357 Magnum shooting help/tips

[Sam1911]

It's generally easier to train the weak hand than the weak eye

True. However, it is often the case that shooters who are cross-dominant still successfuly shoot handguns off the dominant HAND side, aligned with their dominant eye.

Those same shooters will find more success with rifles and shotguns shouldered on the dominant EYE side.

 

[Hanshi]

The .357 recoil is off the charts compared to a .22LR. This is where your problem lies. For practice/target/plinking/small game use .38 spl target wadcutters. You will become a good shot with the revolver this way.

 

[Rshooter]

I would like to suggest the following link. It has analysis targets that are very good when you are using a new gun.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=476856

 

[jhansman]

As mentioned earlier, the GP100 is set at the factory for a 6 o'clock hold. Rest your gun and use the sight picture shown previously and you'll have a much better idea of where your POI really is. I had to adjust my rear sight to the right a tad, and now she shoots where I aim. Lovely revolver.

 

[oldfool]

ditto what David E said, some bench rested shooting
(you did say you have been shooting mostly SA so far)
convince your mind beyond doubt that the gun "can do" by resting pistol butt on a small sand bag, SA shooting small targets at just 10 yards (one inch shoot-n-see dots, something like with a very focused targeting spot, not big targets)
no matter what you "think" the gun can do, showing yourself than it "does do" is important part of shooting psychology, i.e., not outguessing yourself, and being consistent with what you do
consistent means one ragged hole at ten yards

ditto what Sam1911 said, one random snap cap per cylinder load
you cannot correct what you do not see, and that simple drill can be a stunning revelation, even for "experienced" shooters who have laid off too long
no such thing as a shooter who doesn't flinch, only shooters who train themselves out of it by knowing that they do it

big transition from rimfire to centerfire in handguns
even moreso if going from pistol to revolver at the same time
same basics, but very different feel
slow fire target shooting is actually more "mental" than physical, odd as that may sound

 

[LKB3rd]

I had trouble with flinching when I first started shooting handguns. I had to backtrack and take the (good) advice to start on a .22.
I read about an exercise that helped a lot, maybe it will help you. There are a couple of variations:
1: No target. Bring it up to the shooting position, and focus on the front sight. With no target, there is no temptation to cheat and look at the target. Focus as much as you can on the front sight, and squeeze the trigger, while you watch that front site hold steady. When the shot breaks, you should be still looking at a stable front sight. No worrying about where the shots go. It is about seeing the front sight as the hammer falls. Shoot 50 or even 100 rounds like this. Put up a target, and nail a bullseye
2: Do the above exercise with heavy recoiling .357's, without the targets. Then switch to a nice easy shooting .38 when you put up a target. It will be like child's play.
I also agree with practicing with .38 special. .357 has a heavy, fast kick to it. Once you master .38 you can step up again, like you did from the .22.