Xdm shoots low at 10 yds.

[BeauBailey]

Last week I finally got to get my xdm 9 compact to the range for a good test run. It shot great except that it shoots about 3" lower than where I aim. This is my first pistol but I can't imagine that I'm aiming wrong. I just put the front white dot on the target. Any help would be awesome.

 

[Indy Wing Chun]

Last week I finally got to get my xdm 9 compact to the range for a good test run. It shot great except that[STRIKE] it[/STRIKE] I shoot about 3" lower than where I aim. This is my first pistol but I can't imagine that I'm aiming wrong. I just put the front white dot on the target. Any help would be awesome.

FIFY

Seriously though, the gun is not shooting low, you are. You have a flaw somewhere in your trigger manipulation. It is not necessarily your point of aim (although this being your first pistol it is possible you are misaligning the sights) but I would bet you don't have proper trigger control.

 

[GNRPowdeR]

Just went shooting with a buddy this week. He isn't a strong pistol shooter and was asking for advice about his shooting low. I had him hold & sight the loaded pistol, while I would manipulate the trigger. This removed his anticipation and possible downward yank from the reasons he shot low. When we did this for two rounds, the grooping was actually four inches high at 50' vs his 8-12" low at the same distance.

Having a buddy do this with you at a range could help you better determine if it's the gun, how you're sighting, or your trigger manipulation.

Just a suggestion.

 

[churchmouse]

Empty the gun. Put a laser bore sight tool in the barrel and turn it on. Grip the pistol and run the trigger. It will probably show you that you are pulling the nose down at the end of the trigger take up stroke. This is a simple change of grip and trigger discipline. I did this with my Son, Daughter, Wife and son in law. It is the best way to see what you are doing. If you have the pistol you mention, it is you and not the gun. Try this. It does work and you can do it at home.

 

[Hookeye]

Lighter bullets/faster ammo might make it hit low.
10 yards, I'd expect it to hit a little low anyway.
If not lining up the dots (putting front sight dot where you want the bullet to hit) and using the top edges of the sights, that would make it go low.

I had dots on a P35, and running +P 115gr loads it hit pretty low. The Meprolights (what the company told me) were set for 147 gr load.

And sometimes it is the gun, not the shooter...........as some guns have come with the wrong front sight height from the factory (seen it).

 

[Jackson]

This is not something that can be so easily diagnosed through an internet forum. Sight alignment, trigger control, follow through, and gun set-up are all possibilities here.

Do you have this issue with other makes/models of guns?

Are you familiar with the fundamentals of marksmanship, how to apply them, and how to practice them?

If this is a first gun, or you are a relatively new shooter, I recommend some formal training. (I actually recommend formal training even for experienced shooters. You will be surprised how much you will learn.) Check out the Tactics and Training forum. You will find several site advertisers who teach classes on a wide variety of shooting topics.

I would also say to let another (skilled) shooter put some rounds through your gun and see if their results match your own.

 

[Jeremy1066]

Being your first pistol, and your first range trip with it, there are many things that you (the shooter) could be doing wrong. If you were shooting consistently low but not left/right, my first guess would be improper sight alignment. There is more to it than just putting the front dot on the target.

 

[Fullmag]

Empty the gun. Put a laser bore sight tool in the barrel and turn it on. Grip the pistol and run the trigger. It will probably show you that you are pulling the nose down at the end of the trigger take up stroke. This is a simple change of grip and trigger discipline. I did this with my Son, Daughter, Wife and son in law. It is the best way to see what you are doing. If you have the pistol you mention, it is you and not the gun. Try this. It does work and you can do it at home.

Good advice. Trigger control is most of the equation to good shooting.

 

[thekuhnburger]

I'm thinking it could be bullet drop. Gravity still has an effect on those bullets even with how fast they are moving. Not to worry though, most self defense situations occur at 3-5 yards anyway.

 

[Panama]

I'm thinking it could be bullet drop. Gravity still has an effect on those bullets even with how fast they are moving. Not to worry though, most self defense situations occur at 3-5 yards anyway.

 

[Indyhandgunner]

More than likely you're just anticipating recoil. Next time you're at the range find someone else to take a couple of shots and see if they're shooting low with it.

 

[sloughfoot]

Bullet weight changes where the round will impact on all pistols. 115's will impact lower than 147's because of velocity and muzzle flip.

If it is important to you, experiment with various bullet weights so POA equals POI.

(gravity has nothing to do with it at 10Yards)

 

[BeauBailey]

I definitely won't rule out that it could be my fundamentals. I did have my brother at the range with me and he also shot low with it, but he is a relatively new shooter as well. I think I will take the advice to get formal training for sure. Does anyone have a preference on where to go for basic pistol training?

 

[Jackson]

I definitely won't rule out that it could be my fundamentals. I did have my brother at the range with me and he also shot low with it, but he is a relatively new shooter as well. I think I will take the advice to get formal training for sure. Does anyone have a preference on where to go for basic pistol training?

Go to the Tactics and Training forum and take a look at some of the site advertisers in there. There are a number of people you might train with.

Where are you located?

 

[thekuhnburger]

Bullet weight changes where the round will impact on all pistols. 115's will impact lower than 147's because of velocity and muzzle flip.

If it is important to you, experiment with various bullet weights so POA equals POI.

(gravity has nothing to do with it at 10Yards)

I guess I should have used purple.

 

[BeauBailey]

Jackson I am in northern Madison county.

Sloughfoot I was using 115 grain jacketed rounds. I read my manual cover to cover and it did not say anything about being set up for any particular bullet weight. The only thing it said was that the gun comes sighted for 25 yds. My thinking is that I should be shooting high at 10 yds if it is set up for 25 yds. Is my logic wrong on this?

 

[Hookeye]

It should be low at 10 if sighted for dead on at 25.

 

[JettaKnight]

Jackson I am in northern Madison county.

Sloughfoot I was using 115 grain jacketed rounds. I read my manual cover to cover and it did not say anything about being set up for any particular bullet weight. The only thing it said was that the gun comes sighted for 25 yds. My thinking is that I should be shooting high at 10 yds if it is set up for 25 yds. Is my logic wrong on this?

It should be dead on at 10 yards, impossible to be 3" low at that yardage. There's no way 115 vs 147 grains is going to make a 3" difference at 10 yards.

Mostly likely you're jerking the trigger as others stated. SQUEEZE smoothly and deliberately.

I load snap caps at random in my wife's gun and don't tell her which one. It's clear to all when she pulls the trigger on that round. This strategy also keeps me alive.

 

[Grelber]

Have been through the new shooter shoots low thing twice this year with relatives.
Fix was very easy and immediate both times.
What worked in my case was to have them dry fire, watch what happens to gun, repeat until they could dry fire and keep sight on target.

 

[Excalibur]

My current carry gun is the XDM compact in 9mm. It is also my first gun. Before I did some serious training, I was shooting way off. The gun works fine. I've seen someone make a 50 yard shot with it and then some.