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Handgun training

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Handgun training

Postby wawhitey » 06 21, 2021 •  [Post 1]

Practicing with your sidearms is important if youre going to carry them. But ive been thinking, how much does my shooting really help me identify weaknesses vs just burn expensive ammo? Im getting ready to jump in to handloading for various calibers, mostly sidearms. I need to be on top of my shooting game to best develop loads. So to that end ive ordered a bunch of snap caps. Theyre actually very cheap, a worthwhile small investment imo. My plan is, while im practicing shooting, to have my dad load my guns for me, with random dummy rounds. I wont know if a particular gun has 1, or 5, or no dummy rounds. It will be a surprise. Help me identify flinching, anticipating the shot. Especially important i think in the bigger calibers. .460, .44 mag... does anybody else do this with sidearms or rifles? What were your results?
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Re: Handgun training

Postby Lefty » 06 21, 2021 •  [Post 2]

I use to do most of my shooting with .22, for rifle and pistol.



The mental game came into play shooting clay targets with a shotgun.
It is very important for me to practice my trigger squeeze after using my shotgun.

Even when ammo was cheap and I was a kid I practiced my trigger squeeze ( and shouldering) with an empty gun and slid my finger on the trigger guard. Every .39 cents I was running for a box of Wildcats :o


At one time I could load every gun I owned in my sleep... Thats where I really fail now
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Re: Handgun training

Postby Swede » 06 22, 2021 •  [Post 3]

I don't practice with any of my guns much. I am just not that interested in getting very good.
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Re: Handgun training

Postby saddlesore » 06 26, 2021 •  [Post 4]

50 rounds down range of concentrated fire is better than 300 rounds spray and pray.
I had my NRA instructors certification for many years and probably ran 500 students thru my classes.

If the diagram below does not show the entire circle,email me and I can send it

Flinches come from stepping up to a more powerful handgun before one masters the basics of handgun shooting, Grip, trigger squeeze,sight picture before and after the shot, follow thru, etc.These should all be mastered with a good 22 rf before proceeding. A person should get to the ability that the shot goes off with a complete surprise. Eyes open the full time. If you don't see the target after the hammer drops , you are blinking.

Loading alternate rounds will sure tell you if you are jerking/flinching at the shot, but it won't cure it. You need to go back to a firearm with less recoil and noise report (ie, 22 RF). Take a box of fifty and with each shot, pay attention to each of the basics.

Here is a Readers Digest version.

Place the firearm in your hand exactly the same every time.There is correct way, not just what is comfortable.Place your finger on the trigger the same place each shot. Too much or too little will make your shots go left or right. The same as different grip pressure will change your POI. With each shot,bring the firearm up to the target, and get your sight picture and target picture.If you are holding the firearm up more than about 6 seconds,take it down rest and and try again.

target diagram.jpg
target diagram.jpg (85.13 KiB) Viewed 1165 times


Dry firing without snap caps will not damage a firearm except some of the old 22 rf that did not have floating firing pins
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