Many new handgun owners will go to the range and shoot a couple of times, and then head home thinking they are good to go in case of a home invasion, for example.

They know their way around their gun, feel they understand the basics of shooting, and they do pretty well at the range.

Good enough right? Wrong.

Being able to shoot a handgun, is not going to be of much use if you do not know how to shoot a pistol ACCURATELY.

Being able to shoot accurately, will be the difference between hitting an intruder and stopping them, or hitting the wall multiple times and finding your clip empty.

Do not fret. Accuracy is definitely something you can learn and improve upon.

Before you can be accurate though, you will need to make sure you have mastered the basics of shooting a handgun.

If the basics are not there, the accuracy most certainly will not be. Below is a quick review of the basics.

Basics of How To Shoot A Pistol

These can be summarized into 3 different points:

1. Have a strong shooting stance that is comfortable for you
2. Have a hard, two-handed grip
3. Make sure your sights are aligned correctly before you pull the trigger

Once the basics of shooting your pistol properly are well rehearsed you can move on to accuracy.

Pistol Accuracy Tips

First let us go over some tips to helping with handgun accuracy.

Tip #1: Hand strengtheners

Try getting yourself a hand strengthener and using it every so often. You may be thinking, how could this possibly help my accuracy?

The reason it helps is because with use, it makes it so you can grip your gun harder and better. If you can grip your gun better, you can manage the recoil of it when you shoot it.

Less recoil means your gun stays pointed where you want it to be pointed, allowing for your shot to go where you want it to go. Stronger grip = less recoil = more accurate shot

Tip #2: Choose a larger gun, with a longer barrel.

This may seem a little strange, but this simple step can help with your accuracy greatly.

Larger guns tend to be more accurate, as do longer barreled guns. Larger guns also tend to fit in people’s hands better.

If a gun fits your hand better, it makes sense that you will be able to control, and in turn, shoot it better.

Although you may eventually want a smaller gun, especially if you plan on concealing, a larger gun, with a longer barrel, may be the best place to start.

Tip #3: Practice at the distance you want to be accurate at

If you want to be accurate at long range, then you need to practice at long range.

If you want to be accurate at short range, then practice at short range.

If you are accurate at one range you can not expect to be accurate at the other though.

You may have a better shot at being accurate, but you will need to practice at both distances if you want to be accurate at both.

Tip #4: Try different types of ammunition

Try different types of ammunition, before committing to one. Different types of ammunition shoot differently.

Some ammunition is actually going to be more accurate than others. Also, by trying different ammo, you may find you like one kind compared to another.

The more comfortable you are with shooting, the more accurate you will be. So finding an ammo you prefer is a good, simple step towards accuracy .

Following these tips will help you a lot when it comes to shooting your gun properly.

Pistol Drills To Improve Accuracy

Here are a few drills that will also help further your accuracy success.

Drill #1: Close range focus drills

Try a conducting a focus drill at close range. Say at about five or so yards out. What you want to do is try and shoot the same spot over and over again.

By doing it at close range, your take out other potential factors that could contribute to the inaccuracy of the shot (weather, gun, ammo).

This leaves behind any mistakes made in accuracy, due to human error. When you know what mistakes are caused by human error, you know which ones you need to work on to get more accurate with your pistol.

Drill #2: Coin drill

Professional marksman Chris Cheng recommends a coin drill to improve accuracy. What you do is place a coin on top of your sights.

Next aim and then slowly pull the trigger, with the goal of keeping the coin in place when you fire the gun.

Chris says this is a great drill to try if you are hitting your shots low.

It makes you focus on not dropping the barrel of your gun, which causes you to aim low, and instead maintaining the correct position and hitting your target.

Drill #3: Dry Fire Drills

A dry fire drill is when you practice shooting without any ammo or with fake rounds.

Many experts believe this helps with accuracy because it allows you to get familiar with the feel of your gun, especially the feel of the pull of the trigger and the recoil.

Many people will develop a flinch when they are shooting live rounds. By dry firing you are are taking away the distraction of the actual bullet, allowing you to focus on NOT flinching.

The belief with dry firing is that, by practicing NOT flinching over and over, when it comes to firing a real shot, you will have created some muscle memory, so you will not flinch, thus sending your bullet where you want it to go, instead of somewhere else.

Drill #4: 5 x 5 drill

Use a target with a five inch circle. Place the target out five yards. When ready, you have five seconds, to fire five shots, with the goal of hitting all five in the five inch circle.

This drill combines speed with accuracy.

This is a drill that is probably best used, once you are comfortable, and more confident with your shooting skills.

This drill is important because it is good to be accurate and quick at the same time.

You never know how quickly you are going to have to fire off shots, while maintaining still accuracy, in a life and death situation.

Final Thoughts – How To Shoot A Pistol Accurately

These tips and drills on how to shoot a pistol more accurately will do you wonders.

With practice you will go from hitting the target every now and then, to hitting the target MUCH more frequently, if not almost EVERY time.

More importantly though, knowing how to shoot your pistol properly could mean the difference in life and death.

Stay safe and happy shooting!