From being more confident and feeling safer in certain situations to gaining added peace of mind, there are many personally satisfying and practical rewards that go along with being a handgun owner. It’s also equally important to know how to safely, responsibly, and correctly shoot, whether it’s for practice or in situations where self-defense is needed. The firearms safety and training experts from Gun Safety Training Pros, your premier choice for gun classes online, go over the basics of shooting accurately and safely below.
Adopt a Comfortable Shooting Stance
Even with a handgun, the recoil can surprise you and throw off your accuracy. Compensate for the recoil by adopting a comfortable and supportive shooting stance. With a handgun, this typically means:
• Keeping feet shoulder-width apart
• Using both hands to grip the gun
• Bending your knees slightly or shifting your lower body off to the side
Experiment to find a shooting stance you’re comfortable with. This is something you can do while target shooting, since this is typically a more relaxed setting for shooting.
Grip the Gun Correctly for Added Support
It’s generally recommended that you grip a handgun with two hands to maintain stability and precision. Do this by:
• Placing the handgun in your dominant hand
• Resting it in the webbing between your index finger and thumb
• Placing your other fingers around the grip so the index finger is resting on top of your dominant hand’s middle finger
• Using your non-dominant hand to fill the gap between the tips of your fingers and your hand’s heel
• Placing your non-dominant hand’s thumb in front of the other one
• Putting the top of your index finger on the trigger when you’re ready to shoot
You may need to adjust your grip if you have a handgun that makes shooting with two straight thumbs difficult or uncomfortable. Also, a one-handed grip may seem convenient. However, it’s best avoided when possible, since it doesn’t allow for optimal accuracy and gun control.
Focus on the Front Sight
You won’t be doing yourself any favors if your approach to shooting is to squint hard and focus on the target. You’ll get a better lock on your target in a safe and effective way by matching the top of your front sight with the top of the rear one. This applies with standard iron sights and fiber optic ones. Keep the front sight in focus as you aim and shoot.
Keep Both Eyes Open
It’s natural to want to close one eye as you shoot to get a better feel for your target. But if you use your sights correctly, you’ll actually get better results by keeping both eyes open as you shoot. Doing so also reduces eye fatigue. You may need to practice first with keeping one eye closed, then transition to both eyes open.
Relax & Pull the Trigger Slowly
Once you know your target and have it in your sights, take a few deep breaths to relax. This will help you focus. When you’re ready to pull the trigger, do it slowly while maintaining a firm grip. As for where to place your trigger finger, use the placement that’s most comfortable for you based on your finger length and the design of your handgun.
Whether you’re new to handgun ownership or you’ve owned handguns for years, safety should always be your top priority when you’re working on boosting your shooting accuracy. If you’d like to learn more about gun safety from experienced professionals who provide top-tier firearm training online, reach out to the experts at Gun Safety Training Pros. Contact us today at [email protected].
