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infomation on handgun aiming

Smith1956Smith1956 Member Posts: 24 ✭✭
edited April 2008 in Ask the Experts
Just started handgun target shooting as a hobby. hope someone can help me with aiming problem. have sight on bullseye but all shots are down and to the right of target. this happens no matter which eye I have closed. I am left handed should I hold the gun in my left hand or right? I would really appreciate any suggestions yall could give me. Thanks,Robert
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Comments

  • PearywPearyw Member Posts: 3,699
    edited November -1
    I would start by adjusting the sights.
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  • iceracerxiceracerx Member Posts: 8,860 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    One of the first things to determine is which of your eyes is the dominant eye.

    A simple way to do this is to look at a small object (like a door knob) with both eyes open and point at the object with your left index finger (like you are "shooting" the object), then closing one eye at a time, observe which eye leaves the finger pointed at the object and which eye moves the object away. Obviously, the eye which shows the finger pointing at the object is your dominant eye. This is the eye you should sight with.

    Another method is to form a triangle with your index fingers and thumbs on both hands. Hold this out in front of you and have a friend (spouse, etc) look back at you. They will see only one of your eyes looking at them. Again, this is your dominant eye.

    If you are right eye dominant, I suggest you shoot your handgun with your right hand.

    Question: are you shooting (gripping the handgun) with one hand or two?

    It sounds like you are using a Weaver or Isosceles two handed stance.
    I always use my dominant eye to sight when combat shooting while using either my right or left hand.

    I grip my bulls-eye pistols with my left hand. I am left eye dominant.

    Hope this helps.

    http://www.archeryweb.com/archery/eyedom.htm
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  • dgacdgac Member Posts: 694 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dont know if this is a good suggestion but when I started shooting pistols I noticed that I was not only pulling the trigger but tightining my hand muscles. I shoot with my right hand and I would pull my shots to the left. They would be all in the same area just left.

    dgac
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  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Any chance of taking an NRA shooting class? It is a great advantage to have someone work with you that can see problems you cannot.

    Learn to shoot with both eyes open, focus on the front sight and practice, practice, practice.
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  • dheffleydheffley Member Posts: 25,000 ✭
    edited November -1
    If the sights are right, this will help you understand what's happening to a right handed shooter.

    correction_chart.gif
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  • gotstolefromgotstolefrom Member Posts: 1,479 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you are 'new', and your target has a cluster of holes that are low and to the right, you are doing GREAT ! Shooting a small cluster of holes is the goal.
    I hope you are enjoying it.

    Adjusting your sights should be intuitive....what to do to move the hits.

    You can adjust your sight or adjust your sight picture to move the 'hit' around.

    If your sights are not adjustable, you have one option....hold high and left.

    If the sights are adjustable, move the front sight to the right just a bit,(or move the rear sight to the left just a bit).

    If your rear sight is adjustable for elevation, make your adjustment there. If it isn't adjustable, you just vary the amount the front sight shows above the rear sight plane....

    Most people like a "six-o-clock hold" for a handgun.
    Look at the target as a clock, put the sights on six-o-clock for a bulls-eye hit.

    Some people like to hold on the outer ring of the target, some like to hold on the black, pick what works for you.

    ENJOY ! , and VOTE !!!
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  • MaaloxMaalox Member Posts: 5,155 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    All these are fine suggestions but if I read this correctly this is a novice shooter. Before I would recomend adjusting anything I would have someone else shoot a few rounds through it and see if they shoot in the same area.

    IMHO, the circle diagram shown above is your best friend.

    Welcome to the target shooting hobby, I know I enjoy it!
    Regards, MAALOX
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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hello I think you will find that many people will have a different opinion on a number of things and I respect those that have a different opinion then My self. First I must ask are you shooting in BULLS-EYE matches OR PLINKING at bulls-eye targets . I have been shooting NRA & DCM/CMP bulls-eye matches for 40 + years I also instruct and coach . I went to Camp Perry from 1972-2005 and had my 15 minutes of fame. This is not to brag but to give you an idea of how long it has taken me to form my opinions. If you are shooting one handed BULLS-EYE matches then these item will apply # 1 Shoot the pistol in the hand you WRITE WITH. You need the fine motor skills you have developed in this hand to get the BEST trigger release. #2 shoot with both eyes open but you can use either eye " in shotgun hunting you need your dominant eye to be the one looking at the sights" with pistol you can shoot a pistol right handed sighting with your left eye . Either way you should wear a blinder or put a piece of tape over the lens of your glasses on your non dominant eye. During rapid fire you don't need the confusing factor of seeing the sights with both eyes.. #3 the groups you are looking at are a natural error for someone that is shooting with their right hand This comes from dipping the front sight slightly at the very moment you have trigger release. . I am a big fan of dummy rounds. . Try this if you are shooting a 1911 take a pair of needle nose pliers and bend the tab on the magazine follower that actuates the slide stop or buy some dummy "SNAP CAP" rounds
    now go to the range with another shooter or friend. If you have snap caps get your friend to load one or two snap caps in each magazine and have him load the gun but you fire it when you get to a snap cap the sights should not move when the hammer drops and just goes click. If you don"t have snap caps use the magazine with the bent tab and again have your friend load a different number of rounds each time now after the last round is fired the slide will close and the hammer dropping on empty chamber should not cause the sights to move.If you are shooting a 22 Get some snap caps don't dry fire a rim fire pistol. Feel free to email me via my profile .
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  • muttermutter Member Posts: 122 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You have too much finger through the trigger and you are scared of the gun.

    Place the trigger in the middle of the index finger and pull it! Do NOT squeeze it. Pull it. A whole lot of people will have you "squeeze it", and this is wrong.

    I'll get flamed for saying that but to hell with the experts!

    When you squeeze the trigger, you will tend to pull the gun to one side or the other. It takes a lot of practice to pull the trigger straight back as opposed to squeezing the trigger and not squeezing your whole hand.

    In other words, you are moving only your index finger in the trigger pull. If you squeeze your hand you will move the whole gun.
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  • dgacdgac Member Posts: 694 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    +1 to mutter Exactly what I said just put much better
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  • BigCannonBigCannon Member Posts: 88 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    This may help a little. I was shooting with Robert when he was having this problem. He consistently shot low and to the right. This occured with 3 different pistols and same results. I was hitting target with all 3 so it is not an issue with the sights. Hopefully this will help determine what problem he is having. I am not an expert by any means and do not know what to do to help. Larry

    The guns were a S&W 4046(40S&W), Ruger LCP .380, S&W SW40VE Sigma
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  • iceracerxiceracerx Member Posts: 8,860 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ask the Experts topics get locked after 10 posts.

    It would be helpful to know what type of pistol(s) Robert was shooting.

    Revolvers require a slightly different technique then Semi-autos do.

    If Robert was consistently hitting low right (with 3 different Pistols) then this is where his point of aim is. As PearyW suggested, it's time to adjust the sights for Robert.

    As also suggested, can you find a gun range/club to get some instruction?
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