Five Tips For Improved Pistol Shooting - By 2LT Scott Hunt

In the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of competing in eight Texas Adjutant General’s Combat Marksmanship competitions. Commonly known as the “Governor’s Twenty”, these matches identify the top eight pistol and rifle marksmen, and the top two sniper and light machine-gun marksmen from all branches of the Texas Military Forces. These competitions are unquestionably the most fun, challenging, and rewarding undertakings I have experienced in my four years of service.

The difference between success and participation is significant, but achieving the former is not insurmountable. Competitors, who take the time to learn proper techniques and practice them until they become instinctual, have a significant edge over those who simply send lead down range. The key to success in any endeavor is to do the right things and to do them so often that they become second nature. Training, and lots of it, is the difference between success and participation.

To that end, I would like to share some training tips that I have picked up from some of the best military pistol shooters in the country. Utilize these, and you’ll be well on your way to better defensive pistol craft and perhaps even a Governor’s Twenty tab on your shoulder.

STANCE

The stance is the foundation for your shooting position. It should be solid, balanced, and allow for rapid movement. Ideally, your shooting position should be the same for pistol and rifle, allowing for the most rapid transition between platforms. A “fighter’s stance” with feet shoulder width apart allows for optimum balance and recoil distribution. The non-firing foot should be slightly forward approximately six inches (toe to arch) and pointed in the target’s direction. The other foot can be turned outward up to 45 degrees to improve balance. Waist is slightly bent at the torso as if you are leaning into the weapon. When presenting the weapon, roll elbows inward and bring shoulders towards your ears, keeping arms symmetrical. By leaning into the weapon with arms and upper torso square to the target, the pistol will return to it’s natural point of aim after each shot, greatly increasing the speed with which follow-up shots can be made. 

 

PRESENTATION/DRAW

Real life almost always requires that your sidearm be holstered. As such, it is critically important to practice drawing your weapon and acquiring your target as expeditiously as possible. Most competitions require that weapons be at the “high ready” prior to each stage. This position has the pistol pointing downrange, slightly downward, and at the shooter’s chest. This is the ideal starting point for quickly acquiring targets, since it allows the shooter to press outward with the pistol while simultaneously acquiring proper sight alignment. Shooters who use the “low ready” position raise their weapon to the target, and will often overshoot the target, wasting precious seconds adjusting to find the target which is now obscured by their weapon. When drawing from a holster, first bring the weapon to the “high ready” and the receiving hand that should be pre-positioned at the chest. Next, press out with the weapon directly towards the target simultaneously lining up the front sight with the target. This is a muscle memory type skill that requires significant repetition. Video taping this movement will provide valuable feedback to the shooter. 

GRIP

Poor grip is arguably the greatest factor in weapon failure and overall inaccuracy. With your firing hand, grasp the pistol with the web of your hand as high as possible on the backstrap of the pistol. Point your index finger parallel to the bore of the weapon and towards your intended target. Your index finger should always remain here until a target is acquired and you are ready to fire. With your off-hand, rotate your thumb forward so that your palm covers the greatest amount of exposed surface area on the pistol’s grip frame. Wrap four fingers over your firing hand below the trigger guard. Place your thumb alongside the frame opposite your index finger of your firing hand. The thumb of your firing hand should be placed above the other thumb, pressing down slightly to lock in place. In order to isolate your trigger finger and to avoid inaccuracy that comes with squeezing the grip hand, increase the grip strength of your off-hand so that it amounts to 60%-70% of the total grip, with the other 30%-40% being attributed to the firing hand. Pinch the heels of your hands together to get a full grip. If you start trembling or get white knuckles, you are probably gripping too hard. In my opinion, the pistol is going to recoil whether you like it or not. If you have proper grip and stance, the pistol will return to its natural point of aim, so don’t fight recoil by gripping harder. Rather, provide just enough grip to control the weapon in order to work with the recoil rather than fighting against it.

SIGHT PICTURE/ACQUISITION

This can be summed up rather quickly. Watch the front sight. If your weapon presentation, stance, and grip are where they are supposed to be, you will quickly discover that your front and rear sights are lined up in all but the most unusual shooting positions. Therefore, it is most important that you practice placing the front sight on your intended target. Remember, if you are presenting your weapon from the “high ready” you will have a split second to begin this process before the weapon is fully extended. With practice, your target and front sight will be aligned the moment your arms reach full extension. Eventually, the movement from holster, to high ready, to presentation and sight acquisition will become one fluid motion.

TRIGGER CONTROL

Two words…slack out. The quickest way to reduce group size is simply, slack out. Shooters who stoke through the trigger will invariably go off target when they meet that final bit of resistance before the trigger breaks clean. This is particularly true of striker-fired pistols that have a slightly heavier trigger pull than their single-action counterparts or single/double action platforms. “Slack out”, essentially means to take the slack out of the trigger by pulling it until just before the trigger breaks. Then, simply click the trigger as you would click a mouse without increasing the grip squeeze of your firing hand. This allows the trigger finger to remain isolated and helps to prevent lateral pressure on the trigger. Furthermore, experienced shooters will release the trigger only far enough to feel the trigger reset after the weapon has discharged, thus allowing for faster follow up shots and decreased likelihood of stroking through the trigger.

SUMMARY
 Again, training and practice is key to success. With ammunition prices and shortages being at an all time high, one may wonder how to go about training without breaking the bank. One very inexpensive method is dry fire practice. Dry fire practice allows the shooter to practice grip, trigger control, weapon presentation and transitions. For instance, it is not unusual to find some reduced size 8.5x11 figure 11 targets taped to my living room wall while I practice drawing, acquiring sights, and manipulating the trigger from the opposite side of the room. Additionally, I will tape multiple target and practice smoothly transitioning from one target to another. Why reduced sized targets? Aim small, miss small, is the name of the game. Other training methods include using .22 rimfire kits and even .22 pistols for cost savings. Ultimately, however, it is necessary to shoot full power loads to find your personal rhythm for accurate and fast pistol fire. Once you have mastered these techniques, then you can begin to focus on shooting from barricaded positions, kneeling, prone, unsupported, weak-hand, and shooting while moving. All of these require a substantial amount of practice and a fair amount of dedication. In fact, it is not unusual for me to expend approximately 500 rounds of ammunition per week in the months leading up to each competition. It isn’t cheap, but the satisfaction that comes from earning a Governor’s Twenty tab is priceless.