Revolver shooting - focused practice for improvement

[bobcat93]

Hi all, i need to improve my pistol and revolver shooting.
I shoot left handed, left eye dominant.
I consistently shoot my groups to the right
Once im warmed up.
My first few cylinders are usually pretty good.. the longer i shoot my entire everything changes.
My grip is fatigued, my stance is different every time im ready to shoot.
For a person who has worked on shooting style, adjusting or over coming physical limitations ( like eye sight, arthritis)
Concentrated on trigger pull, grip, stance, i had my game tightened up at one time but i just dont feel like i can get it back
Is this normal or have i gotten to the age my body is rotting and time to sell my hand guns..
Can i get my hand gun shooting game back? At 55yrs old or am i done for? I use to be able to dbl tap the chest, one in the head of a target at 25yrs
I cant even get my dbl tap rhythm like i havent help a gun in 40ys ..
I just suck now. (Good enough to hunt) but i want to shoot good again
What do i do..where do i begin again at this point.
Any suggestions..any one else experience this crappy phenomenon

 

[358WCF]

There's only one way to find out. Use it or lose it. I have about 15 years on you & dont shoot as well as I did when I was 25, but still have fun trying.

 

[Forum Boss]

Practice with a .22LR Revolver and semi-auto.

Attach a different grip type on the guns (such as Hogue)

Make sure you are not rotating the guns a few degrees to the right with your hold.

Practice at 10 or 15 yards… not 25 yards.

Have a friend watch you as you are shooting … they may detect a mistake you’re making.

 

[280ai]

You have what are called the yips, at some point it happens to almost all long time shooters. I am 69 been shooting since I was 12 competion shooting for over 40 years it happened to me quite a few years ago. A long time shooter and friend watched me for an answer after a bit his advice was to concentrate on 22lr and SLOW way down rebuild your technique steps. Analyse each and every movement used in your presentation and fire sequence, then slowly speed up it will come back. DRY FIRE ALOT. Hope this helps

 

[Doug Casner]

Im 69 . It seems to me like I dont do anything as good as I used to. Father time. Doug

 

[K22]

I am in my late 70's, been shooting a revolver since 1969. Competed with revolvers for about 30 years or so. I still shoot several, open sights for recreation.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Review the fundamentals. Best book I ever saw on pistol shooting is the Army Pistol Marksmanship Manual. There are more fundamentals but three of the key elements are front sight focus, positive trigger action, and follow through. Place your shooting hand high of the stock so your shooting hand is in close horizonal (edit correction) alignment with the pistol.

2. A 22LR is essential for mastering revolver skills because it allows you to focus on mastering the fundamental without the distraction of recoil and noise which often causes flinches. Once you master the fundamentals, you can advance to centerfires. I always warm up with a 22 LR, 20 round string, before shooting my centerfires.

3. You can't improve what you don't measure. I use NRA B16 targets (25-yard slow fire) at 25 yards. However, you can use them at any distance as a measurement tool. The idea is to measure your performance. Therefore, score each string of 10 shots which yields a maximum possible score of 100. I like the orange bull targets because the front sight is easier for me to see with my old eyeballs.

4. Keep a record of all your scores. I keep the targets which illustrates areas I need to improve. Get into the habit of calling your shots and diagnosing what when right or what went wrong. There are charts to help assess the cause of an errant the point of impact shot.

I do not think you are "done". I used to be a low 90's slow fire shooter, but father time has dropped me to a mid to high 80's shooter which better than most at my age with an open sight revolver at 25 yards. I still enjoy shooting my revolvers. I had the benefit of excellent coaching while shooting on an Army Post Team. If you can find an experienced mentor, this is the best way to improve your shooting quickly.

Best wishes and don't give up.

 

[ShtrRdy]

If your shots are trending right and lower that's a sign of anticipating the shot. Otherwise known as flinching. What helped me was lots of dry fire practice with some 22 rimfire shooting. It only takes about 3000 repetitions to relearn a skill. You can do it! 55 is not too old.

 

[Bottom Fodder]

Dry fire = where were your sights when the shot broke, I’ve spent many hours doing this

 

[DirtySteve]

Practice the basics….! Practice doesn’t make perfect.!! Perfect practice makes perfect!!!!

Go slow and do everything slow and deliberate. Speed comes with time.

Speed up gradually…

 

[Tesoro]

If your shots are trending right and lower that's a sign of anticipating the shot. Otherwise known as flinching. What helped me was lots of dry fire practice with some 22 rimfire shooting. It only takes about 3000 repetitions to relearn a skill. You can do it! 55 is not too old.

Far from being a handgun pro" I have found that when my hits group to the opposite side of my dominant hand and usually higher, them it is from trigger pull 'torque'. It is nearly impossible for me to pull the trigger directly back with a solid grip from shooting hand. So what I do is use lots more pressure on my support hand and this over rides the torque and then my bullets hit the mark. This works for me with pistols.
Flinching is also part of it, not from anticipation of recoil, but from pushing the button when the sights float onto target.

 

[Tangent]

I would reiterate the dry firing and going back to slow fire precision with some target loads. That should show where your issue is. I find a few shoulder and upper back exercises don't hurt either. Nothing strenuous, just work those stabilising muscles a bit.

Little and often with all of that, don't shoot fatigued as that will just mask any problems.

 

[Steve Donlon]

Far from being a handgun pro" I have found that when my hits group to the opposite side of my dominant hand and usually higher, them it is from trigger pull 'torque'. It is nearly impossible for me to pull the trigger directly back with a solid grip from shooting hand. So what I do is use lots more pressure on my support hand and this over rides the torque and then my bullets hit the mark. This works for me with pistols.
Flinching is also part of it, not from anticipation of recoil, but from pushing the button then the sightsfloat onto target.

I agree, I did not shoot revolvers for awhile and the first couple of times I went, I also thought I was done. But I remembered that I need to use my off hand and use my finger on the trigger guard and pull it back like a 45 auto, and I was back to shooting groups again. I have to use both hands. It's easy to forget what we need to do if we haven't done it for a while.

 

[snert]

I am only going to assume that you have not shot in a while, then shot and found you weren't as good as you once were? (There is a country song about that...)

If this is the case, join the club...I found that it is a lot more work than it used to be, and I am not as good as I once was. I have aged, had surgerries, lost some eyesight, muscle mass, balance, cardio. I am 61. But the good thing is I am improving from slow, steady practice. Not as many rounds at a time, not as fast, concentrating on one thng ata time. I am still a long way from whre I was when I retired at 50.

I agree witht eh advice to grab up a 22 and spend a brick or two having fun and focusing on one thing.

Lastly, get a physical and have the Dr check on your eyes, balance and BP. All have a deletrius effect on shooting.

 

[jackieschmidt]

I was as member of a small city police force back in the 1970’s. I learned to shoot a revolver pretty darned well.
I even built competition 38 Special revolvers based on S&W model 10’s. I put custom heavy barrels on them, mounting a Bomar Rib. I did all of the action work, removing the single action feature. We learned to shoot double action at all times in the Matches we held.
Of course, the actions had to be extremely smooth with no catches. I was as pretty well known for how smooth and consistent I could make a S&W K Frame or N Frame.
Even today I can shoot my big revolvers better double action than single.since I had my eye surgery a couple of years ago, I have found that I can still shoot a revolver at a better than average level.
So my best advice is both eyes open, a consistent grip, and learn to shoot double action if your revolver has that feature.

 

[357Mag]

Hi all, i need to improve my pistol and revolver shooting.
I shoot left handed, left eye dominant.
I consistently shoot my groups to the right
Once im warmed up.
My first few cylinders are usually pretty good.. the longer i shoot my entire everything changes.
My grip is fatigued, my stance is different every time im ready to shoot.
For a person who has worked on shooting style, adjusting or over coming physical limitations ( like eye sight, arthritis)
Concentrated on trigger pull, grip, stance, i had my game tightened up at one time but i just dont feel like i can get it back
Is this normal or have i gotten to the age my body is rotting and time to sell my hand guns..
Can i get my hand gun shooting game back? At 55yrs old or am i done for? I use to be able to dbl tap the chest, one in the head of a target at 25yrs
I cant even get my dbl tap rhythm like i havent help a gun in 40ys ..
I just suck now. (Good enough to hunt) but i want to shoot good again
What do i do..where do i begin again at this point.
Any suggestions..any one else experience this crappy phenomenon

Bobcat -

Howdy !

Been a .357Mag shooter for 50yr.

I DK your revolver of choice ?

Recommendations, not in necessary order:
- Do like a lot of rifle shooters do…. buy and shoot the best possible equipment you can.

- Make sure your choice of revolver frame size, chambering, barrel length et al; are a good “ fit “ for you & you shooting needs. This might mean… a customized revolver, with action work done to it; and one having a great DA trigger pull.

- The best thing I ever did to improve my revolver shooting ( besides practice, practice, practice ) was… buy and use a set of custom “ stocks “. If the revolver frame and factory stocks don’t ideally position your hand & trigger finger, you can fine tune that
fit to your hand via use of custom stocks.

- Don’t shoot a revolver with a 2” or 2.5” barrel, when you can carry and shoot a 3”.
Don’t carry and shoot a 3”-barreled gun, if you can carry & shoot a 4”.

- If your revolver has a flat rib on the top of the barrel, practice your DA trigger pull by dry firing with a stack of dimes positioned on the top of the rib… after of the front sight/ramp. Increase the number of dimes as you get smoother. This also serves to some extent, as anti-flinch training.

- Wear earplugs and headphones, to help minimize intrusive muzzle blast.

- if you intend to carry and indeed possibly have to use .357Mag loads, then… practice with .357Magnum-level loads…. not 148gr wad cutters in .38Spl cases.

- Most likely engaement ranges with a hostile aggressor will be 7yd or less.
Do the bulk of your practice within this range limit, and not 25yd.

- Buy and use a grip exerciser, for your strong-side hand. *** Don’t forget to use the squeeze-style exerciser with your thumb web + 3 fingers….keeping the trigger finger
pointed fwd …like you do when holding the revolver with the index finger OFF the
until you are ready to fire.

- Use a holster that presents the revolver to you in a position that integrates well with your hand and draw… so that you start out holding the gun securely and comfortably from the git go. Consider a holster w/ a fwd muzzle rake, which allows drawing the gun
with the fore arm in-line with the bore axis… and not drawn with the wrist curved back and under like aft muzzle rake holsters do. One way to do this, is to use a cross draw style holster…. worn on your strong side.

- Vary you practice. Don’t drive yourself crazy by expecting excellence on shots executed from an initially holstered gun. Do some work from position 3, where you raise the revolver sights up-into your line-of-sight… which is already eyeballing the target.
*** Having the gun in-hand…in position 3 IS the world’s fastest draw. ***
Do some work by simply picking up the gun off a bench or table, and doing a little slow fire. Only expect improved shot grouping when you are operating at a speed/cadence that allows it.


With regards,
357Mag

 

[jk80]

Being left handed will reverse what is cited as problems in a right hander. Sounds like you might be thumbing it. Try less pressure with the thumb.

 

[Tesoro]

- Most likely engaement ranges with a hostile aggressor will be 7yd or less.
Do the bulk of your practice within this range limit, and not 25yd.

forgot one: if >7yd then sprint back to your truck and grab your rifle. lol

Good tips! I am just getting back into revolvers after decades of abstinence. Got a 686-4 6in and 686-4 3in and a 617 trainer. Should keep me busy for a while!

 

[6MMsteve]

I have a G19 could not hit crap for a long time but then started kinda learning, good grip, concentrate on that sight, then I could discern ammo, barrels that shot good and barrels that liked heavy bullets ect.. shoot no less than 15 yrds around 25 at most but I'm very comfy at those ranges..it just took a lot of shooting plus I'm not very smart kinda dumb pretty dumb low Iq

 

[LHSmith]

Reminder that most .22 rimfire revolvers should NOT be dryfired. Use fired cases or plastic snap caps to prevent damage.

 

[6MMsteve]

I guess just basically live with that pistol, get back to knowing yourself and the weapon, and it will come back, just don't shoot with a cloudy mind be free when shooting, it's easier