Point shooting?

[Ryan.moran]

i am still relatively new to pistol shooting, but i have had some experience shooting pistols. however i have done a lot of skeet/trap shooting and from doing it so much to me it becomes muscle memory along with hand eye coordination, where your eyes are looking (the clay when trap shooting) that is where your aim should automatically go when you pull the gun up and then rest of the aiming is done quick by keeping both eyes open and looking at the front of the barrel but not directly acquiring a sight picture with the bead ( or dots on a handgun)

although i do not have that much experience handgun shooting, the bit that i do ive noticed when not looking for bulls eye shooting but a general mass area (say a 6in plate) the same type of technique i use for skeet shooting could work for handgun shooting as well with some practice for muscle memory. correct me if i am wrong but that is what my experience has been, this way your not adding in a new finger and getting used to operating them weapon with a new grip

[Warbirds]

I suggest you go the "search" feature on this forum and the Defensive Carry Forum for literally tens if not hundreds of discussions, threads, replies on this issue of point shooting. When you have literally a mini second to make a decision about presenting your firearm and discharging same, any delay that includes acquiring a laser on a BG or aiming with your "dots" can be an eternity. If you can successfully embrace the art of point shooting you are much better off in being able to defend yourself with a firearm--it is a great tool but takes practice and technique.

I'm not interested in reading what is said by people I don't know. There are people here that I have both banged heads and whose opinions I have found insightful, those are the people I am asking. It's not like I am asking OC vs CC.

[jtg452]

When I was taught to 'point shoot', I didn't change which finger I pulled the trigger with. I was taught to focus on a particular small point on the larger target ( like the orange dot at the center of a round paper target, the middle button of a shirt, the corner of a shirt pocket, ... any little thing that you can focus on- even an area with a slight difference in color in the cardboard of a ISPC style target- and the smaller the better), point the gun at it like I was pointing my finger and press the trigger. (Sounds simple don't it?) I was also taught to do it from shoulder, chest and hip levels in that order. I was taught to use the same grip, same body stance, same trigger stroke that I already had worked on and gotten comfortable (and accurate) using- I just didn't line up the sights.

Personally, I think changing what finger you are pulling the trigger with is backing up. You (hopefully) already have developed the muscle memory necessary for a proper trigger pull. Changing to a different finger is basically putting you back to square one because now you have to learn how to do it right with that finger. If you are not proficient in this area- meaning you are thumbing, milking, jerking or otherwise screwing up your trigger stroke, you aren't going to be accurate no matter if you are using sights or not.

My other problem with this technique is that you have to learn a new grip. In instinctive shooting, you have to have the gun lined up right in your hand when you present it because you don't have the ability to look down the sights and make an adjustment. Again, if you haven't become proficient at obtaining the proper master grip as you draw the gun you aren't going to hit where you are looking. Another issue I have is that the middle finger is the strongest of the 3 fingers used to grip the pistol so not only have you changed the grip to a whole new dynamic, you also weakened it.

[-06]

Point shooting is best done when your assailent is very up close and personal. It is reserved for "get off me" or "stay away" shots. I do practice and teach point shooting from 20 feet off but it is only for practice. If you have time then aim. Odds are that you will be able to "entice" someone to leave w/o shooting them at a distance. One should be proficient at point shooting ....and aimed fire. Just do not expect the bad guy to stand still while you take aim. Incoming will mess with your head even if he misses you. That is when your practice kicks in.