Please view my groupings and offer advice.

[hoosierdoc]

photo | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Hopefully the link works. I'm a new shooter, this was Wolf 115gr FMJ at 7 yards with an XD9 service 4" barrel.

The ranger officer suggested using less finger on the trigger which seemed to help. I am right handed with left-eye dominant and am shooting with both eyes open. I have a hard time keeping the front sight in focus and have to refocus quite often.

Am I being too hard on myself since most of these really are head shots from 21 feet on my 4th trip to the range, but I should be able to destroy the center circle with proper technique and training. I was shooting two-handed and parallel to the target (shoulder axis). I was a bit more accurate with one hand later.

I know it's hard to work with what I've given you, but I'm so new hopefully you guys spot something!

 

[jblomenberg16]

I shoot a little low and left myself. I think I'm "gripping" the gun, or in otherwords squeezing my whole hand when I pull the trigger, which forces the barrel left and down.

If I really concentrated and relax my grip it goes away. The other thing that helps is dry firing and snap caps. For the snap caps, have someone else load your mags for you. When you come to the "dud" round check to see if you are still on target, or if you've pulled the barrel off the intended POI.

 

[mercop]

Assuming you are right handed I say a bit too much trigger finder and anticipating the recoil. Try this and report back. Put a piece of plain white typing paper at 7 yards. Fire one round into the paper and then shoot the rest of magazine trying to put the rounds through the first bullet hole. I find this usually tightens people up a bit. When you get good with the typing paper, move onto index cards and more distance. Then do it weak handed and one handed, before long you will have no idea which rounds were right handed and left handed. Then practice doing it from the holster. If you go through 500 rounds doing this you will get much better.- George

 

[Steve MI]

there is a class for this its called YSINTG


issue is simple the rounds are impacting in the exact spot where your sight are when you depress the trigger

by keeping the front sight aligned and pressing the trigger straight to the rear this problem will go away

trigger finger placement has zero effect

 

[jeremy]

photo | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Hopefully the link works. I'm a new shooter, this was Wolf 115gr FMJ at 7 yards with an XD9 service 4" barrel.

The ranger officer suggested using less finger on the trigger which seemed to help. I am right handed with left-eye dominant and am shooting with both eyes open. I have a hard time keeping the front sight in focus and have to refocus quite often.

Am I being too hard on myself since most of these really are head shots from 21 feet on my 4th trip to the range, but I should be able to destroy the center circle with proper technique and training. I was shooting two-handed and parallel to the target (shoulder axis). I was a bit more accurate with one hand later.

I know it's hard to work with what I've given you, but I'm so new hopefully you guys spot something!

Since you are new to shooting and are left eye dominate, why not teach yourself to shoot lefty first?!

 

[Bunnykid68]

Aim small Shoot small

 

[Steve MI]

doh i see the part now easy day... for a right handed shooter left eye d issue is corrected by a simple method of moving your chin to your right bicep or as close as possible by placing the left eye over the sights as if it were your right so to speak

 

[Dragon]

doh i see the part now easy day... for a right handed shooter left eye d issue is corrected by a simple method of moving your chin to your right bicep or as close as possible by placing the left eye over the sights as if it were your right so to speak

My dad is right hand left eye dominant and that's the method he uses. Seems to work well for him.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Thanks for the quick responses. I have found myself cocking my head to get the left eye in the dominant line but I wondered if that was why I was pulling left. It seemed I was a bit left when my target was on the left, but when the target was right of my position, I pulled even further left. I have a hard time keeping focus of the sights but I guess that will come with time.

I'll do the card and see if that helps. Also, the advice of overgripping may help since my single-handed stance was more accurate despite it having more of a recoil effect on my hand.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll have to find an excuse to break away to the range again, but this time with brass. I'm tired of dirty steel fingers.

 

[sloughfoot]

Shooting too fast? Twice you have said that you have trouble focusing on the front sight. Are you breathing between shots? One clue that you are shooting too fast two handed is your comment that you were more accurate one-handed.

Why let the shot go if you don't have a clear front sight? There was a pistol shooter on our range today that emptied his mags as fast as he could pull the trigger because somehow he thought that was how to do it. Most shots weren't even on paper.

My advice for a new pistol shooter is to make each shot count. Accuracy first and speed later.

Maybe I am assuming too much, but really your 7 yard groups should be no bigger than your fist and centered on the target.

 

[riverman67]

my brother has this issue, he is right handed and left eye dominate.
he made the decision to shoot left handed and it is working for him
just try it ,it could be your answer