My revelations came years after I was already a "Gun guy" as well. Well, pretty much when I took my first decent class. Nothing like training with pros to make you realize that all these years you didn't know shit. Stance, Grip, sight picture, sear engagement sight picture again, press, follow through and don't forget to breathe. All sounds pedantic but it's all important and these days it's muscle memory. When I draw my shit is automatically lined up. When I started using dots there was no learning curve. I never had to "Find the dot", it was right there. Trigger control is the real key. Most people shoot low and left when they start because they're jerking or slapping the trigger. When you start visualizing a press instead of a pull it comes together. Then it's just massive repetition until it becomes muscle memory. The other big eye opener for me was something I never considered. Eye dominance. I have always been mostly ambidextruous and have always preferred to shoot beaded shotguns from the left side. Now I know why. I am cross eye dominant. So my left eye is dominant but I primarily shoot pistols from the right. I train both ways but right feels right. When I figured out I was cross dominant I got all kinds of advice about switching to left and blah, blah. It's really not that difficult to mitigate cross eye dominance. First, you should be shooting with both eyes open whether you are cross eye dominant or not, but once you realize why you're shooting 2'' off center all the time, it's just a matter of adjusting your draw so that the gun comes up where your left eye is lined up with the sights. Easy peasy. Of course optics make that a non issue, but I think everyone should master irons before moving to dots.
Agreed
I'm right eye dominant, but I'll shoot pistols both ways just in case I loose my right hand to an injury. Always both eyes open. AR's are slightly different for me, I shoot right handed but will transition to left shoulder if I need to as opposed to shooting them left handed. The transition just happens with less thought on my part so that's how I train to run it. Its personal preference. There are some situations where it would be a disadvantage, but having trained that way for years it just feels more natural and def faster. If I run out and have to do a mag swap its definitely faster that way, but my whole "if I get shot in my strong hand I need to be comfortable doing it left handed" thing is compromised due to the way my kit is setup so thats a thing I gotta work through. Not so bad if we are running plate carriers that particular day, but most of the time running drills we are just running battle belts due to the heat, and thats where it gets tricky.
The first time I went to K&M and did a long distance class, I found out very quickly everything I had done my whole life was wrong
Shannon Kay was my instructor and the first time we went prone so he could evaluate exactly what we were doing, he said " You've shot a long time, haven't you?'
Me- "yes sir.. since I was 5.."
I thought he was gonna compliment me on my shitty 3.6" group at 100 yds..
SK- "Well you've done everything wrong long enough to be fairly proficient at it.... Everything you're doing is wrong"
He smiled at me and said "it will be fine, give yourself till lunchtime before you get discouraged. We have a lot to do "
That was my first "oh shit" moment of that weekend, I had a bunch of those after that, but he got me straightened out.
I could not believe how much I learned over the next 2 days. In less than 2 hours, he had me shooting 3/8" groups consistently.
We've ended up going there several times and trained through Advanced levels with him over the past 7 years. Best money I ever spent .
He's probably forgotten more than I'll ever know about long distance shooting
