Summary write up of shooting advice organized by John Tate.

 

The first link below is about how to shoot well in timed fire (or rapid fire) in classic, bullseye pistol competition using pivoting targets. In this type of one-handed shooting, the shooter typically has the loaded and ready pistol resting on the bench until the underlined or bold section in the sequence IS THE LINE READY, THE LINE IS READY, READY ON THE RIGHT, READY ON THE LEFT, ALL READY ON THE FIRING LINE, ((targets turn to face firing line.))

Notice this passage in the article linked below, “[S]tart moving the trigger to the rear before the target moves.”

http://www.ssusa.org/articles/2015/12/9/brian-zins-on-fixing-a-bad-sustained-fire-string-in-precision-pistol/

This is the same logic in aimed, combat shooting as beginning the trigger press/pull/squeeze before your sights are aligned on target … or maybe before your gun is quite on target. (See step 9 in the dry fire practice sequence repeated below the dashed line.)

Look at the second of these two videos.


 

Watch from the beginning, but the summary begins at about 2 minutes.

Regarding both safety and real life use, recognize that this trigger technique applies only after a target has been identified and the firm and final decision to shoot that target has been made.

BOTTOM LINE. Maybe I just never listened to other than boot camp/basic training instructors’ dogma before, but while a few years ago I discovered the idea of beginning the trigger press/pull/squeeze before my sights were on target, I had never heard anyone else speak of it. Then I heard Sanderson, then another and another, and now Zins. So, while this was novel to me, it appears this trigger control technique has been around for a long time and is well accepted by serious shooters.

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  1. (All below is for a right handed shooter; reverse for left handed shooters.)
  2. Start from ‘interrogation stance.’ Bladed posture, left hand over right hand at belt buckle.
  3. Draw right elbow up as high as you can, keeping wrist along side body (your hand will end up directly above holster/pistol grip)
  4. Thrust straight down as if you were exercising a weapon retention grasp.
  5. Press the palm of your hand FIRMLY against the grip.
  6. WHILE MAINTAINING DOWNWARD PRESSURE, Simultaneously, break retention device (thumb strap or Serpa button, etc) while wrapping remaining fingers around grip.
  7. Draw straight up with SLIGHT butt back – barrel forward pressure.
  8. As barrel clears holster ROTATE muzzle towards target until barrel is horizontal
  9. Now push pistol directly toward target until intersection with line of sight
  10. ALSO, when barrel clears holster, begin to STAGE TRIGGER (take out slack, begin SLIGHT pressure on trigger such that finish of trigger press can be accomplished as sight alignment is achieved).
  11. When the front sight comes into view, move your focus to the front sight and begin final, uninterrupted trigger press.
  12. WITH PRACTICE you will find the sights will be mostly aligned and on the desired impact point as the shot breaks.
  13. Then, to practice follow through, hold your position (follow through) for 3 ~ 4 seconds. While doing so, call your shot!