[StealthBeast]

I'm not new to the concept of forums rofl. I read the rules, and saw no "Do not make a 'Hi I'm new' thread" rule, so here I am. I also didn't see any age limit, (I'm 16).

So far I've shot a .22 ruger, a 9mm berreta, and a .357 revolver that I can't recall. Needless to say, I don't own a gun, rather, my parent do (.22 ruger). But evem though I technically don't own the gun, I'M the one who knows how to field strip and clean it.
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Now I have some questions:

I notice that my shots are grouping a lllitle bit down, and a liiitle bit to the left, while my mom's shots are a little bit up, and a little bit to the right. Is there something wrong with our posture or hand position to cause our shots to behave this way? It seems like no matter what I do, this happens. Something interesting I notice though, when I shoot with my left hand (I'm right handed), my groups are more centered :lol: What's with that?! Whats a good guide to firing stance?

I'm frequently told to try dry-fire practice. THEN I'm frequently told NOT to dry-fire practice with my particular gun (Ruger MKIII). Apparently it has something to do with wearing down the insides due to the lack of having energy released in the chamber or something... Is this true? I have a spring airsoft gun that I could use instead, but it feels so much different to fire than a real one (Soft trigger, light barrel, heavy handgrip).

Also, My dad has shot .22, 9mm, 38, and 357. I've shot .22, 9mm, and .357. My mom has only shot .22. I suggested we rent a .45, but my parent's seem in a hurry to try the .50AE for the heck of it. It would be fun, but I dont know if it would be wise to make such an extreme jump so soon. What do you guys think?

EDIT:

1 more thing... Why call it pistol world if there are revolvers? =P

EDIT:

Reading other topics, i assume the first question you'll ask me is, "To help you, we need to know how your stance is. What's your stance?"

Well, I have sort of a "front stance" that you see in martial arts, except the legs are a little closer. I make it a point to keep my body, and shoulders square to my target. my dominant hand is as high on the gun as possible, and in the palm of my hand in order to transfer recoil to the forearm. I close my right eye, leaving my left open, and focus on the second sight. I place the fatty part of the tip of the index finger on the trigger, and pull back slowly. The whole time I'm holding the gun as hard as I comfortably can without adding additional shaking.

Edit (At least I'm not double posting): What .45 would you suggest we try?

 

[StealthBeast]

Not a very active forum huh..?

 

[john1911]

Welcome aboard.

About your sight problem; is the gun sighted in for you. If you're getting tight groups, you may need to adjust the sights (assuming they are adjustable). They key to good groups is consistency. You need to grip the gun the exact same way every time, use the same sight picture and trigger pull every time.

Dry firing the MKIII, read the manual. Most rimfires can be damaged by repeatedly dry firing. The manual for my MKII recommends dry firing to decock the firing pin. I don't do it very much. Something like this should ease the worries:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.e ... mid=213850

Honestly, I recommend learning good technique using a .22. Shooting heavy recoiling, loud handguns is gonna lead to bad habits unless you have very solid fundamentals. I know it's more fun shooting the big guns, you need to learn to walk before you run.

 

[StealthBeast]

Re: re: New shooter here. First post.

Welcome aboard.

thanks for your response.

Whats i find odd is that my mom and I get different results. Mine go to the lower left, hers go to the upper-right. This leads me to believe that it is our posture, not the gun's sight, that is at fault.

Why is it bad to train with a larger caliber? I had the same accuracy with the .45 as the .22 (just a slower rate and a bigger hole =P). Flinching isn't a problem with me. The bigger the cal, the better. .22 just.... bores me.

Now I'm not saying I wanna train with a .45, but is it truly benefitial to stick with the .22? What about a 9mm?

Lol I'm so impatient XD. But our family is taking lessons soon so.. I suppose that'll clear some stuff up for us.

 

[huntswithdogs]

Steal,
Give 3 different folks the exact same gun and it'll shoot 3 different places. You head positon, grip, trigger control, the ability to get back on target all play a part.
As for being bored with a 22...good. You won't be anticipating the roar or recoil of the bigger calibers. That's what a flinch is. Some folks never have a problem, some can't seem to get away from it.

Welcome aboard ! Keep on put the lead down range.

HWD

 

[jack62]

Only you guys will know this for sure. I think it has to do with you trigger finger. You want the pad of your index finger, before the first nuckle (creese) to push back on the trigger. If you hook the creese your shots can go to the side. You also want to push the trigger straight back, as not to raise the muzzle before the gun goes off. Keep as high hold on the grip (not to high as to get bit from the slide) This also helps the rise problems. Grip the gun firmly but not to firm. (like holding a can of coke firm enough, but your trigger finger is free to move.You dont want to white knuckle the grip. Your other hand try turning your wrist foward and down and also not too tight. The foward and down has to do with keeping your both arms extended the same. Sought of like sguaring your body evenly. the nuetral grip hold on both hands keeps the left and right movements nuetral. Also you should be slightly bent at the elbows as to tame the recoil from shot to shot. As far as sights make sure you level them all in a straight line across the top. Try aiming at 6 oclock on the bullseye and see if they land in the middle. try using the target in terms of a clock 4 oclock, 7 oclock etc... This will show you where the gun is really pointing (especially if most or all of your shots are going there. I have guns with fixed sights and this helps me. Once you start grouping well you have to keep it in yout minds eye so to speak. With practice its not that hard to do. hope this helps and makes some sense. Sounds like alot, just break it down piece by piece. There is a downloadable target that works well that you can print for free at http://ammoman.com in a right and left hand version i use these all the time and they help you determine what you are doing wrong. what i tried to explain should help you in determing what the target is telling you. Again good luck and stay safe. Jack