Student Handgunner: Recoil Rhythm

Serena working on the reset drill with a Kimber Micro .380.

Bang. By the time the rifle recoils and settles back down on the target, I’ve already taken up the first stage. I smoothly pull through the second … bang. A magazine change and eight shots later I’ve finished the rapid-fire sitting string, taking my head off the rifle to watch the targets disappear into the pits a few seconds later.

The Comparison

A rapid-fire string isn’t a competition to see who fires the fastest. It’s an exercise in timing and trigger control. These skills translate well from rifle to pistol, though muscle memory is different. Familiarity with your trigger is key. The gun going off should surprise you and you shouldn’t anticipate the shot, but you need to have an idea of the trigger weight for the best performance.

My service rifle trigger is a 4.5-lb. two stage. When I fire a shot, I take up the first stage and when on target pull through the second. While the gun is recoiling, I let the trigger out until I feel it reset and by the time the sights are back on target, I’m ready for the next. Working the sear is economy of motion. In other words, eliminating pulling through the first stage each shot saves time, which allows you to shoot faster. Whether you’re shooting a rifle or pistol, a single stage or two-stage trigger, there will always be a reset point. Dry-fire is a great way to learn where this point is and how to feel it.

The Goal

The goal is still the same, to manipulate the trigger and fire the gun without changing the muzzle’s stability or position in relation to the target. Shooting swiftly is only important if you’re making accurate shots. I still remember a lesson imparted upon me early on by my head rifle coach. “I can teach a monkey to sit there and pull the trigger,” he said. “We’re here to place good shots on target.” Shooting quickly and not hitting anything is a reckless waste of ammunition.

How Fast?

My pistol mentor George Harris puts it simply: “You can shoot only as fast as you can hit.” Speed increases by shooting with economy of motion, which can be achieved through the reset drill. When you fire a shot with a handgun, the muzzle lifts off the target. As the muzzle is lifting off the target, you should release the trigger forward to the point of reset. You should reach the point of reset at approximately the same time the muzzle reaches its peak height. Once the muzzle begins coming down, apply pressure to the trigger, increasing as the muzzle gets closer to the center of the target. You only release the shot when the muzzle is pointing at the target. Ideally, the shot will break within a millisecond or two of the muzzle returning to the original location.

Letting recoil happen and learning its rhythm doesn’t mean relaxing a firm and proper grip.

Let Recoil Happen

This sequence is a rhythm and relies on recoil to set the tempo. The moment you begin overly forcing the gun or trying to stop recoil, you disrupt the rhythm. Economy of motion comes from finding the reset point of the trigger, not by forcing the gun to its original location faster.

I learned from service rifle your body ends up doing much of the work for you. It understands the weight of the trigger and your mind wants to center the shot, so you won’t shoot at the top of the arc (above the target). No thought goes into when to break the shot. You’ll have a momentary pause while following through and allowing the gun’s muzzle to lift off the target and settle back to its original location.

Know Your Firearm

This relaxation does not come right away when you have bad habits or are unfamiliar with your trigger. Dry-firing and practicing the reset drill can amend this. Many shooters will pull the trigger and keep their finger and trigger locked to the rear until the gun settles on target. When the gun settles, they let the trigger move forward and reset. This adds time to each shot, prevents development of a rhythm and increases the amount of time your muscles are strained.

You must know how far the muzzle comes up and how your trigger feels. Dry-firing can help you gain an initial feel for your trigger, but live-fire with the reset drill teaches you how to recover from the recoil between shots.

This is one of the most easily transferrable skills from rifle to pistol shooting. No matter what firearm you are using, knowing how much force you need to apply to the trigger and how far the gun will recoil above the target is critical to finding your reset point and executing a smooth trigger pull.

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