

Like others have said bring the target closer.

 

Also aim for a spot on the target. If you are just trying to hit the target your skills won't improve much. Shoot at a small mark, that will really be an indication of performance.

 

For example if you put up target that is 2'x3' and you hit the target, that's a start. Now put a 3" circle on the target and putting your shots into that 3" inch circle is much better.

 

Aim small miss small.

I focus on the target, and get the sights between my line of focus. Why should you do it this way? you want to be concentrating on the target not the gun. If your target is blurry how do you know where your actually aiming?

I focus on the target, and get the sights between my line of focus. Why should you do it this way? you want to be concentrating on the target not the gun. If your target is blurry how do you know where your actually aiming?

 

If the front sight is blurry how do you where you're really pointing?

7 yards is a good starting point.

 

The biggest things to work on there are grip, breathing,sight picture and steady trigger pull. If those things are off you will trow bullets all over the range.

 

Practice at home if you can just dry firing to get used to your gun and steady yourself for each shot.

Take your time, and the first fundamental you should get right is grip, ie: how you hold the gun. Everything else comes after, but unless you build a good grip, everything else is secondary. Here are a couple of good videos on that:

 

I focus on the target, and get the sights between my line of focus. Why should you do it this way? you want to be concentrating on the target not the gun. If your target is blurry how do you know where your actually aiming?

 

Almost always you want to focus on the sights. They are the ONLY indication of where your gun is pointing. For most situations your target is fuzzy, your rear sight is fuzzy, your front sight is crisp. What good does it do you to have a crisp focus on the target if you can't get fine sight alignment?

Grippy grip grip. I find if I don't have a properly aligned strong hand grip, nothing will work. Even slightly off, I go low left and the muzzle on semi's flips much more. Have found I do better on wheelguns with thumbs fwd grip, instead of crossed thumbs, as I had been doing

 

 

Take your time, and the first fundamental you should get right is grip, ie: how you hold the gun. Everything else comes after, but unless you build a good grip, everything else is secondary. Here are a couple of good videos on that:

 

 

I teach NRA Basic Pistol and focusing on the front sight is the correct method.

When i was shooting with one eye closed i focused on the front site, but when i moved up to both eyes open for some reason i shot better focusing on the target. If it is preferred, i'll start working on focusing on the front site. I have always been able to align the sights even when blurry and rather quickly, but then again i use 3 dots and my vision is 20/20. if your far sighted i would guess this would be a horrible option now that i think about it.

Rear sight blurry front sight crystal clear threat blurry. Your eyes can only focus on one tthing at a time. Don't eye sprint between shots meaning don't shoot then look at the target to see where it hit. Focus on the front sight every time between shots.

Rear sight blurry front sight crystal clear threat blurry. Your eyes can only focus on one tthing at a time. Don't eye sprint between shots meaning don't shoot then look at the target to see where it hit. Focus on the front sight every time between shots.

 

^^^ This ^^^

 

I have found that target focused shooting (what jackdawack was describing) is common in new shooters that are working strictly on speed. It is sloppy and imprecise but fast, as long as the target is directly in front of you, stationary, and close. The instant movement is added by the shooter, the target or both, or multiple targets it all falls apart.

 

Use your sights, start close, slow, and concentrate on your trigger control (both the press and the release). The speed will come, but only after the marksmanship.

 

I have always been able to align the sights even when blurry and rather quickly, but then again i use 3 dots and my vision is 20/20.

 

Jackdawack,

You should not rely on lining up the 3 dots for a sight picture. They are there for low light/no light reference only. You should always strive to use the outline of the sights themselves for your sight picture whenever possible.

When i was shooting with one eye closed i focused on the front site, but when i moved up to both eyes open for some reason i shot better focusing on the target. If it is preferred, i'll start working on focusing on the front site. I have always been able to align the sights even when blurry and rather quickly, but then again i use 3 dots and my vision is 20/20. if your far sighted i would guess this would be a horrible option now that i think about it.

 

You're basically point shooting..not that that is a BAD thing

When i was shooting with one eye closed i focused on the front site, but when i moved up to both eyes open for some reason i shot better focusing on the target.

 

I think I understand what you're saying, and my guess is that your both eye open style is missing one major step. When you shot with one eye, you focused on the front sight with no distraction. Now, I'm guessing that with both eyes open, you're trying to focus the front sight with both eyes.

 

With both eyes open, you should still be only focusing the sight with your dominant eye. With both eyes open, you will see two sets of sights. One on the left, one on the right. Don't try to make the two converge together. Determine which image is the real image, created by your dominant eye, and ignore the ghost image that is seen by your weak eye.

 

If you are using both eyes to aim, you are shifting the image of your sights left or right. Both eyes open preserves your peripheral vision, but you should still essentially be aiming with one eye. Just now more aware if your surroundings.

 

This target picture is something you can practice away from the range and train yourself to automatically ignore the weak she's image.