Please help! Ideas to help my pitiful, terrible, sad handgun flinch/trigger control.

[mpbarry1]

I'm not a bad rifle shot, and not long ago i was on the verge of being a AA Trap shooter (developed a flinch there too, then lead shot got outragous). But handguns are a huge source of frustration. I dry fire, practice with 22, nothing helps. I'm committed to try and fix this sometime before I die!

What do you suggest to fix me? airguns? Lazers? Trigger trainers? psychiatric care?

Help me brothers. :Fire:

[Monttexan]

I'm sure others can make more suggestions, but here's one method I've used to help a couple people out. You need a .22 double action revolver. Have someone else do the loading for you. Instruct them to vary how many chambers they load. Always shoot double action. You have to really concentrate on your sight picture and trigger pull, and when the hammer drops on an empty cylinder the flinch is huge and obvious. The one drill actually covers lots of things; sight picture, trigger pull, and follow through. The key is for the loader to not fall into a pattern and don't let the shooter see how many rounds you load. While loading for friends using this drill, I've loaded everything from 0 rounds to 6. It's even good as the loader to give the cylinder a spin before closing it. Then you don't know what position any rounds are in either. Give it a try.

You CAN use this method with a single action, but it does not work as well. Flinching and anticipating the shot are very obvious while watching someone deal with the long double action trigger. Those factors are greatly reduced with a single action pull. Unfortunately, .22 revolvers cost just as much as larger caliber ones. I scored a Rossi last year at a gun show in Houston for this very purpose for about $225 which beats the heck out of $400+ for a S&W.

Another suggestion is to shoot handgun exclusively with your off hand for a few weeks of regular shooting. I worked on my pistol shooting many years ago with a Vietnam era Green Beret who became a good friend. The first thing he had me do was shoot only left handed for a month. I'm right handed and right eye dominant. He also insisted I shoot at least three times a week during this time. I put a lot of .22 rounds through my Ruger Mark II that month! The rest of the summer too for that matter. Shooting with your off hand covers the same things as my first suggestion; sight picture, trigger pull, and follow through. The work you put in with your off hand will give you an instant and dramatic improvement when you switch back to your primary hand. I recommend practicing regularly with your off hand anyway.

If you really want to go for it, then combine the two methods!

[dale2242]

Buy snap caps.
Dry fire.
Dry fire.
Dry fire.
Practice with low recoil ammo. 22lr, light loads, etc.
Keep saying to yourself: Sight picture-----Trigger Control, over and over as you shoot.
May sound silly but worked for me.
Remember, no one can hold a handgun perfectly still.
When the sight picture is right, squeeze the trigger.
Repeat: Squeeze the trigger.....dale

[762 shooter]

My flinching stopped when I realized it is impossible to flinch if you do not know when the shot is going off. Concentrate on front sight and trigger. Forget the shot.

762

[Dave C.]

When you dry fire you must also practice your follow though. Maintain your sight picture for at least a 5 count after the hammer falls. When shooting keep your sight picture until the bullet has hit the target (ZEN thing).

Dave C.

[leftiye]

Hearing protection, load down, russian roulette.

[762 shooter]

Hearing protection, load down, russian roulette.



+1

762

[10-x]

This is an AMTU drill, center fire pistol or revolver, new # 2 sharpened pencil, 12" x 12" square piece of box cardboard taped to wall or door. Cock weapon, insert pencil til eraser is touching the face of slide. Take a shooting position in front of the piece of card board with pencil in weapon so the pencil is about 1" from cardboard, aim @ center of cardboard and "fire". The pencil will project onto the cardboard leaving mark.After the 1st "shot" use the mark as the bullseye. Concentration, sight alignment, breathing control and trigger control. Easy cheap way to practice and improve the above.

[knobster]

Go see a shrink. They'll lock you up in a room, put you in a white jacket and you'll never flinch again. You may rock back and forth, drool and soil yourself but hey, flinching problem solved!

Sorry... good answers were all taken.

[CastingFool]

You can also use some dummy ammo mixed in with live ammo. Of course, the loader knows which one but the shooter won't.

[cbrick]

If 100% of your concentration is properly on . . .

Grip
Sight picture
Grip
Trigger control
Grip
Follow through

The shot going off will come as a complete surprise.

Proper grip is critical in handgun shooting and even more so with revolver shooting and even more yet with longer ranges. Grip must be practiced until it is absolutely uniform from shot to shot. Change the grip even slightly and you change the position of the muzzle at the moment the boolit exits. Where the muzzle was at the instant the boolit exits is where the boolit is going.

Rick

[tengaugetx]

My flinching stopped when I realized it is impossible to flinch if you do not know when the shot is going off. Concentrate on front sight and trigger. Forget the shot.

762

+1......If you concentrate on your front sight and press the trigger the shot should go off as a surprise. Pressing the trigger is slowly and evenly increasing presure until the sear breaks. Your shotgunning history may actually be hurting you here. Shotgun trigger pull and a handgun are two completely different things. Slow down on the trigger and let the shot surprise you when it goes off.

[Wolfer]

Elmer Keith once stated that he'd never flinched from anything. If true he's probably the only one.
Having tried everything I use a different method. I know exactly when the trigger is going to break. I know that my unconscious will anticipate the recoil and try to push down on the gun as it goes off. This shot will land low left usually but not always. It won't be on bullseye for sure.

Knowing that I'll anticipate the shot I steel myself against it. If I concentrate I can hold it while it goes off. Dry firing never worked for me. My mind knew it wasn't going to buck and there was no need to correct it.
To this day I still have to concentrate on each shot. If I'm not shooting regularly I tend to forget to concentrate. If I'm shooting too much my concentration will suffer. I sometimes have to change guns or take a couple days off.

I'm not sure this explains what I do but I hope it helps. Woody

[Doc Highwall]

What I do is concentrate on the front sight and slowly squeeze the trigger, but I also watch to see the muzzle flash behind the front sight. If I see the muzzle flash it means I did not flinch. Remember when shooting iron sights you have to look at the top of the front sight. I also do this when shooting a scope by concentrating on the cross hairs when they are on the target and make sure I see the muzzle flash when the gun goes off.

[Echo]

What monttexan said. It's called Ball & Dummy practice. Concentrate on the front sight, and I mean CONCENTRATE! And not just on the front sight, but on the UPPER LEFT CORNER of the front sight! Be aware of how sharp that corner is! Squeeze, and be surprised when the pistol fires.
I was a Safety Officer at the county range a few years ago, and saw a shooter having trouble. He had a coach, sort of. He was shooting a Smith 500, resting his wrists on a block and bag, and putting them ALL OVER the 25 yard target! His coach was saying 'Give it one more click of up elevation', that would have moved the group about 1/4" @25 yds. I asked him if I could fire one shot, and he graciously let me. I found a rock on the berm about 60 yards away - and hit the rock! I returned the gun, saying (with a smile!) 'Nothing wrong with the sights, it's the nut that holds the grips'. As I started to walk away, I suggested focusing on the front sight and forgetting about the target - and he started shooting groups. Yes, his 'coach' left something to be desired...

[bhn22]

My therapy consists of slow moving 38 wadcutters and frequent breaks. I didn't get to shoot for a long time, and when I came back, I now had a flinch. 22s seemed to make it worse, but the slow push, mild recoil, and lack of report of a minimal 38 wadcutter load seems to be the best therapy. I'm back up to full power loads at will, but I don't go much for heavy loads anymore. I'll still flinch after a while, and I figure I'm just starting to get tired, and I call it a night at that point. Wadcutters now seem to relax me, there was a time when they bored me.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Extremely high quality hearing protection, even for 22's. I find noise and muzzle blast reduction far more important than most other factors in shooting., especially with handguns. I also advise the new softer recoil pads on ANY rifle larger than a .223. Shooting is supposed to be fun, not a tough guy contest.

[williamwaco]

+1 on loading a revolver with one empty chamber.

You can do it yourself if you will turn the cylinder a couple of turns before closing it IF YOU DON'T CHEAT AND PEEK.

[Teddy (punchie)]

Question you need to ask. What caused the flinching ? Reaction to pain? Be it in your bones or hearing, eyes maybe.

Good Eye protection, Hearing protection.

Learn to shoot a different way, learn to shoot all over again.

Shoot as slow as you can, reduced loads, has been addressed.

Only time I have trouble is when I shoot too many heavy hunting loads. Or trap shoot with 1 1/2 magnums too lazy to load target shell, then try to shoot a rifle at a bench.

I shoot funny at the bench for this reason, I put the butt on my chest not my shoulder. I can shoot about 50 rounds this way before I start get out of the mood. Bad day 1"-1 1/2" groups, good day touchers at 100 yds. Any gun that can shoot any trigger.
I have sighted in some pain in the necks over the years. Winchester 300 win. mag. worst 30 shots in one day, plus close to 15 other guns that long Thanks Giving weekend. I stopped sighting in for everyone after that all hunting guns, 5 of my own. Most too lazy to make sure scope was tight.

[waksupi]

I got a pellet pistol, with a terrible creepy trigger pull. It demands absolute attention to control. It helped me a lot!

[Love Life]

Move the target closer!

[country gent]

There is a chart that shows where bullet strike is on target and what the causes are. Its a simple round chart in grids and will diagnos issues quickly. Dry fire is a big help to but keep dummies in the chanbers, and no loaded ammo in the area when dry firing. As said above light recoiling quieter handguns when shooting live ammo for awhile. You can work thru the flinches and bad habits but it takes time as these have already been "learned and need to be unlearned.

[wv109323]

The U.S. Marine Corp pistol training manual is available online. Download it ,Burn it to a disk and then have UPS or Staples print it out. It basically starts you out shooting at blank white paper while concentrating on sight alignment. The goal is to reduce group size. Another old trick is to balance a dime on your front sight ( if possible) and dry firing without causing the dime to fall off the sight.
Another practice is to imagine that there is a string attached to a imagined movable front sight. Align the sights and "pull" the front sight back through the rear sight blade maintaining equal side to side spacing and the top of the front sight level with the rear blade.
A pistol shot can NOT be made by pulling the trigger when you think you are on target. The concentration must be on sight alignment and an unconscious movement of the trigger and the shot must break as a total surprise.

[HeavyMetal]

Country gent hit a big help for you: the target that are set up to show what cause's boolit impact on a certain area of the target.

I bought a target progam from Cabella's years ago and it prints a ton of varoius targets and this type target, for both left and right handed shooters is on it.

It's amazing how much muscle movement in the hand can move boolit impact on paper.

concentrate on front site, you should be able to count the serations on the blade if your doing it right.

balance that dime on the front site during dry fire alway sue a dummpy round to protect chamber and firing pin, I bent a firing pin in my 1911 to learn this.

Practise

[williamwaco]

I got a pellet pistol, with a terrible creepy trigger pull. It demands absolute attention to control. It helped me a lot!

That is a really good idea!

[Menner]

I used to have the same problem and the best help I had was having a friend load a revolver for me and did the empty chamber trick and it gave an immediate feed back it is obvious and dramtic as stated by monttexan. my friend called it helping the bullet down range. I had not really had a bout with it for a long time until a few months ago I bought a PT740 Slim for CCW and I think that 40 S&W in that little gun got in my head and I was shooting nice tight groups but they were low and left ( welcome back old friend ) so out comes the revolver and shooting partner and drill drill drill / dry fire dry fire seem to have a handle on it again hopefully for good
Good Luck
Tony

[OBIII]

A weight applied to the barrel of the pistol, while dry firing, will strengthen your arm. The above mention of using a pencil and piece of paper is the way I learned. Mixing blanks with live ammo (start with powder puff loads) will help. Concentration is the key. If you have a good sight picture, and want to pull immediately, it will not work. The normal rotation of a sight picture, offhand, will follow a figure 8. Anticipation is what is hurting you. After enough firings, you will "sense" when further pull will fire the gun.
Keep at it and never give up. Also, try using the other hand. I am right handed and can actually shoot better with my left hand.

OB

[Jammersix]

There's committed, then there's committed.

I'll tell you the same thing I tell all my students.

200 rounds a week downrange for a year and a half. The rest is smoke and mirrors.

Commitment check.

[mpbarry1]

A lot of great ideas guys! A little more info. I know I flinch. If I dry fire my glock for a few days I can get rid of the flinch at the range for about 20 minutes. Then it comes back. When I am not flinching, I can shoot very good groups low and left. (Was thinking of changing my nickname to low_left on here. lol). I know this is trigger control. I sent my P220 into Sig to get a short reset trigger, a trigger job, and thinner grips. $350 and 3000 rounds of 45 later, well, it was not the magic fix I had hoped. I really appreciate the Ideas guys.

*Double action Revolver - Good idea. I have always tried single action thinking it would help. Don't have a 22, but I do have a 38.
*Shooting off hand - OK. worth a shot.
*Follow through - good one. I did this dry firing, but not at the range.
*Hearing protection - might be time for an upgrade
*Empty cylinder - I have done this lots. I over come it by flinching every time. lol. I'll do more.
*Shrink - couldn't hurt.
*Grip - I actually worked on my grip a lot. In slow firing I am pretty consistent. Draw and fire, not so much.
*Front sight - I like that Idea of focusing on the left side of the blade. Great suggestion.
*Shot gunning history - Yep, it didn't help. I slap at the trigger when I am in a hurry.
*See the Muzzle flash - Good one. Thanks!
*Pellet Pistol - good idea especially on cold winter days.
*Move the target closer - Thanks Lovelife! lol
*Marine Corps training manual - I will look it up!

I made a list of all of these, Thank you everyone.

[LUBEDUDE]

A pistol shot can NOT be made by pulling the trigger when you think you are on target. The concentration must be on sight alignment and an unconscious movement of the trigger and the shot must break as a total surprise.

Works for me!

Surprise is Key!

[Jammersix]

Sneak up on it! It won't see you coming if you close your eyes!

[youngda9]

There is a chart that shows where bullet strike is on target and what the causes are. Its a simple round chart in grids and will diagnos issues quickly. Dry fire is a big help to but keep dummies in the chanbers, and no loaded ammo in the area when dry firing. As said above light recoiling quieter handguns when shooting live ammo for awhile. You can work thru the flinches and bad habits but it takes time as these have already been "learned and need to be unlearned.
96183

[Monttexan]

A .38 should work fine for the double action revolver trick I wrote about. I was just hesitant to list it since you already have a flinching problem, so using a gun with as light of recoil as possible seems indicated. If you're comfortable with a .38 then load some light loads and go for it. It will be a lot cheaper than buying a new .22 MUCH LESS trying to find enough ammo to feed it! :roll:

My wife has a flinching problem that I'm looking to get sorted out soon....just haven't taken the time yet to deal with it. She shot lots for years and never had a problem. One day she went shooting with her now ex and a friend. She was shooting her .44 Mag Blackhawk when her idiot hubby dropped a hot hand load into the cylinder thinking it would be funny. Then the idiot friend slipped a slug in amongst the bird shot she was shooting out of his Mossberg 12 gauge. Both scared her and the shotgun hurt her shoulder and cheek. Now she struggles to pull the trigger on anything the first 4 or 5 times whenever we go out shooting. Once she gets going she's fine, but she's afraid until she feels the recoil a few times and decides everything is OK. Then she has a blast shooting (pun intended!)

The guy with the shotgun was a coworker of hers and mine. We are still friends with him. I made it abundantly clear to him one time just what I thought of that sort of horsing around while shooting and how much I appreciate the opportunity to clean up his and the ex's mess.

[Char-Gar]

As others have said, concentrate on the basic of grip, sight picture, trigger and breath control and the flinch will cease to be a problem. Flinching occurs when one anticipates the shot, and we all do it from time to time. It happens when we stop concentrating on the basics.

[Mk42gunner]

A lot of great ideas guys! A little more info. I know I flinch. If I dry fire my glock for a few days I can get rid of the flinch at the range for about 20 minutes. Then it comes back. When I am not flinching, I can shoot very good groups low and left. (Was thinking of changing my nickname to low_left on here. lol). I know this is trigger control. I sent my P220 into Sig to get a short reset trigger, a trigger job, and thinner grips. $350 and 3000 rounds of 45 later, well, it was not the magic fix I had hoped. I really appreciate the Ideas guys.

*Double action Revolver - Good idea. I have always tried single action thinking it would help. Don't have a 22, but I do have a 38.
*Shooting off hand - OK. worth a shot.
*Follow through - good one. I did this dry firing, but not at the range.
*Hearing protection - might be time for an upgrade
*Empty cylinder - I have done this lots. I over come it by flinching every time. lol. I'll do more.
*Shrink - couldn't hurt.
*Grip - I actually worked on my grip a lot. In slow firing I am pretty consistent. Draw and fire, not so much.
*Front sight - I like that Idea of focusing on the left side of the blade. Great suggestion.
*Shot gunning history - Yep, it didn't help. I slap at the trigger when I am in a hurry.
*See the Muzzle flash - Good one. Thanks!
*Pellet Pistol - good idea especially on cold winter days.
*Move the target closer - Thanks Lovelife! lol
*Marine Corps training manual - I will look it up!

I made a list of all of these, Thank you everyone.

Sounds to me like you are milking the grip, with a bit of anticipating recoil thrown in. The only part of your hand you want moving is your trigger finger; nothing else, or you end up with low groups, to either left or right depending on which hand you are using.

There is a sticky in the handgun section that explains most of the front sight trigger control conundrum.

Robert

[jeepyj]

Similar to others suggestions.... Years ago a shooting buddy and I used to bring a bunch of quarters to the range. I'd say it was long enough ago that It would probably be the equivalent to a buck or two now a days. We would load each other's revolvers with a unknown amount rounds. Each would watch the other and every flinch cost a quarter. It wasn't long before I could see every muzzle blast and was able to follow through every shot. Along with some couch time holding and pointing at the a TV until it felt like my arms were going to fall off. This was when I started to hit consistent with my Blackhawk. Seems like there are many good ideas posted, good luck conquering your handgun accuracy!
Jeepyj

[DoubleAdobe]

As others have said, concentrate on the basic of grip, sight picture, trigger and breath control and the flinch will cease to be a problem. Flinching occurs when one anticipates the shot, and we all do it from time to time. It happens when we stop concentrating on the basics.
What Char-Gar said is real good advice. A fine line between nervousness and concentration but concentration is the key. The only other mantra I might add, and it works for me, is front sight, trigger press. On each and every shot.

[Echo]

Regarding the grip - it should be purely fore & aft. Your finger tips should be loose, and flappable, and NOT squeezing the grips! FORE AND AFT GRIP!

[BruceB]

mpbarry1;

You are getting lots of good advice , but it's piecemeal.

Google: "usamu pistol manual" and you will find the entire Army manual on target pistol shooting. This covers the topic.

[MtGun44]

Dry fire for 2 minutes, then stop. Do this about 3 times a day.

Bill

[Norbrat]

96183

96432

Or this one! :kidding:

[Monttexan]

That's awesome!

[str8shot426]

I got a pellet pistol, with a terrible creepy trigger pull. It demands absolute attention to control. It helped me a lot!

This is funny.....but my son has a nerf dart gun that I practice with. horribly creepy trigger!

[mpbarry1]

Thats the chart i have been using! Lmao. It is so embarrassing! i am writing all of this down. thank you everyone!

[Doc Highwall]

Another thing I do is I always try to bring a 22lr gun when I shoot the big stuff. I first shoot some 22rf to see how I am shooting, then I switch to the big gun and then when I am done I switch back to the 22rf so the last thing I remember is shooting a low recoil 22lr. This re-inforces less recoil and muzzle blast hopefully preventing flinching. Watch for the muzzle flash each time, works best with iron sights.