August 5, 2021
Six Strategies to Improve Your Pistol Shooting Skills Even Jessie Harrison, Captain for Team Taurus, a champion pistol shooter, had to start from the basics. Jessie believes safety should always be your top priority.
AccurateShooter.com’s primary focus is precision rifle shooting. It’s also fun to shoot pistols, and most of our regular readers have handguns. Here are six tips to shoot safely and accurately with handguns. These tips will help you improve your skills and have more fun shooting with pistols and revolvers.
1. Safety is number one
Gun safety should always be your top priority, no matter how many guns you have. This video is by Julie Golob, Smith & Wesson Team Captain.
2. Start with a.22 LR handgun
We recommend that pistol shooters begin with a.22 LR rimfire gun. The.22 LR cartridge has a very accurate rate of fire, but it also has less recoil and muzzle flash than a centerfire. Shooters new to the sport won’t need to fight muzzle flip and won’t feel the sharp recoil or muzzle blast that is common with larger calibers. The.22 LR allows the trainee to focus on sight alignment, breathing, trigger pull, and trigger pulling. Once the trainee has mastered these skills, he or she can move on to a 9mm Luger (9x19mm) or a.38 Special.
Which gun should you use? We recommend the Smith & Wesson Model 617 10-shot rifle. This is the ideal tool for training and shooting single-action, slow-fire. Focus on the sight picture and keeping steady. The Model 617, a 4?-barrel rifle, balances well. A 6?-barrel version is also available. Although it has a wider sight radius, it is slightly heavier on the nose. Both are excellent choices. They are very accurate and have a precise trigger.
We recommend the Browning Buck Mark series if you are looking for a semi-auto.22 LR pistol. Buck Marks are extremely reliable and accurate. This rimfire pistol can be purchased in a variety models starting at less than $350.00. A good Buck Mark, like the S&W Model 617 will last a lifetime.
3. Use quality targets with multiple aim points
New pistoleros often shoot at clay birds or cans at a public range. While this can be enjoyable, it is better to get started with real targets at eye level at 7-10 yards. We prefer targets with large, brightly coloured circles. Concentrate on placing 5 shots in a circle. Multiple bullseyes and aiming points are a good idea. This will allow you to not have to change your target as often. Special paper targets can also be used to diagnose common shooting problems such as anticipating recoil. EZ2C targets are very attractive with bright, orange aim points. The bright orange Birchwood Casey stick on Target Dots (right) can also be used. They come in a variety sizes. We prefer the 2. dot at 10 yards.
4. Shoot Outdoors If You Can
We recommend that pistol shooters start their training outdoors. There are many reasons. The first is that the outdoors is brighter. Indoor ranges can be dark and obscured by shadows, making it difficult to see your target. Second, sound is more effective outdoors. Gunfire’s sound bounces off walls and echoes off walls indoors. An outdoor range is more comfortable, especially if you can get outside on a weekday morning. Indoor ranges are often crowded, especially in urban areas. Many indoor ranges also lack adequate ventilation. You’ll be happy if you can get to an outdoor range. Steel pistol targets are also available at many outdoor ranges. They offer an alternative to paper and are a lot more fun than paper. To avoid ricochets when shooting steel, we recommend using polymer-encased bullets or lead bullets.
5. Look for a mentor and watch some videos first
Photo courtesy AV Firearms Training.
Many new shooters attempt to jump straight to rapid fire drills. It is better to take it slow and learn the basics under the guidance of a mentor. Ask if certified instructors are available to help you if you belong to a club. The Editor learned pistol shooting from a seasoned bullseye shooter. He started me with a.22 LR revolver, and very close targets. After a few range sessions, we moved on to more distant targets and a faster pace. The fundamentals of pistol training were not forgotten. It’s a good idea to watch instructional videos before you start your pistol training. Chris Cheng, Top Shot Champion, hosts a great Handgun 101 Series by the NSSF. Tip #6: We have linked one of these Handgun 101 videos.
6. SLOW DOWN — This is not a race
You started slowly when you first learned to ride a bike. The same principle applies when shooting pistols. We recommend that you shoot slowly and carefully when you first get started with handguns. Start with the gun unloaded. Just work on sight alignment and breathing. You can then practice dry-firing drills with snap caps. Next, you can move on to live fire. Be patient and slow. Try to get three shots at the target from 20 feet. This accuracy is possible with many common pistols, but indoor range shooters won’t be able to match it. Once you have mastered your form and accuracy you can start working on your speed.
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Tags: Handgun Training, Indoor Training, Jessie Harrison, Marksmanship, Pistol Training
