well its official...

I OFFICIALLY SUCK AT PISTOL MARKSMANSHIP!

I have a Springfield XD40 and ive had it for about 10 months now. this is my first pistol and im wondering how long it took any of y'all to finally get proficient at shooting a pistol???

im great with a shotgun and proficient with a rifle but give me damn pistol and i get frustrated as hell. i love shoooting it but im just not very good with it.

now i know practice makes perfect but ive put a good 600+ rounds through it. now granted most were just dicking around, thats still a good many rounds and i think i should be better than i am. now i dont miss the target paper ever but get me to hit the center and im as good as 1 legged man in an ass kicking contest.

i know i have a bad habit of slapping the trigger but even when i trty my damnedest not to it seems the round still cant find its way to the spot i want.

so yea i guess what im getting at again is about how long did it take yall to get decent?

 

does your XD have the changeable backstraps?? which one are you using

 

have you tried changing holding/shooting techniques?

 

I shot my friends xd 40 and couldnt hit the broadside of a barn with it, used my buddies glock 40 and could hit the plinkers at 10-15 yards all day. and my buddy was super accurate with his xd40. It all depends on how you shoot with certain guns.

 

no it sure doesn't...

i have. ive tried standing square to the target and staggering my stance. oh and the gangster stance which just makes me feel dumb. ive even switched eyes as a last resort a couple of time to no avail. actually found out that im about the same no matter what eye i use to sight in.

 

I shoot an XDM 9. I really got good once someone showed me how to hold, aim, and pull the trigger properly. There is definitely a technique to it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm9uG5bPubw

 

Dry fire , practice trigger reset.

 

ill definately try that grip next time. hell i can only improve

 

its amazing what a slight change in grip can do

 

i thought about posting this video.
OP if you can get a hold of the "magpul handgun dynamics" videos i would recommend watching them.

 

ill try to find them!

I appreciate this guys

 

Some guns just dont fit people, my brother had a beretta 92 i could drill holes with it on the other hand he couldnt hit anything. On the flip side he also had a sig p226 and could make me look dumb i couldnt hit the broad side of a barn.

As for my xdm40 and xdsc40 i love them both and fit me like a glove...

 

My dad was a Drill Instructor so firearms have always come natural to me. Pistols are pretty easy to aim and shoot being that most have fixed sights. First thing you need to do is relax and picture yourself hitting the target, the power of the mind is an amazing thing. You also might want to change your grip as well as how you aim. The purpose of practicing is to try different things to see what works for you, then when you find what works best you practice honing that skill. Remember just chill take some deep breaths and relax in will come natually.

 

1.Grip. This has been said, so i'll leave it be.
2. Range. How far is the target. Handguns are much less accurate the farther you are. Try actually practicing at a set distance (try 20 feet at first), on a real target, instead of "dicking around"
3. Ammo. Read some reviews of the ammo you are using. Some cheap ammp won't hit the same spot from point blank, let alone at 10-20 yards. Try not to switch ammo brands or types while practicing.
4.Sights. If your gun has replaceable sights you might try some aftermarket ones.
5.Practice at home. Buy a bullet laser. Chamber it. point the gun at the wall and look down the sights at the dot. The dot will be very close to where a real bullet would hit.

 

I see most everything has been covered

One thing I will add that I did not see posted is snap caps

Buy some snap caps to to get better with your trigger control
http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSearchQuery=snap+caps

Practice at home with a target on the wall across the room

Take aim while squeezing the trigger and see if your sights are still on target when the hammer drops

 

I learned some tricks that helped me improve my pistol marksmanship:
First, get comfortable. Move your feet around a little bit, bend your knees, and try to find the most comfortable stance that you can. Make your body a good and steady.
Next, take your time. Look at your target, make an assessment, and bring the pistol up fluidly. You're not filming a movie, and the quick draw circus stuff will just make you miss.
The video above shows you proper hand placement. Don't squeeze the shit out of the pistol.
Make every shot a surprise. Pull the trigger slowly, don't anticipate the hammer drop.
Try to focus on the front sight. The target will be a little blurry, but your brain will do the work for you. Just relax and focus on the front sight post.
Also try to be cognisant of where your brass flies. Up, forward, to the right, etc. I had an instructor at Ft Lewis tell me to do this, and believe it or not, it works.

 

thanks guys i have a good list of things to to try next time i go to the range.

does anyone use the winchester 165 grains that you get from oh say walmart? if so are you accurate with them?

 

also, for range ammo, i buy the cheapest ammo i can find for going to the range and shooting a day away... cheap ammo will fire much much more dirty than expensive ammo, buy a decent solvent and oil and be sure to spend extra time cleaning. The sooner you get the carbon deposits off your gun after shooting, the easier it will be to clean.