Accurate DA shooting - how do you guys do it?

[goon]

I've been reloading a lot of .38 Special wadcutter plinking loads lately and decided to start working more on my DA shooting skills.
So far my best with the SP-101 was just over 2" at 25 yards but that was pretty slow. I've been shooting it accurately by pulling the trigger part way until it hits the right "stage" - and the trigger in my SP-101 is stagey - then finishing the trigger pull when I'm ready. Seems to work OK.

However, the trigger on my GP-100 is way smoother. Seems strange, but this smooth trigger is making me work a lot harder and I can't shoot the GP-100 as well even though it's got a longer barrel, better trigger, and much better sights. I have to keep fighting myself to keep from pulling my shots to the right.
How do you old pros shoot DA revolvers well?

 

[Mac Attack]

I am no way a 'old pro' but I do pretty well with the DA trigger on my SW 22-4 N frame. I shoot a DA revolver the way they should be shot.... sites on target all the way through the pull. I was a 1911 Guy (I still am but lately have been enjoying shooting a revolver) so I was not used to the heavy continuous pull. I dry fired frequently and did 200 trigger pulls per session for weeks straight. After a while I was able to stroke the trigger pretty smooth without taking the sites off the target. You have to build good finger strength to be able to achieve a smooth consistent trigger pull.

 

[BCRider]

I've been using my revolvers in DA to shoot our monthly Speed Steel events. I'm actually more accurate with my revolvers in DA than with my semis. But I generally take a small amount more time to aim since the 5 target string leaves me only one "safety" round for a miss.

It's all in the concentration. You need to focus on the sights while producing a smooth pressure build on the trigger until it surprises you with a "BANG!". If you clutch at the trigger then all is lost. I've found that shooting in such matches has really helped both my even manner of the trigger pull as well as my accuracy. It really makes me focus on what is going on.

Basically if you can hit a 6 inch round pie plate out at 25 yards 6 times in about 6 seconds then you aren't doing badly at all.

Hell, I can't even see the bullseye on my targets well enough to even DREAM about a 2 inch group at 25 yards regardless of the shooting speed.

 

[goon]

Thanks. I am planning to dry fire the GP-100 a lot before I hit the range again.

 

[Drail]

Dry firing a lot while closely watching the front sight's movement will help a great deal and show you exactly what you're doing to pull the sights off the target. At the same time you will develop the muscles in your hand which will give you more control over the trigger's varying resistance. Concentrate on maintaining a neutral grip with even pressure from both hands. Move the trigger back in a straight line without leaning on the sides of it. The "surprise" breaking of the trigger is very important, you have a pretty good idea of when it's going to break but not exactly. Just concentrate on keeping that front sight where you need it to be. In my opinion Ruger triggers take a little more skill to shoot DA than a S&W but it's absolutely doable.

 

[9mmepiphany]

The key to accurate and fast DA shooting is smoothness. Once the trigger starts moving rearward, it never stops and never changes speed. It need not be fast when you start, speed will come as you learn to smoothly stroke the trigger while holding the sights on target...take a look at the second link in my signature.

The release of the trigger (reset) is at the same speed as the trigger stroke. You start the reset while the gun is in recoil and start the stroke as soon as you reach reset. Your job when shooting quickly is to get the sights onto the next target as the hammer is released.

The trigger is in constant motion, if the aligned sights are on the target and your hammer hasn't released, you're behind the curve. If you wait for the sights to align on the target before starting your trigger stroke, you're not even in the game

 

[woad_yurt]

Dry firing a lot while closely watching the front sight's movement will help a great deal and show you exactly what you're doing to pull the sights off the target.

Yup.

Sometimes I watch TV and dry-fire as things/people pop up. It's way cheaper than only practicing with ammo. Dry-firing is a huge help.

Keep it up and you'll get there.

Note:
I'm not familiar with GP-100s so I don't know how user-friendly they are. I do know, however, that they're a pretty large and heavy gun. I'm a S&W K-frame guy and I'm sure that my using K-frames has helped with developing any skill because they're just so ergonomically right.

 

[MrBorland]

Lots of good advice here (dry fire, smoothness, keeping the trigger in constant motion, etc). I'll just add that you may need to make a mental adjustment when transitioning to stage-less DA shooting.

You mentioned you stage the SP101 trigger, then finish it when you're ready. It's likely, then, that you're trying to do the same with your GP-100 - IOW, when starting the GP-100 pull, you aren't ready, or, by extension, fully committed. If your trigger control is good, the sights will be aligned throughout the pull, so mentally commit to the shot when you begin the pull. You can, of course, choose to not take the shot if things aren't right, but begin the pull with a commitment to proper alignment.

I've admitted before I have a tendency to stage the DA trigger when shooting for groups, but I consider it a bad habit, and a tough one to break.

btw, a 2" 25 yard group, especially from an SP101 is outstanding.

 

[Jim Watson]

Some old guy name of McGivern said the trigger return was almost as important as the trigger pull. You should make a smooth roll all the way back then all the way forward in one constant cycle. Worked for me in PPC, way back when.

 

[doc540]

A smooth trigger action sure does help.

My current carry snub has the smoothest action of about a dozen I've owned.

Not the prettiest, but it gets carried because the smoothness of the double action helps accuracy.

 

[Jac]

I'm not great by any means, but I've found the Wall Drill from Pistol-Training.com to help with my dry firing. The idea is to dry fire with your muzzle about 6-12 inches from a blank white wall; nothing to focus on but your sight picture... makes it very easy to see when your front sight wobbles.

 

[sillypig]

i shoot with a taurus m85 revolver, i am a new shooter also learning the tips and tricks of the trade. DA guns, there are 2 ways, pulling the trigger smoothly all the way and another would be pulling the first pressure(the cylinder rotates into position). AFter that to faster aim ur sights, then pull the second easily. by doing this, it will prevent the gun from snatching better than the one pressure pull.

May i have ur kind comments, please...?

 

[9mmepiphany]

another would be pulling the first pressure(the cylinder rotates into position). AFter that to faster aim ur sights, then pull the second easily. by doing this, it will prevent the gun from snatching better than the one pressure pull.

That is the bad habit that MrBorland was referring to in post #8.

It is call staging the trigger and it's disadvantage, besides being slower, is that it induces the temptation to jerk the trigger when the sight picture is perfect. It is a hard habit to break and it isn't really anymore accurate than the straight through trigger stroke

 

[David E]

Be sure and place your finger on the trigger so that the exact center of the trigger is centered in the first joint of the finger. If you go past this joint, it'll seriously mess up your pull.

When using two hands, grip the gun harder with the SUPPORT hand. Something like 70/30, support/gun hand. Apply the pressure side-to-side, as if you were squeezing the grip panels together.

Do these things along with the regimen and smooth, straight thru pull and you'll have solved the mystery of accurate DA shooting!

 

[Waywatcher]

9mmepiphany described it pretty well, "smoothly stroke the trigger while holding the sights on the target." The devil is in the details; I recommend practice where you don't worry about speed, only smoothness.

 

[Dnaltrop]

How do I shoot in DA? not nearly as well as I do in SA on my sixguns.

I'm on the bell curve, somewhere... I've spent most of my life shooting my DA/SA pistols in SA and semis with cocked hammers and a SA pull.

Moving to a M&P .40 for carry, it's been a learning experience. While not as bad as when I started, I'm still working the trigger control to lose the last-instant veer to the left, It's getting closer to center, but you can see a perfect grouping, just to the left of where I have the sights..... Practice practice practice.

DA practice has affected my SA shooting slightly, evidenced by shooting a borrowed .44 Ruger Blackhawk at the range. First shot at 50', dead center in the 2" sticker, second, high and left by 6 inches... all six rounds... 3 high and left, 3 in the 2 inch sticker nearly touching. (still haven't clover-leafed, sooooo close.)

Slow steady pull... dry fire over and over till that muzzle stays rock steady, shoot from a rest at the range if you need to work on the pull alone.

 

[goon]

I've been working on the DA dry-fire practice but I admit that I'm having trouble keeping the sights perfectly aligned during the entire trigger pull.
The trigger on my GP-100 is a little stagey, but not as distinctly stagey as the SP-101. It's not possible to shoot it the same way as my SP-101. So I have to learn to shoot it the "right" way.

But I'll keep practicing, then try some live fire again in a few days.

And I have noticed the DA/SA shift in point of impact to some extent. I've worked on that by being careful to grip the gun the same way whether shooting DA or SA. I had a tendency to squeeze the gun tighter when shooting DA. The tighter grip caused the gun to shoot lower. It was consistent, but still wrong. My groups with the SP-101 are now hitting in about the same area as they go when I shoot it SA - maybe just a bit low - but still close enough that I can't really tell a difference. But again, I'm "cheating" with it by pulling the trigger until I feel the cylinder lock up, then squeezing the trigger the rest of the way.
Wrong or not, I'm shooting almost as well that way as I can shoot it single action.

 

[451 Detonics]

Staging the trigger works for some people but it takes a lot of trigger time to master. I don't think it is necessarily slower...just depends on how well you can do it. I have no problem with a 5 second plate run while staging.

The biggest skill to learn is being smooth when it comes to the revolver and DA trigger. Use as little finger on the trigger as possible, preferably just the first pad and not the first joint. Practice, practice, practice.

 

[*NOVA*]

On my GP100 I admit I stage the trigger but am working on the smooth trigger pull as one continuous rolling action. What helps me is my Crimson Trace laser as a training tool- seeing the trace move away from my POA while squeezing the trigger - using it as immediate feedback to correct my grip and control. With practice my groups are getting smaller and closer to center of target. Works good for practice at home dry firing too.

 

[gvf]

I've been reloading a lot of .38 Special wadcutter plinking loads lately and decided to start working more on my DA shooting skills.
So far my best with the SP-101 was just over 2" at 25 yards but that was pretty slow. I've been shooting it accurately by pulling the trigger part way until it hits the right "stage" - and the trigger in my SP-101 is stagey - then finishing the trigger pull when I'm ready. Seems to work OK.

However, the trigger on my GP-100 is way smoother. Seems strange, but this smooth trigger is making me work a lot harder and I can't shoot the GP-100 as well even though it's got a longer barrel, better trigger, and much better sights. I have to keep fighting myself to keep from pulling my shots to the right.
How do you old pros shoot DA revolvers well?

Just practice, like anything you get better at it.

There's an exercise you can do home: MAKING SURE THE REVOLVER IS UNLOADED, hold the gun as usual while firing but keep your eyes on the barrel. When you pull in DA practice so that the barrel doesn't move. It means separating use of the trigger finger from the hand - so you don't pull the trigger "with your hand". Muscle isolation.

To correct consistent shots to the rt or left side, first ask a few others to shoot the gun so you can make sure it's not the sights. If it's you, experiment at the range with where you're placing your finger on the trigger. Supposed to be the pad of the first part of finger, but that may depend on your hand size. Anyway, see if shooting with the finger touching the trigger in slightly different places corrects that.

You might also look at where the gun is being held in your hand: draw an imaginary line which bisects exactly the area between your trigger finger and thumb when they are spread out all the way. The goal would be to have the guns hilt, the back of it, pointing directly to the inverted "V" mid-point (the "V" is the sides of the thumb and trigger finger, spread apart, as they move together towards the hand and join there - that's the point that's the "tip" of the inverted "V"). If the gun is being held way off to one side, that's where it may shoot.

And as well as maybe trying those and other exercises: practice, practice, practice.

 

[David E]

As little trigger finger as possible, eh?

I guess Ed and Jerry did/do it wrong.....dang, who knew?

The least amount Jerry puts on the trigger has the joint of his finger at the right edge of the trigger, perhaps a touch more. He has two other techniques that put even more finger on the trigger.

 

[Jim K]

Duh! Line up the sights and squeeze the trigger.

Jim

 

[451 Detonics]

As little trigger finger as possible, eh?

I guess Ed and Jerry did/do it wrong.....dang, who knew?

The least amount Jerry puts on the trigger has the joint of his finger at the right edge of the trigger, perhaps a touch more. He has two other techniques that put even more finger on the trigger.

Watch Jerry when he is trying for accuracy and not pure speed...middle of the pad on the trigger. I have seen him shoot up close at the Cup.

 

[Cosmoline]

So far my best with the SP-101 was just over 2" at 25 yards but that was pretty slow.

In double action, off hand, that's excellent. From all I've seen at the range that's better than 95% of handgun shooters. Most don't move their targets beyond 25 FEET let alone 25 yards. I set up at 20 yards and rarely do better than 3" in moderately rapid double action. Only supported on the bench can I best that, and I would venture to say very few shooters are out there shooting 1" groups off hand at 25 yards with short barreled revolvers. At that range the sights are covering a lot of the target.

 

[earplug]

Mentally connect your trigger to the front sight

I read this years ago and it works for me.
Your pulling the front sight as you pull the trigger. Helps my concentration.