Brand New Handgun Owner

[jl39775]

I'm new the the board and a new handgun owner. I recently took the CHL class and now I want to improve my shooting. I would love some tips on improving.

I have a Glock 26 Gen 4 and I've been going to the range. I set the target about 10 feet and start at close retention with my eyes looking away from the target. When I'm ready, I grip the pistol with both hands and get a sight picture and fire. I will repeat this over and over starting at close retention. Right now, everything is slow. I'm shooting with both eyes open and my eyes get crossed sometimes. When this happens, I blink my weak eye and things look clearer.

I want to improve my sight picture, speed and accuracy at 10 feet then gradually move the target to 15 yards. My concern is, with my experience, I feel I'm too slow and would not be effective at self-defense. My accuracy looks okay but only because I'm going slow. I would love to hear some advice.

[A-R]

My advice, take some lessons from an experienced instructor who can set you right in the fundamentals. Then work on those fundamentals, SLOWLY increasing speed and distance. There is no bypass for these fundamentals, everything else builds off this.

Once you're feeling more confident at consistently hitting your target out to 15 or 25 yards, slowly, then start increasing speed. You can do this even at a "slow fire only" range by holding your gun at low ready, then raising it quickly and squeezing off a shot.

After that, start working on techniques of draw, presentation, double-taps, reloads, etc. And practice this at ranges that allow drawing from holsters, and/or at competitive shooting matches like IDPA, USPSA etc.

There are also some good instructional videos out there (and a lot of bad ones). One that was recommended to me by a law-enforcement member of this forum and that I now highly recommend is Magpul Dynamics Art of the Dynamic Handgun

This is a great snippet from that video set, that will also give you a good basic lesson in proper grip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVhTA-n0ivE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=NVhTA-n0ivE[/youtube]

[Teamless]

jt,
I am guessing you are shooting at The Arms Room, or Clear Creek or Best Shot Range?
I am a member at PSC-Range (http://www.PSC-Range.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) and if you want to head out some Saturday or Sunday (weather dependant of course!) I would be glad to take you out there, to work with you a bit, and go through some of the drills I go through, as well as just have some basic fun on the range at the same time.
You do not need to be a member, and there is no cost to you for enjoying the range, as long as you are with a member

Understand, I am not a paid or professional instructor, but at the same time, I do not think I will hurt your shooting ability at all either.

If you want to go out there sometime, send me a PM and we can work it out.

I feel I'm too slow and would not be effective at self-defense. My accuracy looks okay but only because I'm going slow.

With respect to the above quote, speed will simply come with time.
I have shot only (I say only as there are people here who have shot much more than I have) about 3000 rounds with my 9mm, and probably 10,000 rounds total with .22, .380 and 9mm.
I am not a sharpshooter, nor am I a quick draw, like some shooters who shoot IDPA all the time, or shoot hundreds of thousands of rounds in their life.
But for what I lack in quick draw speed, I make up for in shot placement (most of the time anyway!)

So don't worry much about getting it out the holster super-fast, but rather focus on good grip as you draw, and accurate shot placement.
An ex-cop friend of mine told me that "most gun fights occur within 5-10 feet" with that in mind, your wanting to shoot good at 15 yards is great, but don't over think it and worry a ton about getting further and further away.

Rick

[A-R]

the other answer for "how to shoot faster" .... just do what Jerry does ...

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=CsLx5ISBXw4[/youtube]

[TexasCajun]

Welcome jt!! If you haven't yet, check with The Arms Room on 45 @ 646. They offer various levels of instruction & Brian is top notch. I've taken his intro pistol class & it did a world of good for me as I was pretty inexperienced at the time. I also took Brian's CHL class there. I'm waiting on the post-holiday rush to die down before looking into the personal defense classes there.