How Do I Improve My Shooting Accuracy with a Handgun?

Mastering the Basics: Proper Grip and Stance for Accurate Shooting

When it comes to handgun accuracy, everything starts with the fundamentals. Mastering your grip and stance might sound simple, but even seasoned shooters can overlook the importance of these basics. Think of your grip and stance as the foundation of a house—if it’s weak, everything else falls apart.

Proper Handgun Grip

Here’s the deal: a bad grip can throw your accuracy off faster than a fly buzzing around your head. To improve your shooting, make sure your grip is consistent and secure every time you draw your weapon. Here’s how to do it right:

• Strong hand placement: Wrap your dominant hand around the grip of the handgun with the web of your thumb pressed up high against the backstrap. Your trigger finger should be outside the trigger guard until you're ready to shoot.
• Support hand placement: Place your support hand firmly around the fingers of your strong hand. Your support hand’s thumb should point forward, just beneath the slide.
• Tighten your grip: Squeeze the gun like you're holding onto a winning lottery ticket. Too tight and you'll lose control; too loose and the recoil will throw off your aim.

Stance for Shooting Accuracy

A solid stance gives you balance and control. Here are some stances to try:

• Isosceles Stance: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, facing your target directly. Both arms should be fully extended in front of you, forming a triangle.
• Weaver Stance: Your feet should be in a staggered position, with your strong-side foot slightly behind the other. Your strong arm should be almost fully extended, while your support arm bends slightly.

Pick the one that feels most natural to you and practice it until it becomes second nature. It’s not about what looks cool—it’s about what helps you stay steady and consistent.

If you've got the grip and stance down but still aren't hitting the bullseye, your trigger control might be the culprit. Believe it or not, how you pull the trigger can make or break your shot.

Tips for Better Trigger Control:

1. Smooth, steady pressure: The key is to apply even pressure on the trigger without jerking or pulling it too quickly.
2. Finger placement: Place the pad of your index finger on the center of the trigger, not too deep or too shallow.
3. Breathe and squeeze: Take a deep breath, exhale, and squeeze the trigger slowly. Ideally, the shot should surprise you when it breaks. If you're anticipating it, you're likely flinching or jerking.

Common Trigger Control Mistakes

• Jerking the trigger: This happens when you slap the trigger quickly, disrupting your aim. Focus on a slow, smooth pull instead.
• Trigger flinch: Are you tensing up right before the shot? If so, you’re probably flinching. Practice dry-firing (shooting without live ammo) to overcome this.

Trigger control is about finesse, not brute force. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll notice your accuracy improving dramatically.

Now that you've got a good grip, stance, and trigger control, let’s talk about how to aim. No, we're not just pointing and shooting here. To consistently hit your target, you need to understand sight alignment and sight picture.

Sight Alignment

Sight alignment refers to how you line up your handgun’s front and rear sights. The top of your front sight should be level with the rear sight, and there should be equal space on both sides of the front sight when viewed through the rear sight.

Sight Picture

The sight picture is what you see when your aligned sights are on target. Here’s where a lot of shooters mess up—they focus on the target instead of the front sight. The correct approach is to focus on your front sight, while keeping your target blurry in the background.

Pro Tip for Accuracy:

Focus on the front sight like it's your favorite TV show. If you're watching the target instead, your shot is likely going to miss its mark. Take your time to align and aim properly before pulling the trigger.

You can read all the tips in the world, but the best way to improve is to get out there and practice. Here are a few handgun shooting drills that can significantly boost your accuracy.

Dry-Fire Practice (No Ammo Needed)

Dry-firing is one of the most effective ways to practice without needing to visit the range. It allows you to work on your grip, stance, trigger control, and sight alignment without live ammunition.

• Pick a target (like a small dot on a wall) and practice drawing and squeezing the trigger while keeping your sights aligned.
• Balance a coin on the top of your front sight and pull the trigger without the coin falling. This will help you refine your trigger control.

Live-Fire Accuracy Drill

• Slow Fire Drill: Shoot five rounds at a target 5-7 yards away, focusing entirely on smooth trigger pulls and proper sight alignment.
• Grouping Drill: Set a target at 10 yards and fire five shots slowly. The goal is to get your shots as close together as possible.

Consistency is the name of the game. Practice these drills regularly, and soon your accuracy will improve dramatically.

Improving your accuracy isn't just about learning what to do—it's also about unlearning bad habits. Here are some common mistakes that might be holding you back:

Anticipating Recoil

This is one of the most frequent causes of poor accuracy. Shooters often tense up right before they pull the trigger because they’re bracing for the recoil. This causes the muzzle to dip downward, throwing your shot off.

• Fix: Focus on keeping a firm grip and following through with the shot, without thinking about the recoil.

Shooting Too Quickly

While speed shooting is a real thing, accuracy comes first. Many beginners shoot faster than they can accurately control.

• Fix: Slow down and make sure each shot counts. Speed will come with practice.

Over-gripping the Gun

If you're gripping the gun too tightly, you'll introduce tension in your arms and hands, which affects your control.

• Fix: Maintain a firm grip, but relax your hands and shoulders. Think of it like holding a steering wheel—not too tight, not too loose.

If you're serious about improving your shooting accuracy, there’s no substitute for professional training. At Lake Brownwood Firearm, we offer comprehensive gun safety and shooting classes tailored to your skill level. Whether you're a beginner looking to build a solid foundation or an experienced shooter wanting to refine your skills, our team is here to help.

Contact us at   (325) 203-8899 to schedule a class or learn more about how we can help you shoot like a pro. You can also click here to sign up for our classes today. We proudly serve Brownwood, TX, and the surrounding areas. Don’t wait—take your shooting skills to the next level with our expert instruction!

At Lake Brownwood Firearm, we also offer specialized training programs, including school safety training and mass shooter training, designed to prepare you for high-stakes situations.