Same problem...shooting low.

[PrairieCajun]

Ok. This is the second time I post this, but hoping someone can confirm. I am shooting 2 m&p 9's, one is compact, and one is 4.25. I shoot both low early in the session and late in the session. The shots are really consistent. After the first 85 rounds I got a mag full of both (about 30 rounds at 7 yards all where they should be - almost all 30 rounds went through the same 2-3" hole) I shot day before yesterday at 7 yards and 15 yards and all are in line but 1-3 inches low. I feel like the medium backstrap is the perfect fit for my hand. Do any of you think that if I changed the backstrap that I could improve the low shooting? I don't want to go burn more ammo until I have an opinion. Will the larger strap move my shots up? Or should I flatten it out? Or do you think this is an - I don't shoot often enuf scenario? Sights need work? Shooter needs work (prolly )? Opinions please.

 

[SpeedRacer]

Are you putting the front dot on the target or just below it? Have you tried shooting off of the bench to eliminate as much shooter error as possible? Have you tried dry firing and watching where your front sight ends up after the trigger pull?

 

[kz45]

Pick a spot on the wall, close your eyes, draw, aim at spot, open eyes.
Notice if you're aiming low or high, change back straps see if it makes a diff.
the most natural point of aim you can get is what you will shoot the best.

 

[PrairieCajun]

Thanks. I put front dot on mark with target slightly out of focus with full focus on the front sight. I have not tried off the bench. I only shoot here in BR and I have not found any rests or bags available at Precision or B. Pro. (nor have I asked) I have dry fired (with snap caps) both of those pistols and don't find any real change in the front sight point. I have also used my .38 with laser grip and dont find excessive movement even during the double action stroke of the .38 I don't believe my grip is the problem except for possibly my wrist alignment with my forearm. I can't seem to judge that for myself since I am the shooter.

 

[jmcrawf1]

Sounds like when you're cold, you anticipate recoil. As you warm up throughout th session, you may warm up to the recoil thus flinching less. Do some ball and dummy drills.

 

[biggin215]

Next time you are in Precision, ask one of the workers about the rests. There's several back there... they can also give you a pistol shooter's diagnostics chart if you want it (or you can just google it).

I went ahead and found the chart. Helps a lot.

 

[PrairieCajun]

NIce. Thanks guys. I can see where my shots improved when I was using my left to steady and my right to run the trigger. Things were different when I let my dominate hand be dominate. I'll use all of this advice. Back to the range tomorrow i think.

 

[Sin-ster]

How is your follow through?

That is to say, when you break a shot, do the sights return immediately to alignment or hover in the air until you slowly lower them again?

I ran into a problem way back when of shooting low at times, and not at others. When my follow through was crummy and I had to "actively" lower the blade back into the notch, I often dropped past the proper sight picture and either broke the shot too early or simply ended up with a bad sight picture.

Are you possibly milking the grip with your strong hand? Anticipating the recoil, or beginning your follow through too early? Dragging your trigger finger heavily against the bottom of the trigger guard?

If the gun shoots to your POA consistently at any point during your sessions, the pistol is not the problem. (This is reinforced by the fact that it happens with two different weapons.) Based on the "low, center, low" progression, chances are that you are indeed anticipating the recoil. It takes you a few shots to get used to it, and after a while your body starts to react to the recoil. Is there any discomfort when you break a shot-- fingers, hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders? Take a look at your hands after the next session and keep an eye out for depressions, red spots, etc. You may not even notice it, but your body surely does and that can easily translate into some type of flinch.