Not so fast. There are several do’s and don’ts when establishing the proper firing grip. Two of the main aspects of establishing a proper grip are consistency and tension. For a bullseye shooter, it becomes even more critical since we are only using one hand to shoot.

Also, the firing hand and arm need to absorb the recoil and be an aid to a quick recovery, especially when firing the timed and rapid fire stages. This is even more true with the hardball gun, where the recoil is the most extreme since we are using full power .45 ACP loads and not the lighter recoiling loads of the centerfire or .45 match Wadcutter guns.

As I mentioned, one of the key aspects of the grip is consistency, not only in the application of the grip but also in the tension applied. Too loose of a grip, and the pistol will shift in the hand during firing. Too tight, and two things happen: the hand will tremble, and the trigger finger is partly immobilized. One way I’ve found to get the proper grip is to pick up the gun with one hand, and squeeze the pistol until the hand starts to shake, then slowly back off the tension until the pistol stops shaking.

This is a good starting point in applying the proper grip, and you may need to adjust this amount of tension up or down based on the gun and caliber of the pistol and the type of shooting you are doing. One aspect not talked about enough is that the grip should allow the recoil of the pistol, any pistol, to travel straight up the arm and not rotate around the wrist. This is especially important with heavy recoiling pistols. When firing with one hand, a la bullseye, the shooter should be able to draw a line from the front sight through the pistol straight up the arm.

With a two-hand hold in an Isosceles stance this isn’t possible, but the recoil still needs to come up the arm as much as possible. Another aspect of the grip, especially with the two-hand hold, is the shooter needs to “choke up” on the pistol. In other words, the shooter needs to get the firing hand as high up on the pistol as possible. This helps direct the recoil to travel up the arms, and also keeps the pistol from rotating around the central point of the wrist. This “torque” makes the pistol twist up and over, making follow up shots much more difficult.

This is why handguns with a high grip, like the 1911 with the aftermarket upswept beavertail grip safeties, are so effective. They don’t just look cool, it gets the hand high up on the gun to better manage the recoil. The general rule of thumb is the lower the axis of the bore is, relative to the hand and forearm, the more manageable the recoil will be.

Another aspect of the grip that many shooters discuss is placement of the trigger finger. Like many aspects of shooting, there’s really no right or wrong way to place the trigger finger on the trigger. The two most common ways are the pad of the finger and the first joint. Both are used by many champion shooters, so decide which one is more comfortable and go with it.

One of the best ways to see if the placement of the trigger finger is correct for you is to dry fire. If, during a dry fire session, the pistol’s sights move to the left when the hammer or striker falls, then there is too little trigger finger applying pressure and the trigger finger is moving the gun to the left, assuming a right handed shooter. If the sights move to the right, there is too much trigger finger, most likely the shooter is placing the trigger finger on the joint of the finger and it’s pulling the sights to the right.

This brings up another point: dry fire. Dry firing is one of the single biggest methods a new shooter can use to improve their skills. It doesn’t matter if the new shooter is a bullseye shooter, IPSC, IDPA, silhouette or whatever, dry firing is the single best and fastest way to improve your shooting. If the shooter is an action-type shooter, IPSC, or IDPA for example, incorporating drawing from a holster into the dry firing routine will also pay huge dividends.

With dry firing, the shooter can practice almost all of the basic fundamentals of shooting − stance, position, grip, sight alignment, trigger control, breathing, and mental discipline − and can include loading and unloading safely (with dummy rounds) as well as drawing from a holster. The problem with dry firing is that dry firing to a shooter is like practicing scales to a musician. It’s not a lot of fun, it’s repetitious and it’s a little boring. But dry firing is probably the easiest, most cost-effective method there is to improve a shooter’s marksmanship.

One aspect about the grip that a new shooter wants to avoid is known as “milking the grip.” This is where the shooter begins to grip the pistol, then shifts the position of the hand, the tension of the grip, or both either during or just prior to the act of firing.

The next feature about the grip is that it needs to allow a natural point of aim. This means that when the pistol is brought up to the target, the front and rear sights should be in natural alignment, and there should not be any need to shift the pistol in the hand in order to get proper sight alignment. If you are a bullseye shooter, you can get a good natural grip before the load command is given. If you are an action-type shooter and are drawing from the holster, the grip you get out of the holster is the grip you will have when the shooting starts.

Close the eyes, and raise the pistol. Open the eyes and the sights should be mostly centered on the target, but also the sights should be MOSTLY in alignment. If the front sight is left or right, relative to the rear sight, then the grip should be adjusted until they are lined up.

We are striving to place the body into the center of the target with the stance and position that get us in the general area of the center of the target. Then, by establishing the proper grip and natural sight alignment, we can complete a rapid fire string with good recovery and the front and rear sights will return to a natural state of alignment out of recoil.

When using a two-handed grip, I mentioned that the shooter should “choke up” on the pistol, or get as high on the gun as possible. The shooter also needs to push slightly with the firing arm, and pull back slightly with the non-firing arm. This will create a good amount of isometric tension that will help overcome the effects of recoil.

Another aspect of the grip is the thumb of the firing hand. Make sure that the thumb does not drag on the slide, as this can strip energy from the recoiling slide and cause failures to feed and eject.

I’ve talked about aspects of the grip that the shooter wants to do, now here are a couple of don’ts.

Don’t use what’s called a “teacup” grip. You will see this type of grip in the movies from time to time, and is where the non-firing hand acts as a “saucer” to the pistol’s “teacup.” This type of grip offers little countering to the effects of recoil. The pistol will twist right out of the non-firing hand with this grip, although it does look cool in the movies.

Also, don’t fail to use the proper amount of tension in the wrist and forearm. This is really important, especially with semi-auto handguns. The reason for this is that semi-auto pistols need to have a solid platform for the gun to properly feed, chamber extract and eject. There’s a condition called “limp wristing,” where the shooter fails to provide enough tension in the wrist and arm and, in effect, takes away energy from the recoil spring as the slide is moving rearward, sometimes failing to fully eject the round.

The pistol will also not then have enough energy going forward to feed the next round fully. The classic “stovepipe” jam, where the spent round is caught by the slide that’s moving forward, and is sticking out of the ejection port, is usually caused by either too weak of the powder charge, or limp wristing the pistol. Many new shooters can’t visualize how this phenomenon can happen, and while it’s more prevalent with bullseye shooters since they are only using one hand and arm, it happens with action-type shooters as well.

Think of it like this, if I’m firing a semi-auto pistol and if I were able to move the pistol to the rear as fast as the slide was moving at the moment the gun went off, the slide would never unlock to extract or eject the fired case. If I were able to move the pistol to the rear at the moment of firing, half as fast as the slide was moving, the slide would only unlock and move to the rear halfway, and would only have the energy to move forward to feed and chamber the next round.

So, in effect, if you don’t provide a firm platform for the handgun to cycle, you are taking away energy from the recoil spring and can induce all manner of malfunctions. How much tension is enough? Remember, apply tension to the hands and forward to the point of inducing a tremble, then back off slightly to where the tremors stop, this is about the proper level of tension for your frame. Each individual shooter needs to experiment in order to fine the amount that is comfortable and provides consistent results with the pistol.

Although the shooter doesn’t want to fire a string with a grip that’s too loose, having a grip that’s too tight has its own issues. If the grip is too tight and there’s too much tension in the firing hand, it has a tendency to cause the trigger finger to freeze up, and not be as nimble and quick. This can cause all sorts of trouble when trying to fire off a quick string of shots.

You can take your shot timer and prove this. Fire a series of five or six shots with your normal grip, and then fire the same five or six, with the same accuracy, with a grip that is twice as firm. I guarantee the split times will be slower. It may not be much, but it will be measureable. The trigger finger just is not as responsive if the tension in the hand is excessive, because the muscles in the back of the hand are too tight. Excessive tension in the hand makes the muscles in the trigger finger more difficult to move independently. It also makes the trigger pull feel much heavier than it actually is.

Another tip for obtaining a proper grip is for the revolver shooters. Revolver shooters need to employ most of the aspects of obtaining the proper grip that the semi-auto shooters need, but with the awareness that the exposed hammer of the gun needs to be taken into account. I’ve taught many new shooters who started out with the revolver and one of the biggest mistakes they make is to wrap the non-firing thumb over the back of the firing hand. Both thumbs need to be on the same side of the gun, just like with the semi-auto shooters.

The reason for this is obvious the first time that the hammer comes back and pinches the thumb during a string of rapid fire when the thumb on the non-firing hand is wrapped over the top of the firing hand. This is also a bad idea with semi-auto handgun shooters. If the thumb is wrapped over the top, the slide can scrape and cut the top of the thumb during recoil.

Although knowing what it takes to hit is important, possibly most beneficial is knowing why you miss. When you apply the fundamentals of marksmanship: sight alignment and sight picture, trigger management, grip and follow through, you will make your hits. But what should you do if you start missing?

Plastic cut out sights can be used to create a visual for where to place your sights on a target.

You can build good mental programing and discipline with self-diagnosis. Stop shooting and take the time to assess the situation.

Begin by asking yourself the following questions:

• What do the sights look like when properly aligned? Did I see equal spacing, level tops when the shot broke? Did my trigger finger placement cause the sights to move or was it my grip that allowed the movement?

• Did I see a proper sight picture when the gun went off? Was the target behind the sights? Did I even see the sights at all, or was I staring at the target?

• What did I feel when the gun went off? Did I fire from the pressure wall (slack out) or did I yank right through the slack? How about physical anxiety? Did I flinch?

Quite honestly, I cannot always tell you what I see when I shoot well. I can however, tell you what I don’t see when I shoot poorly, and that is the sights. For me, it’s usually caused by rushing to shoot all the targets at once.

If you learn what it takes to hit you will be able to correct misses. Here are some more questions to ask yourself when having a bad shooting day:

• Does it hurt when I shoot? Very rarely does shooting hurt the shooter. So why should you flinch or feel the need to push into the gun if it doesn’t hurt?

• Am I scared of the gun going off? Most folks will say they are not afraid, but why then do they anticipate or feel the need to over control the gun the instant it goes off?
• 
  If you are still missing, it might mean going back to dry fire practice. If you can do everything correctly with an empty gun you can also do it with a loaded gun. If you can hold the gun, press the trigger and see proper sight alignment and sight picture when the hammer falls, you should be able to do it when it’s loaded.

These hits were made with the above sight picture—all the way out to 25 yards. Know what you need to see, and the hits will happen.

If during live fire you notice the sights come out of alignment, or the sight picture change, don’t continue without refining something. You might need to adjust your grip pressure, trigger finger placement, or your mind. When you learn this you can do it while shooting and change the results. If your focus wanes you won’t know what you saw the instant the gun went off.

Recoil spring rate must be balanced with the ammunition in order to keep the gun running reliably and to prevent excess wear from battering. Spring rate affects timing during the recoil and feeding cycle. If the recoil spring is too strong, the gun won’t cycle reliably and can cause failures in extraction and ejection, and feeding malfunctions by not going far enough to the rear or by cycling so fast that the round in the magazine hasn’t been pushed up far enough for proper engagement.

The effect of recoil spring strength on timing was examined with three different recoil springs in a .45 ACP Para Ordnance P14.45 (5” barrel) pistol. The springs were Wolff 12-, 16- and 20-pound (lb) conventional springs. The 16 lb recoil spring is the standard weight for this pistol.

Methods
The springs were conditioned to take a “set” prior to use. “Set” refers to new springs shortening a little with their initial use. This was done to reduce variability in the spring’s response due to shortening that might occur during the time course of the test.

They were installed and removed 60 minutes later and measured. The springs shorted 1 millimeter (mm) (see the Table).

They were reinstalled and the slide was locked to the rear for 1 hour. This reduced their length 4 to 7 mms. They were not installed again until immediately prior to use at the range. After the spring was installed, the different types of ammunition were fired in the same order in case firing live ammo produced additional set that could affect spring behavior. They were measured again after shooting and each spring had shortened an additional 2 mms.

Two different loads were tested. A full power load was 230-grain Bear Creek Supply moly coated RN bullets loaded with 5.8 grains of Winchester 231 to 1.250” overall length in Speer brass that averaged 842 feet-per-second (fps). Calculations show that it would produce 5.97 foot pounds of recoil force in a 2.5-pound gun. A reduced power load was 185-grain Bear Creek Supply moly coated SWC bullets loaded with 5.0 grains of 231 to 1.240” overall length in Remington brass that averaged 797 fps producing 4.08 foot pounds of recoil.

The gun was held in a Ransom Rest and a close-up of the slide was recorded with a high speed (1000 frames per second (FrPS)) digital camera during firing. Ten rounds were fired with each type of ammo (two) with each spring (three) for a total of 60 rounds video recorded (10 X 2 X 3 = 60). Only six to seven rounds were loaded in the magazine at a time. This was done to reduce the amount of nosedive that rounds might have due to the presence of a nosedive gap that can appear between the top round and the underlying round as more rounds are loaded in the magazine. Prior tests in a single column 1911 have shown that the greater the nosedive a cartridge makes during feeding, the slower the total cycle time. However there is less nosedive gap in these double column magazines with six to seven rounds loaded and there was no discernible effect from this phenomenon in this data.

The video was analyzed for three key milestones in the firing cycle. 1) Recoil time: the time it took for the slide to move all the way to the rear under recoil. 2) Cartridge pick-up: when the slide first contacted the top round in the magazine as it moved forward. 3) Total cycle time: when the slide returned fully to battery.

Results
Cycle time was fast – much less than a tenth of a second. In fact, the slowest cycle time was 59 frames, or 59 milliseconds (59 ms; 0.059 seconds), and that was with the 12 lb spring. The slowest cycle time with the 16 lb spring was 50 ms. That’s 1/20 of a second. The slowest time with the 20 lb spring was 47 ms.

The general result is just what one would expect: recoil spring weight affects the speed of the slide in the recoil and return phases of the firing cycle. For example, a weaker spring has a faster recoil time but a slower total cycle time. The reverse is true with a stronger recoil spring. A close look at the milestone events revealed interesting consequences from spring rate for timing in the firing cycle.

The general time profiles of the measured milestones for both types of ammunition are shown in the figure. Two things are apparent. First, the different spring weights produced different times at most milestones, although the recoil phase was very similar for all springs. Second, the overall profiles are similar for both types of ammunition. In fact, the total cycle time for a given spring with both the full power and reduced power ammunition was virtually the same.

A spring’s behavior was very consistent within a given 10-shot string. Almost half (8 of 18) of the 10-shot string milestones had an extreme spread in time of only 1 ms. For example, cartridge pick-up time for all 10 shots with the 16 lb spring and the 185 grain bullet ranged from only 31-32 ms. The largest extreme spread time for any 10-shot group was 4 ms.

An example of the consistency is shown in the figure, which shows the time profiles of all ten shots with the 16 lb spring and the 185-grain bullet. The lines and dots overlap and are difficult to distinguish from one another because the times are so consistent.

Recoil Time
We generally accept that there is a significant difference in how fast the slide moves rearward from recoil with different weights of recoil spring. Changing recoil springs usually results in the brass being ejected a greater or lesser distance. I expected to see a clear difference in slide recoil time with the different springs. However, the difference was small, at best.

With full power ammunition, recoil time averaged 9.1 ms with both the 16 and 20 lb springs. The 12 lb spring was a little faster with an average time of 8.5 ms. The difference in recoil time with the reduced power ammunition was a little more apparent, with the 12, 16 and 20 lb springs averaging 11.9, 12.3 and 12.9 ms, respectively. A one millisecond difference between the 12 and 20 lb springs is not much actual time, but does represent a 8% difference.

The numbers also show that the springs readily distinguished between the two loads used in this test. The recoil time for the reduced power load with the 12, 16 and 20 lb springs was 40%, 35% and 42% longer, respectively, than the full power load. The reduced power load produced 32% less recoil force than the full power load, so the springs are quite sensitive to differences in recoil.

My impression while analyzing the video was that the camera frame rate (1,000 FrPS) was probably not fast enough to give the best account of recoil time differences. A faster frame rate would provide a clearer picture of rearward slide travel. In spite of this shortcoming, it was clear that the recoil phase was not dramatically different between these spring weights when using the same ammunition. The slide moved much slower when going forward and the video frame rate was more than adequate during that phase.

Cartridge Pick-up

With full power ammunition, the slide was significantly slower to pick-up the cartridge with the 12 lb spring (36.8 ms) than with the 16 and 20 lb springs, which were nearly the same time (30 and 29.3 ms, respectively). The difference between the three springs in pick-up time with the reduced power ammunition was more apparent, with the 12, 16 and 20 lb springs averaging 36.5, 31.6 and 28.4 ms, respectively.

A spring’s cartridge pick-up time was very similar with both the full power and reduced powered ammunition. The 16 lb spring was 1.6 ms slower with the reduced powered load, but the 12 and 20 lb springs were a fraction of a second faster.

The difference between the spring weights can be viewed in terms of the pick-up delay time, which is the time between when the slide stops moving rearward until it picks up the next round. This is an important feature in the timing of the firing cycle. The delay is longest with the weakest spring (see the table) because the slide moves to the rear faster but it moves forward slower. With weaker ammunition, this delay is reduced because of the slower recoil phase.

A certain amount of time is required for the top round in the magazine to be pushed up to the top of the magazine after the slide has moved far enough to the rear to allow the cartridge to move. Factors that affect this aspect of timing are the strength of the magazine springs, the number/weight of rounds in the magazine and, as shown here, the strength of the recoil spring. In the Government Model 1911, the slide clears the magazine after roughly 75% of its rearward travel, allowing the ammunition to move up. This critical part of timing is rarely a problem since there is usually more than sufficient time for the top round to be positioned for pick-up before the slide contacts it during forward travel.

The slide can cycle too fast and outrun the magazine spring in certain conditions. For example, Clark Custom Guns does not recommend the use of a .460 Rowland on a high capacity Para Ordnance P14.45 for this reason (as per email communication on 12-8-2014). A full magazine (14 rounds) of .460 Rowland ammunition (essentially the same as .45 ACP) is heavy, which can slow the push of the rounds upward. The strong recoil spring recommended for the .460 Rowland means that it returns the slide quickly after recoil. This has sometimes led to feeding malfunctions because there wasn’t always enough time for the top round to be where it should in time for proper pick-up.

Total Cycle Time
The relative speed differences between the three spring weights is more pronounced when looking at the total cycle time. Stronger springs return the slide to battery at a significantly faster speed. The average total cycle time was 57 ms for the 12 lb spring, 48 ms for the 16 lb spring and 45 ms for the 20 lb spring. The total cycle times for the individual springs were extremely consistent within the 10-shot strings, and the extreme spreads did not exceed two milliseconds.

The total cycle times for the full power and reduced power ammunition was nearly identical and did not differ more than one ms for a given spring. This suggests that while recoil springs are sensitive to differences in the power level of the ammunition tested here during the recoil phase, it makes little difference in the overall cycle time.

Not Just Timing
Recoil spring strength also affects how the gun’s sights realign on the target when making fast followup shots. Some shooters report that a strong recoil spring makes the nose of the gun dip downward more than a light spring when the slide returns to battery. This makes sense because it returns the slide to battery faster. Some competitive shooters often spend time testing different recoil spring weights to see which will fit their shooting technique best.

Summary
A weaker recoil spring has less resistance to recoil force and allows the slide to recoil faster. It also has less force to push the slide forward to return to battery resulting in a slower total cycle time. It’s just the opposite for a stronger recoil spring.

The recoil force of the ammunition affected the recoil time, but did not affect the total cycle time.

Spring strength affects the firing cycle timing, and one of the most important events is cartridge pick-up time. Slide timing must permit the next round in the magazine to be pushed up in time so that it is in the right position to be engaged by the slide for feeding.

Generally, there is wide latitude for the ammunition that will reliably operate with a given recoil spring. For example, nearly all factory ammunition will run reliably with “standard” weight recoil springs in most pistols. Also, all of the ammunition in this test cycled reliably with no malfunctions of any kind. Even the reduced power load functioned reliably with the strong 20 lb spring.

Sometimes there are good reasons to change recoil springs, for light or heavy loads or to change how the nose of the gun dips for quicker follow-up shots. In these instances, it’s good to know how different spring weights can affect firing cycle timing.

In this article, I’m not going to explain why you should or should not shoot a handgun this way—why it doesn’t work.  I’m not going to dive into the mechanics of each because that would take to long, so just trust me (or don’t) that these grips are jacked.

Folks, do NOT try this at home…or on the range, or anywhere else for that matter:

Holding the gun too low

Holding the gun too low is a common mistake new shooters make when gripping a handgun.

I can’t speak for everyone, but if you asked me to, I’d say that when it comes to pistol grips, the most common and irritating mistake veteran handgunners observe are shooters (and I use that word loosely) who grip the pistol too low.

I’ll use a baseball truism here: when in doubt, choke up!  Get your grip as closely aligned with the barrel as possible, though still making sure, of course, that you avoid getting tagged by the moving slide if you are shooting a semi-automatic handgun (more on that to come).  Choke up as high as you can on revolvers as well.

This is one I really hope the “operators” out in Hollywood read and take to heart: please change your low gripping pistol ways so I can stop rolling my eyes and annoying my wife during TV time.

Wrapping the strong hand around support hand for a two-handed grip

Strong hand over support hand pistol grip.

It’s supposed to be the other way around, with the strong hand touching the pistol. Otherwise, it’s off balance so to speak, and being off balance in any physical activity just doesn’t make sense.

Grab the gun, get a good grip with your dominant hand, and then wrap the support hand (which should be doing a lot of work as well supporting the grip) around the strong hand.

Seems simple, doesn’t it?  Well, apparently not for everybody.

Interweaving fingers between strong and support hand

Interwoven finger handgun grip.

This grip is for the truly un-gifted—those who lack even the most basic eye-hand coordination.  You’d think people who’ve never shot a gun before would do this, and perhaps that’s the case; but I’ve also watched shooters who mess up after transitioning from a right handed, two-hand grip to a left handed, two-hand grip resort to this wonky hold out of… well.. I don’t know why.

Now, you may be asking yourself, who would do that drill and why?  My answer to that is that’s a whole other article.

Pointing the index finger on the support hand

Index finger pointed pistol grip.

For some reason, even after they’ve blasted caps for half a day, there are always a few shooters who have a brain dump after lunch.  They come back to the firing line, grab their gun and can’t seem to get the gun to work unless they’re pointing their support hand index finger towards the target.

Huh?  I guess, subconsciously, their fingers just don’t seem to take the hint. What in the world are they thinking?  Well, they aren’t.  It just happens.  And, it’s wrong.

Crossing the support hand thumb behind the slide of a pistol

Crossed thumb pistol grip.

This “technique” is likely only performed until the shooter gets bit by the slide.  Sometimes it leaves two little bloody groves on the web of the support hand, near the thumb.  You may have heard it called a “snake bite.”

Admittedly, it happened to me once.  I was ten years old, the first time I ever shot a gun.  I learned my lesson quick enough, through blood (and not very good instruction).

Crossed thumbs grip can result in injury from the slide.

I actually know of an incident where a shooter received seven stitches after using this improper grip.  Shocked me…but maybe he deserved it.  Besides, I’ll bet he never did that again.

Unfortunately, some people position their thumb really low back by their strong hand’s wrist so the slide doesn’t cut them.  I say it’s unfortunate, because at least if they received this aversive stimulus, they’d likely learn to put their thumbs forward.

Support hand index finger in front of the trigger guard

Finger over the trigger guard pistol grip.

Glocks, Beretta 92F and Sig Sauer pistols, and perhaps some other models have a flat, vertical shape on the barrel side on the trigger guard.  Shooters who place their support hand trigger finger on that part of the trigger guard are doing themselves a huge disservice.

Years ago a West Point cadet who was on their pistol shooting team was shooting next to me during a tactical training course.  I was an NCO at the time, serving on a full time tactical team, and I had even won a few tactical shooting awards.  Anyway, he didn’t like my suggestion to move his finger even though I made a pretty good argument why his grip was less than ideal.

In short, that grip may work for target shooting, but not tactical shooting and it doesn’t work with all guns.

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Guns.com.

1. DO teach her the four basics rules of firearm safety.

1. DON’T quiz her on it in the middle of dinner or while she’s getting her makeup done in the morning.

I shouldn’t have to list them. Honestly, if you don’t know these rules, you have no business teach-ing someone else how to shoot. Being safe is fundamental to any sport, but particularly when you’re dealing with objects that put holes in stuff. I’ve been repeating these four lines to my daughter since she was little and lately I’ve entered the practice of printing them on the back of my card and handing them out to new shooters. However you choose to approach it, just don’t skip this step even if — no, especially if — she claims she’s been around guns her whole life. And don’t ambush her to recite them at your will — she’ll memorize them by herself, I promise.

2. DO ask a friend to teach her, preferably another woman.

2. DON’T try to teach her yourself.

Unless you want a war at home. Women don’t like to be told what to do by their significant others (well, maybe some do, but I’m pretty sure those are called unicorns). My husband tried it a few times — I nearly scratched his eyes out. Your best course of action is to track down a reputable female instructor in your area. Failing that, enlist the help of any good shooter (male, female, hired gun, or family friend). They’ll probably do and say the same things you would, but they have a major advantage: they’re not you! Hubby does that sometimes — when I make mistakes, he asks a buddy to come and tell me to try this and that. Works fine, and preserves world peace.

3. DO give her firm verbal commands.

3. DON’T yell at her.

Giving clear, firm commands to someone handling a firearm is a good thing. For one, they are (or should be) wearing hearing protection and it will be a little hard to hear you. Second, you need to ensure they are safe and follow directions. But yelling at a woman and making her cry is a sure way to guarantee she won’t come back. Ever.

4. DO introduce her to firearm safety, shape, and functionality before shooting.

4. DON’T just hand her a large-caliber cannon and watch her fall on her butt.

Ironically, what you say and do before you even hand her a firearm is even more important in making her comfortable than shooting itself. One of the most common mistakes men make is to give a high-recoil firearm to a female newbie the first time and watch as it violently kicks her back, or worse — jumps out of her hands and hits her in the 10.

Don’t laugh; not funny! She will work up to large calibers, just like I did, but shock therapy is not appropriate here. Ideally, show her various guns, explain how they function and begin with a training pistol such as the SIRT I like to use. Then proceed with something tame like a .22 or possibly 9mm. No, .40, .45, or .44 Magnum are not tame. If you start with any of those calibers, she will either give up or jerk the trigger for eternity.

5. DO teach her the basics.

5. DON’T try to teach her everything all at once.

Posture, grip, sight picture, and trigger control are the most important skills for every shooter, regardless of their level or gender. Sounds simple enough, but lecturing on it all at once won’t do you (or her) any good. Pace yourself and explain one thing at a time.

6. DO bring her along with your buddies to the range.

6. DON’T treat her like one of the dudes.

If she likes to (learn how to) shoot, she’s cool, all right. So bring her along! Contrary to popular belief, many women enjoy manly hobbies, myself included. Shooting, hunting, fishing, off-roading, poker, golf, strip clubs… OK, maybe not the latter, but you get the idea. However, just because she enjoys these things doesn’t mean she’s not a lady. So keep the burping, farting, and chest bumps for your bros and treat her with care and respect.

DO buy her a gun.

DON’T pick it out yourself.

If you like her, you’ll buy her a gun. If you love her, you’ll let her pick it out herself. And don’t be stingy — some of us have really good (meaning expensive) tastes.

7. DO repeat instructions.

7. DON’T get agitated if she makes the same mistake more than once.

Despite our reputation, we women actually follow instructions very well. The problem is, we overthink and often have too many things on our mind, so we get distracted or forget. Expect to repeat yourself often. Don’t ever say, “She’s just not getting it” — unless you enjoy getting slapped up-side the head with a full magazine…

8. DO gently push her to lean forward.

8. DON’T shove her neck like an animal.

One of the hardest things for women to learn is to be more aggressive with their stance and lean forward. It just feels weird and unnatural at first. Do explain to her the benefits (stability, recoil control, etc.) and do gently push or tap her back to remind her to lean forward. Squeezing or shoving her neck while she is shooting may result in unfavorable, potentially deadly consequences. Or at least couch condemnation for a week. Just don’t do it!

9. DO give her constructive criticism mixed with positive reinforcement.

9. DON’T constantly point out only what she’s doing wrong.

I pride myself with having a thick skin, taking criticism well, and generally being able to poke fun at my own downfalls. Yet, it really hurts my feelings when my own husband constantly tears my performance apart. In recent months, he’s gotten in this annoying habit of approaching me as soon as I finish a stage and volunteering the information of everything I did wrong. Way to kick me while I’m down, babe! Instead of sticking your foot in your mouth, try praising her for the things she did right. And, instead of pointing out her mistakes, try suggestions along the lines of “Why don’t you try this. It will help you accomplish that.” And just like that, instead of a jerk, you’re a hero!

10. DO introduce a timer. Eventually.

10. DON’T shove that thing in her face and remind her how slow she really is.

Buzzers make us nervous. Period. I actually have a theory there is something in their sound frequency that scrambles brain waves — male and female. But, like any shooter, eventually we have to try doing things faster and the only way to measure progress is by timing it. You should, however, be tactful about it. Act like it’s no big deal, keep the timer behind her, but close enough to hear, and never say, “That was too slow.” Instead, make a game out of it and try, “That was awesome, but I know you can do it faster.” And remember, comparing her speed to yours is not a good idea — until she starts beating your time.

11. DO teach her double taps.

11. DON’T be a splits Nazi.

Double tapping is one of those weird skills you struggle with and one day you just miraculously get it. Teaching her how to double tap early on will save her a lot of frustration long term. I was not smart enough to do that and struggled for a long time with being unable to double tap. I had an irrational fear I’ll miss with my second shot and I genuinely thought I couldn’t move my trigger finger that fast! What finally did it for me? Hubby set up a steel popper about 10 yards away and told me to shoot it as many times as I can before it falls down. I can comfortably do about six now! But, he did not pressure me or time my splits like he would his own.

12. DO teach her different shooting positions.

12. DON’T do it on the first day.

It would be lovely if we all got into ideal shooting position every time we shot. However, the reality is that in both defensive and competition shooting we are going to be subjected to the most bizarre acrobatic tricks sometimes. While you can’t plan for everything, you’ll do her a favor if you show her some of the more common alternate shooting positions — prone, on one knee, one-handed, laying on your back, etc. Just don’t do that on day one.

13. DO encourage her to try competition.

13. DON’T force her or call her a sissy if she is not ready just yet.

The best approach, in my experience, is to bring her to competitions to watch. If there are female competitors there — encourage her to watch them, talk to them and ask questions. It took seeing other women do it to convince me that I can too, and now I hope I can pay it forward. We are a very supportive community that welcomes and encourages new shooters and you should take advantage of that. Whatever you do, just don’t tease her or you’ll be stuck with the ever-popular “It’s just not my thing” excuse for eternity.

14. DO make it fun.

15. DON’T poke fun at her or call her cute.

The most important advice, and the one I want to leave you with, is to always make it fun. Laugh, joke around, and don’t be too serious or it will go from recreation to work in no time. And save the poking fun for later, when she’s more confident. Also, don’t call her cute, try badass — she is holding a gun, after all.

15. DO remember we are different.

15. DON’T ignore this advise.

Now, I don’t know if men are from Mars and women are from Venus, but we do learn to shoot differently. Follow this advice and I promise you — even if you don’t train the next Annie Oakley, you’re bound to score some brownie points. If nothing else, they’ll come in handy next time you come home and say, “Honey, look what I got from the gun shop”….

Although I’m a firearms instructor and have been for many years, I just so happened to receive some high quality instruction recently about the importance of follow-through. Receiving instruction with humility is when learning comes best, so my mouth was shut and my ears were wide open.

It’s the basics of marksmanship that will make you a great shooter or tactical operator.  After all, experts are expert at the basics. Therefore, it follows that when it comes to learning yourself or teaching others to shoot better, explaining, demonstrating and performing the fundamentals really is what matters most.

To this point, a very qualified instructor posed a basic but important question in a class I was attending: Why is follow-through important?

Whether you’re swinging a golf club or shooting at a duck, follow-through is essential to faithfully launching the projectile and hitting the target. If not, all the energy ceases before the bullet has left the crown of the barrel.  This means keeping your eyes aligned with your sights and the target all the way through the complicated process of trigger squeeze, firing pin movement striking the primer, igniting the primer and powder, and the sending of the bullet into the rifling and out the muzzle. If there is any shaking, moving, flinching, etc, through this process, it will affect the shot.

While follow-through is a fundamental in shooting that must be adhered to, doing it right also means mastering some other basics.  Being good at follow-through means having a good, aggressive stance, and if shooting a pistol, having the proper recoil management with a good thumbs forward grip.  Conversely, follow-through will be hindered if the shooter has the bad habit of riding the recoil (deliberately recoiling or holding the recoil unnaturally), pushing (pressing the gun downward to avoid natural recoil), heeling or some other jacked up thing.  

In the context of a gunfight, follow-through is important because there is no such thing as “one shot-one kill.”  At least it’s not tactically prudent to ever think that there is; whether you have a 9mm, 00 buckshot or a 6.5 Creedmoor, you need to be ready to keep shooting until the threat stops. Consider watching the body going to the ground while following or tracking him (or her).  Even veteran snipers are always ready for a good follow up shot.

Which brings me to a shooting axiom: When it comes to shooting, it is only possible to not be perfect. While I know some really mind blowing, seemingly flawless shooters, I’ve never met a perfect one. To me, that’s the fun thing about shooting: it’s difficult to be perfect every shot, all the time. It’s a challenge.

What I’m about to say at this point in the ranging story will not fly well with some, but it needs to be addressed.

I have a problem with big-game hunters over-extending range in order to bag a trophy deer, elk, or whatever. I do believe the big-game sport hunter needs to curb their range limits, so as not to wound game in the process.

While 600-, 800-, and 1,000-yard shots are very spectacular, I believe they need to be reserved for varmints and paper targets. Long-range shots on game are very workable, but long-range in this case should not exceed the dead-on killing limit of the cartridge and the shooter. In other words, give the animal you’re hunting a break by working toward a clean, humane kill.

At 400 to 1,000 yards, you know as well as I do that anything can happen to that bullet en route to the target, and the game animal will pay the price for a less than well-thought-out move on the hunter’s part.

Some time ago, I watched a television program in which hunters were shooting elk from one mountain across to another. That, my friends, is no longer hunting, but an exercise in the use of advanced ranging equipment, rifles, and big cartridges. At best, it is simply shooting and little more. Be responsible when using these new and, yes, very effective tools.

As we move steadily through the 21st century, we see new developments all the time in both guns and loads for long-range work. Word has it that some folks are in the process of building an ultra long-range sniper rifle off a Russian anti-tank gun system that will drive a bullet of about 37 millimeters to a target in the next county. There is also word that a 40mm sniper rifle is under development by still another group of experimenters. The point is to never say never, but always remember that nothing, regardless its size or design, takes the place of woodsmanship, shooting skill, basic know-how and, most of all, ethics, by the hunter in the field.

Lapping—or truing up the inside surface of your scope rings—protects the outside of the scope tube from damage; eliminates stress on the tube that could affect the integrity of the scope’s internal moving parts; and aids accuracy by removing any stresses that the scope tube could be applying to your rifle’s action.

Lapping the inside of your scope rings prevents uneven inner surfaces from damaging or stressing your riflescope.

Unfortunately, few scope rings have perfectly machined surfaces where the ring contacts the scope tube. That’s partly because perfectly true rings are expensive to manufacture, and your average weekend warrior isn’t going to spend $130-plus on a premium set of scope rings.

Additionally, few rifle receivers are machined with absolutely true surfaces, and few of the scope-attachment screw holes where scope bases attach are drilled perfectly centered.

In short, when a ring with slightly imperfect inner surfaces is mounted to bases that are in turn screwed into slightly off-center holes in a slightly out-of-true action, it’s a miracle if those inner ring surfaces turn out perfectly true.

Even proprietary type rings that mount directly to the action—such as in the case of many Ruger, Sako, CZ-USA and other rifles—are rarely perfect. In fact, for whatever reason, they’re often the worst.

Not to fret: it’s easy to fix.

related

Bolt Gun Buyer's Guide

Henry Ford said you could have a Model T in any color so long as it was black, and once upon a time that was the general...

What’s harder is convincing casual shooters that it’s necessary to fix. We touched on a few of the ways out-of-alignment rings with imperfect inner surfaces adversely affect your pet rifle; let’s take a closer look:

Most rings aren’t round where they grip the tube of that hard-earned riflescope; they often aren’t even smooth. And most scopes have relatively thin aluminum tubes. Clamp an out-of-round ring with bumps and hollows firmly to that tube, and you’ve just introduced a new shape to your once-round scope. The divots and odd shapes affect the guts of the scope; in fact, if bad enough, they can bind up the magnification ring (or rather the moving parts that enable you to zoom in and out) and/or the gears and moving parts of the elevation and windage turrets. That’s bad juju, especially if you’re a precision shooter that really needs your scope to track honestly when zoomed in and out and dialed up and down for various distances.

A scope-lapping rod can serve dual duty as an alignment tool. In the case of proprietary rings that clamp directly to the action, finger tighten the rings onto the rifle; finger tighten the ring screws, then tighten the clamp screws firmly.

Plus, rings that aren’t lined up with each other—no matter how smooth their inner surfaces—bend the tube of your scope, further adding to the potential for bound gears and moving parts.

And finally, hard as it may be to believe, the stress that a scope tube bent against its will exerts on your rifle’s action (which must hold your scope in whatever distorted position your rings put it) can have an adverse affect on accuracy. In drastic cases, it can even negate the accuracy advantages of a perfect action-bedding job.

It’s worth fixing.

How? By lapping—or honing, if you will—the inner surfaces of your rings with a perfectly straight, perfectly round steel bar and polishing compound.

To get started, order a lapping kit from Sinclair, Midway or Brownells. I use the Brownells Scope Ring Alignment Lap ($69.99 for the 1-inch; $79.99 for the 30mm version) and have great luck with it. Most lapping kits come with a polishing compound; if not, pick up some 800-grit compound at your local hardware store or machinist supply store.

As a side benefit, your lapping rod can be used as a ring alignment tool when turning in dovetail-type rings or whatnot.

With your rings firmly in place on your rifle, put a small piece of masking tape on the upper half of each ring and mark them “Front” and “Rear.” Once lapped, you mustn’t mix up your ring halves or even reverse the way they sit on the bottoms.

Take the ring screws out and the top halves off, lay a rag over your action to prevent bits of lapping compound from falling into it, and smear the inside of the rings—upper and lower halves—with polishing compound. Lay the lapping rod into the lower halves and screw the ring top halves over it. Don’t tighten the ring screws, or you won’t be able to move the lap.

Unscrew the rings and apply a fresh layer of compound. Replace the rings and go back to lapping. Some fellows suggest a figure 8 pattern as you work the lap back and forth; I tend to just zigzag it forward and back when tight and run the handle in big ovals as it loosens up. Keep snugging the screws lightly as the rings loosen.

Depending on the quality of the rings and the material they’re made of (steel versus aluminum), you’ll need to repeat the above process two to five times. When applying fresh compound, you can wipe the old stuff out of the bottom rings with paper towel to get a visual on your progress.

About 80 percent of the lower ring surface should be smooth and perfectly true by the time you’re finished. The upper rings will be a bit less. There’s no need to lap until the surfaces are completely polished—in fact, you can take off too much material if you lap too much, resulting in rings that touch at the sides and no longer adequately grip the riflescope when the screws are tightened.

As you mount your scope in the lapped rings, you’ll notice a significant difference. The scope will lay into them without any binding, and the top halves will fit over smoothly and the screws run in easily, coming snug all at once, not slowly as they do when un-lapped rings are distorting your scope tube or slowly bending it out of alignment.

You’ll also notice how much easier it is to slide your scope forward and rearward as you finesse your eye relief to perfection, and how easy it is to rotate it slightly to level up the crosshairs even with the rings lightly snugged.

As you tighten your rings down on the scope tube, you’ll be comfortable in the knowledge that you’re not distorting the optic’s surface, or putting a bend into it, or stressing your rifle’s action and potentially introducing inaccuracies. Assuming that your scope is of reasonable quality, you’ll rest easy knowing that the inner moving parts can zoom and dial without binding, too.

A stress-free riflescope is consistent, dependable and predictable. When it comes to precisely placing shots with your favorite tackdriver, those are very real advantages.

1. Start off shooting at 75-100 yards

Proning out with a custom bolt action .308 or a .338 Lapua won’t do you any good unless you can shoot straight.  Forget the wind and mirage.  See if you can hit consistently at 100 yards first.  You should be able to blow the head off a Barbie doll at that distance. At least, that’s what I used to do when I was practicing T-zone hits.  Drilling holes through nickels, dimes and quarters can also be fun.  Just a little clear tape over the top of the coin, and—walla!—you have an instant target.

Once you get good and consistent at shorter distances, it’s time to reach out a bit.

2.  Learn to read the wind

There are multiple factors affecting distant shooting, but foremost is (1) the guy or the gal behind the gun (I’m talking about basic marksmanship factors here), and (2) the wind.

Whether you’re shooting a sub-MOA precision rifle or a 3 MOA carbine out to, say, 300 yards, wind matters. Reading the wind takes a little practice.

Range flags help during practice, but you won’t have a range flag when you’re “down range” on a military or private security contract deployment.  Nevertheless, watch the flag and pick up tell tale signs. Watch downrange a bit for blowing leaves or even grass too.  You can also check the wind at your location.

Wind is a tricky, interesting thing to study.  You’ll find quickly that it can be full force, quarter angled and any other number of variations. As well, the wind can blow, say, from the right to the left directly in front of you but then shift halfway downrange so that it’s blowing from the left to the right. The wind can also blow anywhere from 5-15 mph or more if you’re about to endure a tornado.

The distance (e.g. at your location, halfway to the target and close to the target), speed and direction of wind will all play a factor in your bullet’s pathway.

3.  Reading the wind in the mirage

Whether you’re looking through a spotting scope or the glass on your long range rifle, the blurry mirage will show you what’s happening environmentally downrange. For long range shooters, the term ”mirage” does not refer to a true mirage, but rather to heat waves and the refraction of light as they are bent through air layers of different density between the shooter and the target, similar in effect to an object appearing bent when protruding out of water (read more about this phenomenon here).

Learning to read wind and mirage from a good spotter will help you immensely at shooting accurate groups.

When it comes to understanding the mirage, focus on the target then back off about halfway to observe the mirage itself.  All this is done through glass.  As a general rule, if the lines of the mirage have heavy or large waves, the wind is mild or it may not be windy at all at the location of the mirage.  On the other hand, the tighter together the lines of the mirage, the more wind at that location. And this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to mirage reading–skilled shooters can identify all sorts of different patterns that help them accurately compensate on distance shots.

Getting out, reinforcing your skills and learning to read the wind and mirage will help you learn to be a better long distance shooter, but also keep in focus that nothing can replace good old fashioned marksmanship.  You can’t blame the wind if you can’t shoot well, so make sure to get good up close before going long.

Safety warning: Jeffrey Denning is a long time professional in the art of self-defense and any training methods or information he describes in his articles are intended to be put into practice only by serious shooters with proper training.  Please read, but do not attempt anything posted here without first seeking out proper training. (Jeffery Denning)

Love the Gun

Shooting enthusiasts of every kind have all too often found themselves in possession of a freshly acquired firearm which, for one reason or another, does not live up to expectations. Yes, the gun may be safe to shoot, and it goes bang like it's supposed to, but the feel or function just isn't what was hoped for. It can be a real temptation to hurry and trade away disappointing guns at a financial loss. But before you give up on this new relationship, several less expensive steps can be taken to try and find the rifle, shotgun, or handgun you really wanted hiding inside the gun you've already got:

1. Give the gun a detailed cleaning.
This is a good rule of thumb for both new and used guns. I've cracked open dozens of factory-fresh firearms to find that some are spotlessly clean and nearly devoid of lubrication while others are dripping in heavy grease and metal shavings. Either way, the guns are not likely to operate properly (or may even be damaged) if they are not cleaned and lubricated before the first trip to the range. As for used guns, there's just no way to know what condition they're in until you take a look under the hood. A buddy of mine picked up a previously owned competition grade bull barrel AR-15.

When I asked him how it ran, he said it was just OK. It was not as accurate as promised and it was jamming frequently. He thought it might need a gun smith. I asked if he cleaned it before going to the range. Well, no, the seller said it was ready to shoot. When he got it open, it was, like many used guns, absolutely filthy inside.

After a detailed cleaning of the internals, and a deep scrub of the barrel to remove the fouling, the rifle ran like a Swiss watch. The moral of the story is this: All guns are dirty and dry until you clean and lubricate them yourself.

2. Swap out the stock or grip.
A simple stock exchange can provide the look and feel of a complete gun makeover. For long guns, pay close attention to the length-of-pull (LOP), meaning the distance from the face of the trigger to the end of the recoil pad.

If the distance is too great for your body shape, a long gun will most likely feel out of balance or awkward to swing. Revolvers allow for a wide variety of grip shapes, sizes and materials. Swapping out a factory grip for one that fills your hand properly can turn a punishing wheel gun into one you love to practice with.

The 1911 may not be a good fit for your hand shape, so try trading out the grip panels for thin aluminum grips or wood grips with a thumb groove to make it easier to reach the magazine release. For semi-autos with fixed polymer grip frames, try sliding on a rubber grip sleeve to improve traction.

3. Upgrade the sighting system.
Small, poorly made or hard-to-see iron sights can take all of the fun out of a trip to the range. If your gun has removable sights that make you squint, try a different system. Night sights, fiber optics, target sights, or low profile combat sights might be just want you need. Some folks shoot better with open sights while others find they like peep sights best. If the plan is to mount an optic on the gun, don't settle for the cheapest glass you can find. It's amazing what investing just a little more in the right scope can do to improve the view (and your accuracy).

4. Trade out the trigger.
Triggers that are heavy, mushy or gritty are a drag to pull. In fact, bad triggers can have a measurable impact on a gun's accuracy potential.

Some shooting platforms have trigger systems that can be swapped out without the need for gunsmithing, such as the AR-15 rifle, Ruger 10/22 rimfire, and Glock pistols. Some folks cringe at the idea of spending $100 or more for “just” a trigger but, much like the right stock or grip, it can significantly change the feel of the gun.

5. Try different ammunition brands and bullet weights.
More than once I've heard the tale of someone who immediately bought a case of a single variety of practice grade ammunition to shoot in their new gun.

When it turns out that the firearm cannot properly digest this bulk-box fodder, or the accuracy is mediocre, the owner proceeds to cuss out the gun manufacturer for selling him a piece of junk.

The truth of the matter is that all guns exhibit some degree of ammunition preference. That’s why professionals in the shooting industry carefully test a variety of ammunition to check for reliability and accuracy. One of the most dramatic ammunition accuracy shifts I’ve seen occurred during the test of an old Mosing Nagant M44 (group averages drifted between 3.17" to 1.41”).

The best way to find a good ammunition fit for your personal firearm is to try several small lots of differing brands and bullet weights before investing in a lifetime supply of a particular type.

6. Buy a quality holster.
No matter the size or type of handgun you choose for concealed carry, it will feel uncomfortable until you get used to it.

 But don't expect a cheap holster, on sale for half price, to provide a comfortable fit. Plan to spend at least 10 to 15 percent of what was paid for the handgun for an every-day carry system.

Avoid the one-size-fits-all holsters and flimsy belts. Instead, stick with the quality holster system providers who make models specifically for your pistol or revolver.

7. Do your homework.
Take some time to learn more about the guns you own. Chances are you will be able to find all kinds of resources, including instructional videos, history, and reviews for your gun online.

These materials can be invaluable in identifying and understanding the features, quirks and ammunition preferences of your particular platform. Who knows, you might find out that the old bang stick your dad bought for $25 back in the 1960s is now a collector’s item.

8. Check your technique.
I had been shooting shotguns for years when an instructor gave me a few key tips that forever changed my relationship with pump-action scatter guns.

I was operating the platform correctly and making solid hits down range but I was getting pushed around by the recoil more than I liked. He showed me a subtle shift in where to couch the recoil pad in my shoulder’s pocket, how to repeat that exact placement each time, and then to add a bit of push-pull tension when aiming. Wow, suddenly I was running the shotgun instead of it running me. Even a little formal training can go a long way.

9. Visit a reputable gunsmith.
Some gun issues just can't be diagnosed or resolved from the comfort of your own work bench. Qualified gunsmiths not only heal broken shooting irons, they can often make an OK gun much better.

Don't just pick a name out of the phone book. Ask around until you find the right person for the job. Paying a gunsmith for an evaluation is almost always a worthwhile investment, especially if it turns out the gun has problems which make further upgrades or changes a waste of money. (American Rifleman)

Time to get better

Shooting, as a sport or hobby, has some rare compensations. At the minimum, it’s a complex manual skill that is a simultaneous joy and challenge to acquire. It also affords many intermediate satisfactions and variations. No wonder then, that it proves such a durable interest for many, spanning not merely lifetimes but generations in countless American families.

That it can also save lives and preserve order is misunderstood—often deliberately—in modern times.

The mere presence of a firearm thwarts many unsocial escalations—take a look at “Armed Citizen” if you doubt this. And here is where it parts company with most other hobbies and sports: Not to put too fine a point on it, but we could find not a single reference to criminal undertakings or other unrest being undone by a minus-20-degree goose down bag or carbon fiber mountain bike, however excellent or well-employed.

This intersection between sporting utility and unwelcome necessity is where many shooters risk coming up short. The habits and practices of one mindset don’t always forward the goals of the other. If this remains obscure, think of it this way: It’s the difference between making an excellent shot when you wish, versus a satisfactory shot when you must. 

This intersection between sporting utility and unwelcome necessity is where many shooters risk coming up short. The habits and practices of one mindset don’t always forward the goals of the other.

These are more different than you might expect, and there’s little consequence for getting the first sort wrong. The second is a completely different story. We suggest that a practical, inexpensive key to sorting this out is to train with a shot timer.

These are conceptually simple gadgets, really; a digital stopwatch attached to a microphone. They are designed to provide a start signal and “listen” to your shots. Where they get clever is the ability to record the times of a string of shots, and then let you review those times—generally called splits—and analyze the variation(s).

For competitive shooting, the utility is obvious: Scoring is based on some mathematical relationship between the time it takes to make the shots in a prescribed course of fire and their quality/accuracy, plus or minus any penalties (some disciplines count generally up to determine score, others count down). Built into this process is the notion of a randomized start, generally between one and four seconds. A live range officer generally handles this in competition, but a shot timer will do it for you during training.

It’s easy to underestimate the value of randomized starts. In a defensive scenario—and aside from moral considerations—there are two crucial break points. First is the decision that action is necessary. This must proceed from situational awareness, and an untimed “self-start” has no way to proxy this real-world processing interval. While it’s variable, certainly, such an interval won’t be long.

Second—and where a timer comes into play—is that most everyone overestimates how quickly they can get their defensive firearm into action. Nothing demonstrates deficiencies­ here quite like a timer: Buzz to bang is arguably the most crucial test of true defensive preparedness. A good quality (“A” hit on an IPSC target) from cover carry can easily take 2-plus seconds; from open carry, a second-and-half is respectable. Or, trans-warp here: Rob Leatham. (We watched Rob do this actual demo … er, wow?) The point is simple: A subjective notion of speed and what it lets us think are “safe” distances is deeply counterproductive as a Tueller or similar drill plainly shows.

The second function of shot timers is similarly useful. The measurement of elapsed time between shots can teach a lot, too. Though we know he wouldn’t claim them as original to him, we never think of this capacity without the words of über-master instructor John Farnum (Defense Training International) ringing in our ears: “Don’t shoot faster than you can hit.” But as John also says, “If you don’t train with a timer, you’ll never know how fast that is.”

Measuring the times between shots is helpful in three ways. True “splits”—the time between shots on the same target—clock how rapidly you can complete the cycle of a single mechanically correct and accurately placed shot. It assumes the firearm is presented and gripped, and a shot initiated. Beginning with the report of that shot, it captures the interval of tracking the sights through recoil and recovery up to delivery of a subsequent shot.

If you watch this (astonishing) Max Michel video, you’ll have a good look at the second and third benefits of interval measurement, too: transitions, and in this case, with a reload. The second is the time it takes to move between targets: recovering the pistol from a shot and moving on to a new target. This interval is generally longer than a true split as the process is more complex, but properly done, not by much.

The third interval demonstrates a dazzling reload pace, too—well under a second, shot-to-shot.

As you see, all these things can be baselined and practiced only with a timer. While our examples are from competition venues, training with a timer is no less valid, for instance, on your concealed draw and reload. Also consider that fundamentals are just the beginning: As long as dimensions and distances of your courses of fire remain the same, virtually any target array can become a yardstick for improvement.As you see, all these things can be baselined and practiced only with a timer.

In terms of hardware, there are many good choices: CED 8000 is one we’ve used a lot. It has numerous sensitivity adjustments that allow you to tune out the wind for instance (by setting the mic level), but will still pick up rimfire. Sensitive enough to hear dry-fire hammer-fall if properly positioned, it’s otherwise dizzyingly complete, with multiple par- and competitive timing modes.

If ultra-compact is the name of the game, the ShotMaxx is a largish wristwatch. No pun intended, but … handy?

Two long-time favorites (and maybe the best place to start) are the amazingly rugged Pocket Pro or Pact “club” timers. We hate to tell you how many times we’ve dropped ours, yet they just keep on humming.

One caveat if you move ahead with timing your training: Using a timer can get you into the mindset of completing every action with a shot. While this is a reasoned expectation for range work and especially for competition, it should not become your default for concealed-carry skills development.

Really knowing what you’re doing, and the ability to do it with precision and confidence, can diffuse a dangerous circumstance rapidly without force: We’ve been there.

But the overarching goal should always be situational awareness toggled fully “ON,” and a shooting situation avoided altogether.

Breaking Clays

On the surface, shooting clay targets involves stepping into the station, loading your shotgun, calling for the target and pulling the trigger. However, the success behind crushing clays largely depends on the mental preparation just before calling for the shot. Experienced shotgunners call this preparation the "pre-shot routine."

The process is similar to golf. You generally don't see someone stepping up the tee and immediately swinging his club at the ball. There's a cerebral component before the club is even drawn back. The same applies to clays shooting with the pre-shot routine.

The purpose of the pre-shot routine is to mentally and physically prime yourself for the target presentation through a positive exercise. The beauty of having a routine prior to calling for the bird is that it helps eliminate inconsistencies while making you feel comfortable and confident in the station.

By developing a successful pre-shot routine, diversions are reduced — increasing your ability to focus on the target in flight. There is no hard-and-fast pre-shot routine. It varies by shooter. The key, however, is to find a sequence of pre-shot cues that work best for you and stick with them.

The people in the background are looking hard at the target. That’s the way to do it.

Most clays games provide "lookers" — a preview of the targets you're about to shoot. Your pre-shot routine should begin here. Train yourself to carefully scrutinize each of the preview targets, otherwise you're squandering a valuable opportunity.

For lookers, watch the entire trajectory of the target from the time it leaves the trap machine until it hits the ground. You generally focus on the leading edge of the bird, with the exception of straight-away outgoers where you'll concentrate on the back of the target.

In effect, fix your eyes on the segment of the target you want to hit. In some games like sporting clays or 5-stand, you may want to establish a physical landmark as your target breakpoint — let's say a particular tree or shrub. What you're really doing here is formulating a plan to break the target.

Now that you've seen the targets, you're thinking the next step involves loading your shells and taking the shot. Not quite yet.

First, check the position of your feet as part of your pre-shot routine. Improper foot placement is one of the most frequent mistakes shooters make. Most people don't pay attention to where their feet are pointing or how far apart they are.

In a nutshell, your feet are in a neutral position, shoulder-width apart, facing the field. Some sports like skeet or trap have recommended foot placement that changes by station. Regardless, don't make the mistake of standing like a rifle hunter with one foot behind the other and gun across your chest. Face the targets with your full body and feet placed for maximum swing.

If you have any personal quirks about your shotgun posture, make sure they're implemented. For example, some shooters need to lean forward more than others. Whatever your particular style of shooting, this is the time to focus on executing it.

Next, mentally prepare for the upcoming shot. You've made your plan with the lookers. Feel confident in that plan. Steel yourself with positive thoughts.

Too many shooters say to themselves "that target is too hard" or "I'll never be able to hit it." Those are self-fulfilling prophecies. Relax and remain confident in your ability to break the target with the plan you've committed to using.

This shooter has unwavering focus on the target. Strive for it through your pre-shot routine.

Visualize breaking the target. You've established your break point with the lookers. Pause for a moment and see in your mind's eye the target shattering at that particular spot in the flight path of the bird.

As part of positive mental preparation, you can use a so-called trigger phrase that goes something like this: "Focus on the front of the target" or "break the bird" or "follow through the swing." You would say this to yourself just before loading the shotgun.

Now you've dropped the shells into the chamber and closed it. The sound of the shotgun locking should be a signal that you're ready to successfully break the target. That sound takes you into the zone of relaxation and confidence. Shotgun closed, you're ready to smash the bird.

Take a deep breath and exhale. This step of your pre-shot routine contributes to your relaxation. Your body should remain alert, but your mind is quiet and instinctively ready to receive the target.

Call for the bird, now it's broken.

It will probably take several attempts to create your own pre-shot routine. Believe in it, and your scores will definitely improve.

And by the way, in the interest of safety, always be aware of your surroundings. (Irwin Greenstein)

 

Col. Jeff Cooper: Developing a Defensive Mindset

by Brad Fitzpatrick   |  August 17th, 2015

In case you aren’t familiar with the late Col. John Dean “Jeff” Cooper—which probably means you’re new to defensive shooting—allow me to introduce you. Born in 1920, Cooper earned a political science degree from Stanford before receiving a commission from the United States Marine Corps, and he fought in the Pacific in World War II and later in Korea before retiring as a lieutenant colonel. Cooper went on to earn his master’s degree and taught high school and college classes before he opened American Pistol Institute (API), now known as Gunsite, one of the nation’s top training destinations for civilian shooters as well as law enforcement and military professionals.

Col. Cooper changed the way shooters handled their guns, how they engaged enemies and, perhaps most importantly, how they managed to develop a mindset that prepared them to face a lethal threat at any time and place. In his written works and his teachings, Col. Cooper made it clear that technical skills—how to load and fire your weapon—were of little value without being mentally prepared to win a gunfight. Today, 39 years after the doors opened, the instructors at Gunsite still prepare shooters to face the most dangerous situations and survive using Cooper’s techniques and methods. Here are five key points from Col. Cooper that are essential to understanding how mindset affects the outcome of a gunfight—or prevents a gunfight from ever happening.

Surviving Is as Much Mental as Physical: In one of his lectures, Col. Cooper touched on several occasions where officers and civilians who were proficient with firearms, some of which were elite-level shooters, died in a gunfight. It’s very clear by looking at the resume of these shooters that they had sufficient technical skill with firearms, but they also had, as Col. Cooper puts it, an “unsatisfactory mental condition.” Teaching the mental aspects of shooting is far more esoteric than teaching the physical and mechanical skills needed to survive—double-taps, tactical reloads, drawing the firearm, and so forth. Proper mindset is something that the student must be willing to adopt. Ken Campbell, Gunsite’s Chief Operating Officer and a former law enforcement officer with 35 years of experience in the field echoes Cooper’s words:

“It’s not just owning a gun. It’s not just knowing how to clean the gun or shoot the gun that’s going to save your life. You have to have the right mental attitude.” Or, as Colonel Cooper once said, “Owning a piano does not make you a pianist.”

The World Is a Dangerous Place: One of the central tenants of Col. Cooper’s philosophy on surviving a dangerous encounter is situational awareness and an understanding that violence might, as Cooper says, come to you. To illustrate his point, Colonel Cooper developed four stages of preparedness—white, yellow, orange and red. The white state, according to Cooper, is a state of relaxed ignorance, an individual who is unwilling or unable to come to grips with the fact that the world, even their little corner of the world, is not immune to violence. Being in the white state of mind leaves you unprepared, and when you find yourself in the midst of a deadly encounter, individuals who survive in this frame of mind usually share the same thought—I can’t believe this is happening to me. That mindset leads to a loss of faculties—the heart rate increases, we don’t react as quickly, we lose control of our fine motor skills. We freeze. It’s how seasoned police officers and trained competitive pistol shooters find themselves in a deadly shooting and never manage to fire a shot. Cooper refers to this stage of mind as “relaxed, unaware and unprepared.” Refusing to come to terms with the fact that there is violence in the world does nothing to protect you when you find yourself face-to-face with those that would do you harm.

Awareness Is Critical: Col. Cooper and his team at Gunsite have been teaching people how to survive in a different state of mind—an aware state—for almost four decades. Cooper referred to it as the yellow state—situationally aware and always prepared. According to Cooper, the threat is not specific during the yellow state, but the shooter is prepared.  In an aware state of mind, Cooper says, your odds of surviving an attack are substantially higher. At Gunsite, students learn Cooper’s method for existing in a yellow state of mind, prepared to face a threat at any moment and ready to take the steps necessary to win. The first step to living aware is to accept the fact that you may face a dangerous situation at any moment, and truly living in a prepared state requires a fundamental acceptance that, due to factors beyond your control, you may have to defend yourself and the lives of others.

The Right Attitude Can Save You from A Fight You Never Saw Coming: In one of Col. Cooper’s videotaped lectures, he discusses a research project in which violent criminals were asked to look at a city street and identify possible targets of attack. By and large, these criminals chose the same individuals as potential targets. The people that were most often targeted were in the “white” state of mind—oblivious, ignorant of their surroundings, detached from the reality of living in a potentially violent world. We must all ask ourselves whether those criminals would have identified us as potential targets, and, if so, what we can do to change that.

“Mindset allows you to avoid a fight, which is a huge win,” Campbell says. “We need to recognize problems, and the only answer to a problem does not rest in your holster.” By presenting yourself as a hard target you can diffuse violent situations before they escalate—sometimes before you even realize that you were being sized-up by an attacker. Col. Cooper’s teachings help students present themselves as formidable opponents through subtle clues like carriage, head position, and the use of their eyes, and by presenting yourself as aware and prepared you will sometimes manage to avoid conflict in the first place. Recognizing situations that could be dangerous also give you a major advantage if a confrontation happens, which is less likely if criminals understand that you are going to be a difficult mark.

Prepared Does Not Mean Fearful: I’m often asked if I train with firearms because I’m afraid of bad guys. That’s as illogical as asking a trauma surgeon if they went into medicine because they are afraid of being hurt. There is a vast difference between being prepared and being afraid. And, if you do find yourself in the midst a violent encounter, fear does very little to help you survive. Preparation, on the other hand, provides you with the mental and physical tools you need to win.

“In a confrontation, you let your opponent know that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew,” Campbell says. “They thought you were a proverbial sheep, but in reality you are a sheepdog.”

Col. Cooper also describes the prepared attitude as not being one of, “an uncontrolled, explosive kook.” According to Cooper, the best preparation leaves you, “in full control of your mind.” And, ultimately, that is the key—learning to be in charge of yourself and your actions even in the midst of a terrible, violent attack. So important was mindset to Cooper that he made it part of the Triad which Gunsite still uses and still teaches to their students, along with marksmanship and gun handling. Ultimately, though, your skill with a firearm is of no use in a situation where you can’t control your emotions and mental state.

For more information about Gunsite visit www.gunsite.com.

Back to basics. Eric Lamberson

At the beginning of every year, I like to review marksmanship fundamentals. These fundamentals form the foundation for all accurate shooting, but they are something many overlook.

Zeroing your pistol

I continue to be amazed at how often I hear competitors say, "I've never zeroed the sights on my pistol." The ability to hit a target on demand starts with zeroing (or sighting in) your pistol for the ammunition you are shooting.

If you have not zeroed your pistol with this ammunition, you have only a vague idea of where the shots will hit in relation to your sight picture. The difference between point of aim and point of impact will grow with distance and may result in you missing the target entirely.

It takes a minimum of 10 shots carefully fired at a target (ideally using a solid rest or sand bags to minimize pistol movement) with the ammo you intend to use to verify point of impact. After firing these shots, make your sight corrections based upon the center point of the group you fired — ignore any shots that are obviously the result of shooter error.

If you have adjustable sights, adjust your point of impact at least one-half the group size so you can see a definite shift in the next group's center point. Continue this process until you have a clear correlation between point of aim and point of impact for your shot group. If you do not have adjustable sights, then you must drift the sights or memorize the difference between point of aim and the desired point of impact.

Zeroing your carry pistol for your self-defense/carry ammunition is even more important. Different brands will shoot to different points of impact — the difference can be critical if you must take a precise shot. If you practice/compete with your carry pistol (and you should do this on a regular basis), zero the sights for you carry ammunition and then memorize the point of aim/point of impact difference for your practice ammunition.

Hitting the target

Every time someone fires a pistol, the bullet hits ... something. Of course, the key is an ability to hit what we want when we want and is critical to every shooting situation. The inability to fire an accurate shot on demand will hold you back in mastering every other pistol skill you need to acquire.

The faster the shooting speed, the more important it becomes to fire each shot without disturbing pistol's the stability and alignment. To quickly hit a target, the shooter must condense the act of firing an accurate shot down to a short time frame; however, the fundamental process is the same.

The ability to hit your target and execute various gun-handling skills — such as a draw, reload, engage moving targets, etc., must coexist. However, don't try to develop them simultaneously. Each skill has to be developed and practiced separately.

Certain skills are more easily acquired through dry practice, because recoil can mask some problems. For instance, you can send your shots to the lower left or right by changing your grip pressure as you pull the trigger — something you probably will not feel when the pistol recoils. Dry practice allows you to concentrate on a specific skill and reduces the possibility that you might misinterpreted feedback that other variables produce.

Using the sights

Sight alignment and sight picture are often confused, but they are not the same. Alignment refers to the relationship between the front and rear sight; the sight picture is the relationship between the aligned sights and the target — what you see the instant the pistol fires.

Alignment is correct when the top of the front sight is the same height as the top of the rear sight blade, and there is an equal amount of light showing on either side of the front sight. With optical sights, alignment consists of seeing the dot in the scope — regardless of where it appears.

You must focus on the front sight (or dot, etc.) to fire an accurate shot. The human eye's physical characteristics preclude simultaneously focusing on objects at multiple distances. Focus on the front sight, not the rear sight and not the target.

This is a fairly easy concept to understand. Are you fully aware of the front sight for every shot? Can you see it on demand at speed? Dry practice helps us refine this skill as you practice drawing the pistol and acquiring proper sight alignment. Aligning the sights at speed is simply knowing what you need to see and then confirming that you see it as you press the trigger.

Prepping the trigger

You can have the perfect sight alignment and picture, but if you jerk the trigger, you'll likely miss the target. Pulling the trigger on a semi-automatic is a two-step process; taking up the slack or pre-travel, then pressing the trigger to the rear to fire the shot.

The pre-travel is the distance the trigger moves from its forward-most position to the point where the shooter feels the sear's resistance. The weakest area for most shooters is an inability to take up this pre-travel without actually releasing the sear (and thereby firing the shot). Prepping the trigger means learning to pull through that free movement and hold against the weight of the sear engagement.

You should be aware of this every time you fire a shot, regardless of how rapidly you are shooting. It does take time to learn this skill, and it only comes with practice. It is also a progressive skill — start with slow fire and only speed up when you can prep the trigger without disturbing the sight alignment/picture. Prepping the trigger forms the foundation of proper trigger control; eventually it will become a conditioned reflex.

Pressing the trigger

Once the shooter preps the trigger, pressing through to fire the shot is the next step. Your trigger finger should begin to exert pressure straight back until the pistol fires. Ideally, the middle of the pad of the fingertip should be 90 degrees to the trigger, which enables you to press the trigger straight to the rear. Then, release the trigger at the same speed in which it's pressed, keeping the finger in contact as it returns.

The term "press" should not be misinterpreted as being a slow-moving process. "Press" implies that increasing the level of pressure against the trigger is done as a smooth acceleration. However, you must do this in a predictable pattern regardless of its time frame: pressure increases progressively until the shot breaks.

As you're learning trigger control, pay attention to sight alignment when putting pressure on the trigger. Both must be done at the same time. After you've acquired the ability to press the trigger without moving the sights start speeding up just a little. Experiment to see how quickly you can press the trigger without disrupting alignment.

Shooting grip

Many people under- or over-grip the handgun. Bull's-eye shooters, for example, typically are not overly concerned with controlling recoil for immediate follow-up shots, and therefore tend to have a lighter grip on the pistol. Many believe a death grip on the pistol will prevent recoil. However, no matter how tightly you grip it, the handgun will still recoil and an excessively tight grips often prevents a stable sight alignment/picture.

The proper grip tension is about the same pressure you'd feel when holding a hammer to drive a nail. Additionally, the pressure in both hands must be equal to help ensure the gun tracks consistently straight up and down during recoil. Gripping the gun with correct tension will allow the hand to recoil in concert with the pistol and allows proper trigger control. When the firing hand is not trying to choke the life out of the pistol, the trigger finger is free to move smoothly, quickly and precisely.

A proper grip when combined with a proper stance will enable you to effectively deal with muzzle rise. As you relax and see a predictable pattern, you will start to see the sights through the entire recoil cycle.

Inexperienced shooters try to reduce muzzle rise thinking that it will enable them to shoot faster. However, the speed and consistency with which the pistol returns into alignment that determines how quickly the shooter can fire the next accurate shot. With practice and proper stance, the recoil pattern will become predictable and the sights will then automatically return back into alignment.

Grip mechanics and high hold

Grip the gun as high on the frame as possible with the shooting hand indexing against the beavertail and making full contact with the rear of the frame. If your hand size permits, extend both thumbs toward the target along the slide or frame while being careful not to press them inward. Inward pressure against the slide/frame can influence the tracking of the gun in recoil and cause malfunctions.

Hand size is an issue for some people. For example, as I learned to shoot the Springfield XD pistol, I found it impossible to not press the slide release with my normal grip. I had to teach myself a slightly different grip to enable the slide to lock back on the final round. I don't have this problem on the 1911 or the S&W M&P platforms.

The shooting hand squeezes the gun from front to rear; the support hand squeezes the shooting hand from side to side, creating a clam-shell effect that created a four-way, equal pressure on the pistol. Having the proper weight balance on each side allows the gun to track more consistently in recoil.

Place the index finger of the support hand tight under the trigger guard. Placing the finger under the trigger guard positions the hand/wrist for holding the gun down and forward against muzzle rise. Correct grip tension allows the gun to lift and return smoothly while the correct grip position allows the gun to return quickly and consistently.

Shooting stance

Every physical sport has an optimal stance; shooting is no different. Just like golf, baseball, tennis, etc., the correct shooting stance provides an overall feeling of balance; it is an athletic position of readiness.

The next time you are at the range, take a moment and look at how pistol shooters are standing — you will see every variation imaginable; most are not optimal. The correct shooting stance is a progressively aggressive stance with shoulders in slightly front of ankles, ears in front of shoulders. This posture puts the majority of the body weight slightly forward and uses the body's mechanics to help control recoil.

Your spine should be relatively straight, while your knees are flexed and the upper body bends slightly forward at the ankles, not the waist. If you're doing it correctly, you'll feel tension in your calf muscles. The wider the swing needed to shoot multiple targets, the more the knees should be flexed.

It is important to remain flat-footed while the upper body is leaning toward the target. One foot may be in front of the other as in a slight karate-style forward stance. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. A stance that's too wide will inhibit your ability to swing to shoot multiple targets and your ability to move. A too-narrow stance can cause you to lose your balance as the pistol recoils.

You must have a progressively aggressive stance to resist the pistol's recoil and maintain your balance. Do not put too much weight on the balls of your feet, this creates instability. As a test, I have novice shooters extend their arms as if they are holding a pistol and close their eyes. I then push against their hands (as if pushing them backward); without a correct stance it is easy to push them off balance.

The Isosceles, Modified Isosceles, Weaver and the Chapman Modified Weaver debate in some circles is almost as enthusiastic as the 9mm versus .45 ACP debate. There is a place for every variation depending upon the specific shooting situation, cover, ground, etc. Everyone should master all of them, and there are numerous Internet videos that detail how to do each one.

The fundamental foundation

Zero your pistol, learn and use a solid stance, and practice the fundamentals of sight alignment and trigger control. Revisit these fundamentals periodically as you progress and anytime you start to drift into bad habits.

The marksmanship fundamentals form the basis of all steady, fast and accurate pistol shooting. Begin and end each range session with precision shooting practice to reaffirm your ability to place a bullet exactly where you want it.

Action pistol Zero by Chris.

by Chris Christian, Field Editor - Monday, February 5, 2018

Many action pistol shooters zero their guns from a solid sandbag rest, head to a match, and then see their hits on the targets aren’t quite where they were from the bench. Sometimes they’re far enough off the mark to send them outside the A- or 0-Zone.

Some conclude they made a mistake and blew the shot. They may have. But their biggest mistake could have been relying on a zero from a solid rest.

Whether rifle or handgun, the firearm will begin recoiling while the bullet is still in the barrel. The consistency of the shooter’s hold on the gun is what allows the rounds to hit the zero point. Change the hold and the Point of Impact (POI) will change.

This 25-yard bench rest zero (left) looks match ready. But, controlled pairs from the holster at 15, 20 and 25 yards (right) show the group center isn’t on the big red dot in target center. Moving the sights right and down would produce a better match zero and “rescue” some down point hits.

High Power Rifle competitors are well aware that the group they shoot at 600 yards from a bench rest is very likely to shift its POI when they drop into a prone position with a tight sling. The “hold” changes―which changes the POI.

This affect is more pronounced with the greater muzzle rise of a handgun during recoil. The rock solid grip on a bench isn’t likely to be duplicated when the gun is quickly drawn from a holster and fired rapidly from a freestyle hold. A bench rest zero is a start. But the final zero should be done freestyle, and from the holster.

Many expert shooters recommend an 8-inch white plate as a target. The hits are easy to see and the white plate provides a precise sight picture. An alternative (one which the author uses) is to cut the 0- or A-Zone out of a USPSA/ICORE/IDPA target and tape a piece of white copy paper over the hole on the back. It provides the same sight picture and records hits.

Start at 15 yards, draw from the holster, and deliver deliberate controlled pairs. Then repeat from 20 or 25 yards. Run at least 30 rounds. Then look at the resulting group.

Discount the obvious wild shots. Look at the main group center. This writer normally finds his center will be about 2.5-inches high and left (with a semi-auto) than the zero from the bench. That’s enough to put some rounds out of the 0- or A-Zone. Adjusting the group center to what is actually achieved during a match puts those rounds back in the 0-Zone.

A bench rest is nice, but shooters won’t have one with them during a match.