I've just started into the gun/shooting hobby. Need some pointers to help me from pulling down to the left? (range shooting) My left eye is my dominant eye however shoot right handed. Eyes sometimes play tricks on me too? Double vision etc. Going for my multi-state conceal/carry permit. Own a Sig 40 SW hand gun, 229 model. Any thoughts? Gene (HP Man) Thanks.
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V8Assassin
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Why shoot right handed if you are left eye dominant?
The second is, if you can acheive decent accuracy shooting like that and the target is clear in your eyesight, the pulling problem could be a function of breathing or simply anticipating the recoil. Try a lead sled or some other shooting vice to help you get used to the "bang" without the recoil being a factor. Great confidence builder as well.
Gotta ask, have you ever tried shooting left handed?
The second is, if you can acheive decent accuracy shooting like that and the target is clear in your eyesight, the pulling problem could be a function of breathing or simply anticipating the recoil. Try a lead sled or some other shooting vice to help you get used to the "bang" without the recoil being a factor. Great confidence builder as well.
Gotta ask, have you ever tried shooting left handed?
Are you right or left handed??? if left handed, that's how I'd shoot.. if right handed, left eye.. that's tough.
Alot of things factor in...
V8 covered most, but I'd also look at you finger placement when you're pulling the trigger. I tend to shoot best with the tip on my index on the trigger.. yet, a friend shoots his best using the trigger between his two knuckles on the index.
I tend to shoot low if I try his way.
you can eliminate whether or not it's your eyes.. by simply closing your left eye at the range. You really don't need to judge distance, as you know how far away the target is.(providing you see well enough with your right to make out the target:tongue: )
If you're still low/left.. then it's something else.
Alot of things factor in...
V8 covered most, but I'd also look at you finger placement when you're pulling the trigger. I tend to shoot best with the tip on my index on the trigger.. yet, a friend shoots his best using the trigger between his two knuckles on the index.
I tend to shoot low if I try his way.
you can eliminate whether or not it's your eyes.. by simply closing your left eye at the range. You really don't need to judge distance, as you know how far away the target is.(providing you see well enough with your right to make out the target:tongue: )
If you're still low/left.. then it's something else.
There is an easy way to fix that pull. But it could be caused by a couple different things. BY the way congrats on purchasing the Cadillac of all pistols. I started out with a 9mm 229. Bets guns ever. Anyway, how to fix your problem.... You will always have problems with the left eye/right hand issue, but with a lil practice you can overcome it. To help stop pulling the shot use this technique. Your sig should be single action after the first trigger pull. Put in an empty mag and decock. Line up your target and gradually pull the trigger while maintaining sight alignment. keep pulling it until hammers all the way back then dry fires. Did you jerk and step off your sight alignment? Repeat this process a lot. Until you can stop that dreaded trigger jerk which is common with learning to shoot. Now but in a loaded mag, chamber a round then decock. SHoot one round then decock. Continue this through several mags. So you can get use to easing the trigger all the way back and not anticpating the shot. Now here comes the fun part. Get a buddy and familiarize him with how your gun works. Instruct him to load the gun out of your view then give it back to you. But also tell him that you want it to be secret if he actually chambered one. Continue to do this with him giving you some dry fires and some live fires. You won't know whats coming and you can see if your anticipating the shot and jerking the trigger. All of these practices are done under first trigger pull double action. Once you have mastered that you can step up to shooting follow up shots under single action, but remember to take you time and not slap the trigger. You'll probably realize that the round you pull off target are the short single action trigger pulls. Also try borrowing someone's revolver. Maybe a .38 special or even a .22. This is a good way to learn not to slap the trigger as well. As always please be safe and follow all gun safety rules. Good luck and welcome to the world of shooting. O and by the way your ight handed and left eye thats why you pull down to the left. IF you were right handed and right eye you would pull down and right. And make sure your not wrapping your hand to far around the grip and in to the trigger gaurd. Probably not so with you if your pulling down and left. that is more common with down adn right.
V8Assassin
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Ah Madcat, the elusive itchy trigger finger problem! I go high/right when I wrap my finger to the knuckle. I agree, tip of index is the way to go, but it can vary from person to person. This gets real important for me when I am trying to shoot long distance, two deep breaths, pause on the last exhale (where it feels natural to me) and pull.
Swig, that's great practice. I have found most problems with inaccuracy result from "jerking" the trigger or anticipating the recoil. It's amazing how drastic trigger pull can be if one does not know if the round is chambered or not. Of course when practicing like this treat the gun as if it is loaded. Remember if you don't point it at it and pull the trigger, it won't get shot.
Another thing with that Sig. Always use the decock feature on the gun and never hammer it down by the trigger. Never hammer down any gun for that matter. It is very dangerous and most ranges will kick you off if they catch you doing it. The decock doesn't allow the hammer to strike the firing pin. but if you hammer down you bypass that safety feature and could have and A.D.(accidental discharge).
Try this link, the target tells you what you are doing by where your shot lands. There are left and right handed targets too.
http://www.reloadbench.com/pdf/files/TargetRightHanded.pdf
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http://www.reloadbench.com/pdf/files/TargetRightHanded.pdf
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A shooter friend recommended the Sig. I shot a SA XD-M also a 40 and like my Sig much better. I'll try the suggestions and yes I will try shooting left handed. I haven't used the DC for the first round fired but will experiment with that method, dry firing and all the mentioned techniques. I was shooting two handed and my stance was wrong, left foot forward and turned slightly to the left, tried a straight on stance and groups were much closer but still low and left. We used a upper profile target with 5 6" bullseyes at 21' . We shot 150 rds (two of us). I'm very careful in my handling of this hand gun, never manual hammer decocking and always use the DC Lever. Gene
Hey HP Man, I am left eye dominant also. Partially blind in my right eye since birth. Anyway, I shoot with either hand and suggest you try to do this once you get past this initial issue. When I shoot with my right hand I tend to shoot low and to the right. I do this with almost all of my guns including my 229 .40 or .357sig, also my revolvers. My Brownings are the exception, pretty much on with those with either hand. I simply lift the gun up and to the left according to the distance I am shooting. It's a very small adjustment. It has worked for me for years. You should shoot as much as you can to get as comfortable with the gun as possible. You picked a great gun. The 229 in any caliber is a fine gun. Sig's are top notch guns. I have owned several and enjoyed them all. Good luck and practice alot.
Here are a few pointers.
Make sure your gun is set up properly. Get some professional personal coaching. Remember to squeeze that trigger and not to slap it. Get plenty of rounds down range.
Practice is not the answer, but perfect practice is. It may be to your benefit to find a local club and join I.P.S.C. This is an excellant way to become a great shooter within a sporting atmosphere. United States Practical Shooting Association .
At least get some coaching from a seasoned shooter. You will get more out of your practice sessions with some direction.
Being left eye dominant and right handed is not uncommon. I am the same, so I can relate to your situation. We are either born left or right eye dominant and/or right or left handed. You have no choice and trying to shoot left handed would be like learning to write left handed. Don't waste your time. It didn't stop me from shooting in the top 25 in the I.P.S.C. World Shoot in Orlando Florida (1986).
Of course it's possible to shoot either way. I still think it's a waste of time to go against natural inclination.
I am merely looking at this in a combat mode/situation. He did say he wanted to carry. I am assuming he wanted to survive a firefight and not just wave his gun around.
Target plinking and defensive shooting are two entirely different things. If you take on the responsibility of carrying a handgun for self defence, you should prepare yourself for the worst and hope for the best.
If you shoot instinctively you have a much better chance of surviving. That is my point. If you want to shoot nice tight little groups in non threatening paper, use whatever eye or hand you like. You have all the time in the world and there is no lead looking to ruin your day. To me, combat training has a purpose, and that is to keep yourself and others alive.
Just my opinion.
Stance= feet even with upper body square to target
Eyes=both open
Grip= split left hand two fingerswith little finger of right hand
Breath= bottom 1/3 of exhale
Talk to yourself through the trigger pull consentrating on front sight and target (I say pull,pull.etc)
Fingertip only on trigger(big hands- twist around (uncomfortable at first ) to accomodate a straight pull to the rear WITHOUT snapping it
Walk trigger forward for reset and NEVER change placement of finger or stance unless you've identified what needs adjusting
Eyes=both open
Grip= split left hand two fingerswith little finger of right hand
Breath= bottom 1/3 of exhale
Talk to yourself through the trigger pull consentrating on front sight and target (I say pull,pull.etc)
Fingertip only on trigger(big hands- twist around (uncomfortable at first ) to accomodate a straight pull to the rear WITHOUT snapping it
Walk trigger forward for reset and NEVER change placement of finger or stance unless you've identified what needs adjusting
Target plinking and defensive shooting are two entirely different things. If you take on the responsibility of carrying a handgun for self defence, you should prepare yourself for the worst and hope for the best.
Totally agree with the first statement. If your shooting hand is injured I guess you just stop carrying your gun until it heals, right. Shooting with your off hand could be a lifesaver, remember prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
Totally agree with the first statement. If your shooting hand is injured I guess you just stop carrying your gun until it heals, right. Shooting with your off hand could be a lifesaver, remember prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
Actually in IPSC training you will be subjected to right arm or left arm disabled. Shooting with your weak arm is only part of it. You also have to learn to reload with one arm. It is also part of the sport. No need to be cynical. My comments aren't meant to be anything but helpful.
V8Assassin
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Let's take this one step further. I had a friend recently ask about getting a gun for home defense, and what I told him is this. Always have a plan! If you are going to introduce a gun to your home, do it with caution. Like I said earlier, nothing gets shot until you point the gun at it and pull the trigger. An action plan is simple, if you have a wife or kids it is very important. For instance, our house is two stories, my wife and I on the bottom floor, the kids on the second. If we were to have someone force their way into the house my wife knows to immediately go to the bathroom in our room, lock the door and get in the bathtub. I head directly for the stairs to put myself and my gun between any intruder and the kids. This way I know where she and the kids are, and it creates a "safe" shooting situation. No one moving around freely other than the person I am defending against.
Practice, practice, practice. In my situation, I practice knowing that my kids are young and any intruder is going to be taller than them. I practice identifying targets by using different height targets.
I know some people will say this is a little drastic, and what are the chances. I say tell that to the couple at my church whose Dad killed the Mom on accident when someone broke into their house. Instead of shooting and killing the intruder, he shot and killed his wife. Bad deal that could have been avoided. My point is simple, owning a gun is a huge responsibility! Enjoying our beloved second amendment carries with it the burden of the reality that guns are dangerous and people get killed when they are not handled properly. Take pride in not only your right to own one, but more importantly your ability to safely use it.
a few pointers that might help.
Sight alignment is a vital fundamental in accurate shooting. Most handgun sights are similar to the one pictured. Aim the weapon so that the front end sight post is aligned to the rear post. This ensures that the front of the gun is online with the rear of the gun. If the front post protrudes over the rear sight you will likely shoot high and low if the front post is lower than the rear aperture.
Sight Picture is the next fundamental skill you will want to develop. This means to place the sights within an area of the target you are aiming at. You will want to focus on center mass. This means to aim for the largest section of your target and the center of it. Forget all those movies where the good guy shoots through the bad guys hand. In reality he would have missed and killed a bystander. Shoot what you can hit or stick to video games.
Trigger control and your grip affect the accuracy and lateral travel of the round to the target. When firing you need to remember to squeeze; not jerk or pull the trigger. This means to gradually increase direct pressure with your finger until you reach the breaking point. This is where the hammer is released and hits the firing pin. You will want to take note of how much pressure it takes to reach the "trigger break".
Controlled breathing is critical as well. Before you get into you shooting position (which is also important ) start taking deep breaths. As you get your breathing steady you are going to be firing at the end of your exhale. As you breathe in and out your chest expands and contracts which in turn move your arms which in turn cause the gun to rise up and down. You want to make sure that you are firing when your chest isn't moving.
that and alot of practice will get you there or you could spend 4yrs as an army Scout
well that's enough.....my head hurts now.:tongue:
Sight alignment is a vital fundamental in accurate shooting. Most handgun sights are similar to the one pictured. Aim the weapon so that the front end sight post is aligned to the rear post. This ensures that the front of the gun is online with the rear of the gun. If the front post protrudes over the rear sight you will likely shoot high and low if the front post is lower than the rear aperture.
Sight Picture is the next fundamental skill you will want to develop. This means to place the sights within an area of the target you are aiming at. You will want to focus on center mass. This means to aim for the largest section of your target and the center of it. Forget all those movies where the good guy shoots through the bad guys hand. In reality he would have missed and killed a bystander. Shoot what you can hit or stick to video games.
Trigger control and your grip affect the accuracy and lateral travel of the round to the target. When firing you need to remember to squeeze; not jerk or pull the trigger. This means to gradually increase direct pressure with your finger until you reach the breaking point. This is where the hammer is released and hits the firing pin. You will want to take note of how much pressure it takes to reach the "trigger break".
Controlled breathing is critical as well. Before you get into you shooting position (which is also important ) start taking deep breaths. As you get your breathing steady you are going to be firing at the end of your exhale. As you breathe in and out your chest expands and contracts which in turn move your arms which in turn cause the gun to rise up and down. You want to make sure that you are firing when your chest isn't moving.
that and alot of practice will get you there or you could spend 4yrs as an army Scout
well that's enough.....my head hurts now.:tongue:All good pointers. Yes I'll carry after passing my test. Shoot at 15 feet, two hands, aim and fire 5 rds in 10 secs, same with one hand, two hands again fire 5 rds, reload and fire 5 more rds in 1 minute, repeat this at 25 ft, and 50 ft but only fire with 2 hands, 5 rds, reload and fire 5 more all in 1 min. Yes I'm getting some 1 on 1 coaching with an Instructor. Bad habits are always hard to break. The eye thing I'll have to work out the best way. Safety is always on my mind, a loaded weapon is dangerous for sure and will be hidden in a safe place. I have a 2 yr old grandson and he won't see any firearm for many yrs. Thanks for all the suggestions. Gene
V8Assassin
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Well I went out to my truck today and the back pass window was gone along with my kimber .45 and the .22 ruger my Dad left me when he died. Guy that worked for me on and off is being hunted as we speak! Its never a stranger!
Combat shooters dont close either eye, so dominant eye should not play a role, fyi. Smooth is fast, fast is smooth. I do not shoot like most target shooters do, however, and anything I could provide isn't going to help you much...much. My objective is to get as many rounds on target as quick as I can, but accuracy is not really relavant. Placement in the kill zone, or five ring is.
However, even as a target shooter, keep both eyes open. Make sure you start very slow, almost slow motion, and develop muscle memory. Speed will come, but the phrase, "smooth is fast. fast is smooth," has relavance for you, too. Economy of muscle movement, memory, and repetition are what is going to make you a smooth and accurate shooter. And above all, practice, practice and practice.
And above all...have fun doing it. Some day you may save my life.
