Dipping Front Sight

I've noticed that after a break in my shooting that upon returning to dry fire that I'm dipping the front sight.  I'm focusing on "not" doing this, but is there a drill/technique to help prevent this bad habit, other than what I'm doing right now, which is just focusing on not doing it?

This is not a smart a.. response. You should not focus on NOT doing it you should focus on seeing the sight steady, picture a steady sight when you pull the trigger. The worst thing to focus on is what you don't want to have happen (Mental Management) i.e. if you think "don't shoot an 8" you will increase your chances that you will shoot an 8.

- Dave

Dave is right. Focus on seeing the sight being perfectly still until after the hammer falls.

A question that comes to mind is are you causing this dip because of your trigger control?  Is your finger riding lower on the trigger?  Another thing that comes to mind is the front end weight of your gun.  I just had a posting on this.  I think both of these would cause dipping.

you need to verify the pistol is mechanically sound, sometimes the trigger adjustment on a 1911 can prevent a perfect trigger break. overtravel adjustment can change a lot.

I believe the trigger is fine, I'm using a borrowed 1911 from a BE gunsmith so its the goofball behind the trigger.

I noticed I was every so slightly loosening my grip as I was moving the trigger.  I took a round turn on this.  I noticed I also wasn't executing good follow, which may have amplified the dip.

JayhawkNavy02 wrote:The trigger is fine, I noticed I was every so slightly loosening my grip as I was moving the trigger.  I took a round turn on this.  I noticed I also wasn't executing good follow, which may have amplified the dip.

haven't heard "taking a round turn" since I got out, good stuff. Losing focus on grip will do it every time. I was also told that starting to look at the target while breaking the shot will cause a front sight dip, but since you are looking at the target that is harder to detect and stop doing.

And then the pennies dropped....I think you just identified a critical point that I haven't self acknowledged. I have been working very hard on shot calls, but I think I've let me eyes wander from the front sight post to the target occasionally with the effect you mentioned.

Thanks Robert!

Cheers,
Derek

Bad posture can have an effect, too. Keep the head erect, and no slouching.

davekp wrote:Bad posture can have an effect, too. Keep the head erect, and no slouching.

great point Dave. I remember a time when I would have the first mag high or low from zero and then the second mag the opposite. I eventually determined I was slowing dropping or raising my head during the string. This is of course with irons but I think it can still affect dot sighted groups. gotta make sure head position, along with everything else, is consistent. takes time to learn how to stand perfectly still while firing a pistol.

my sights move once i release the trigger, once I get back on the trigger everything comes back to where it should be.

Something ain't quite natural maybe.  You have a conscious effort to align the sight and are forcing a compensation to hold the sight up.  The second your mind thinks trigger, the compensation slips away. Down goes the sight.

Some great articles by Ed, one of which I've read so far addressed the issue I was having.   I think it echoes Jack's post.
 

http://www.starreloaders.com/edhall/

Dry fire on a blank target and concentrate on keeping the sights aligned.

Dropping your head will drop the pistol down.
Try to keep an upright body posture and head raised during the whole shot process.
Being consistent from start to finish of the shot is the key.
For some reason I have been guilty of drooping my head as I make the shot and it goes low.
If I apply the proper stance and posture to my process it works.

Some do not believe in a "natural point of aim" with a pistol.
I believe there is.
I do this while setting up for SF.
It makes a lot of those shots that you swear are an 8 into a 9 or 10.
Learned this from shooting free and air pistol.
Makes your perceived bad shots more forgiving.

YMMV;

Clarence