Target for Trigger Control

[Old No7]

There were some good pointers in the recent "Turning the barrel..." posting about using Trigger Control to change where your groups impact; or to correct for shooting errors caused by too-much or too-little trigger. I didn't want to mess up that post, so I've put this here on its own.

Here's a great diagnostic tool to use as a target -- Practice on this until you get better.

Old No7

Target.jpg

[Tycer]

[jnyork]

More truth than fiction there.

[Blaine]

(Ouch)

[Grizz]

or shoot golf balls from unmeasured varying distances. answers all the questions right away.

[gamekeeper]

[Sarge]

I wrote this over ten years ago, after becoming frustrated trying to help folks on the internet-at-large solve their stated accuracy problems.

https://www.thesixgunjournal.net/a-diag ... e-new-age/

I have penned a few articles covering the Basics of Marksmanship, the Importance of Zero and selecting a grip that works for you, regardless of what’s popular at any given moment. I’ve covered the accuracy we should expect from a service pistol and our rightful expectations that such an implement should require no ‘Break In’. I hammer this stuff out because deep in my heart, I genuinely believe that an armed and proficient American populace enhances not only its own security- but the security of the nation as well.

To accomplish that proficiency, there are absolutes:

1. If If you aren’t zeroed, you ain’t hitting anything.
2. If you aren’t using a proper sight picture, you ain’t hitting anything.
3. A firm, consistent grip and solid shooting stance are necessary.
4. The trigger must be pressed straight back, with steadily increasing pressure.

Of course all this requires work, commitment and some genuine effort on the shooter’s part. Oddly, this don’t sit well with many contemporary shooters. These poor souls jump on the internet, post tales of their accuracy woes- and they want to hear anything except basic marksmanship principles.
Some of the advice they’re getting makes me scratch my head, too. One good Samaritan replied that poor accuracy (at maybe ten yards) could be cured by taking awhile “to let the gun ‘break-in’ and naturally find its own impact point.” I guess that gun was just wishing the shots around and then one day, as if by magic, it starts cooperating? Silly me. All these years, I believed you had to confirm zero, align the sights correctly on the target and then press the trigger straight back without disturbing them.

Another favorite bit of ‘expert advice’ is to post a ‘Shooter Error Correction Chart’. These are useful in diagnosing problems with one-hand, precision shooting at 25 and 50 yards; but in my experience they are irrelevant for two-hand shooting at any distance. And of course, we don’t have a clue if subject pistol is zeroed- or the errant shooter is using a proper sight picture, grip or trigger technique.

But nobody wants to hear that. Today, shooters want a graph, chart or webpage to solve all their marksmanship deficiencies in 5 seconds or less. So in keeping with the times, I offer the following. It is intentionally 'fuzzy' to natch my sights these days-

[AJMD429]

.
I see so many people who get a box of ammo and their new gun, shoot at some stuff and hit about half the time, and seem satisfied. I have too much OCD for that. I want to know where the 'gun' hits first - is it accurate, and if held uniformly from a rest, where is the 'group' versus the sights...? Then I want to make the sights aim at where the group is.

I'm amazed how many people enjoy shooting without sighting in. I'm glad they like shooting, because at least that's a start, but I always TRY to help them sight-in and see that their gun has potential accuracy, so they can become confident with it. So often the gun is accurate enough, but without being properly sighted in, they aren't hitting anything, having to 'Kentucky windage (and elevate)' things all the time, and can't ever really have much confidence.

[Ysabel Kid]

[Scott Tschirhart]

I like to hit what I am aiming at and a gun that won't zero is very troubling to me. Fortunately, most 1911s and Smith & Wesson fixed sight guns shoot right where I look (not all, but most). Single action revolvers are different. Some do and some simply do not.

[Sarge]

I like to hit what I am aiming at and a gun that won't zero is very troubling to me. Fortunately, most 1911s and Smith & Wesson fixed sight guns shoot right where I look (not all, but most). Single action revolvers are different. Some do and some simply do not.

I hear you. I can't abide a gun that won't shoot to the sights at 25 yards minimum, using conventional bullet weights for its caliber. In fact I'm downright OCD about it and turned the barrel on my old 637 to get it on a silhouette at 100 yards. Clamping the 1 7/8" barrel in an oak block and sticking an aluminum bar through that little alloy frame, has 'no turning back' written all over it But it solved the problem and I'm glad I did it.

https://www.thesixgunjournal.net/wp-con ... TP_100.jpg

I do understand that Colt has sentimental value and why you're reluctant to alter it.

On your original question, I have bent a sight a little to correct a 3" or less diversion at 25 yards. You always run the risk of breaking it. I've seen the lead babitt bar work on heavy-barrel model 10s and such but those have a much thicker barrel.