Best Tips You Received to Improve Handgun Accuracy?

[RustVendor]

Send it. Send it fast. I shoot better fast than slow lmao. Shooting fast helped me find my rhythm, I overthink it shooting slow

i think there's a lot of truth to this, if you are shooting low left you are flinching in anticipation. The more build up before you shoot the more anticipation and the more pressure to "make it good". At least try shooting faster there's no downside

 

[Joker67]

Haven’t seen this yet:

Take a class from a good instructor who can do what you want to be able to do. They can observe and correct you as well as give you homework to practice on your own to work on your weak points.

Try a few instructors. You’ll waste money on some mediocre classes, but then you’ll find one where you learn 10x more than in the mediocre class.

You really can’t learn on your own or from videos. There are small corrections that a good shooter can give you to keep you from a lifetime of bad habits.

After my first good class, the instructor said: “ Stop buying guns. Pick one gun and train with it for a year or two. Don’t be one of those guys who has 10 pistols but can’t shoot any well.”

Figure out what your goals are. Good instruction will help with whatever that is. Dry fire, drills etc all build on your instruction and being taught to train , not just shoot.

 

[Indian valley headhunter]

I'm looking to improve my handgun accuracy and thus form, I guess, maybe like a golf swing? For me, I'm inconsistent, sometimes I do well, sometimes not. I have a feeling it's a combination of trigger pull and grip perhaps. What are some of the most impactful tips you received while trying to improve your consistency outside of just practice? Form? Hands? Angle? Grip? I'm just focused on 7yd not speed and really trying to analyze each action better hoping the sum is a better result and consistent.

Trigger press and front sight focus

 

[Diabolus]

Cool. Just ordered the 140lb version. I'm a pretty big dude already so hope this is a good middle ground to work with.

If you already lift/big guy the No. 1 will be a good start, I don't think you'll have a problem with it. I bought the T, 1 and 2. Number 2 is defeated and will get the 2.5 soon. The T was a waste of money, super easy. I only use it now to give to friends and watch them tap out lol.

 

[Diabolus]

For those who don't know, Captains of Crush is a grip/hand strengthener.

What is your reasoning on how this would improve pistol accuracy? (I agree just curious)

I got to a high level in USPSA production and was doing everything to improve at the time. What I found the best was a solid grip on the firearm and hand strength helps with that a lot. I used the Talon grip tape that's similar to skateboard tape and the lotion like Pro Grip enhancer, that was a perfect setup. Outside of grip strength, dry firing and reloading was super important and free.

I think there are some basic fundamentals to shooting, but practicing as much as you can makes you a great shooter. People can get lost in all the advice online and I like to keep it as simple as possible.

 

[Gawernator]

So jerk off to get better at shooting?

 

[RustVendor]

So jerk off to get better at shooting?

you probably have to train for more than a few seconds though

 

[RustVendor]

If you already lift/big guy the No. 1 will be a good start, I don't think you'll have a problem with it. I bought the T, 1 and 2. Number 2 is defeated and will get the 2.5 soon. The T was a waste of money, super easy. I only use it now to give to friends and watch them tap out lol.

I haven't done them in a while but I got up to a 2.5. I tried tonight and couldn't quite get a 2 lol. Incidentally they are only about half the advertised weight, my 2.5 was measured and stamped at 130 lbs i believe. The light weight ones are actually good for training because you can get a bunch of volume for warming up or just endurance after you go heavy. I'm a bigger fan of the rolling grip thing and the crush grip blocks, I got up to a couple hundred on the RGT at one point. All that said I've been really trying to shoot with less tension and so not gripping as hard as I can when I shoot, although having high top end strength really helps. There's a girl that shoots uspsa here that clearly lacks grip strength because the muzzle flips up pretty high on each shot but she's still fairly fast because it returns right where she needs. I think that consistent return is more important than locking it down.

 

[lactoast]

So jerk off to get better at shooting?

You jerk off to get better at shooting. I shoot to get better at jerking off.

 

[john_marsten_1873]

I'm looking to improve my handgun accuracy and thus form, I guess, maybe like a golf swing? For me, I'm inconsistent, sometimes I do well, sometimes not. I have a feeling it's a combination of trigger pull and grip perhaps. What are some of the most impactful tips you received while trying to improve your consistency outside of just practice? Form? Hands? Angle? Grip? I'm just focused on 7yd not speed and really trying to analyze each action better hoping the sum is a better result and consistent.

I was here just ~1.5 years ago. YouTube and the internet can be overwhelming as there’s just so much information and so many opinions.

1. how “serious” (time, effort, commitment) about training/improvement are you?

2. what your purpose for shooting (defense, sport, hobby/occasional)?

Shooting is a perishable skill which requires regular training and maintenance. Can you for example, dedicate 1-2 months shooting twice (or even once) per week.

If your primary and/or current goal is defense (home or personal), you’re a danger to others if you don’t train and maintain. You’re also legally responsible for every round. If it’s just a hobby and you just enjoy a range trip every now and then, that’s cool too!

If you have the resources for [quality] formal training it will be well worth it, even just one class that gives you enough to go and train fundamentals on your own. You’ll save a lot on ammo, long-term and progress a lot faster.

There’s quite a few aspects of shooting with are highly personal. YouTube and internet advice is best used when you’re already able to self-diagnose to some degree. Having someone watch you and make adjustments will go a long way.

With that said, you seem to be experiencing the typical new shooter struggles of putting too much input into the gun before the shot breaks:
- anticipation/flinching - driving the muzzle down
- squeezing with the whole hand and/or pushing with the trigger finger, rather than pulling straight back

Perhaps the easiest fix is to train a smooth, straight back trigger (and only the trigger) pull:

1. Bring the gun up to your sights - on target
2. Touch and “prep” the trigger
3. Steadily counting up from 1 start pulling the trigger, focusing on a steady straight back pull

Some additional tips:

1. Pick a focus and round count for each range trip - ex: Round count: 100, Focus: trigger control - get on the wall, add slow steady pressure straight back until the shot breaks (stance/grip - sights return to the same spot after each shot)…

2. Set an accuracy standard (nothing outside the # ring) or whatever is applicable to your target(s)

3. 3 shot groups - take 3 shots and evaluate, repeat. Hitting the bullseye is useless - everyone gets lucky - unless you’re doing it multiple times in succession and you were actually aiming there.

4. Track your progress - try to make one improvement every range day

The first 2 photos are February a last year just after buying my first firearm.

The last one was a drill called “Grip Master” by Tactical Performance Center: 4yds, 6rds, 2.5s limit. I took a training with them this past week in Texas.

I got a master rank: 1.85s, 1 B zone hit. I was 1.5s and one A zone hit from grip Grand Master. On the 4th shot my wrist stiffness began falling apart. On the 5th and 6th I also began loosening my grip. I’m perfectly capable of keeping ever in the top half of that circle and beating 1.8s, a Grand Master score for this drill. It’s really just maintaining strong fundamentals/core skills.

 

[Seeed]

If you already lift/big guy the No. 1 will be a good start, I don't think you'll have a problem with it. I bought the T, 1 and 2. Number 2 is defeated and will get the 2.5 soon. The T was a waste of money, super easy. I only use it now to give to friends and watch them tap out lol.

What’s your routine on this?

 

[Diabolus]

What’s your routine on this?

I just keep the three on my desk, warm up with the low one, and basically just do a set to failure with each one and working up the the hard one. It's almost like a fidget tool when I'm on a call. Prob 4 times a week.

 

[RustyIron]

So jerk off to get better at shooting?

Aim for the head shot.

 

[WSS01]

So jerk off to get better at shooting?

If you are after the "master-rating", better get to it.

 

[NorCALSpeed]

A class (RavenWing Unlimited) explained your support hand should be squeezing much harder than your trigger hand. I'd never heard that, even from friends who compete. That completely changed my shooting. Tenicor has a great video explaining it.

 

[seanjq]

There should be a rule here; put up a few targets so he knows you know how to shoot before giving advice lol