Handgun Accuracy: Trigger, Sight and Follow-Through Drills That Work

The short version: Athlon Outdoors breaks handgun accuracy into trigger control, sight alignment and follow-through, with a few simple drills to practice each piece and then combine them.

Deal check: See today's lowest prices on 9mm pistols at GunDeals →

The author's premise is that most pistols are accurate enough and misses usually come from the shooter. Trigger control gets the most attention. With the pistol unloaded and the magazine out, have a partner balance a spent casing on the front sight, then press the trigger. If the brass stays put, the press was smooth; if it falls, you are jerking it. Avoid staging, which means pressing, pausing and pressing again. Keep one steady press until the shot breaks.

The article also breaks trigger travel into three stages: slop (free travel), slack (travel under tension) and the shot itself. After the first round, let the trigger out only as far as the reset. To practice, dry fire, rack the slide with your support hand and ease your finger forward just until it resets. Repeated dry practice, as many as 40 or 50 presses in a sitting, builds the feel. Letting your finger come off the trigger leads to slapping it.

For sights, focus hard on the front sight and let the rear sight and target blur. Follow-through means holding a steady platform, fighting flinch and resisting the urge to look at the target until the string is done. The Ragged Hole Drill ties it together: slow-fire five rounds from six yards at one small aiming point without chasing shots. A spread group points to a fundamental that needs work, and the author reminds readers that shooting skills fade without ongoing practice.

Key takeaways

• Misses usually come from the shooter, not the pistol
• Press the trigger smoothly without staging, and ride the reset
• Focus on the front sight and hold follow-through until the string ends
• Use the Ragged Hole Drill to combine the fundamentals

Summary by GunWinner based on reporting by Athlon Outdoors. Deal links are affiliate links; GunWinner may earn a commission. Prices change quickly, so confirm at checkout.