The next shot - what do you do after follow through?

My question mostly pertains to timed and rapid fire.  I shoot a 1911, so my trigger has pretravel.  After I break the shot I hold the trigger back until my dot is back on target.  At that point do you release the trigger all the way forward or let it go just far enough to reset it?  I have been experimenting shooting both ways and found that I shoot better by releasing the trigger fully, taking up the pretravel and then begin my controlled press.  Is one way better than the other or is it personal preference?
Thanks,
Jeff

Jeff I believe your on the right track. As your recovering from recoil and lining up your sights start the trigger pressure consistently and smoothly this process takes practice. I practice this with no time limits and focus on the trigger control and consistent grip pressure. FWIW
                                                                       Skid

JNW1 wrote:After I break the shot I hold the trigger back until my dot is back on target.  At that point do you release the trigger all the way forward or let it go just far enough to reset it?

For me:

1. Shot breaks
2. Gun recoils off target
          -I'm holding the trigger back as the gun goes through recoil
3. Immediately recover
4. Immediately reset trigger right after recovery. As soon as the gun comes back to target reset the trigger. You could think of it as resetting as you recover almost. That's how quick it'll be. 
5. As I'm reacquiring a good sight picture and bringing the dot back to my aiming area I'm applying pressure to the trigger
6. Sight picture is acquired, dot seems centered, trigger press finishes and bang
7. Go back to number two (2)

Recovery must be quick and direct. For me, I snap to on recovery and the reset is immediate. I only reset as far as I need to I think. The trigger clicks and I stop letting out. I'm also practiced in this so the reset is somewhat second nature for me. It clicks out and I immediately start pressing for the next shot again. The reset and start of the press for the next shot flows together. Release, click, start pressing. No stoping in-between. No pause.

My mind must be more simple than some of you guys.  I have no idea or thought about when I reset the trigger in sustained.  I just know I must be back on the trigger as I get back on the sights.  You got to be in the subconscious flow of things.  A good string of sustained needs to be near robotic

What Jack said. I have no idea when I release my finger and reset the trigger. It is just done when I start squeezing again. I hope I never start thinking about it. Reminds me of a thing we used to do to fellow bowlers. Ask the person what he does with his offhand when he releases the ball. That will mess with his thinking for a frame or two.

LenV wrote:What Jack said. I have no idea when I release my finger and reset the trigger. It is just done when I start squeezing again. I hope I never start thinking about it. Reminds me of a thing we used to do to fellow bowlers. Ask the person what he does with his offhand when he releases the ball. That will mess with his thinking for a frame or two.

  I’m crying!!! I used to bowl on a league... seen it happen!

I reset the trigger during recoil. Ideally it starts moving as I'm entering the black. I only let the trigger out til it resets, not all the way.

Ponder this.  In sustained, does follow through ever end?

orpheoet wrote:I reset the trigger during recoil. Ideally it starts moving as I'm entering the black. I only let the trigger out til it resets, not all the way.

Reset the trigger during recoil is obvious.  But do you think of it during?  I don't think of a reset.

I believe it best to have a rhythm on the trigger of pull-reset in sync with the gun's recoil-recovery also in a rhythm.

And thinking of the rhythm is probably not good.  Best to just observe it or feel it.

Jack H wrote:

Reset the trigger during recoil is obvious.  

I don't think it is obvious as the original post states that the trigger is reset when back on target.

Thanks for the comments.  I am a bit surprised at the large amount of material written on how and when to put pressure on the trigger, but almost nothing about releasing the trigger.  I’m a very methodical, thoughtful shooter and like to analyze the process of shooting.  Just how my brain works.  I understand that when one gets good at something it becomes subconscious, but when learning a skill you have to think about the steps at first.  I’ve already done this with shotgunning and was a Master class sporting clays shooter when competing.  Just trying to figure out how to shoot a pistol well.  I guess I’ll keep trying different things and find what works best for me.
Jeff

Trigger is pinned to rear through muzzle lift. At peak of muzzle lift, I permit the trigger to reset, then commence trigger press with about 40-60% of pressure needed to break next shot as gun comes back to target. As dot or sights settle into black, I continue the press uninterrupted to the preferred aim area, The shot breaks at this time. The above is the sequence when 10's or X's happen. It is "my" shot sequence. (sadly it does not happen 100% of the time)

Time spent "not" aiming, sighting or pressing the trigger is lost aiming, sighting and trigger time. Once a shot is completed with adequate follow through, then get on with the next shot sequence for next shot. Otherwise you may be leaving valuable time on the table, that could have been used to your advantage. A thought possibly worthy of thinking about. The time it takes to execute the "final" trigger press should take about the same time in SF, TF, RF. In my opinion they differ in that in SF, one has the luxury to take longer in the settling phase and initial trigger press, and they have the luxury to abort the shot sequence completely and start over. In TF, one has more time than in RF to do the in between stuff, if needed. YRMV