Range Report, XD 4" 9mm Service

[mongoose33]

Third time shooting an XD 4" Service 9mm, second time with my own. Last time, there appeared to be issues with shots clustering left on target.

I couldn't decide if it was due to sights that were not right for me, or a vision issue (dominant eye, like that).

Here's today's effort.



The bullseye using bench rest at 25' wasn't bad, 'cept for a flyer which I knew was gone as soon as I pulled the trigger. (That was me, not the gun) The rest, pretty good, but again they're left.

The silhouette was at 50 feet, and while I would have ruined anyone's day with that shot pattern, again it's left.

I still don't know if it's the sights, my eyes, or a trigger issue. I had to quit my session with unfired ammo (called away), so didn't have time to experiment with different trigger pulls, sight pictures, or whatever.

But that gun is pretty darned consistent. I'm half tempted to simply accept the leftish issue as related to sights, and find someone who can move them a bit for me.

Any thoughts?

[micahsrad]

Before you pay someone to move your sights try and focus on your grip and trigger finger. Make sure that your thumb is staying on the grip with a slight amount of pressure. Also ensure that you are using the tip of your finger to manipulate the trigger(in between the end and the first joint). A good test is to ask a buddy who you know can shoot straight to fire your pistol and see where his groupings are. If they are center mass then focus on the proper grip and trigger squeeze. Hope this helps......Micah

[mongoose33]

Originally Posted by micahsrad

Before you pay someone to move your sights try and focus on your grip and trigger finger. Make sure that your thumb is staying on the grip with a slight amount of pressure. Also ensure that you are using the tip of your finger to manipulate the trigger(in between the end and the first joint). A good test is to ask a buddy who you know can shoot straight to fire your pistol and see where his groupings are. If they are center mass then focus on the proper grip and trigger squeeze. Hope this helps......Micah

I went to the range yesterday and focused on trigger issues primarily, and the results were much better.

Your comments got me thinking more about the role the trigger finger plays in all this, and I ran across an article on the web that advocated "virtual" dry-firing, i.e., holding an imaginary pistol in two hands and flexing the trigger finger as if one is firing:

So, you want to be a crack pistol shot?

The point the author makes is that one needs to isolate the trigger finger so flexing it doesn't cause any other part of the hand to move.

In my case, my thumb was moving! So I practiced trying to isolate that movement without anything else on the trigger hand moving.

I also did some dry-firing in between groups, and that seemed to help also.

Here are the results. In the benchrest group, I was aiming center-target, not the 6-oclock position SA says one should use.

What I'm liking about these targets is that I'm getting more dispersion about target center, not about some area left of center.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback--I think it sent me in the right direction.

M.

[Nosrac]

I stumbled across the grip videos on the Springer Precision site and took that info to the range with me. It really cleaned up my targets and I have very little muzzle flip compared to before. I shoot at 25' with the XD9 service and it's now better than my SW k22 at 50' and I can keep that pretty tight. I'm not great but making good strides.

Take a look at those videos and see if you gleen anything from them.