4 Practice Tips For A Beginner Pistol Shooter

Recreation & Sports Blog

Shooting a pistol is like many things; your ability improves with practice. However, if you start out with bad habits and continue them uncorrected, you'll do little to improve your pistol shooting abilities.

There are important steps to becoming comfortable with your pistol and developing confidence. Good shooting skills are learned through repetition. Practice these four things to help master your skills as a pistol shooter.

Dry Fire PracticeDry-firing is when you 'pretend to shoot' your pistol without any ammunition. It might sound silly, but it's a great way to get used to the feel of your firearm in your hand.

1. Unload your gun, and then double check it again just to be safe. Pull the trigger with your gun pointed in a safe direction as a third and final safety check.

2. Find a place where you can point your gun in different directions. An excellent way to gain confidence with your gun is dry-firing in front of a mirror.

3. Pay attention to the feel of the trigger pull and reset. This will get you acquainted with how the firing and reset mechanisms work on your gun before you shoot for real. You won't be surprised by the trigger reflex action.

Dry-firing your gun towards a mirror will also help you learn how to notice the steadiness of your hands. Many beginners will try to sense the feel of the gun when it actually fires a bullet and overcompensate by forcing down slightly.

This will cause you to shoot low, attempting to compensate for the recoil. Dry-firing your gun will give you a more relaxed trigger sense and help you appreciate when this happens.

Loading and Unloading – Before you are ready to shoot live, practice loading and then unloading your ammo magazine, or chamber. New guns will have a spring inside that is stiff until it is broken in.

Practicing the reloading and unloading steps loosens this spring. Loading and unloading also helps you begin to develop a better feel for your pistol in your hands.

Stance – When it comes to using your pistol in a real life situation, you are rarely going to know exactly what stance you will be forced to use. Learning to shoot from different positions not only improves your aiming skills, but also allows you to safely use your weapon in unexpected situations.

You should begin with the two basic stances, standing and kneeling. Once you feel comfortable with these two, alternate feet, change hands, kneel on both knees, and then graduate to shooting while lying down flat. Developing a feel for many body twists and firing positions will also improve your confidence level for unforeseen situations.

Use Both Eyes - Some will feel that it is okay to just focus on learning to shoot your pistol using your dominant eye. Just like changing hands and learning multiple shooting stances, switching eyes prepares you for the unexpected.

Start with both eyes using the standard side angle where your dominant eye is your main visual focus. To accent your best eye, close the other one. Next switch and use your other eye.

If you really want to get inventive, and of course under the guidance of a trained expert, shoot a few rounds with your eyes open, then try a blindfold. Again, only attempt this with expert supervision present. You will be amazed at how expanded your natural feel for firing a handgun will improve after shooting a few rounds without sight.   

A handgun can be your friend if you follow strict safety procedures and learn proper shooting techniques. Consider a pistol training class to help develop your confidence. Even seasoned firearm experts will periodically take a class to sharpen their skills. If you're new to pistol shooting, follow the advice of experienced shooters and practice, practice, practice.

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27 February 2017

A Pleasure Boat

When I was a child, I remember the time I shared with a special uncle fondly. During the summer, he would take me fishing at my family’s pond. Sometimes, we would fish quietly at the dock. He would occasionally steer me around the pond in a little boat. A few days ago, I found out that I will inherit the family pond. I’m extremely excited about the possibility of purchasing a boat to ride around in with my future kids. On this blog, you will learn how to shop for the perfect pleasure boat for a small body of water. Enjoy!