Shooting Down or at low targets with a pistol

[Jonathan Waits]

So on paper, at eye level(shooting slowly) I can pretty much have a nice tight group at point of aim. However, when I go out to my land, I have a little steel target that stakes in the ground, I cant hit it to save my life!, is there some sort of ocular distortion that occurs when you look down with a pistol, or some sort of common misalignment with stance and grip that occurs?

 

[jtischauser]

How much of an angle is it? Like high angle down a mountain or just a few inches/feet lower?

 

[LuckyDucky]

Are you putting the steel target further away than the paper?

Is your POA different than your POI on paper so much so that you miss on the steel?

 

[mike cyrwus]

shooting is an upper body skill. the upper body maintains proper alignment and grip, move from the waist down (waist, hips, knees, ankles) in order to transition to targets that are not where your gun is already pointing, regardless if they are to the left, right, above you, or below you.

 

[silver star]

Hey Jonathan,
I edited my post because I thought Jesse started this thread.
In case you saw it before I edited it I was poking fun at Jesse.
No offense meant to you.
For what it is worth,
I only experience the problem you described after the buzzer goes off.

 

[Jonathan Waits]

Well the target is slightly further, my POI and POA are the same on paper, and as distance of height is maybe 3 ft.

 

[jtischauser]

No good explanation for that. Sometimes we get anxious when shooting steel because of the positive instant feedback aka ding you get when you hit the target. So maybe you are rushing and/or failing to follow the same basics of marksmanship when you you out and try to ring that bell.

 

[Jonathan Waits]

Yeah maybe, also doesnt help that my front sight paint has worn off.

 

[45recoil]

Top of the front sight is still there. Line it up, knock it down. It could be a mental thing too. I used to have the same issue. Couldnt hit steal to save my life.

 

[Burk Cornelius]

Jared is right. Steel is all or nothing. It used to get to me now I crave it. If you get a hard front sight focus and proper trigger control you will hit what your aiming at no.matter what angle it is at

 

[Jonathan Waits]

k, thanks guys, will try to get back out sometime and work on it some more