Shooting handguns to improve rifle skill

[Gstew1930]

I've recently started working on becoming as efficient and accurate as possible with a pistol (I'm terrible). I have very little experience in this area—I've put more rounds through my .223 in the last three months than I have through any pistol in my entire life. I've been doing quite a bit of ball-and-dummy drills to help reduce my flinch and recoil anticipation. Anyway, I went out to shoot my rifles this morning, and I felt like I was breaking the cleanest shots of my life. Is this because I'm back in my comfort zone, or are the skills actually transferable?

 

[EdP]

My guess is that you have improved your trigger skills due to it being so much easier to move a pistol off target during trigger action.

If you really want to improve your rifle trigger skills get and shoot a flintlock rifle. When you can hit targets with a flintlock any flinch tendency is gone.

 

[Pilsner]

While certainly not a one-to-one comparison I think that several skills carry over from rifle to pistol to shotgun to whatever. A good trigger squeeze is a good trigger squeeze for instance.

 

[Gstew1930]

My guess is that you have improved your trigger skills due to it being so much easier to move a pistol off target during trigger action.

If you really want to improve your rifle trigger skills get and shoot a flintlock rifle. When you can hit targets with a flintlock any flinch tendency is gone.

Man i might have a seizure behind a flintlock lol. I dont know anybody with a flintlock

 

[ProRoad]

Just shooting a lot is the key. You don't ever want to feel "terrible" with your pistol, Different models and calibers also matter. Shoot as many as you can, go to the range and rent, you will find that they are very different. This way you will end up with what works for you. I personally love shooting 10mm but hated my Kimber Eclipse so much I sold it. I find that range experience helps with any trigger pull, be it rifle, shotgun or pistol. You have to find your comfort zone.

 

[Gstew1930]

Just shooting a lot is the key. You don't ever want to feel "terrible" with your pistol, Different models and calibers also matter. Shoot as many as you can, go to the range and rent, you will find that they are very different. This way you will end up with what works for you. I personally love shooting 10mm but hated my Kimber Eclipse so much I sold it. I find that range experience helps with any trigger pull, be it rifle, shotgun or pistol. You have to find your comfort zone.

Nah man it aint about feeling terrible. Its about actually being terrible

 

[Wprinkle]

I've recently started working on becoming as efficient and accurate as possible with a pistol (I'm terrible). I have very little experience in this area—I've put more rounds through my .223 in the last three months than I have through any pistol in my entire life. I've been doing quite a bit of ball-and-dummy drills to help reduce my flinch and recoil anticipation. Anyway, I went out to shoot my rifles this morning, and I felt like I was breaking the cleanest shots of my life. Is this because I'm back in my comfort zone, or are the skills actually transferable?

I am in the EXACT SAME boat.. I have added pistol practice into my regular rifle training for about 3 weeks now. I noticed the same result.. I shoot my ten rounds of rifle then shoot the pistol while the rifle cools and so on. I didn't really have a "flinch" like is common but I would press forward with my thumb as I squeezed the trigger on the rifle... and now its gone. My trigger work is straight and cleaner. During long sessions with the rifle I would let my eyes wander from the target to my hand running the bolt and that's gone as well....

On a side not i can burn through 100 rounds of 9mm a lot faster than a 100 rounds of 5.56 on the trainer lol

 

[Gstew1930]

I am in the EXACT SAME boat.. I have added pistol practice into my regular rifle training for about 3 weeks now. I noticed the same result.. I shoot my ten rounds of rifle then shoot the pistol while the rifle cools and so on. I didn't really have a "flinch" like is common but I would press forward with my thumb as I squeezed the trigger on the rifle... and now its gone. My trigger work is straight and cleaner. During long sessions with the rifle I would let my eyes wander from the target to my hand running the bolt and that's gone as well....

On a side not i can burn through 100 rounds of 9mm a lot faster than a 100 rounds of 5.56 on the trainer lol

Thats awesome! Im glad I'm not crazy. I have battled a flinch for a long time. I've just about got it licked. I'll do a thread on it soon, my dad only had 1 rifle when I got started hunting. A 30-06 shooting 180 grain corelocks isnt fun for an 8 year old lol. I shot that rifle until I got my 270 when I was 16. I got proficient at smashing the shit out of the trigger

 

[Formidilosus]

, or are the skills actually transferable?

Yes. Pistol skill translates to rifle skill near 1:1. Rifle skills do not transfer to pistol.

 

[Gstew1930]

Yes. Pistol skill translates to rifle skill near 1:1. Rifle skills do not transfer to pistol.

Perfect! All the more reason to learn

 

[Formidilosus]

Perfect! All the more reason to learn

Absolutely. If one wants to be truly competent with a rifle in dynamic shooting, they really need to shoot and compete in action pistol.

 

[Wprinkle]

Thats awesome! Im glad I'm not crazy. I have battled a flinch for a long time. I've just about got it licked. I'll do a thread on it soon, my dad only had 1 rifle when I got started hunting. A 30-06 shooting 180 grain corelocks isnt fun for an 8 year old lol. I shot that rifle until I got my 270 when I was 16. I got proficient at smashing the shit out of the trigger

Thats funny my first "elk" gun at 12 years old was a 30-06 with 180 corelocks, then I graduated to a real mans cartridge of 300 WM, until I found this place and started to piece together why I was extremely accurate with a 22-250 but after a few rounds of 300wm I couldn't hit schitt...
I found a local USPSA club here and plan on going to some matches this spring. The pistol this is as addictive as the rifle now...

 

[Gstew1930]

Thats funny my first "elk" gun at 12 years old was a 30-06 with 180 corelocks, then I graduated to a real mans cartridge of 300 WM, until I found this place and started to piece together why I was extremely accurate with a 22-250 but after a few rounds of 300wm I couldn't hit schitt...
I found a local USPSA club here and plan on going to some matches this spring. The pistol this is as addictive as the rifle now...

Sounds like we are in the exact same boat. I signed up for a USPSA match next month

 

[Wprinkle]

Sounds like we are in the exact same boat. I signed up for a USPSA match next month

I warned em they will have to time me with a sundial lol

 

[Jpsmith1]

I am finding that "trigger time" regardless of the trigger, has been helpful to me.

I shoot far more bow than anything, but pistol is a distant second. With my bow, I've been working on the Shot IQ system where I'm using a consistent mental conversation with myself to address the trigger. Bringing this to the pistol range has hugely improved my shooting and I'm moving this over to the rifle range.

 

[Gstew1930]

I warned em they will have to time me with a sundial lol

Oh im getting my rounds off. I might not hit anything but if im gonna suck, ill do it quickly .

 

[Wprinkle]

Oh im getting my rounds off. I might not hit anything but if im gonna suck, ill do it quickly .
View attachment 1004704

HAHAHA good point, if I am going to be horrible I might as well be horrible and fast

 

[WoodlandCritter]

Shooting handgun is the best way to get passable to good at nearly all disciplines of shooting. My firearms practice has revolved around USPSA and Steel Challenge for the past 5 years now and my skill at all types of shooting has increased drastically. I generally shoot 3000-5000 rounds in handgun a year (would love to do a lot more, but I have to buy groceries). I do very little dedicated rifle practice and can make first round hits on an 8" plate at 300yds with my AR (which puts up 2.5moa 10 round groups).

This year I intend to put in more work at longer distances with rifle shooting, because the one thing that handgun doesn't help with at all is wind calling. But becoming proficient with a handgun can you make pretty killer out to 400yds with a rifle shooting a sufficiently high b.c bullet.

It also helps an awful lot that 9mm is half the price of 5.56. You get a ton more practice for your dollar.