Six ways new handgun owners can improve their pistol skills

AccurateShooter.com’s primary focus is precision rifle target shooting. It’s also fun to shoot pistols, and we bet that most of our regular subscribers own handguns. Here are six tips to help you shoot handguns safely and accurately. These tips will help you improve your skills and have fun with your revolvers and pistols. Image courtesy of Sanctuary Gun Club. 1. Gun safety should always be a priority, no matter how many guns you own. Julie Golob, Smith & Wesson’s Team Captain, explains the basics of gun security in this video. 2. Start with a.22 LR handgun We recommend that new pistol-shooters start with a.22 LR rimfire rimfire. The.22 LR cartridge has a low recoil and produces less smoke and muzzle blast than a centerfire. New shooters will not have to deal with muzzle flip and won’t flinch at the sharp recoil or muzzle blast that is common in larger calibers. With the.22 LR the trainee can concentrate on sight alignment, breathing and trigger pull. Once he or she has mastered these skills, you can move up to a 9mm Luger or.38 Special. What gun should I use? We recommend the Smith & Wesson 617 Model 10 shot. This is perfect for your first training. It’s single-action, slow-fire. You should focus on the sight picture and maintaining steady. Above is the Model 617 with a 4” barrel that balances well. There is also a 6-inch barrel version. It has a larger sight radius but is a bit nose-heavy. Both are excellent choices. Both are great choices. They are both extremely accurate, and have a very clean and precise trigger. Browning Buck Mark pistols are a great choice if you want a semi-auto.22 LR. Buck Marks are highly accurate and reliable. This rimfire gun is available in many models, starting at less than $350.00. Buck Marks are durable, just like the S&W Model 61 7. 3. Use quality targets with multiple aiming points. It is common for new pistoleros at public ranges to begin shooting at cans and clay birds. It can be fun but it is better to start off with real targets placed at eye-level, between 7-10 yards. We like to use large, brightly-colored circles as targets. Focus on getting 5 shots into a circle. We recommend targets with multiple aiming points or bullseyes. This way, you won’t need to change your target constantly. Special paper targets can also help you diagnose common problems with shooting, such as anticipating the recoil. EZ2C Targets has a wide range of target designs that feature bright, red-orange aiming points. You can also use bright orange Birchwood Casey Stick-on Target Dots. These are available in different diameters. We like the dot of 2” at 10 yards. 4. Shoot Outside If You Can We recommend new pistol shooters start their training on an outdoor range. There are several reasons. The first is that the light outdoors is better. Indoor ranges are often dark and have lots of shadows. This makes it difficult to see your target. Second, the sound dissipates more effectively outdoors. The sound of gunfire bounces off walls and echoes inside. Third, if you are able to get out early on a weekday, an outdoor range can be more comfortable. Indoor ranges are usually crowded, at least in urban areas. Many indoor ranges are also poorly ventilated. You’ll be happy if you can get to an outdoor range. Steel pistol targets are also available at many outdoor ranges, and they make a great alternative to paper. To avoid ricochets, we recommend using bullets that are polymer-encased or have lead coatings when shooting steel. 5. Watch some videos and find a good mentor Photo courtesy AV Firearms Training. Many new pistol shooters jump right into rapid fire drills. It’s best to start slowly, and practice the basics under the guidance of an experienced mentor. If you are a member of a club, find out if they have instructors who can help. This Editor began pistol shooting with a.22 LR and very close targets. He learned from a seasoned shooter who was a bullseye expert. After a few range sessions, we moved on to larger targets and a faster pace. The fundamentals were not forgotten. It’s a good idea to watch some instructional videos before you begin your pistol training. The NSSF has produced a great Handgun 101 Series hosted by Top Shot Champion Chris Cheng. We’ve included one of these Handgun 101 Videos for Tip #6. 6. Slow down — This is not a race When you first learned to ride a bike, you probably started slowly — perhaps even with training wheels. The same principle applies when it comes to pistol shooting. We recommend that you start out by shooting slowly and deliberately. Start with your handgun unloaded. Focus on sight alignment and breathing. Try some dry-firing drills with snap caps in place. Then, move on to live fire. Be deliberate and slow. Try to get three successive shots holes to touch at 20 feet. Many pistols can achieve this level of accuracy. However, you won’t find many indoor range shooters who are pursuing such precision. Once you have mastered your form and accuracy you can then work on your speed.