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111 Posts
My first gun was purchased last week (M&P 40), so I am a newbie at all this. Consequently, I am an awefully bad shot!!!
I keep reading reports from all you seasoned shooters, and I feel that I am even worse than I think I am.
To quote some reports that I have read: "5-shot groups off-hand at 7 yards and got all the holes to touch. Then I shot off-hand at 25 yds. and got a 2" group" and "standing freehand at 15 yds... I was getting groups of 2-3[inches]" and "I shot the M&P starting at about 15 yards, I was presently surprised when 3 of the first 4 rounds hit the 1 inch red center on my rifle target".
I gotta say, either you guys are certified experts or I should be certified as blind 8) By the way, my eyesight is very good, better than 20/20. Where can I find advice or tips to suggest the proper things I need to practice (form)???
I am right handed and I think that my right eye is dominant. I have tried the thumb-test, but I can't really get it to work. When focusing on my thumb, I still see 2 of the distant object that I'm covering. I stand with my left foot forward, feet pointed at about 10:30 if the target is 12. I grab the grip as high as possible with my right hand, wrap my 3 fingers just below the trigger guard, and place my index finger just under the slide, pointed toward the target. I then place my left palm over the end of the fingers of my right hand, wrap my 4 left-hand fingers over the 3 of my right hand, place the meaty part of my left thumb/palm in the concavity below my right thumb, and place both thumbs along the left side of the frame and under the slide. My right arm is mostly straight, but not locked. My left arm is slightly more bent. Note that my right index finger is still not placed inside the tigger guard.
Sighting.... I don't really know what I should be doing. I was most accurate before I started trying to follow advice; in fact, I was pretty good, better than friends with years of experience. Since then.... I have tried to use both eyes open. If I focus on the front site, I see 2 targets; the one on the right is the one I need to aim for. If I focus on the target with both eyes, lining up the sites is very hard. I need to shut one eye first, to get things lined up, and then I can proceed with 2 eyes open. Using only 1 eye is easier. Focusing on the target or the front site seems to make very little difference.
I have a flinching problem! My shots are regularly low, but they are usually reasonably inline with my point of aim. If I try hard to relax my wrist and concentrate on squeezing the trigger, I do well. The other thing I do is aim high; sort of a pre-flinch flinch. Maybe this is 95% of my problem??
When I feel good about my sights being on target, I move my right index finger inside the trigger guard. I place my finger on the trigger so that contact is made just outside of my first knuckle. I concentrate on keeping both thumbs pressed against the gun's frame on the left side and squeeze the trigger straight back. At 7 yards and 15 rounds, 1 or 2 shots may have hit the bullseye, but the grouping is centered ~5" below my aim. The overall grouping is probably 8-10", just from estimation.
At my 2nd range visit last night, I reached 700 rounds through the gun (no failures of any type and no cleaning yet). Most of my ammo has been from a factory reload place in Butte, MT (H&M?), but I have also used 200 rounds of WWB and 20 rounds of Federal Hydra-shock.
You guys are hitting a 2" diameter at 15+ yards?!?!? What the..... Help a newbie out here!!! I'm happy to hear any pointers you can give, or any links to proper shooting form.
Thanks.

To quote some reports that I have read: "5-shot groups off-hand at 7 yards and got all the holes to touch. Then I shot off-hand at 25 yds. and got a 2" group" and "standing freehand at 15 yds... I was getting groups of 2-3[inches]" and "I shot the M&P starting at about 15 yards, I was presently surprised when 3 of the first 4 rounds hit the 1 inch red center on my rifle target".
I gotta say, either you guys are certified experts or I should be certified as blind 8) By the way, my eyesight is very good, better than 20/20. Where can I find advice or tips to suggest the proper things I need to practice (form)???
I am right handed and I think that my right eye is dominant. I have tried the thumb-test, but I can't really get it to work. When focusing on my thumb, I still see 2 of the distant object that I'm covering. I stand with my left foot forward, feet pointed at about 10:30 if the target is 12. I grab the grip as high as possible with my right hand, wrap my 3 fingers just below the trigger guard, and place my index finger just under the slide, pointed toward the target. I then place my left palm over the end of the fingers of my right hand, wrap my 4 left-hand fingers over the 3 of my right hand, place the meaty part of my left thumb/palm in the concavity below my right thumb, and place both thumbs along the left side of the frame and under the slide. My right arm is mostly straight, but not locked. My left arm is slightly more bent. Note that my right index finger is still not placed inside the tigger guard.
Sighting.... I don't really know what I should be doing. I was most accurate before I started trying to follow advice; in fact, I was pretty good, better than friends with years of experience. Since then.... I have tried to use both eyes open. If I focus on the front site, I see 2 targets; the one on the right is the one I need to aim for. If I focus on the target with both eyes, lining up the sites is very hard. I need to shut one eye first, to get things lined up, and then I can proceed with 2 eyes open. Using only 1 eye is easier. Focusing on the target or the front site seems to make very little difference.
I have a flinching problem! My shots are regularly low, but they are usually reasonably inline with my point of aim. If I try hard to relax my wrist and concentrate on squeezing the trigger, I do well. The other thing I do is aim high; sort of a pre-flinch flinch. Maybe this is 95% of my problem??
When I feel good about my sights being on target, I move my right index finger inside the trigger guard. I place my finger on the trigger so that contact is made just outside of my first knuckle. I concentrate on keeping both thumbs pressed against the gun's frame on the left side and squeeze the trigger straight back. At 7 yards and 15 rounds, 1 or 2 shots may have hit the bullseye, but the grouping is centered ~5" below my aim. The overall grouping is probably 8-10", just from estimation.
At my 2nd range visit last night, I reached 700 rounds through the gun (no failures of any type and no cleaning yet). Most of my ammo has been from a factory reload place in Butte, MT (H&M?), but I have also used 200 rounds of WWB and 20 rounds of Federal Hydra-shock.
You guys are hitting a 2" diameter at 15+ yards?!?!? What the..... Help a newbie out here!!! I'm happy to hear any pointers you can give, or any links to proper shooting form.
Thanks.