6 Tips for Better Handgun Shooting

Shooting a handgun can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it.

Becoming a better handgun shooter starts with minding the details, little things you may not be considering, such as:

1. Grip It Hard, Hard, Harder

Grip your handgun with equal amount of pressure with both hands and grip it hard, 25 percent more than you grip it now. If you're right-handed, hold your handgun a little tighter with your left hand than your right, to compensate for hand strength. Reverse if you're left-handed. Try to maintain as much strength as possible around the gun, to wrap it in your hands so the gun cycles properly and so you're able to use your strong hand to pull the trigger properly.

2. Follow Through

Follow through is important in all shooting. Don't be in a hurry to look downrange to see where your shot went. You should know where it went. It went where you aimed. Lifting your head off the sights is a no-no. Hold your grip and stance through the shot, then you can lower your handgun to admire your sharpshooting.

3. Be Fluid

Everything about you should be smooth and fluid; your eyes going downrange to acquire the target, the firearm coming up into correct stance, your feet placed properly, firmly and securely. Smooth mechanics. (Watch someone shooting who has choppy, jerky mechanics. Their vision is choppy, their movements are choppy, their results are choppy.) Smooth presentation will help carry the shot.

"Grip your handgun with equal amount of pressure with both hands . . ."

4. Don't Waste Motion

Wasted motion is an enemy of good shooting. Don't be overly aggressive; don't slap into your shooting stance. Start your smooth motion as you are going into your stance. Don't do anything that does not add to your shooting performance. There's no payback for wasted motion, only extra work for nothing, in fact, it distracts you and detracts from your performance. Do only what it takes to make the shot.

5. Practice Patience

Don't hurry your shot. Slow down. Let it happen, let all your smooth, fluid motion come together with firm grip, follow through and thoughtful mechanics. Slow and accurate beats fast and erratic.

6. Practice, Practice, Practice

Of course you should practice, but all practice doesn't have to be on the range with live ammunition. Dry-fire practice can be just as important for trigger control, target acquisition and staying on target through the shot. It's an easy, do-anywhere, inexpensive (ammunition-free) way to train your eyes, body and trigger finger to work together for fluid, steady mechanics.

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