The
Tactical Edge – November
The
Fundamentals of Pistol Shooting – Part 1
This month on the blog, we are going to talk about the
fundamentals of pistol shooting. Depending on who you talk to, there are
anywhere from 5 to 10 different fundamentals that are required to shoot your
pistol and hit your designated target. The main differences are how they break
down the individual parts. We are going to try to group them as simply as we
can and make it understandable. To be a good shooter, you will have to apply
all these principles together. We can’t pick out just one principal and tell
you that if you concentrate on that one, you’ll be an expert shot. It doesn’t
work that way.
Here are the fundamentals that you will need to know as
we see them. Knowing these principles is half the battle. Putting them into consistent
practice over time is the other half of the battle. The more you practice the
better you get. One thought here though, the more you practice a bed technique,
the worse it will get. The best way to develop great technique is to find a
good instructor and let him or her work with you. They are able to see the
small things that affect your shooting and fine tune them. If you’re not able
to find a good instructor, then find someone who you think is a really accurate
shooter. Watch them over time and see what they’re doing differently from you.
It’s not the best way, but it’s definitely better than continually doing the
wrong thing and expecting to get better. In the following discussions, we will
be talking about strong hand versus weak hand and strong side versus weak side.
Your strong hand/side is your dominant side. Your weak hand/side is your other
side. If you are right-handed then right is your dominant side.
STANCE
This includes all positions from standing to kneeling to
prone. This is your major support and shooting platform and creates the
conditions for maximum control and accuracy. The main principle here is to have
a balanced and sturdy position from which to shoot. For the purposes of this
discussion, I’m going to primarily talk about stance as it applies to standing
and shooting. For the standing position, there are different stances that can
be used. The main ones are the isosceles or FBI stance and the Weaver or
modified Weaver stance. In the isosceles stance the shooter stands with feet
shoulder width apart, shoulders squared off with the target and weight slightly
forward on the balls of the feet. The head should be high with the chin pointing
at the target with the ears in front of the shoulders and the shoulders in
front of the hips. The important point here is to be comfortable. In the Weaver
and modified Weaver stances, the shooter stands off at an angle from the target
with the weak side forward and the strong side back. The amount of angle in the
stance depends on the shooters height, weight, build, and flexibility. This
will vary greatly among individuals, but the goal is to achieve a balanced and
comfortable stance. The strong arm is held straight while the weak arm is bent
and pulling back on the strong hand that is gripping the gun. This modified
Weaver stance gives the best support based on overall balance. The reason for
this is because one foot is forward while one is back and still maintaining shoulder
width. Done properly, the shooter should be able to withstand a slight push in
any direction without losing their balance. With the other shooting positions
such as kneeling, prone, or any awkward position, the goal is to be as solid
and stable as possible.
GRIP
The weapon should be placed in the hands so a straight
line is formed with the barrel of the weapon and the forearm of the shooter.
The webbing of the hand should be fully under the tang of the back strap with
thumb forward toward the target. The index finger should remain outside of the
trigger guard until ready to shoot and the remaining fingers should firmly grip
the weapon. The weak side fingers should be wrapped around the strong hand with
the wrists close together. The supporting hand heel should be in contact with
the exposed portion of the weapon grip. Thumb should rest on top of the other
with fingers over fingers and thumb over thumb. Both thumbs should be pointing
at the target.
The amount of strength used in the grip should only be
enough to control the weapon during firing. Excessive grip strength will cause
your hand to shake and ruin your aim point. Imagine that you are shaking hands
with an important person that you just met. You want to use enough strength to
show respect, but you don’t want to bruise the person’s hand. That same amount
of strength will easily control your weapon unless you are using really
powerful ammunition.
Grip is acquired in the holster prior to draw and
presentation. The webbing of the shooting hand must be in the top of the tang
on the back strap and no higher. If you are too high the slide will bite your
hand. If you are too low with your grip, you allow the gun to move more with
recoil making sight recovery and follow-on shots more difficult and
time-consuming. High grip will reduce muzzle rise and lead to faster recoil
recovery.
DRAW
/ PRESENTATION
The idea behind this fundamental is to get the weapon
into the plane of vision between your eyes and the target as quickly, smoothly
and efficiently as possible. Individual equipment can affect the efficiency of
the draw depending on your holster and other retention devices used for
security. The draw or presentation of the weapon from the holster to the aim
point should be in one smooth and continuous movement with your weak hand
meeting your strong hand grip at some point between your chest and your point
of aim. A smooth and continuous movement from holster to aim point will give
you the fastest and most accurate shot. Jerky movements will tend to cause your
aim point to be off.
Simply defined, sight alignment is the front sight viewed
through the rear sight with them equally spaced and even across the top. The
top of the front sight is even with the top of the rear sight and there is an
equal amount of space separating the front sight post from the sides of the
rear sight notch. In order for the bullet to hit the center of the target, the
shooter must aim the pistol and give the barrel a definite direction relative
to the target. In theory, accurate aiming is achieved when the shooter places,
in exact alignment, the rear sight with the top and sides of the front sight
and holds them in alignment in the aiming area. When aiming, the front sight is
positioned in the middle of the rear sight notch with an equal light space on
each side. The horizontal top surface of the front sight is on the same level
as the top horizontal surface of the rear sight notch. It is necessary to be
acutely aware of the relationship of the rear sight to the clearly defined
front sight. Normal vision is such that the rear sight of the pistol will be as
nearly in focus as the front sight. Some shooters may be able to see only the
notch of the rear sight in sharp focus; the outer extremities may become
slightly blurred. It should look like this: The top of the front sight is even
with the top of the rear sight and there is an equal amount of space separating
the front sight post from the sides of the rear sight notch.
SIGHT
PICTURE
Properly aligned sights mean nothing if you don’t know
how to place them on a target.
Sight
picture is the placement of the sights on the target while maintaining proper
sight alignment.
Sight picture is the relationship of the target, the
front and rear sights and the eye. Emphasis here is on the front sight. Inside
combat distance, 7 yards and closer, if the front sight is on the target, the
target will be hit when the weapon is fired. In combat shooting, this is the
most important fundamental. The eye can only focus on one object at a time. It
cannot keep the rear sight, the front sight and the target in focus
simultaneously. The shooter must concentrate on the front sight. You must focus
on the front sight while keeping good sight alignment. When properly done, the
target should be blurry, the rear sight should be blurry, and the front sight
should be sharp. When you pull the trigger you do not want to disrupt this sight
alignment.
That is all were going to cover this month on the blog.
We will cover the remaining fundamentals in next month’s blog. The next issue
of the blog will go over trigger control, trigger manipulation, trigger press,
breathing, follow through, and recovery. It sounds like an awful lot to learn
but it’s actually only one smooth and efficient motion. Once you have it down
pat, that little red circle in the middle of the target will cease to exist.
Well that wraps up this month’s issue of the blog. We
hope you’re reading it, enjoying it, and most of all benefiting from it. If you
have comments, please send them to us. We love to get email. In the meantime,
keep your gun clean and your powder dry and take someone to the shooting range
or training class with you. Have a great Thanksgiving holiday.
