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Common Shooting Errors and Solutions
You have worked hard on learning the 6 fundamentals of marksmanship, your stance, grip, sight alignment and sight picture, breath control, trigger control and follow through, but your shots are still not consistent and not always hitting the right spot.  Now what??

Well the next step would be to determine where your shots are hitting the target and the reasons why. Below you will find several common shooting errors to help you figure out what could be causing your shots to be high, low, to the right, or to the left of the target center.

All explanations are for a right-handed shooter.  If you shoot left-handed the results would be the opposite.
Recoil Anticipation Errors

Dipping: When your shots are hitting below the bullseye more than likely you are “dipping” which is breaking the wrist down or dropping your head the instant the trigger is pulled.  This is usually an unconscious effort to control the recoil.

Riding the Recoil:  When your shots are hitting above the bulls eye more than likely you are “riding the recoil” which is breaking the wrist up in anticipation of the recoil causing the muzzle to flip up.

Flinching: If you are closing the eyes nearly every time you pull the trigger you are probably “flinching”. Flinching usually causes a person to close their eyes and dip their hands down as their body tenses in anticipation of the recoil, the noise or the flash from firing a gun.
Solutions for Recoil Anticipation Errors

Dry fire practice:  Dry Fire practice is practicing firing your firearm without live ammunition. Dry firing allows you to practice firing your gun without the stress or distraction of the recoil.  This allows you to concentrate on minimizing movement of your gun while you work on the fundamentals of marksmanship.  Some firearms may require snap caps if you are going to dry fire (check your firearms manual).

Trigger Control Errors

Too Much Finger on the Trigger:  Shots that are directly to the right of the bulls eye could mean you have too much of your finger on the trigger.  This would cause you to squeeze the trigger at an angle during the final rearward movement of the trigger pulling the muzzle to the right.

Too Little Finger on the Trigger: Shots that are directly to the left of the bulls eye usually mean you have too little finger on the trigger.  This would cause you to squeeze the trigger at an angle during the final rearward movement of the trigger pushing the muzzle to the left.

Jerking: If your shots are low and to the left you are probably “jerking” the trigger.  Jerking the trigger is yanking the trigger back.  This sometimes happens when a shooter tries to fire the shot as soon as the sights align with the target causing your hand and wrist to pull the gun downward.

Trigger Slapping: “Trigger slapping” happens when your trigger finger loses contact with the trigger after the shot has been fired and then reconnects with the trigger. This may cause incorrect finger placement on the trigger causing your shots to go right or left.

Solutions for Trigger Control Errors

Dry Fire Practice: Dry Fire practice is practicing firing your firearm without live ammunition.  Make sure your trigger finger is place correctly on the trigger.  Finger placement on a single action is the middle of the last pad on the trigger finger and on a double action at the joint between the last pad and middle pads of the trigger finger.

Trigger control is a smooth continuous pressure on the trigger to the rear through firing the shot.  The trigger squeeze should produces a surprise break in firing the shot.Your finger should remain on the trigger, while maintaining a good sight picture (follow through) and while keeping  your finger on the trigger, slowly let the pressure off of the trigger to allow it to reset (you will feel a click) and no further (Ready the information on staging a trigger).  You are now ready for your next shot.  If you immediately release your finger from the trigger you will jerk the gun.  Remember to check your manual to see if your firearm requires snap caps to dry fire.

Grip Errors

Heeling: Shots that are high and to the right are usually due to “heeling” which is pushing the butt of the gun to the left with the heel of the shooting hand in anticipation of the shot which forces the muzzle to the right.

Thumbing: Shots to the right could be caused by “thumbing” which is when your thumb of your shooting hand pushes the side of the gun to the right forcing the muzzle to the right.

Lobstering:  “Lobstering” is when you continuously grip the gun tighter as the trigger is pulled.  As you pull the trigger it causes the front sight to dip pushing your shots low and to the right

Solutions for Grip Errors

Dry fire practice: Dry Fire practice is practicing firing your firearm without live ammunition. Obtain the proper grip (Read the information on Grip of your Gun). Remember a too tight grip is nearly impossible to maintain and will cause muscle fatigue, cause your hand to shake.  While maintaining focus on the front sight and minimizing hand and finger movement, with the trigger finger only, press (do not pull or squeeze) the trigger straight back with a smooth and continuous pressure free of movement from the rest of the fingers. While maintaining a proper grip, it is important to learn to use the trigger finger independent of the other fingers and hands to minimize movement.  Practice will develop muscle memory and you will find your shots to be more consistent and accurate.  Remember some firearms require snap caps if you are going to dry fire (check your firearms manual).

Not finding your problem?

If you continue to find your shots are scattered all over your target with no distinct patterns you may need to go back to the basics and work on the 6 fundamentals of marksmanship, your stance, grip, sight alignment and sight picture, breath control, trigger control and follow through.

Come join us at our pistol practice sessions and we would be happy to help.

Kim Campagna

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