More Trigger Time Needed…

This was one of those days it didn’t pay to fall out of bed…

Up EARLY, out to the range for an Action Pistol shoot this morning, and I was so ‘awake’ I brought my carry 1911 (and plenty of ammo) and left the .45 I was planning on shooting laying on the kitchen table… sigh…

So there we are, and it’s a steel plate match, and… I sucked… period, no other way to say it. I didn’t finish dead last, but that was only because a new shooter was there.

Afterward I went over to the target range to see if I could figure out what I was doing wrong, and as you can see below (reduced size tgt at 10 yards), first rounds weren’t bad, but follow-ups weren’t real hot…

I had WAY too much finger on the trigger, as all the follow-ups tend to be left/low left… Put another fifty rounds down range, got ‘some’ improvement, and called it a day, as I had some work to do today.

Practice is the ONLY way to get better and/or maintain proficiency… Make time to get to the range, and shoot; you life may depend on it…

Comments

More Trigger Time Needed… — 14 Comments

  1. Roger that!
    If I haven’t been to the range in a month or so, it takes me a full magazine to get back to my ‘normal’ precision.
    Maybe I should start practicing with my Airsoft 1911!

  2. Ditto. Lots of practice last year; got fairly decent with the 1911. This year? Horrible. That’s what I get for taking the winter off.

  3. Time, time, time…
    Great advice Navy. But making the TIME!
    (…your life may depend on it…)
    Sobering and true.

  4. I’ve been shooting a 1911 this year in as many matches as possible this year.

    Except for a complete lack of trigger control and front sight focus, I’m doing quite well.
    Snort.

    Gerry

  5. Recoil anticipation. That’s it in two words. Three solutions: of course, more practice. Second, dry firing (although not nearly as effective as with a DAO handgun) and third, the SECOND you set foot on the range think:

    FRONT SIGHT
    FRONT SIGHT
    FRONT SIGHT

    Finally, what’s your eyesight? Are you nearsighted? Farsighted? How nearsighted are you? Can you even focus on the front sight without the background focus becoming a distraction?

    Smooth trigger pull, not jerking the trigger. On a 1911, pad of the finger on the trigger. Don’t try to wrap your first or second joint around it.

    BZ

  6. drjim- That works, if you can do it.

    Rev- True… sigh…

    WSF- I know you prefer the rifle, but practice is practice 🙂

    GB- I know… sigh…

    Gerry- I’m there with ya. 🙁

    BZ- you are correct! I can see fine, I just need practice!

    TJ- As soon as I find my snap caps…

  7. Trigger time is very important. I usually get at least 50 rounds in a weekend with the 1911. (I’m in cahoots with the range 10 min. away from the house.)

  8. What BZ said is true. However, I find that on different days I’ll have an “off day” (can still hit paper, barely) with different pistols.
    I usually can shoot good with the 1911 (sadly, not today )

    Today a lady and I had a range date. We couldn’t hit jack with our own weapons, but with the other persons pistol, we were driving tacks.

    Pistols:
    Hers:
    Sig P220

    Mine:
    Colt 1911 Tactical
    Spring Armory XDM .45
    HK 45 USP

    With the HK 93 it was a whole different story (shooting Steel Plates and hitting >37 out of 40 for both of us per magazine) Grin!

  9. This is why I love my Buckmark. It is cheap, very similar to all of my carry guns as far as feel. And it is cheap to shoot while working on the fundamentals of shooting.