First Handgun - Page 8

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by HardDrive
Geez.....bunch of grumpy geese on this board.

Chris, your shooting just fine man.

Oh, and the proper term is magazine, not clip...

Chris, you are doing fine. Keep it up and have fun. If you get a chance, buy a cheap .22 pistol. You can shoot one all day long and only spend $5 on ammo.

snowman · 03-10-2007, 04:57 PM

Your doing fine. Every shot would have been deadly. BUT for us really good shots, you have to hit the mark every time, ie dead isn't good nuff.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by bigchillcar
actually, quite a few members have posted their groupings on here.

yup...i've posted quite a few and invariably get a mix of encouragement and "wow, that sucks." You'll live...

legion · 03-15-2007, 05:24 PM

Any thoughts on an H&R 732?

There's one for cheap at the local shop, and I'm curious if it's just a piece of junk or could be a fun toy.

HardDrive · 03-15-2007, 05:36 PM

BUY A GUN ALREADY

legion · 03-15-2007, 05:38 PM

I bought one...this is a second.

Jeff Higgins · 03-15-2007, 05:48 PM

Not familiar with the 732, but anything H&R is a high quality, robust, very servicable piece. If the price is right, I would go for it. Cosmetics are not as good as more expensive guns, but H&R knows what is important. While "built to a price" they do not scrimp on functionally important aspects of the gun. Buy it and have fun.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Chris,
Get a Sig P239 in 9mm, it's a very nice pistol!

legion · 03-15-2007, 06:25 PM

I'm going to rent a Sig next time at the range (Saturday).

I think my next expensive pistol is at least a year away. (I'm about to delve into a top-end rebuild on my car--I need to keep some cash handy.)

jyl · jyl's Garage

Ignore the snarky comments on your target. You are doing just fine. Keep practicing, try different grips (hold higher, lower, tighter, looser) and especially different trigger pulls (find the o'clock chart that helps diagnose misses by what most likely caused it), try shooting at various distances, and have fun. Let's be realistic - unless you're a hunter, cop, soldier, or criminal, shooting is simply for fun. Don't let anyone bum you out about it.

HardDrive · 03-15-2007, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by legion
I bought one...this is a second.

Opps. Sorry about that. I guess I need to get off my butt and read the whole thread.....

legion · 05:54 PM

Went to the range today and shot 150 rounds.

My first paper (50 rounds), I did very poorly, shooting an inch or more low. The model P95 I bought is a little upscale from the one I tried at the range last month. One feature that is different is the sights: mine have white dots on them.

I started by trying to line up the dots like this:

000

I figured out that they needed to be more like this to shoot straight:

_0_
0 0

I also figured out that I have a slight flinch, which may throw my shots pretty wild (still on paper, but way off). I also need to work on my stance and grip, and I fatigue after about fifty shots.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

To reduce flinch, get some dummy rounds or snap caps, mix them with your live rounds and load a few mags. without looking. When you squeeze the trigger on a dummy round and see how much your hands flinch toward the ground, you'll start to correct. It's best to squeeze, not pull, the trigger. It's a very subtle but large difference.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

This is what you want with 15 rounds.

legion · 03-17-2007, 05:57 PM

I do squeeze, that's a lesson I learned in Boy Scouts.

I also have learned exactly when in the trigger pull it will fire, so I'm anticipating it.

I also tried rapid-firing (not crazy, but something like one shot a second at a measured pace) and firing while decocked. Those were my worst magazines by far.

SlowToady · 03-17-2007, 06:20 PM

Pretty decent shooting for your second time out. If you're pretty new (which I'm gathering you are) it would be wise to get someone to critique your form, as others have mentioned. It will help you not develop bad habits. I picked up bad archery habits and they are a ***** to break.

A few things to consider:

BREATHING is very important. Make sure you are breathing properly and learn to control your breathing. I slow my breathing quite a bit, overall, when shooting. I generally spend the first 5-7 minutes of a range session slowing my breathing and heart rate.

Make sure you squeeze the trigger with the PAD of your pointer finger and NOT the joint.

Don't rush the trigger pull because the sights are over the center of the target. Your shooting might improve in the short term, but you'll develop target panic over the long term, and turn to ****. Squeeze slowly over time until the trigger breaks.

Also, make sure you are able to tune everything else around you out; gunshots, conversations, whatever. I typically practice with distractions present so I can overcome them. You have to get in your "bubble" as Carlos Hathcock called it, where nothing but the shot matters. He was a Marine Sniper, not a pistol shooter, but the same idea applies.

Have fun, don't take it too seriously, and don't let the naysayers get you down. Shooting is a difficult skill to really get down, and is a skill that you loose with time.

Happy shooting to you!

PS: On anticipating the shot: I belong to the "it shouldn't be a surprise" group. I know exactly when my triggers are going to break, and I think a good shooter should, but that doesn't change anything about what I'm doing. Know when it will break, but don't fear it. If you find yourself fearing it, get a .22 or an airgun and practice on that (for a long time!) until you no longer fear it.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Chris,
Did you get a chance to shoot a Sig today?

legion · 03-17-2007, 06:39 PM

No. It was sold (picked up yesterday--gotta love the 72 hour waiting period in IL). I'll have to wait until the range gets another one on trade.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

In all fairness, I have only seen one shooter better out the first couple of days..my wife.

Chris, you're doing great, just keep putting lead down range. Clean the pistol everytime. Don't use too much oil. Know every part like you know you're girlfriend.

I still think you're next pistol should be an "inexpensive", $200-250, 22lr pistol. It will help you learn with minimal cost. Never be intimidated by people firing .357mags while you are firing a .22lr. You know you are learning and you will be a better shot in the long run, than shooting a ton of expensive ammo.

Also, buy some snap caps. Use them in your house so you can see what your trigger pull is doing.

SlowToady · 03-17-2007, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by red-beard

I still think you're next pistol should be an "inexpensive", $200-250, 22lr pistol. It will help you learn with minimal cost. Never be intimidated by people firing .357mags while you are firing a .22lr. You know you are learning and you will be a better shot in the long run, than shooting a ton of expensive ammo.

Also, buy some snap caps. Use them in your house so you can see what your trigger pull is doing.

Definitely, don't let it bother you what other folks are shooting. I grew up shooting air guns (Beemans) and then switched to a .22 after 9 years or so. I used to sit at the range for hours shooting my .22 while everyone shot their 7 mags, .308s, etc. On more than one occasion I have out-shot people older than myself equipped with very nice target guns with my run of the mill .22. Part of it is that I happened to get a really good shootin' stick, and the other part was lots of time, patience, and skill. After a few years with the .22 I moved to a .270 and a .243. Neither are target guns but with good handloads I get good results.

Snap caps are a wonderful invention. Practice with them as often as you can, if you're really serious. It allows you t get the trigger break, breathing, and form down without the big boom or outlay of $$$ on ammo. I used to sit in my family room practicing with snap caps so that when I got to the range, all the movements would be fresh.