Wife's target shooting.....

[Whisky]

My Wife and I will be going for our CHL after the 1st of the year - I shoot well enough that I feel the qualification won't be a problem but went to the range with my Wife today and everything for her is to the right, about 6 inches. I'm thinking it's a sighting problem with her - not a pulling thing. She (I think) is left eye dominate (I'm right eyed) and I've been trying to explain the dominance thing to her but I'm not sure that she "gets it".

We went to an out-of-doors range today but tomorrow we'll go to an in-side range (where we can check the targets at our leasure (not when the range is "cold") so I think that'll be better for her.

Anyone come across this with their co-shooters ? Any suggestions ? I'm thinking I need to get her some professional instruction if this continues.....thanks

[urnoodle]

I am left eye dominate but right handed. I didn't know this when I first started shooting. Someone showed me a nifty little trick to confirm...pick a small object on a wall or countertop. Have her stretch both arms out in front of her crossing her thumbs and index fingers to make a triangle. Have her look at the object selected the eye that you see through the triangle is the dominate eye. Have her do it several times to make sure she doesn't switch back and forth. Once I understood my dominate eye, then with practice I'd close my right eye and I hit more center on the target. Being right-handed you naturally want to use your right eye. I've heard you can train the dominance to the right eye but I didn't need to do that. Hope this helps!

[Divided Attention]

I am VERY left eye dominant - and right handed. Not a big problem with pistols, huge with long arms - just learned to shoot long arm left handed - problem solved. Make sure she understands sight picture, and that she doesn't have too much trigger finger through the trigger guard. Many women starting think they have to "hook" their finger through like a squirt bottle, when "less is better". Have her dry fire with a spent casing and watch the front site. JMPHO, but likely she is pulling the front around a bit - makes a big difference on target. Remember about follow through. Sight picture before and after the shot. Dry fire with out worring about recoil and "boom" is the best way to learn a trigger and train the trigger finger.

Good luck!

[Wodathunkit]

I was trained to shoot with both eyes open but as I have gotten older I started "lagging towards the left side of bullseye. Only about an inch or so. I noticed that my left eye seems to be much more dominant than it used to be. I started closing my right eye and using my left only for targeting just to see if it would go back to dead center, and it has.....however it is very uncomfortable to me. I'm going to need to work on my technique.

Uranoodle has explained the eye dominance test well and that is the best way to check.

[Whisky]

well I posted that "I think" she is left eye dominate when I know, in fact, that she is (she's also right handed)

I'm going to make a jig with a tripod - upon which I'll mount one of her guns and have her sight on a small target at 7/12 yards - I'll then check it for proper sight "picture"

will also check, as suggested, her finger position on the trigger & what happens to the muzzle when she's dry firing

we're going to an indoors range today where she'll do all the shooting - indoors we'll be able to check the target (closely) every 5 or so shots

thanks for the replies

[papajohn1964]

About jerking the trigger. One of my instructors did this to people in my class and I did it to my wife. Load her magazine with random dummy rounds, when one loads she will realize how bad she is jerking. When my wife got her first one sh said " it kicked' lol! But it really helped her understand what she was doing. (249 on her CHL)

[Cjwglock19]

I shot a 298 when I took my test. Even the instructor talked about how well I handled the gun (tested with a bersa thunder .380). My poor shots were slightly low right. I found a article that talked about shot placement and flaws and usually low right was trigger pull. It was an easy deal to work on and I have corrected it. However I agree try both eyes!

[Jumping Frog]

I shot a 298 when I took my test.

That is a pretty terrific score when you consider the maximum score is 250!

Maybe the person next to you was also shooting your target.

[CC Italian]

I shot a 298 when I took my test.

That is a pretty terrific score when you consider the maximum score is 250!

Haven't you heard that you get more points for double taps to the head! Sorry I couldn't contain my self. You probably mean 248. Which is common. I scored 249 on my renewal and three scored 250 out of a class of 24. I could probably pass it by point shooting honestly. I passed before I even finished the 7 yard phase of shooting. One of my last rounds fired on the 15 yard stage went out and was counted as a 4 pointer.

I think instructors have to score a 225 minimum. I wouldn't want an instructor who couldn't shoot a 250 90% of the time. Most of those guys practice at least 3 times a week. Some three times a day! A Chl holder should need a 225 imo.

[MoJo]

The secret to good scores on the CHL test is being able to shoot a group. "So how do I do that MoJo?" you ask. It's really pretty easy. Start at a short range, 3 yards, use a plain target like a paper plate or sheet of typing paper aim at the center of the target and shoot. When you can get a 10 shot hand sized group consistantly move to 7 yards and shoot until you get a hand sized 10 shot group. Last move to 15 yards and when you can shoot a 5 shot hand sized group you will be able to ace the CHL test.

Don't worry about score, worry about getting a close group in the center of the target. Do that and you'll do fine.

These correction targets will help diagnose problems.

[Skiprr]

Have her dry fire with a spent casing and watch the front site. JMPHO, but likely she is pulling the front around a bit - makes a big difference on target. Remember about follow through. Sight picture before and after the shot. Dry fire with out worring about recoil and "boom" is the best way to learn a trigger and train the trigger finger.

And this is a place where lasers can be very useful, IMHO. An inexpensive $20+ bore sighter works fine. Have her obtain what she feels is the correct sight picture and sight alignment, then you can reach over and turn on the laser. You'll both know instantly if the point-of-aim is correct or not.

Dry-firing with the laser will also show you exactly what the muzzle is doing at the time of trigger press. If there is a trigger control issue, the laser will swing into one of the sections shown in MoJo's pie chart. It takes steadiness and a lot of practice to minimize the natural "arc of movement," but any glaring mistakes in trigger control will be immediately apparent.

[Whisky]

thanks so much fellows - I'm printing the above chart and will work on that for now (for both of us - she's right/down, I'm left/down somewhat) - we'll be doing A LOT of shooting on the 26th (with her Bro, who is a LEO and gun nut and is very gun savy)

I'll keep the laser in mind and will go for it - if we can't get it straightened out. thanks again, all