# thumbing/ heeling



## thelonerang3r (Jul 30, 2009)

I'm relatively new to handguns and my accuracy is a huge issue right now. I printed a "diagnostic" target from ammoman and it tells me my biggest problems are heeling and thumbing. Any tips on how to correct this? I'm shooting at about 15 yards right now and seem to alternate between the 2 )heel a shot or 2 then thumb a couple). Going slow isn't helping this a whole lot, but it is making my groups tighter. :smt001


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## twomode (Jun 7, 2009)

The answers are here. There is a post regarding correct shooting posture. It's a fundemental issue. You'll learn. Start searching here, and you'll find your solution. Welcome aboard.


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## jimmy (Feb 3, 2009)

Check out this video "how to grip a pistol" .. ever since I started doing that and my accuracy improved tremendously.


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

The terms "thumbing" and "heeling" are usually used to describe problems associated with one-handed (2700 bullseye) target shooting. It's not impossible, but I'd say it's rather rare to see scattered shot groups traced to either of these problems when shooting with a two-handed firing grip.

If your shot group is scattered on target, or inconsistent from group-to-group, my money is on a trigger-control/fundamentals problem. I've trained many hundreds of people with a handgun, and the vast majority that had trouble were snapping/jerking the trigger or being inconsistent in the application of the fundamentals. Get a good solid high-on-the-gun grip, align the sights on target, hold them as steady as you can, and squeeze the trigger gently AS YOU KEEP THE SIGHTS NEAR THE CENTER. If you know exactly when the gun is going to fire, you're not squeezing, you're pulling/jerking/snapping the trigger, which will cause it to move at the last moment, scattering your shots all over the target. Dry-firing (clicking an empty/unloaded weapon, pointed in a safe direction, from a shooting posture) will help you to learn to squeeze carefully enough to not disturb the sights. If the sights move when the gun goes "click", you pulled too hard.

Hope this was helpful and not too preachy. Easy to fall back into old habits...


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## thelonerang3r (Jul 30, 2009)

At this point, nothing is too preachy. ALL tips are appreciated and will be utilized. As for the YouTube video- I was close on the grip but wasn't rotating my offhand forward. I'll see what happens next time I make it out.:smt023


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## tekhead1219 (May 16, 2008)

Also, try your targets at 5 yards instead of 15 and see what happens. When you can consistently hit the bull at 5, then move out to 15. Just my .02.:smt033


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## falchunt (May 8, 2009)

lone,

I would think that dry firing is going to tell you a really good story about your issues. Try to concentrate, and maybe have a friend or aqcuantance watch as you fire, to see if you are pulling/flinching and which way. There are plenty of how to's out there to show how to improve your consistancy and accuracy. Good luck to you and let us know how it goes!


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## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

Get some snap caps. hen find a spot on a wall and dry fire and watch the front sight. See how the weapon moves just a little as the the trigger breaks? That trigger time is priceless. Then after that have someone load some mags putting a snap cap somewhere in the mag where you don't know where it is. And when you see the hammer fall what is the weapon doing? dropping a little pulling or pushing because toy are trying to anticipate the recoil or you have too much or too little trigger finger on it? Having a trusted friend to watch what you're doing helps a lot there.

Try shooting at some longer distances that you might just for HD type situations. You can be off just a hair at 7-20 yards but you will really see the issue magnify at 25-35 yards. One of my favorite longer range targets are those 20 round 22 lr ammo boxes and golf balls. 
Get to where you can hit something like that at as far as 50 yards anything inside that range is toast.

My dad was a land surveyor. He always would say to me that a square that's off 1/32" at the bottom will be a lot more off when you start building up. It just seemed to make sense in my shooting too.

Start out closer and work your way back as it gets easier on the closer ones. And remember all the talk here is great. You will learn from a lot of real good shooters around this forum. But nothing replaces trigger time. Be patient. I've known very few shooters that just went out and bought a weapon and could drive tacks. Start where you feel the most comfortable and work out little by little. And before you know it you will be posting ways to help a new guy one some day:smt023. And most important you will learn to be very comfortable with *your weapon*. And nothing means more than that when you have not near the time to think abut how you're shooting.:smt023


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## falchunt (May 8, 2009)

+1
This is a great post DJ


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