[PeacefulWarrior]

Today was my sixth time at the range, sixth time shooting a handgun (G19/4th gen). I've gone through about 800 rounds now, several different brands.
Today was a CRAPPY day! I think I shot about as 'well' or no better than day one. Last Thursday I thought I'd made a breakthrough.
Likely, I'm grasping at straws here... I used WWB today. Is it at all possible that ammo can have any bearing on aim? I know I'm still a long way from accurate even at 7 yards... but today really discouraged me, even though I'm still pretty much a beginner. Feel like I should be seeing more progress. Not sure what to work on at this point.
I'm going back Thursday rather than wait until next week... back on the horse.
As a side note, I will never buy WWB again! (100 round bargain box) some primers were rusty, some primers WAY off center, and sticky gunk on several casings. I had to brush off/clean 100 rounds last night... regardless of whether it affected anything today, it was scary that a company is that careless in manufacturing.
I was 'warned' about the PMC Bronze I used last week, but aside from a 'unique chemical smell' I've never experienced from ammo, it seemed flawless.
No excuses, I likely just had a bad day. Just curious if the WWB could have affected me. I felt kind of 'retarded' today. No pics to post... didn't want to document this occasion & there wasn't much to document, seriously.

 

[voodoo]

Where were you off? shooting left, right, high, low?

Did you have any decent grouping at all?

 

[series11]

Where were you off? shooting left, right, high, low?

Did you have any decent grouping at all?

What voodoo said. I think that ammo does have some factor though.

 

[nukinfuts29]

We all have bad days. The fact is it takes 4x as many times as you have shot a pistol to begin to settle into it.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

My normal low & left, but mostly missing like the first day I shot. It just doesn't seem possible to miss target about 120/150 shots at seven yards... even though I'm a beginner.
I shot expert with M-16, M-60, & .50 caliber (24 years ago)... Guess there's much more to shooting handguns! I also have no formal training... Just trying to learn as I go. Attached is my last session. Not even close to this today...

 

[nukinfuts29]

you are anticipating the trigger pull to much. control the breathing, and squeeze gently. you should actually be surprised when it goes off. Also there is a possibility you are trying too hard to use the sight

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

We all have bad days. The fact is it takes 4x as many times as you have shot a pistol to begin to settle into it.

Good to know. Maybe I'm expecting too much too fast. It's definitely not like shooting a rifle of any type. I'm gaining a serious appreciation for accurate pistol shooters.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

you are anticipating the trigger pull to much. control the breathing, and squeeze gently. you should actually be surprised when it goes off. Also there is a possibility you are trying too hard to use the sight

I can agree with anticipating the trigger pull, I've caught myself jerking several times when I THOUGHT it was going to fire. I never used the factory sights, had TFO sights installed before first use ( via my wife surprising me for my birthday)... I DO focus on sight placement obsessively... how do I know if it's an issue? Thanks for your input...

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

BTW, the pictures I posted are from last week, my fifth time shooting. It was my 'best day' so far.

 

[CountryMick]

Try not to be so hard on yourself, PW. Everyone (and I do mean everyone) has a bad day at the range sometimes, no matter who it is.

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy shooting WWB ammo. Positive side is now you can say you tried it and found that there are others out there that suit you better.

Not being there or seeing targets, it's hard to say if the ammo itself contributed to the unsatisfactory results at the range. Generally though, it's not the ammo. It's either the shooter or the firearm more often than it's the ammo.

A couple of suggestions for your consideration.

One suggestion would be to get snap caps if you don't already have some. I've probably learned more about good shooting technique using snap caps than at the range making firearms go bang. Glocks don't require you to have snap caps for dry firing, but after using them for a little while you will notice a difference between dry firing a Glock with a snap cap in the chamber versus dry firing with no snap cap. 30 minutes a week is all it takes, and you will be shocked at how much it helps.

Another suggestion is to give the range a little break before returning. You had a bad range session, and this is a GOOD thing in the long run. Staying away from the range gives you the time needed to mull over your last range visit, to replay it over in your mind. This is where you will find things about your technique you'd like to experiment with.

I shoot better going to the range once a month than when going 3 times a week. When I go too often, I tend to rush things, treating the range visit more like a dentist appointment where I can't wait to just shoot my ammo and get out of there. When I go less often, I slow down and focus on good technique and can self evaluate right after finishing with a target, which makes the range visit a lot more enjoyable and a more enriched learning experience. When I slow down, I remember the range outing a lot better and for a longer period of time after the range visit is over. Once I visit the range again, whatever happened at the previous range outting is forgotten, a lost opportunity to improve.

Take a breather - you may wind up pressing things if you return to the range too soon after a bad visit and end up getting frustrated. You can even take a week or two off and enjoy being outside in this wonderful spring weather!

Range time is supposed to be fun. If you're not having fun, you're wasting time and ammo. Snap caps are free to use forever after the $15 layout, and allows you to focus on your trigger pull and follow through without the noise and recoil at the range which makes technique self evaluation more difficult. Plus you save a heck of a lot of $ when you put dry firing into your practice sessions. I don't really save $ using snap caps. Rather I just use the saved $ from range ammo to buy more gun stuff

Best wishes, and good luck, PW!

 

[kodiak]

Your also probably trying too hard and varying your grip in the process (not being consistent, ...too tense)....that combined with jerking the trigger. Just relax, as stated above everyone has a bad day.

 

[nyglock]

I HATE WINCHESTER WHITE BOX AMMO! Sorry had to vent. The same thing happend to me a month or so ago. I brought my glock 30 and my sig 1911 to the range and shot a couple boxes of WWB .45 acp ammo. I went home pissed because i shot terrible. A couple days later i went back to the range with federal ammo and couldnt have shot better. IMO winchester pistol ammo is garbage

 

[series11]

I agree with alot of what Country Mick and nuckinfuts29 said. I am a rifle shooter and I feel so comfortable with rifles. A pistol is a different style all together and it took me a trip to FrontSight and shooting my handguns more to get the feel more down and comfortable with them. It is frustrating but some formal training can help but also stay relaxed and take it as fun. When I am not on a range master type range I do a few sessions of rapid fire just to warm myself up and get used to the trigger pull and explosion. The recoil isn't going into your shoulder anymore but traveling down your arm and a lot of it goes into your wrists. A bad range day is still a good day because you are shooting!!!!!!!!

 

[nukinfuts29]

Glocks dont need snap caps, you can't hurt it with dry fires.

Also a drop in trigger connector and spring can make a difference. If the trigger just feels rough I can smooth it out for you with some polishing.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

All great advice and I'll read everything you've all said several times to absorb it all, I assure you.

Yet another mention here that is true is my grip. I do fumble around still trying to figure out what's 'right' I think I will take a little time off... I have snap caps. I know when I dry fire at home I don't flinch... which changes at the range. Maybe if I spend enough time dry firing, I'll get that 'muscle memory' and flinch less at the range.

Thank you all very much... I spent the last 60 minutes just cleaning my Glock with military attention... realizing it was not such a bad day. If everything goes our way always, where is the challenge in life? Where is the victory - the moments(s) of triumph? It's days like this that will make the days I get better and zero in worth it --the 'bad days' make the good days sweet.

Back to reviewing 'the basics'

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

Glocks dont need snap caps, you can't hurt it with dry fires.

Also a drop in trigger connector and spring can make a difference. If the trigger just feels rough I can smooth it out for you with some polishing.

Something I'll consider down the road. We just got bad financial news this week, so I'll be holding off on everything apparently... good thing I bought 500 rounds bulk ammo last week!

 

[nukinfuts29]

Hey I know how that is man. You won't need it after a few hundred rounds. You may still want it, but you won't neeed it

 

[acarson529c]

Don't try and control the pistol. Make sure you have a good press and be surprised when it fires. All to often we press, press, press and are thinking I - want - you- to - fire.... NOW. This causes us to pull the gun off target as we fire. Be surprised. I actually had an instructor press the trigger from the side while I aimed at the target. I had no idea when he was going to fire. When he finally did I had drilled a nail center mass. Perfect shot. I was surprised as hell.

 

[CountryMick]

Glocks dont need snap caps, you can't hurt it with dry fires.

That wasn't the point of the suggestion, though I mentioned Glocks don't require snap caps in my reply to OP.

The suggestion was made because dry fire drills are most effective as a learning tool when one can most closely emulate a live fire trigger pull. Using snap caps more closely emulates live fire trigger pulls than dry firing with an empty chamber (that is, in this handgunner's opinion), because there is something in the chamber for the striker to hit.

The OP is a new handgunner who might one day own a handgun that will get damaged if dry fired with an empty chamber. It's wise to establish and practice habits that will avoid damaging a weapon that may have cost the owner $1000 or more.

 

[acarson529c]

Sorry, dry firing about 20 minutes a day cured me. You get muscle memory and learn to get that perfect sight picture and that perfect press.