Sidearms & Scatterguns Why do I always shoot left with my 1911?

[nikdanja]

Let me first start off by saying I've been shooting since I was around 10 and I'm 27. Needless to say I know the fundamentals of handgun shooting and I shoot all my handguns very well.

I have a kimber 1911 and at first I thought i needed to drift my sights cause I was shooting left. That was until I was testing out some new hand loads and I benched it to see how it was grouping. It grouped well and I found out it wasn't the gun, it was me. Today I put 100 rounds thru it and I was making adjustments to my trigger finger, how my left hand overlaps my right hand, making sure there's equal space i between my front and rear sights ect. But I still shot left and kept blowing the left side of the target out. I'm shooting great groups, just left. All my other handguns including over 45s I can put them right in there but for some reason my 1911 I've always have problems. I have the trigger tuned by a gunsmith and breaks very crisp at 3 pounds so I'm not sure what I need to do. I'm open to suggestions.

 

[lash]

google "pistol shooting error chart". Look at the various options that could be causing it.

The 1911 requires a slightly different grip than DA pistols. Also, do you have a short, medium, or long trigger on yours? Some people are not aware that you can get different length triggers. I get the best results with a short trigger on my Colt Combat Commander. Natural trigger finger placement is a factor that can cause you to either push or pull the shot, as is anticipating recoil.

EDIT: A caveat with regards to the pistol error charts is that they are only rough guidelines to get you to pay attention to what you are doing and cannot be expected to be a substitute for real personalized instruction.

 

[mike@rss]

Which eye is your dominant eye?

 

[Bill Larson]

Move sites..........

 

[EXTREMEPREJUDICE]

Let me first start off by saying I've been shooting since I was around 10 and I'm 27. Needless to say I know the fundamentals of handgun shooting and I shoot all my handguns very well.

Based on this I'm with Bill............

 

[Litshoot]

I'm wrong for saying this but if it's consistent then adjust the sights. It enforces bad habits perhaps but if its consistent

 

[mike@rss]

The obvious answer is to drift your sights, I will tell you that depending on the gun I shoot, I shoot off my sites because I am cross eye dominant and have to notch them for particular guns. It can also be fundamentals... your 1911 has a backstrapped grip safety, steeper grip angle, etc etc.... so may be the characteristics of the gun and your fundamentals... since you've been shooting so long you should be able to trouble shoot...but I'm guessing it's your eye dominance. Iron sites on short guns need to be zero'ed to your eyes just like long guns. good luck.

 

[nikdanja]

I'm right eye domanant and I don't want to just my sights. I want to shoot the gun the correct way.

 

[nikdanja]

Thanks for all your suggestions.

 

[bowyerk6]

I wouldn't adjust the sights without first shooting the pistol off a good rest. If it shoots left off the rest, then that is obviously the issue. If it shoots true, then it is more likely a grip issue. People tend to over grip 1911's.

 

[GlockBlock]

Jesus, do you guys read before posting?

 

[Josh Smith]

Let me first start off by saying I've been shooting since I was around 10 and I'm 27. Needless to say I know the fundamentals of handgun shooting and I shoot all my handguns very well.

I have a kimber 1911 and at first I thought i needed to drift my sights cause I was shooting left. That was until I was testing out some new hand loads and I benched it to see how it was grouping. It grouped well and I found out it wasn't the gun, it was me. Today I put 100 rounds thru it and I was making adjustments to my trigger finger, how my left hand overlaps my right hand, making sure there's equal space i between my front and rear sights ect. But I still shot left and kept blowing the left side of the target out. I'm shooting great groups, just left. All my other handguns including over 45s I can put them right in there but for some reason my 1911 I've always have problems. I have the trigger tuned by a gunsmith and breaks very crisp at 3 pounds so I'm not sure what I need to do. I'm open to suggestions.

Hello,

I'm late here.

I bet the trigger is too long for you. Try a 1911a1 trigger length and see what happens. Swapping the trigger out isn't hard.

Josh

 

[Quarter Horse]

If you're shooting at a target that is essentially at chest level, lower your target to crotch or knee level. If your POI changes to low left you've got a flinch. Relax your grip a little, maintain visual follow through, put a little more break in your right elbow. There are a number of elements to a flinch but the one that moves POI the most is pushing into the recoil. A good drill is to load a combo of live rounds and snap caps into four or five mags. Mix them up and have at it. Works the same as one or two empty chambers in a revolver. Let us know what happens.

 

[near_miss]

"Relax the grip" was told to me by a guy at the range one day. I thought he was an idiot until I tried it..... Worked for me. I squeeze my Glocks and drill the center. The old .45 used to shoot left, but now I relax and just let it jump up. Never misses now. Full size Kimber Desert Warrior.

 

[427Cobra]

Dry fire dry fire dry fire, 1000 times a day for 3 months, the front sight is where the bullet is going

 

[nikdanja]

If you're shooting at a target that is essentially at chest level, lower your target to crotch or knee level. If your POI changes to low left you've got a flinch. Relax your grip a little, maintain visual follow through, put a little more break in your right elbow. There are a number of elements to a flinch but the one that moves POI the most is pushing into the recoil. A good drill is to load a combo of live rounds and snap caps into four or five mags. Mix them up and have at it. Works the same as one or two empty chambers in a revolver. Let us know what happens.

This is the first ive heard about relaxing my grip. I usually put a good squeeze on all my guns and they've always make me hit where im aiming so ill have to try this. Thank you!

 

[Bunnypunter]

+1 on relaxing the grip. When I gorilla grip my 1911, I shoot all over hell and back. Relax, focus on squeezing only the trigger and not the grip; that sucker will shoot gorgeous little groups.

 

[pmclaine]

Tag, Gots to try me some relaxed grip.

 

[para72]

100% grip PRESSURE, you're not gonna to hurt it.

 

[graewolf]

427cobra is correct. Dry fire. Put up a target or just aim at something small on a wall. NO ammo near the gun, obviously. Rack the slide, aim and press, carefully watch what your front sight does as the hammer falls. Make adjustments necessary until the front sight does not move from your POA as the hammer falls (and just after - follow thru). If you're right handed, shooting left is typically too little finger on the trigger. You could also be 'slapping' the trigger. Just adjust grip and index finger position (try one thing at a time) until the front sight doesn't move dry firing.

Once you get that down, go to the range with some dummy rounds. Alternate them with live rounds in your mag. Do the same as dry firing at home. Concentrate on what the front sight is doing each time - live round or dummy round.

I'm also going to suggest not relaxing your grip. Unless you're practicing Olympic bullseye, your grip should be as tight as you can without shaking....if quick follow up shots are important at all ('double taps'). You won't find many (any?) good tactical or IDPA/IPSC type competitive shooters with a loose grip. I just went to an advanced pistol class this past weekend and they encouraged a 'choke the shit out of your pistol' grip.

My $0.02 hope it helps

 

[Metal Gear]

427cobra is correct. Dry fire. Put up a target or just aim at something small on a wall. NO ammo near the gun, obviously. Rack the slide, aim and press, carefully watch what your front sight does as the hammer falls. Make adjustments necessary until the front sight does not move from your POA as the hammer falls (and just after - follow thru). If you're right handed, shooting left is typically too little finger on the trigger. You could also be 'slapping' the trigger. Just adjust grip and index finger position (try one thing at a time) until the front sight doesn't move dry firing.

Once you get that down, go to the range with some dummy rounds. Alternate them with live rounds in your mag. Do the same as dry firing at home. Concentrate on what the front sight is doing each time - live round or dummy round.

I'm also going to suggest not relaxing your grip. Unless you're practicing Olympic bullseye, your grip should be as tight as you can without shaking....if quick follow up shots are important at all ('double taps'). You won't find many (any?) good tactical or IDPA/IPSC type competitive shooters with a loose grip. I just went to an advanced pistol class this past weekend and they encouraged a 'choke the shit out of your pistol' grip.

My $0.02 hope it helps

Agree with this ^^^^^^^^

I will also throw out the suggestion of putting a penny on your front sight every now and then when you dry fire at home. Don't let the penny fall off the front sight as you are pulling the trigger back. This is a good trick for ensuring you have a nice steady grip, good breath control, and good trigger control.

 

[Veer_G]

Jesus, do you guys read before posting?

Some, no, and worse yet, some really haven't done before deciding to offer their opinions.

There should be a hefty license fee for keyboards ...

 

[cal50]

Practice.

Dry firing is great for trigger control but bullet holes allow real feedback. Get a cheap pellet gun and run a couple thousand shots thru it and you will see your trend or pattern.

 

[Downzero]

The answer to your actual question is because your sights are not on the target when the trigger breaks.

 

[jgerrington]

Lots of people giving advice on how to shoot. Maybe it's just the ammo. Try different ammo.
I have pistols that shoot bullets different. I've seen as much as 2 inches variance at 20 yards. Doing nothing different except changing ammo I have a change in POI. Sometimes left sometimes up or whatever it is. Find the bullet you will use for self defense or target (whatever you use that gun for) adjust sights for that round.
If it shoots left with several different bullets just adjust the freaking sights.

 

[zipollini]

I'm a full time RSO and instructor at a high end pistol range. I watch pistol shooters about 40 hours a week. If I see a right handed shooter shooting left or low left I can usually fix it in about 5 minutes and it doesn't cost a penny.

1. I run a target out about 15 ft. and let the student dry fire my gun which has a laser mounted on the rail.
2. They can usually very easily see the laser going left or dropping low left of POA immediately. Great visual aid.
3. I then look at and/or correct their stance, grip, arm position, head alignment and lastly and most importantly their trigger finger press and instruct them to use just the area directly behind the finger nail. What I find is that they are usually using too much finger on the trigger causing them to torque the gun to the left.
4. I have them dry fire my gun about 10 - 15 times until they get the hang of squeezing the trigger strait back instead of jerking or torquing it.
5. When they can dry fire the gun without the laser moving from the POA I then take the gun from them and insert a mag with one round in it and tell them to do exactly the same thing as they have just done the last 10-15 times. 99 times out of 100 they will place the shot directly in the center of the X ring of the target to their amazement.

6. I then tell them that it isn't the laser that put the shot there - it was doing all the fundamentals correctly.
7. Lastly I then have them dry fire their own weapon and try to keep their own front sight on the POA and do the same drill over and over. 10 dry fires and one live round, 10 dry fires and one live round, over and over.
8. Works every time.