6 handgun fundamentals you must know

- an excerpt from the new Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to Handgun Marksmanship


"Every shot you take, fast or slow, near or far, small or large target, requires the correct fundamentals."

The fundamentals are everything. Without them you cannot hit your target. Forget about speed, because that will come with training.

A fast miss on a large, close target solves nothing. Ditto, a slow miss on a small distant target. Every shot you take, fast or slow, near or far, small or large target, requires the correct fundamentals. 

Here are 6 handgun fundamentals you MUST know and practice:

1) CORRECT GRIP - grip the pistol so that its backstrap (the rear face of the grip frame) is centered in the web of the shooting hand between thumb and forefinger. The result of this is to align the barrel naturally with the long bones of the forearm.

2) CORRECT STANCE - with forward weight bias, when shooting from the standing position.

3) CORRECT GUN PRESENTATION - that locks your sights onto whatever your eyes are looking at.

4) CORRECT USE OF FRONG SIGHT FOCUS - and the flash sight picture for verification of correct presentation.

5) CORRECT TRIGGER PRESS - without flinching or jerking.

6) CORRECT FOLLOW-THROUGH - of calling the shot, seeing the full recoil cycle with sight picture realized again, and minimum trigger reset motion.

Read all that over 10 times. Then read it over another thousand. Make sure it sinks in. 

You will be quizzed by reality.

SELF-DIAGNOSE YOURSELF

Pay close attention to what you see in the sight picture and what you feel in your grip, trigger finger motion, and stance.

What you feel and see here can help you diagnose errors in your form and move you on to perfection. Truth is, you will occasionally throw a wild shot. We all do. But don't let this discourage you. Rather, use each bad shot as a learning experience."