New shooters have a tendency to anticipate the shot or the recoil. This causes a number of errors in the accuracy of your shooting. Use the pistol correction chart to identify your bad habits and overcome them during firearm training. Every shooter is different, so the chart is meant to help you identify trends for correction purposes. Don’t use it to obsess over every single shot and be sure to use the appropriate gun safety.
Using the Pistol Correction Chart
Many members of the Concealed Coalition started out using a downloaded or self-made pistol correction chart. The NRA offers an official version, and your instructor may ask you to use a particle chart to complete a course.
Pistol Correction Charts are circles divided into six to ten sections. Each segment that’s outside of the central target zone is labeled with typical errors that may have caused a misfire to hit in that zone. You should try a few charts to see which one helps you identify and correct your own shooting errors. Since there’s no universally approved chart, it may take some trial and error to figure out your individual quirks and fix them. Working with a qualified instructor is the best way to fast track results. Plus, of course, practice makes perfect.
Common Errors on the Chart
There are many different charts available, but most of them include comments to address the following issues.
Thumbing means that you apply excessive thumb pressure which drives the barrel toward your dominant hand.
Heeling inaccuracies result if you dig the fleshy part of your hand (heel) too hard into the grip.
Proper placement of your finger on the trigger is important to avoid unintentionally moving the barrel.
Jerking refers to errors in which you put steadily increasing pressure on the pistol’s trigger. This causes unnecessary barrel movement when you take the shot.
Grip pressure errors occur when you hold the gun too hard on the dominant side or too softly on the nondominant side.
Anticipation refers to a recoil anticipation error where you push on the pistol before or during the recoil action.
Cross-eyed Tendencies
The pistol correction chart doesn’t correct for is or right hand/left eye dominance or left hand/right eye dominance, which cause rounds to go to the nine o’clock or three o’clock position, respectively.
You can find many articles online by proponents for or against the utility of pistol correction charts. The bottom line is it’s another tool you can put in your arsenal to become a better shooter. If you have a concealed carry license, you definitely need to have confidence in your skills in case they’re ever put to the test. One of the best ways to counter gun control arguments is to have licensed concealed carry citizens of strong moral character and the proper firearm training.
