I've forgotten how to shoot pistols?

[amoebicmagician]

I don't know what the hell happened, but my showing at the range today was TERRIBLE!

Shooting my SR-40, which is one of the guns I shoot best with, I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn!

I can still shoot my rifles just fine, but for some reason, I can't shoot for shit with my pistol.

Granted I only had the one pistol, and was wearing gloves, but I don't think that I can blame this on the gun or apparrel. I'm sucking for some reason.

My modified weaver that I always shoot from is fine, still in muscle memory, and my grip is tight, and dry firing the sights don't move off the target at all.

I have no clue what the deal is. It's not even a consistent shooting left trigger finger problem, it's all over the freaking paper!

What is the deal?

 

[Diesel Kinevel]

its a perishable skill. Perfect practice makes perfect.

-Z

 

[WheelHead]

Some days at the range are better than others. If you haven't shot pistols in a while just get some more practice in and see if things improve. Take more than one pistol to the range and just shoot the crap out of them.

 

[Venge]

Could it be a flinch?

Sometimes if I'm just starting out, especially if I'm at all unfocused, my flinch becomes very bad and I end up all over. After a little bit of shooting it usually goes away. I'm still working on it, and it's only affected me this badly recently since I started shooting handgun again after many years.

Maybe in your hiatus you've developed a minor flinch, which could be more obvious with a handgun?

 

[Rack&Roll]

It's this friggin' Global Warming... Oh wait...

I'm guessing that a gloved trigger finger moved your contact point from finger pad to finger crook and you were yanking shots to and fro...

 

[shiloh228]

Practice, practice, practice...

Also...recommend a very good book: "The Perfect Pistol Shot" by Albert H. League III

Minimal investment, excellent advice. I cured a LOT of my problems by following the advice and doing the drills. Highly recommended!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1610045718/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[swinokur]

Your muscle memory forgot.

 

[budman93]

It's this friggin' Global Warming... Oh wait...

I'm guessing that a gloved trigger finger moved your contact point from finger pad to finger crook and you were yanking shots to and fro...

No they only say Climate Change now, that way they're always right.

 

[woodstock]

Your muscle memory forgot.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Blame the gloves.

 

[Mooseman]

Did you switch ammo?

 

[ProShooter]

Spend an hour with a decent instructor and he'll get you straight again.

 

[mike_in_md]

Your mind has to be completely focused on trigger control to produce and maintain excellent sight alignment (Keep the trigger moving). Anything else that enters your mind will help ruin your shot.

 

[lx1x]

Its cold... the heat seeking boolits doesn't work well in the cold.. haha..

 

[Applehd]

Spend an hour with a decent instructor and he'll get you straight again.

I might be inclined to do that if HE were a SHE...

 

[SgtKope]

Dry Firing is your friend.

 

[Second Amendment]

its a perishable skill. Perfect practice makes perfect.

-Z

Exactly. Muscles can soon forget!

 

[jimbobborg]

How old are you? I've noticed since I've made it to my 40s that the front sight is blurring more than usual and I need to get a set of bifocals to see the front sight clearly now.

 

[cantstop]

Same thing happens to me. Usually after not shooting for a couple of months. I found it is a combination of my eyesight going to hell and basic beginner flinching, trigger jerking, recoil anticipation, etc.

I find after about 50-80 rounds, my groups tend to get back into a 3-5 inch circle at 25 feet. If I go back to the range the next day, it only takes about 15 rounds to get back into normal (for me) groupings.

I can shoot my LCP with laser pretty accurate with only a few flyers no matter how long it has been between range outings. I attribute that to the 2 inch and 3 second trigger pull , as well as, focusing on the laser dot vs standard sights.

 

[Second Amendment]

Same thing happens to me. Usually after not shooting for a couple of months. I found it is a combination of my eyesight going to hell and basic beginner flinching, trigger jerking, recoil anticipation, etc.

I find after about 50-80 rounds, my groups tend to get back into a 3-5 inch circle at 25 feet. If I go back to the range the next day, it only takes about 15 rounds to get back into normal (for me) groupings.

I can shoot my LCP with laser pretty accurate with only a few flyers no matter how long it has been between range outings. I attribute that to the 2 inch and 3 second trigger pull , as well as, focusing on the laser dot vs standard sights.

Ditto. This could be my post. I finally broke down and bought "reading" shooting glasses because the sights are a blur. This getting old thing sucks.