Pulling Trigger

[dk250x]

I have been shooting shotgun for years (13+), shooting alot of skeet and hunting live birds. I do very well, and enjoy it.

I have recently (last 2 years) transitioned into shooting rifle and pistol. From a rest with a rifle I squeeze the trigger and can put rounds in good groups at 100yds on irons. From a rest with a pistol I can put up good groups, and squeeze very well. I can squeeze from a standing position with either rifle or pistol and am confident with either.

However when I move to rapid fire with a pistol, or switch between multiple targets, I pull the trigger like I am back shooting a shotgun. I tend to yank the trigger rather than squeeze like I should. When I transition between targets I tend to pull the shot very badly. Making my shots over 1' from where I intend to hit.

Is there any exercises you can suggest to help me overcome this problem?

 

[matefrio]

Dry firing is the only way I know of.

 

[MR Redneck]

I had the same problem and all I can suggets is shoot often and slow. Make sure you do the same thing everytime and you will get use to it. Keep at it till your happy with the results. Dont try to be fast untill you get that finger trained.

 

[kaiserb]

That is called slapping the trigger. It will pull most shots low to the R or L. Dryfiring is a good method to overcome this, but you should practice the reset of the trigger. Pull the trigger until the hammer drops, hold the trigger down, rack slide, let the trigger out until it resets, then repeat the pull process.

You essentially want to get where you can reset the trigger, take the slack back out, and break the shot as one smooth move of the finger, without removing the pad of your finger from the trigger.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Shooting pistols is tricky, especially when you start shooting at speed. To really shoot fast with a pistol successfully, and more importantly consistently, you need to have a good grip method (the grip builds that consistency in how the gun recoils and tracks) and good trigger control.

One drill that helps for the trigger side of it is riding the reset point. Basically take up the slack in the trigger (if there is any) until it gets real stiff, and from there you usually have a millimeter pull or so to break the shot. As soon as you break the shot, do not release the trigger but instead keep it held to the rear and give yourself a few seconds to take your time. Then release the trigger slowly until you either hear or feel the trigger reset. Usually you'll feel a little jolt through the trigger finger. At this point, the trigger is either right at the breaking point, or only has a little bit of take up. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Over time, through repetition, you'll build muscle memory and start riding that reset point without thinking about it (subconscious competence), which is where you want to be for trigger control. The trick is taking it slowly at first. Keep doing it slowly until you start doing it consistently, and only then try to push yourself a little bit faster, a little at a time. Here's some good vids to show you:





As far as how to grip the gun, the modern "thumbs forward" method and closer to an "isosceles" stance is ideal as it will set the gun up to track consistently. I could talk your ear off about it but, I'll just post a good article and some vids for now so this post doesn't get too big:

The Combat Handgun Grip

 

[dk250x]

Thanks alot, looks like I have some things to work on this weekend.