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Bad habit shooting advice

RedOBXT

.270 WIN
Supporter
I'm looking for advice to overcome a bad habit I've developed only recently. I don't know if it's recoil anticipation or sound anticipation, but I find myself squeezing my eyes shut when I fire in an indoor range. My eyes involuntarily shut right before I break the trigger, and it is really annoying.
I consider myself a new shooter, but I didn't have this problem when I first started.
Any advice?
 
Have you tried doubling up on your hearing protection? Muffs over foam plugs does an awful lot to cut down the noise, which is likely what's causing your problem.
 
Have you tried shooting outdoors?

Shooting much indoors would have to be a pain.
 
I might also suggest the earmuffs plus ear plugs routine.

One of my granddaughters was very nervous about shooting until I did this for her.
 
Thanks.
I've always done the foam insert/muff combo.

John A: it doesn't happen when I'm shooting outside.

WM: I focus on the front sight while aiming, then the target when shooting.
 
I like the little rubber Christmas tree but I don't care for those foam ear plugs myself. I think they reduce the sound enough but they make things sound too dead.

Then again maybe that will help if this is part of the problem.

My wife was doing this a bit trying to shoot the 38 caliber pistol so I had her practice with the 22 pistol until she got more comfortable.

Another thing that might help is to close your left eye on purpose, and that might give you better control over the right eye while you're shooting.

I shoot with one eye or two eyes, usually depending on which gun I'm using, but sometimes it's all about the light conditions.
 
Theres drills wher you have a friend load mags with snap caps, and ammo, have them cycle the slide manually when the hammer drops on a dummy. But that probably wouldn't be allowed at a monitored range.
 
Theres drills wher you have a friend load mags with snap caps, and ammo, have them cycle the slide manually when the hammer drops on a dummy. But that probably wouldn't be allowed at a monitored range.
I could do this at my range
 
WM: I focus on the front sight while aiming, then the target when shooting.

That's incorrect. Your focus should never come off that front sight ever. The target should always be a general blur to you.

Keep concentration on the front sight the whole time forcing it never to move at all and you may get a handle on your flinching.

Remember... there is no recoil and that front sight should never move. Press the trigger directly to the rear and that front sight never moves.

Stance is irrelevant when it comes to getting the bullet to where you want it to go. Get in a comfortable shooting position and make sure that front sight doesn't move.

Flinching
squeezing your palms/hands just before the shot goes off
not following through your trigger press all the way to the rear
not pressing straight back (slightly pressing left or right on the trigger)

^^^ those are all bad habits that takes time over coming.

There's a bunch of drills one can do to increase their precision with shooting hand guns (which btw is hard).

My favorite is the one shot in the eye drill from 3-5 yards away:

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When you hit the center of the eye.... your mechanics were on point. A little off, and you're doing it wrong... suck less.
 
Maybe you need to start from basics to get out of the habit..??

if you're anticipating the bang/recoil, go back to shooting an airpistol (pellet gun) if you can find or borrow one. Concentrate on not blinking when you fire. when you can do it with an airpistol, progress up to a .22 rimfire pistol... again, when you can shoot that without blinking/flinching, then move up to the bigger stuff.
 
Thanks WM and others. That's the kind of usable advice I expected here. Maybe we should start a shooting tips subforum?
 
Thanks WM and others. That's the kind of usable advice I expected here. Maybe we should start a shooting tips subforum?

Handgun shooting is difficult because there's only 2 points of contact with the firearm as opposed to 4 points of contact with a rifle.

Start out slow, 3 yards away and if you can put 3 shots into 1 hole move it back a little farther and repeat.

Then you add in drawing and timed rapid shots... you're gonna see your groups open up a bit.
 
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