Your dominant eye is usually lines up with your dominant hand, but this is not always the case. To determine which eye is your dominant one, form a 1-inch (2. 5-cm) circle with your thumb and index finger. Hold the circle at arm’s length and look through it to a distant object. [1] X Research source Gradually bring the circle toward your face with both eyes open, but do not look at it. You hand will naturally move toward your dominant eye.

The front sight consists of a single post and the back sight consists of two posts. There needs to be an equal amount of space to the left and the right of the front sight. The top of the front sight should also be flush or even with the tops of the back sight posts.

The target should look a little blurry. You should still be able to see it, but it should fall to the background and look much less crisp than the gun sights appear. More specifically, you should be focusing on your front sight. The front sight lets you know what your gun’s relative position to the target is.

For the center hold or center of mass aim, place the top of the front sight at the center of the target. The top should run through the horizontal center of the target. For the 6 o’clock aim, place the top of the front sight just below the bullseye area. If using an actual shooting target, the top of the front sight will overlap the bottom of the black bullseye. For the sub-6 aim, you will need to place the top of the front sight even further below the bullseye area. When using actual shooting targets, the top of the sight will be roughly in the middle of the white portion below the black bullseye area.

Before firing the pistol, make sure your shots are correctly aligned. Be patient when pressing the trigger. If you feel anxious about firing the gun and concentrate on applying more pressure to the trigger, even for a moment, you will lose concentration on your aim and will probably have a poor shot.

If the bullet hits below the center of the target, the top of the front sight may have shifted below the tops of the back sight posts. If the bullet hits above the center of the target, the top of the front sight may have shifted above the tops of the back sight posts. If the bullet hits right of center, the front sight might be closer to the right side of the back sight. If the bullet hits left of center, the front sight might be closer to the left side of the back sight.

Parallel shift errors almost always result from your wrist either breaking up or breaking down, so the placement of your shot will usually be either just above center or just below it, respectively.

If the bullet hits out of center and closer to your dominant side, you could be squeezing your thumb or using too much trigger finger. Similarly, if it falls to the other side of the center, you might be using too little trigger finger. If it falls to the lower right for right-handed shooters, or vice versa for left-handed shooters, you could be tightening your grip while pulling the trigger. If it falls to the lower left, you could be tightening your fingers or jerking the trigger. If the bullet lands to the upper right for right-handed shooters, or vice versa for left-handed shooters, you might be anticipating recoil in your shot. If it goes to the upper left, you might be anticipating recoil or lacking follow through.

Your middle, ring, and pinky fingers should wrap around the outside and front of the grip. Your index finger should rest against the outside of the trigger guard. [10] X Research source This position give you the maximum amount of leverage against the gun. When you fire the pistol, it will recoil, and good leverage is an important part of keeping your hand steady.

Place the support hand as high as possible around the grip. All four fingers should be under the trigger guard, and the index finger should press the bottom outside of the guard firmly. [12] X Research source The thumb should point forward and meet with your other thumb on the opposite side of the gun.

This stance makes it easy to move yet provides you with stability. Grab your pistol and raise it up until it is positioned in front of you. Your arms should be straight out and slightly bent at the elbows, and the gun should be nowhere near your face.

Press the trigger straight to the rear using a constant pressure. Only use pressure on the front of the trigger and not on the sides. Squeeze the trigger until you start feeling resistance to take the slack out of it. Continue pressing the trigger in this manner until the pistol shoots. Try not to anticipate when this will happen, since doing so often leads to a last-minute error in aim.