practice distance for beginner


I recently got my ccw permit and I am new to pistol shooting. What is a good distance to start off for practice target shooting. I shot my new G19 over the weekend and was less than impressed with my skills :no:. Let me add that my target was about 50 feet away, 10" in dia...too far?
 

The average encunter is 5 to 8 feet. Where I a from if you shoot a guy at 50 feet you are going to jail. I practice from 2 feet out to 21 feet. I try to shoot a 4 inch triangle pattern. Other may disagree but my $.02.
 
I hadn't thought about it like that. I was just trying to get a feel for the gun. But I guess if you can't hit the target you need to move closer!!! It sure looks easier than it is. Thanks
 
I would suggest focusing on your trigger pull more than anything right now since you're a new shooter. Most people who are not shooting the group they want are pulling the gun to the side when they pull the trigger. Just lots of practice once you get in the habit of having a good trigger pull technique.

Happy shooting.
 
In Texas the three distances you have to shoot to qualify for your CHL is 3,7, and 15 yards. Anything farther is more or less target shooting rather than combat shooting. Rob Pincus has a good video where he teaches "combat accuracy". It would be worth getting. If you can put all your shots on a circle the size of a quarter you are most likely shooting to slow. If you are all over the target and off the target you are shooting to fast.
The Valhalla Training Center Newsletter: Combat Focus Shooting Instructor Development Course in Farmington, NM
 
You would do well to spend the bucks to attend at least one defensive/tactical handgun class at a reputable school. 50 feet is way too far away. At Frontsight, we train at 3,5, 7, and 15 meters as this is where most action is going to take place, as per personal defense. 21.5 feet (7 m) is touted as the range in which an UNTRAINED BG can be on top of you in 1.5 seconds. So, we train to draw and plant two shots to the the thorasic cavity in 1.5 seconds. Train, train, train, and then train some more. But you need to know the whys and wherefores behind the training. Simply plinking at the range aint' gonna cut it if you're serious about personal self-defense.

My .02 cents
 
TRUE DAT!

What you are hearing here is really good advice. So many people learn to shoot standing in the perfect stance, taking time to line up the sites to try to hit the center at 50' then feel they are ready for defensive shooting.

If you can draw, point and hit body mass without ever getting a site picture at 10' you are in a much better postition to claim your defensive title. I think jj gave you the three most important words in defensive shooting...

Train, Train and Train
 
Thank you so much guys...I was just trying the gun out because I bought it used from a dealer and wanted to make sure there were no problems with it...I was at a buddys house and it was 20 degrees out, but I just wanted to shoot it :biggrin:I definitely want to take a live fire course before I learn any bad habits! I have 2 friends who are LE and both have offered to help me out with my technique,one is a pistol training officer at the academy. so I am looking forward to that, thanks again this site is great! I will edit this and say that he uses the targets for his 223 and they are across a creek so that is as close as i could get...
 
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My primary focus is 3-7yds; rarely past 10yrds. Like others have said most BG encounters take place at distances less than 15'.
 
Hello everyone I was checking out the advice you all gave to titaniumman, and I am really impressed. I am a new shotgun owner, because that is the only gun we can own while being a resident in the city of chicago. Now I need to find out where I can get practice for shooting and training for use of a shotgun as you all know this is a big gun, I bought it for home defense, and I went and bought a hunting shotgun by accident, a Mossberg 500 pump, but a sales advisor from a locla gun shop stated it will still do the job, but I want to make sure if I ever need to use it I will be effective in protecting my family.
Thanks Achynadoll
 
Hello everyone I was checking out the advice you all gave to titaniumman, and I am really impressed. I am a new shotgun owner, because that is the only gun we can own while being a resident in the city of chicago. Now I need to find out where I can get practice for shooting and training for use of a shotgun as you all know this is a big gun, I bought it for home defense, and I went and bought a hunting shotgun by accident, a Mossberg 500 pump, but a sales advisor from a locla gun shop stated it will still do the job, but I want to make sure if I ever need to use it I will be effective in protecting my family.
Thanks Achynadoll

It's a shotgun and it goes BANG so your good. Get some #00 buckshot for it.
 
Hello everyone I was checking out the advice you all gave to titaniumman, and I am really impressed. I am a new shotgun owner, because that is the only gun we can own while being a resident in the city of chicago. Now I need to find out where I can get practice for shooting and training for use of a shotgun as you all know this is a big gun, I bought it for home defense, and I went and bought a hunting shotgun by accident, a Mossberg 500 pump, but a sales advisor from a locla gun shop stated it will still do the job, but I want to make sure if I ever need to use it I will be effective in protecting my family.
Thanks Achynadoll

That is a good gun. If it has a longer barrel for hunting you might want to get a 18.5 barrel for it. It will be a little easier to use inside that way. Perhaps a sling if it does not have one. That should work well for you.
 
Distance not important

I recently got my ccw permit and I am new to pistol shooting. What is a good distance to start off for practice target shooting. I shot my new G19 over the weekend and was less than impressed with my skills :no:. Let me add that my target was about 50 feet away, 10" in dia...too far?

sorry... but i ran upon this thread before posting an introduction, so i'll start buy say hello and that i've been around guns forums for awhile. But getting back to practice distances, in my opinion i would start by practicing your MECHANICS (Example: trigger pull/stance/grip/sights/safety). As your MECHANICS become more proficient... your distances can increase. Just remember... don't set your self up for FAILURE, take small steps.


I found this site while doing a non-related search, looks great, thanks for having me.
 
thank you all for the advice

The advice about getting a shorter barrel will help tremendously, I think that it will give me a better hold on the gun when I nned to take action.
 
The average encounter is 5 to 8 feet. Where I a from if you shoot a guy at 50 feet you are going to jail. I practice from 2 feet out to 21 feet. I try to shoot a 4 inch triangle pattern. Other may disagree but my $.02.

The NRA handgun qualification target, B-21, has about a 10" 10 ring and about another 3" of 8 ring. The rest of the target is 5. It is a tombstone type target and is shot from 30'. This should give you a good practice. 10 to 20' are good practice distances. An 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper is an excellent practice target.
 
I recently got my ccw permit and I am new to pistol shooting. What is a good distance to start off for practice target shooting. I shot my new G19 over the weekend and was less than impressed with my skills :no:. Let me add that my target was about 50 feet away, 10" in dia...too far?

You need to learn to shoot the pistol first. Don't worry about carrying it right now.

Move the targets in to about 12 FEET. Folks argue about shooting this close but there's reason to the madness. The farther away the target is, the more mistakes are amplified. What may move bullet impact 1 inch at 12 feet could put it off the paper at 25 yards. If you don't know what you are doing wrong, you can't fix it. It also builds confidence in the new shooter because they can SEE the results of very shot. Completely missing the target confuses and frustrates because you don't know what you did wrong.

Shoot slow, deliberate groups concentrating on proper form (stance, foot placement,...), grip and trigger press. Focus on doing EVERYTHING the exact same way every time you shoot a round. Make sure you are HITTING the target the same place consistently. When you consistently keep every round in a group the size of the bottom of a Coke can, move the target back 3 feet and repeat the process. Keep moving the targets back when you're groups reach a certain size. If they start to grow, move it back closer. When you get out to about 20 yards, start the process over shooting one handed. when you get one hand shooting down, start over working with your off hand. By the time you are done, you'll be able to hit what you are aiming at with either hand and that's a very good skill to have in a self defense situation.

Once you have learned to shoot straight and you have the basics down (master grip, trigger press, ...) THEN you can work on getting self defense related stuff like drawing and firing and multi-shot rapid fire. If you are snatching, milking or otherwise screwing up your trigger pull, you aren't going to hit where you need to in a self defense situation. Also, if you don't get the same master grip every time you draw the gun, you won't hit the same place and your sights won't be aligned the same way when you point the gun. Get the gun sitting in your hand exactly how you need it to for the sights to be aligned. Hold that grip and holster. Once holstered, slowly undo each finger 1 by one and pay attention to how they feel when they are on the gun. I look for certain tactile points like how the middle joint of my middle finger feels when it is placed properly, how my wrist is angled, where my thumb falls on the gun, ... to learn how to get the right grip on the gun in the holster. Then practice drawing with your eyes closed. Draw, present the gun at eye or chin level and sights should be roughly aligned and fully visible when you open your eyes.

They are called 'fundamentals' for a reason. Getting the basics right makes it easier to learn the more complicated stuff like rapid fire and instinctive or point shooting. Poor trigger control or a misaligned, inconsistent grip on the gun will change the point of impact and if you don't hit what you need to, you are not only just making noise and wasting powder and shot but you are also sending real bullets down range that have to go someplace. I'd practice the draw by drawing and shooting 1 shot onto the target and holstering. When your first shot hits where you want it to EVERY time, go to shooting 2 rounds and reholstering. Once you can get multiple rounds on target quickly, go to multiple targets and progress the same way (draw, 1 shot on 1 target, 1 shot on the next target, holster). Focus on the FRONT SIGHT during rapid fire strings. Align the sights for the first shot and pull the trigger again when the front sight falls back onto where you want the bullet to go. The same holds true for multiple target strings. Your eyes move to the next target, then the gun. When the front sight hit the middle of the target (where you should be focusing your eyes), mash the trigger. Hold your aimng point a little low of dead center. Most folks miss high on multiple target strings, so aim a few inches or a hand's breadth low of dead center.

A good dry fire technique for improving trigger control is to take a coin and place it on the barrel flat of a revolver or top of the slide of an UNLOADED and verified that it's unloaded gun. Find a point on a wall, aim at it (look at the FRONT SIGHT, not the coin!!!) and press the trigger. If you do it right, the coin doesn't fall or move. If you screw it up, the coin falls, so do it over a bed so you don't have to hunt all over the floor for the coin. Do it in short sessions (10 minutes or so) multiple times a day and your muscle memory will pick it up in no time. I used this technique to learn how to shoot revolvers DA only several years ago and it helped tremendously.
 
Pump gun should be fine for home defense.
Plus you can find TONS of parts to transform that into a good home gun.

As far as places to shoot around you...I'm not too sure... I'm in LaGrange Park, and have the same problem.

I know a place in Maywood, but that's only trap shooting etc...plus I think you need to be a member there.

Then there's the Aurora sportsmans club...outdoor range, but also you need a membership.


They are out there I know, just a little research and you should find a place.
 
achynadoll,

A shotgun is a good home defense weapon. Hopefully, your barrel is no longer than 20 inches. The reason I say that is because if you have to clear the various rooms in your home, you run the risk of exposing the barrel before turning the corner; or clearing the doorway. Doing so, gives the bad guy an opportunity to grab your gun.

Keep the gun pointed downward (at an angle away from your toes) as you enter doorways; and then raise it as you turn the corner. Always keep the stock tucked tight in your shoulder. You don't want to suffer an injury caused by recoil.

Don't give in to the the temptation to replace the butt-stock with a pistol-grip. You'll regret it. (I speak from experience...) :fie: While it may look cool on TV, a shotgun with a pistol-grip is hard to control. Also, consider loading it with #7 or 8 shot instead of buckshot. The Federal security cops that I train use #8 shot in their shotguns. The stopping power is impressive, to say the least.
 
At close range, the shot size really won't matter because you are not going to get much, if any, spread. Head to the range and try out some of the low brass birdshot loads at close range and you'll see what I mean. At home defense ranges, under 10 yards unless you have a really long hall, you are talking about patterns the size of the mouth of a coffee cup to the size of a man's hand at the largest.
 

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