Shooting way low w/my handguns

[CindyE]

I'm pretty confident that i can hit up close if i need to. But moving back is a different story. We usually practice at the 25 yrd range, and if nobody else is there, I start off with some up-close shooting, like maybe 20 ft. Lately with both of my guns- Springfield EMP 9mm and Sig P238, i hit very low when i move back to about 20 yards. I mean REAL low, like i'd be lucky to hit the perp in the knee! I know this is some kind of newbie crap, but it is frustrating. Other than just practice and concentrating, what can i do? My husband does the same thing sometimes, but not as bad as me.

 

[Mike_Indy]

Perhaps this will help. My first thought was sight alignment.

 

[hooky]

I've never seen that chart before. I assume it's for a right handed shooter?

 

[shibumiseeker]

You are anticipating the recoil and trying to compensate for it instead of riding it through.

Both you and your husband should run some drills where the other loads the gun for you so that sometimes there isn't a round in the chamber but the shooter doesn't know that. Then have the person observing watch the muzzle when the shooter pulls the trigger. You'll see it drop down pretty clearly.


You can run drills at home to help correct this by carefully unloading the gun, then while aiming at a secure backstop practice dryfiring the gun. Do this 50 times a day for a couple of weeks. When you get good at keeping the muzzle steady, practice with a coin on the flat of the top of the slide and see if you can dry fire it without dislodging the coin.

 

[sbcman]

Perhaps try a +p load- the standard 9mm may not be able to make it 20 feet.

(purple)

Have your husband load some rounds for you, without you knowing the count. See what happens on the empty chamber when you squeeze the trigger.

Edit: I wanted it to be a surprise Shib!

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Perhaps this will help. My first thought was sight alignment.

Looks about right....especially that one at 7 o'clock. When I lose my concentration and trigger control that's what I do and where mine go.

Dry fire practice helps me some. Ive got a bodyguard .38 with a laser--that laser tells the tale.

 

[CindyE]

Looks about right....especially that one at 7 o'clock. When I lose my concentration and trigger control that's what I do and where mine go.

Dry fire practice helps me some. Ive got a bodyguard .38 with a laser--that laser tells the tale.

Yep- 7:00 for me too! ay 7:00.
I want one of those bodyguards, or any of the lightweight S&W .38s.

 

[spitfire51]

Aim higher, that should fix it (sorry, someone had to say it). In all seriousness, speaking from experience I'll say the recommendations posted here will help a lot. Also, if you haven't already, go on youtube and do a search for trigger control, there are some decent videos on there that may give you some good tips.

 

[WhitleyStu]

Benchrest your handgun to see where the sights are actually set. Once you eliminate the possibllity of the sights being off you can start working on your stance, breathing, trigger pull and grip.

 

[JStang314]

I was shooting very low when I first started shooting (earlier this year) Mine was fixed when I started holding the gun correctly. Someone posted a youtube vid with an instructor showing the proper hold. Tried it and it worked. Might help.

 

[rockhopper46038]

I think shibumiseekers's "ball and dummy" exercise will show you a lot. Quite a few Appleseed shooters figure out their flinch using it. The "pushing forward" from the posted chart seems to be a pretty common cause of low (and very low) shooting.

 

[critter592]

Flinch
Finger placement on the trigger.
Grip.
Grip fatigue/arm fatigue.

The previous posts all had good suggestions. And usually, it's not just one thing you're doing wrong. But you SHOULD only try to fix one thing at a time.

Dry fire after ensuring your gun is unloaded is great for fixing flinch and use some snap caps. Also I used a third suggestion too at home and that was dry fire with a penny on the slide by the front sight. Press the trigger to the rear without dropping the penny.

Finger placement on the trigger can also play into it. How big are your hands compared to your gun? Meaning, does your husband shoot the same gun better? (I'm assuming his hands are bigger than yours.)

Make sure you are only moving your trigger finger. Squeeze the gun first. Then press the trigger rearward. And follow through the trigger break.

Fatigue. You're starting out close. You are a new shooter. What kind of gun are you using? I know that after a period of time standing on the line like a statue squeezing off rounds my arms will fatigue. So make sure you aren't holding the gun for long periods straight out in front of you. Set it down. Let the blood come back to your arms. You could also use a 5 pound weight each day and hold it in front of you with both hands for a time. This can build up those muscles.

Hope it helps. And, find an experienced coach. This is just the internt and who knows if I'm giving you good advice.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I would shoot off of a sand bag or rest to take any human error out of the picture first thing.

 

[CindyE]

Flinch
Finger placement on the trigger.
Grip.
Grip fatigue/arm fatigue.

The previous posts all had good suggestions. And usually, it's not just one thing you're doing wrong. But you SHOULD only try to fix one thing at a time.

Dry fire after ensuring your gun is unloaded is great for fixing flinch and use some snap caps. Also I used a third suggestion too at home and that was dry fire with a penny on the slide by the front sight. Press the trigger to the rear without dropping the penny.

Finger placement on the trigger can also play into it. How big are your hands compared to your gun? Meaning, does your husband shoot the same gun better? (I'm assuming his hands are bigger than yours.)

Make sure you are only moving your trigger finger. Squeeze the gun first. Then press the trigger rearward. And follow through the trigger break.

Fatigue. You're starting out close. You are a new shooter. What kind of gun are you using? I know that after a period of time standing on the line like a statue squeezing off rounds my arms will fatigue. So make sure you aren't holding the gun for long periods straight out in front of you. Set it down. Let the blood come back to your arms. You could also use a 5 pound weight each day and hold it in front of you with both hands for a time. This can build up those muscles.

Hope it helps. And, find an experienced coach. This is just the internt and who knows if I'm giving you good advice.

My guns are Sig P238 and Springfield EMP 9mm. My husband's hands are gigantic compared to mine. He is lots better than me most of the time, but shoots low sometimes as well. I think too, I get frustrated and embarassed when he watches me and gives advice, especially when i know he doesn't really have much more experience than i do. Yesterday when we started shooting, we were the only ones, but as more people showed up, I started giving him "the look" and going "SSSHHHH!!" when he made his comments. Later, over beer and wings at BW3, he said I got worse when more people were around. Ummm...I am not a "people person" and somewhat socially awkward...it doesn't take a pyschiatrist to figure out i wouldn't be comfortable with that!
Not trying to put him down, we have a pretty good relationship, and he's just trying to help, but the more he watches me and makes comments, the more frustrated i get. I can handle it, but it just makes me feel even worse about not shooting well. I have more experience with revolvers, and although i didn't get to shoot much years ago, i didn't have this problem. I'll keep working on it, I still enjoy shooting, just feeling kinda humiliated right now.

 

[lovemachine]

You should send coach a message. He's an instructor thru ACT, and INGO advertiser. That guy knows his stuff. And he can help you out. He also does private lessons.

My guns are Sig P238 and Springfield EMP 9mm. My husband's hands are gigantic compared to mine. He is lots better than me most of the time, but shoots low sometimes as well. I think too, I get frustrated and embarassed when he watches me and gives advice, especially when i know he doesn't really have much more experience than i do. Yesterday when we started shooting, we were the only ones, but as more people showed up, I started giving him "the look" and going "SSSHHHH!!" when he made his comments. Later, over beer and wings at BW3, he said I got worse when more people were around. Ummm...I am not a "people person" and somewhat socially awkward...it doesn't take a pyschiatrist to figure out i wouldn't be comfortable with that!
Not trying to put him down, we have a pretty good relationship, and he's just trying to help, but the more he watches me and makes comments, the more frustrated i get. I can handle it, but it just makes me feel even worse about not shooting well. I have more experience with revolvers, and although i didn't get to shoot much years ago, i didn't have this problem. I'll keep working on it, I still enjoy shooting, just feeling kinda humiliated right now.

 

[CindyE]

As far as training at home dry-firing, etc., are there any DVDs that we can use to train with? Kinda like the exercise DVDs? I used to do Tae-Bo and other stuff with DVDs, and found it a good way to learn. While I plan on shooting year 'round, it would be good for those really nasty winter days, too. I like to read and learn a lot from books, and on here too, but I'm better at hands-on.

 

[BJMANIS]

You are probably jerking the trigger or squeezing the butt with your 2nd, ring, and pinky fingers called (milking). This will always send the round low and more than likely toward the 7:00 o'clock area of that target. I have shot thousands of rounds at that target, and I usually start around six or seven o'clock until I fix my finger pressures. Also you might want to start out with your aim point high right or just high and gradually bring you POA down to the X. It is a target, it isn't going anywhere, Take your time and think FRONT SIGHT then target. It works for me.

 

[sonofagun]

I'm pretty confident that i can hit up close if i need to. But moving back is a different story. We usually practice at the 25 yrd range, and if nobody else is there, I start off with some up-close shooting, like maybe 20 ft. Lately with both of my guns- Springfield EMP 9mm and Sig P238, i hit very low when i move back to about 20 yards. I mean REAL low, like i'd be lucky to hit the perp in the knee! I know this is some kind of newbie crap, but it is frustrating. Other than just practice and concentrating, what can i do? My husband does the same thing sometimes, but not as bad as me.

Are you using the same ammo?

 

[BigMatt]

Try shooting from a sandbag. That will eliminate variables there. If you are still shooting low from a sandbag, it is the gun or ammo. If you are on target from a sandbag, it is your hold.

 

[canav844]

I'm not watching you shoot so I can't tell you what it is that's happening that is making this occur, that graphic posted is great for right handed shooters and is easy to flip when you practice support hand or for left handers. Some of the tricks listed also help tell you the same thing.

Stop going to the range with your spouse for a bit. I know it sounds mean but because of how that dynamic works for 99% of people out there, at some point it ends up adding pressure to preform rather than a learning environment where mistakes are ok. I give the same advice when someone is learning to drive a manual transmission. Practice on your own, seek out an instructor, find a buddy on INGO to go with; there are many options that can get you to build up the fundamentals without the pressure, then once you've got them down start up the dates to the range again.

Here's some reading on shooting techniques and mentality. They're good for everyone to read, even if it says female in the title.
How to shoot a handgun accurately by Massad Ayoob Issue #85
Firearms handling refresher Part I: Handguns by Massad Ayoob 031207
The subtleties of safe firearms handling by Massad Ayoob Issue #103
Tailoring guns to females by Massad Ayoob Issue #131
Armed and Female by Massad Ayoob Issue #63
Women and guns by Massad Ayoob Issue #121
If you like how those are written, pick up his books entitled "Stressfire" They make look a little dated but the techniques hold true.

Take a look here at the articles under "Shooting basics"
Cornered Cat

Here are some videos from youtube that can be a start
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Cf0WEeXZk&feature=relmfu[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22msLVCtPk8&feature=relmfu[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xa5JPLGIsU&feature=relmfu[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAni-MCJSUU[/ame]

If you take a look on amazon type places you can usually find Magpul's Dynamic Art of the Handgun for $25-45, here is a trailer [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTr8xvkUWp4[/ame]

If you can find them, Handguns and personal defense TV have some great segments on various basic and intermediate techniques.

And all of that can provide you a decent starting knowledge base and a plethora of little tips to learn from and try to implement. However and I cannot stress this enough, you cannot learn how to shoot a gun on the internet, you cannot learn how to shoot a gun on the internet, you cannot learn how to shoot a gun on the internet; it is going to take some real practice, and you're going to need to accept constructive critique to be able to improve. Do a little dry fire every night, go to the range every week; and get some training from the professionals, on this site or ones listed around the country, every few months or every year; having a set of eyes that knows what to look for being able to teach you about it in a learning environment is when you're going to yield some real dividends. And once you get comfortable you can start going shooting with your spouse, and I'd recommend attending one of several competitions every few months as well, going up against other shooters and the timer can help you learn to "solve shooting problems" and put some extra pressure so that if you ever NEED to use a firearm, you've handled pressure and adrenaline while running the gun.