[storm]

I have recently become interested in firearms, specifically handguns.

Does anyone have a training routine, like 5x5 for lifting?

My goal is to become confident enough in my shot to be able to draw and fire on point when it matters the most.

[WanderingSoul]

I've never done anything like that, but I'd think a shooting coach would probably be a very good idea while starting out.

I'd check some handgun forums and see what they say

[Fitzgerald]

Start with regular old range shooting.

What you specifically want to learn is called "point shooting", but you'll need to develop accuracy first.

There are a lot of great video resources to buy, or you could torrent.

Paladin press has a ton of good stuff.

[Alsos]

You might give this a try. I saw a demo, and was very impressed with the feedback it can give. If nothing else, it's worth it for the instant-feedback trigger control diagnostics, something that's hard to do manually at the range.

LASR - Laser Activated Shot Reporter

[JacksonRev]

Go to ranges and be social.

Go to shooting events like 3 gun and be social.

I've learned more from random dudes at the range then I did from the military, especially about handguns.

http://www.nssf.org/shooting/sports/

[Virtus]

https://appleseedinfo.org/

http://teamspartan.com/

[Charles Martel]

(08-28-2015 09:57 PM)kleyau Wrote:  

Go to ranges and be social.

Go to shooting events like 3 gun and be social.

I've learned more from random dudes at the range then I did from the military, especially about handguns.

http://www.nssf.org/shooting/sports/

Good advice...and contrary to popular myths, "gun people" aren't toothless hillbillies...you will find them clean cut, honest and very friendly.

[spokepoker]

Take a lesson first from an instructor, if it's a good instructor, they'll be able to help you with any bad preconceptions you might have unconsciously.
Then go to a range and rent lots of handguns. Try as many different kinds and calibers as you can, to see what fits you.
Then go buy the one you liked best, and don't worry about price, because the gun is the cheap part of the deal. Ammo, however, is going to cost a ton, even if it's the cheapest ammo you can find, will still cost you a lot when you start practicing.

For even better training, go to events at your local ranges. Competitions are a blast to participate in, and still fun to just watch. Most everyone there can and will give you pointers and help you get more proficient.

[H1N1]

Lots of good suggestions so far. One of the best things you can do for real proficiency with any weapon is spend time practising your draw/mount.

Much of being a good shot is putting your weapon into the same position every time, so that when you are looking down the sights you are seeing the same picture each time. This is particularly true with rifles and shotguns, but holds true for pistols too. You need to dry practise until all the uncertainty has been removed. With rifles and shotguns you want to ensure it hits your shoulder in the same point each time, that your cheek is in the same position on the pad each time. An extension of this is to make sure you are wearing the type of clothing you would expect to use your weapon in. Don't underestimate the effect of baggy clothing, or extra shoulder padding from additional layers. If that picture you see down the sights is changing due to variables within your control, you are shooting less effectively than you otherwise might be. These minor inconsistencies will be magnified as the range at which you're trying to shoot increases.

Everything needs to be smooth, and above all, consistent. You can become a good shot quite quickly with effective dry drills that you can do in your own home, with an unloaded weapon.

[realologist]

If you have a center fire pistol instead of a rimfire you can practice without using any bullets. Just make sure the clip and chamber is empty and aim at random things in your house and practice firing and holding the pistol tight during and after pulling the trigger. A lot of people make recoil worse when shooting by counteracting to it instead of holding the gun to your target and moving it back.

Another tip I learned is shoot at moving targets. Whether that is clays or moving the the paper forward and backward as you shoot at it.

[Cr33pin]

Get your tickets bro

To the gun show

[TornadoByProxy]

What you are describing is known as Practical Shooting. Go to http://www.uspsa.org and find your local club. Take lessons and get involved.
Otherwise you are just another yahoo on the range. Firearm proficiency is a way of life, not a passing fancy.

http://www.uspsa.org

[Remington]

Definitely start by taking a firearm class. That will give you a rundown on the proper grip, stances, gun parts, and gun safety. These classes will usually take you to the range where you'll be able to fire off a few rounds. The instructor will be right there to assist and offer tips. Great place to start for a beginner.

[SirTimothy]

Like the others have said, start by taking a basic pistol course and learning the fundamentals. And of course, go to the range to practice.

But another big thing that's often overlooked is doing dry-fire practice at home. Make sure your particular gun is safe for dry-firing (many modern ones are) and possibly get some snap-caps (dummy cartridges with a spring-loaded back). Practice dry-firing 30-40 shots at least once a week. This has helped improve my shooting a lot.

The reason being is that most of what makes up a good shot is trigger control. Dry-firing lets you focus on the single most important aspect of pistol shooting, for free or almost free.

[Laurifer]

All of these are great posts. Take everything you have yet to learn seriously.

There's nothing that most makes me feel like I may accidentally die than when I go shooting with friends that own guns 'just because they can' but were never taught proper techniques. Some of them are ex-military too. I'd rather go shooting with a guy that was taught to handle and respect firearms since he was a toddler than some of my buddies who only handled them in the military.

Edit: Not saying service members don't know what they're doing, I just think there is sometimes a noticeable difference between a civilian and a military shooter

[RexImperator]

North of Boston up in New Hampshire there is the Sig Sauer Academy:

https://www.sigsaueracademy.com

Maybe you have some kind of training center offering similar courses near you.

[el mechanico]

Start at the bottom. Air guns and BB pistols you can shoot target practice in your yard or even house. They make traps you could put targets in. Learn how ammo curves etc then move up.

[Alpharius]

Can't believe no one has mentioned the Civilian Marksmanship Program

The CMP is put on by your good ol' Uncle Sam. Summertime is "Small Arms Firing School" (SAFS) time, and you will get to shoot issued weapons on a range while being coached by some of the finest military marksmen currently in uniform. This is about the best deal in the world for $45 and a weekend well spent. You'll come away with a t-shirt, a certificate and a desire to learn how to become a better shooter then you were before.

http://thecmp.org/cmp-national-matches/s...g-schools/

[RexImperator]

I almost mentioned the CMP but OP said he was into handguns. Didn't realize they did those, too. I have purchased a few WW2 M1 rifles through the CMP in the past. Long range target shooting is fun, and at CMP matches you do targets out to 600 yards.

[Remington]

What I learned that really helped me in my accuracy was the follow through. You want to absorb the recoil with your body instead of your arms so you will go right back to your starting position right after you fire.

[storm]

What do you guys know about training trigger discipline in particular?

[Remington]

Only have your finger on the trigger when you are ready to fire. Index finger should always be placed on the side on the slide or on the frame.

[SirTimothy]

(08-30-2015 01:16 AM)storm Wrote:  

What do you guys know about training trigger discipline in particular?

Don't jerk the trigger. Pull it straight back as smoothly as possible, and take all the slack out of it. Let the shot happen, don't force it or rush it. After the shot, slowly let the trigger come back forward, just enough so that it resets. You're now ready for the next shot. After enough practice, you can start to do this process a little faster.

An instructor could probably do a better job explaining/demonstrating this, but that's the basic idea. Practice these techniques at the range, supplement with some dry-firing at home, and you should improve.

[H1N1]

(08-30-2015 03:32 PM)SirTimothy Wrote:  

(08-30-2015 01:16 AM)storm Wrote:  

What do you guys know about training trigger discipline in particular?

Don't jerk the trigger. Pull it straight back as smoothly as possible, and take all the slack out of it. Let the shot happen, don't force it or rush it. After the shot, slowly let the trigger come back forward, just enough so that it resets. You're now ready for the next shot. After enough practice, you can start to do this process a little faster.

An instructor could probably do a better job explaining/demonstrating this, but that's the basic idea. Practice these techniques at the range, supplement with some dry-firing at home, and you should improve.

Indeed. As implied by the above, any time you fire a round it should be a squeeze rather than a jerk or a pull. The actual point at which the weapon fires should almost come as a shock to you (of course after considerable practise it's not a shock, and this process can be pretty quick and look like a pull to the uninitiated).

This is all part of getting a repeatable picture through the sights, and ensuring consistency and control of the variables.

[MikeInRealLife]

I've made several trips to the granddaddy of all shooting schools: http://www.gunsite.com. I've also been to a few other national-level schools, plus some local stuff (I live in Arizona, the gun-culture capital of the world).

The suggestion for USPSA is a good one, as is IDPA (http://www.idpa.com). The latter is more defense-oriented.

Storm has excellent advice above about trigger reset. It's a critical skill that is often ignored or misunderstood.