Is poor trigger contol my issue?

[TehLlama]

Finally got to run my own pistol for the first time in a year and a half, the first two boxes were solid disappointment in the form of lots of horizontal stringing.
I stopped, did dry fire and realized I was flinching and jerking the trigger all at once (I think), and finally shot an acceptable trio of magazines after I worried less about how much the sights were moving and focused only on the trigger.
http://i56.tinypic.com/x0wkk4.jpg
@~15yd DISREGARD THE CARDBOARD IMPACTS - was reusing cardboard.

Any help, suggestions? Should I just give up on high end 1911's?

http://i54.tinypic.com/4llxsn.jpg
Obligatory gun pron
http://i56.tinypic.com/1626tcz.jpg

[fmhscopeland]

Its not bad buddy. Your at least consistent which is a plus as much as you might not think so, that means you really have less to fix than you think instead of the target looking like a 00 buck hit it. I work at a gun range and see this all the time, and people getting frustrated. First i need to know if you are right handed or left handed and right or left eye dominant. and i hope we are discussing the impacts that are strafing from 9 o-clock down to 6 o-clock not those ones at 3, right? Provided you are right handed and have a good grip on the gun and are not tea cupping, i would say one pull your finger back off the trigger a little bit. Its like Elmers glue, you don't need much. Have it in the middle of your fingernail. That in theory will fix your 9 o-clock drift. As far as the 6 o-clock drift that is usually indicative of anticipating recoil so you flinch and thus there is the 6 o-clock push. Only way to stop that is take your time, get a good stance, grip and sight picture. Take a deep breath in, slow breath out at the end of that breath put the tip of your finger on the trigger and do a touch, press, hold on the trigger directly to the rear of the gun. Or i can send you a box and you can ship that "Lemon" 1911 to me and ill take care of her :D

[John_Wayne777]

What speed were you shooting at when you missed all those shots to the right?

When you were hitting the target in the appropriate place, think back in your mind to what your sight picture looked like....what was different about it than when you were missing?

While it's hard to diagnose someone based on holes in paper alone, it looks to me like you weren't looking at your sights for the shots on cardboard. You were all over the place in relation to the intended target, which means you probably weren't carefully watching your sights.

The amount of slop you can get away with in your sight picture decreases as the distance increases. 15 yards or thereabouts is generally the point where sloppy sight pictures generally fail people miserably. People often report that they can do just fine up until 10-15 yards, then it all falls apart. Generally the cause of that is a failure to understand how to manage the sights at those longer ranges.

[pilotguyo540]

You may also want to try loosening up your thumb if you are right handed.

[Robb Jensen]

Too much trigger finger in the triggerguard can cause left hits but usually it's jerking the trigger. Since you have Thunder Ranch it might be too small for your hands. Try a set of normal thickness 1911 grips if you have a set to see if that helps.

I experienced this with the Glock 17/22 Gen 4s. Slow shooting not out of the holster was okay with no additional backstrap. Out of the holster or speed shooting caused my shots to go high and left. Add in the medium backstrap fixed it.

[TehLlama]

Right handed, right eye dominant. I've got a pair of S&S Gunners and an arched MSH waiting to go on this pistol - but I'm still not that happy with my end of the deal.

All those shots were on paper - those stray cardboard impacts were from using old cardboard (made sure to turn it backwards).

Of the first 4 shots, two of those were the extremes (left to right), and that's my principal concern. Those were slow fire (about 5 seconds apart). The second and third magazines were about twice as fast, trying to focus on trigger (that lowest shot on the left was a flinch from those)

I know sight picture is a huge component of it - I never feel like a stable platform shooting pistol standing, so my comfort level is just crap. When I had a decent picture and didn't see the front sight wander down and left on my I sent it into that grouping center - I was happy with 80% of those shots.
The ones where it seemed to jump a bit as I pressed - I'm just trying to diagnose which issue might be the most significant - as much as I'd like to believe that fatter grips (more comfortable for my larger hands) would help the most, I honestly think it's a combination flinching or rushing the trigger pull, though I wasn't feeling that much consistence as far as thumb pressure, or which side the trigger had more pressure to...

[pilotguyo540]

I would recommend pulling your thumb off of the gun totally. Just have it pointing at your 9 o'clock. Don't take your shot unless you are sure you will be happy. Get comfortable. Relax. Have fun. There is really no pressure except that in your head. When you feel your chest tense up, take a small break. I bet you are getting tense and your thumb is pulling your shots left.

[JohnN]

This probably seems simplistic but start at seven yards. There are many more variables at 15 yards and it can be very frustrating to self diagnose a shooting problem.

[Alpha Sierra]

I experienced this with the Glock 17/22 Gen 4s. Slow shooting not out of the holster was okay with no additional backstrap. Out of the holster or speed shooting caused my shots to go high and left. Add in the medium backstrap fixed it.
I saw something similar. With no added backstrap, low and left. With medium backstrap, dead nuts on.

I found that with no backstrap insert my trigger finger would drag and push on the bottom of the trigger guard.

[Magsz]

Its a 1911, taking your thumb off of the safety is probably not the best idea.

Am i the only one that doesn't think that group at 15 yards is that terrible? Yes, there is a spread. Yes, all shots should be touching but are we looking to rat hole at any range?

Did you actually measure that group?

[Jay Cunningham]

At 15 yards all your shots should be in the orange.

Before I even read your follow up post my guess was that you have large hands. As Robb suggested you may need bigger grips or possibly even a larger framed handgun.

Just from the pics I don't think your issue is trigger control or front sight focus - I think your issue is grip.

Before you go chasing rainbows - let someone else shoot your gun.

[fmhscopeland]

No the groups arent bad, i mean if you can get a group that is within hands size at that distance works perfectly fine for defensive use.. There are different schools of thought weather drilling the same hole 8 times or putting each shot a couple inches a part is 'best" for defensive use, that a way you maximize the effect on the different organs and body parts... Your doing well but if you want to land a 1-2" group i suggest you try some of the above remedy's and see if they help.

[TehLlama]

Before you go chasing rainbows - let someone else shoot your gun.

I did do exactly that, and he had the same results, and same complaint about the grip feeling undersized.

I know I can make mediocre looking groups in a hurry (that size), but for patient fire I'm unhappy with that for results - I've tried forcing myself to emulate a larger grip doing dry fire today, and that seems to resolve that significantly, and overgripping it causes the same jink from the front sight, and seems to irritate the mysterious blister from front corner of the trigger face.

I think that will be a marked improvement - thanks so much for your input! Clearly I asked in the right place...