I suck as a pistol shooter...

[6.8mmARHunter]

I always thought I sucked as a pistol shooter. I always attributed it to not being able to see the sights. If I don't wear glasses, I can't see the sights (front and rear are blurry). If I wear glasses, sighs (front and rear) are in focus, but the target is blurry.

Fast forward... I bought a red dot sight and mounted it on my pistol (mounting is solid, no concerns whatsoever). Theory is that the red dot and target are on the same focal plane, put the dot on the target and the bullet will hit where the dot was hovering when you pulled the trigger. No more of the - I can't see the target, or I can't see the sights.

I had shot the pistol with the optic the first weekend I put it together, all offhand at a 12 metal plate at about 15 yards. All was good, hit every time. Yesterday I went out to really fine tune the pistol optic. With a rifle, for sighting in, usually at 100 yards, I'll typically take three very careful shots... let the breath out,  take up the trigger slack, squeeze, squeeze, etc... After the three shots, you go and look at the paper. The three shots are in a group about an inch across. It's a tight group, but it's 3 inches high and three inches to the right. No promlem, 12 clicks down, and 12 clicks left. The next three shots are in a 1 inch group right around the bullseye.

With the pistol yesterday, at 25 yards, the first two shots are 3 inches left and about a half inch high (they're cutting the same hole) the next shot goes 6 inches high and zero left or right. WTH. I'm shooting from a rest, the red dot is jiggling a bit, I'm holding as steady as I can, slow careful squeeze on the trigger. The dot never went more than +/- 1 inches from the bulleyes, yet the bullet hits 6 inches high? I just ignored the 6 inch high shot in adjusted to correct for the 3 inches left.

The next shots were left and right and up and down. All over the place... I gave up on the paper and started shooting at a 8" metal plate, still at about 25 yards. Holding the dot on the center of the plate, I think I had a 50% hit ratio. I'm pretty dissappointed. No real confidence in myself nor the gun/optic.

I'm not sure how to go forward from here.

Gun is a Glock 40 in 10mm, optic is a Leupold, Delta Point Pro, ammo is Rainier copper plated 180 grain over 9.5 grains of #5.

Anyone have any thoughts?

[Timberstalker]

All I can think is that you aren't "squeezing" the trigger.  Practice a smooth trigger squeeze.

[headshot5]

Make sure everything is tightened down.  +1 on trigger control, especially on glock triggers etc, there is a learning curve.

P.S. the more you shoot the better you will get.   

[jackelope]

Trigger upgrade time.

I've never sighted in a pistol, pretty much never shot one with any sort of optic, but 25 yards seems like a long way to zero a pistol.
Having said that, keep in mind I have pretty much zero experience in that field. I know I can shoot my Glock reasonably good at a 15 yard target, but I'm not shooting tight groups.

[300rum]

Have someone watch from the side or video your eyes from the side.  You are closing your eyes under recoil.  It is natural to close your eyes under recoil, it is a normal reaction.  With your eyes closed, you have zero idea what is happening to the gun (as described) just as the trigger breaks and the bullet leaves the barrel.  What you will see with your eyes open is the front sight or the dot lift at recoil, the exact place where the sight lifts at the exact moment of ignition is where the bullet hole will be. 

With your eyes open through the firing process, you will begin to see what is happening right in front of you and be able to diagnose an correct it.  More then likely you are putting some sort of pressure on the pistol just prior to ignition. 

Direct your eyes in the right place, keep them open throughout the process and you will know exactly what went on before the bullet even hits the target.       

[300rum]

Even with a light trigger you can still pull shots.  I have pistols with sub 2 pound triggers and I can still pull shots! 

It is all about directing the vision, your vision is where you need to start. 

[Alchase]

Most likely your wrist is breaking up, and you are anticipating the shot.

What kind of shooting are you planning on doing?

If you are setting this pistol up for defense, I would start at 5 yrds. Once consistent, move up to 10 yards, then 20 and so on.


With a red Dot, depending on the height above the barrel causes a parabolic effect, where the bullet is still on the rise towards Point Of Aim (POA), so the Point of Impact would be a little higher if you set it at 10 yards and moved to 20 yards, but not that much.
For most fixed sight handguns, POA and POI are practically the same through the effective range.
So moving from 10 yards to 20 yards make little difference to the pistol, the shooter not so much, inconsistencies are about 99.9% human..