How to Shoot - Pointers

Pointers
by: Jerwin

Questions:

01. How to draw faster?
02. How to shot faster?
03. How to sight? is it with one eye or 2 eyes?
04. How to reload faster?

Well, I have a few inputs here... I can't say I'm an expert but I have been playing with guns before I even learned how to drive. I should just call myself a gun fanatic (some say addict).

For many years, I have probably aquired and tested all sorts of weapons from rifles to pistols that interests me. So to give you my input on your... question here it is.

First of all, I'd like to warn you... this sport is very addictive, on my younger years I'd choose guns and bullets over food, I'm just a little lucky now I can have both... So your concern if you are gonna like it, I guess you'll have to find out.

I have outgrown many other exciting hobbies but since I have been with guns, I never took time off from it... It is a big part of my life and can't wait for the next club match. It would probably be the last hobby that will last throughout my life and I've benn into many hobbies imaginable to mankind.

How to draw faster? It depends on the type of gun and the type holster that you will be using... a popular one with shooters who comete in the OPEN DIVISION (This is the gun with a lot of bells and whistles) is the sweep and scoop. It is ideal with competition holsters that you unclock the weapon using the middle finger while your thumb keeps it from falling off, this method is "NOT" typically suggested to new shooters as if done wrong the gun could fly off your hand and fall to the ground releasing the chambered round and hurting someone... needless to say be disqualified but that would be the least thing to worry about.

The grab and pull technique is ideal to start with, you have a lesser chance of dropping the gun. Since it is programmed in your mind to grab the weapon first before pulling it not and the other way around, this type of draw is typical with any other type of holsters and not just speed holsters.

Try to do it slow at first while developing the correct method and sooner than later you will see that you will get faster, the draw is important because if you can't draw properly, it will be more difficult to shoot your target. It is all in the muscle memory and it takes constant practice.

How to shoot faster?

Shooting fast is fun but before you can run you must walk learn to walk first... To me it is more important to be accurate than fast. The more you practice the faster you become and the accuracy is always there. The only way you can shoot faster is to learn the type of gun you are using, find out it's limitations and capabilities.

Minimize flinching... flinching is described as when you squeeze the trigger you slightly move you hand forward and blinking your eyes in anticipation of the recoil you are probably not used to sound or recoil or even both. When you flinch, the zero goes down @ six o clock and when your eyes are closed you don't know where the bullet went.

Here are the steps you can do to minimize flinching:

1. Draw your weapon, remove the magazine and rack the slide... in this position the hammer is cocked and ready to go. Point the gun at the target and slowly squeeze the trigger. Do not anticipate the recoil and let it surprise you... in this exercise make sure that there are no bullet in the chamber. You will see if your hand moved forward and the muzzle of the gun slightly move pointing a few degrees downwards. Do this until you have eliminated that movement.

2. Draw your weapon again but this time with a loaded magazine, rack the slide chambering the first round... Be Carefull! You now have a loaded gun! engage the safety and point it to the direction of your target... Aquire the target and you are now ready to shoot, disengage the safety and close your eyes then fire one shot! and one shot only! Feel the recoil and now you know for sure that the gun it didn't hurt you and now you and your gun are best of friends...

3. To shoot faster, it requires faster target aquisition, and this can be done by what we call a "Thumb over thumb" technique, where your weak hand's thumb locks flat and alligned just bellow the bottom of the slide and the right hand or strong hand's thumb slightly behind and on top if it. This method ensure that you minimize your muzzle flip thereyby requiring less time to go back to zero position.

4. It depends on how fast you want to shoot, some of us use a trigger job that breaks at 1.5 lbs trigger pull, standard one can reach up to 8.5 lbs I.E. Production guns and revolvers, etc. But it is all about getting used to it. Some of the standard guns like 1911 format breaks at about 3.5 to 4.5 lbs trigger pull. Extensive modifications includes changing the over travel and the reset of the trigger which could be a little dangerous if not familiar to it.



Sights! One eye or two eyes:

This is a good one but before I go to the gory stuff... You must find out which is dominant (No not the girl with the leather and a whip... The dominant eye is the one that you usually shoot with naturally. A perfect scenario would be that you are right handed and right eye dominant or left handed and left eye dominant.

Here is how you could find out.

Make a little triangle or a circle about 1 1/2" inch in diameter put it right in front of your nose, find a target about 10 ft away, possibly the size of a coke can. Slowly move the circle away from your face extending your arms as far is it can go... close one eye and see if you can see the target with that eye and if not go to the other eye... whichever eye that you can see the target is the dominant eye... there is no normal or abnormal on which eye is dominant as compared to being left handed or right handed.

When I was in the US military and Secret Service Training, we were trained to shoot with both eyes open and even worse is the rear sight is removed or covered with a duct tape. We have to fire our weapon using only the front sight as the point of referrence. Targets are usually within 10 to 15 yards and the reason being is the usual combat scenario that we will be required to use our sidearm is within that range. In the event that I need to take longer shot I.E. 25 Yards or way over 50 yards, the dominant eye will be used.

In competition environment, much like the actual scenario, you just can't afford to close one eye, if you have a third eye you would probably leave it open... It is fine shooting at a target that doesn't shoot back and keep an eye closed but when life or death is an issue... leave it all open.

In competition, regardless you use optics or iron sights the non dominant eye can be used not for aiming at targets if it doesn't help but also for tracking other tragets or finding a safe pathway for the direction of travel... there is a lot of "Shoot while on the move", so focus your non-dominant eye on other things other than the target.

I've heard people say that you can train your don-dominant eye to be the dominant one in order to gain a competitive advantage. I think is is kinda like teaching a lefty to write a letters using right hand. It is impossible if not a waste of time, your brain is already wired for that and there is a reason for it which requires a scientific explaination that I care not to go.

My opinion is... don't swim against the stream, I am a right handed and left eye dominant and I can shoot just fine, I just look at it as a bit more challenging.

Competition or Self Denfense it is all the same to me.


How to reload faster?

Using a single stack gun like a 1911 format, requires a magwell to be able to do a smooth and consistent reload all the time, but there is no substitute to practice. A wide body or Hi-cap 1911 or the new variants 2011 format guns will allow you to have a faster reloading capabilities because the mouth of the frame is bigger than the tip of the magazine which if compared to 1911 single stack the body of the magazine is exactly the same inner size of the frame. Also the wide body frame guns are commonly used for competitions so there are many different types of magwells you can choose from.

Tips of shooting the 1911 Single Stack:

1. Proper grip technique
2. Tune your gun... Ie. Trigger job that you like, Spring to match your bullet not just any combat loads.
3. Practice with cheap bullets but also practice with combat loads.
4. Familiarize yourself with your gun.
5. Shoot because you like to, not because you have to
6. Enjoy the sport, Spread the knowledge, Stay Safe

I'd like to elaborate more but I don't want to be boring so I'll keep it short.

Mabuhay and Shoot Straight!