as of today, semi-auto free.... Also looking for a little accuracy advice...

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hipoint

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Traded off my ruger p89 (I did like it as far as autos go) for a ruger single six with .22lr and .22wmr cylinders. Been looking to get one for a while, since almost all my wheel guns are rugers I wanted one with the same sight picture to practice with, without breaking the bank... I like it, was hoping for the 4 5/8 barrel, but the 6 1/2 is fine.

Glad to be all wheel gun now, before the auto went I fired a few mags through it, was REALLY hard to get used to after shooting wheel guns haha.

Anyhow, as far as the advice part... I can pull off some truly amazing revolver shots from time to time, but I'm no where near consistent enough. I'm right handed and seems like most of my misses go left, sometimes high, sometimes low, rarely to the right. It's fairly imperceptible when dry firing though, so I'm not sure what I'm doing. I don't think I have my sights adjusted wrong (entirely possible though) as I can hit what I aim at some of the time. Sometimes it's a flinch but it seems to be a pattern, always left. The sometimes high, sometimes low thing bothers me as well..

any advice I would appreciate. On a good day I can bounce a soda can at 100 yards (I didn't say hit, I said bounce haha) but seems like most days I'm doing good to keep it around 6 inches at 50 feet.
 
Read The Gun Digest Book of the Revolver by Grant Cunningham. This will be very helpful.

Second, do attend defensive pistol training from an instructor proficient in the use of the revolver. This will help you with your immediate shooting problems.
 
Hello hipoint

Rugers are my go to as well. Take it for what it's worth, I seem to do the best with the single actions when I roll my finger on the trigger. It seems to steady the pistol through the hammer fall (which is pretty slow on the Blackhawks and single sixes). I start with my trigger finger at the top of the trigger, so it's jammed up into the frame. I then roll it downward until it releases.

Sometimes I forget to use this technique and miss a lot. Then I remember and begin to hit again. My 6" single six seems pretty accurate. I can hit a 2 gallon propane jug at 100 yards almost 100 percent when I use the roll technique.

Double action rugers have a very different geometry, and the roll doesn't work. If you do your part, and the ammo is tuned, all of my rugers are capable of 1" to 1.5" groups at 25 yards.

Good luck and shoot often
 
we don't really have any instruction classes around here, just CCW classes and from what I've been told they are pretty basic, just enough to get a whole crowd of people to pass the CCW "test"...

I'll give the roll technique a try, that honestly sounds pretty viable, when doing dry fire exercises I'll think I'm "good to go" and then go out and shoot and I might be hitting 30/70 or worse (at longer ranges)...

I'll check that book out as well, all the books recommended me by members here have been well worth the read.

I use my revolvers for pest removal on the farm, just so happens the pests I have are of the deer variety. The longest shot I would get would be maybe 125 yards (I live in the mountains) so if I can get to a point where I'm confident at 100 yards that would be great. I can pull it off part of the time, but if I'm not doing it reliably, then I'm not doing it well enough.

I seem to remember coming across a chart some time ago that was used by the military, it showed you what you were doing wrong if you were consistently missing to one area. I think it was for rifles, does anyone know of something similar for pistols? Or does anyone know if this old chart was really worth paying attention to?

thanks
 
I had a pistol-shooting chart years ago from the pages of American Rifleman. Maybe a google search will turn something up...
 
If you're still secretly in a "semi auto" mode deep within your psyche you may not be sticking your trigger finger through the guard far enough.

Many semis like the trigger to sit on the pad or half way between the pad and last joint. But all my revolvers beg me to put the trigger right in the fold of that last joint. Even when shooting in double action.

So check your trigger finger when things go sideways to the left and see if you don't still have a lingering whisp of semi auto training when you're shooting your wheelguns.

As for flinch issues? You can do a heap of .22LR handgun therapy. And it's fun to boot. But another option is to go rent some big boomer like a .460 or .500 and shoot a couple of boxes of ammo. Your regular size wheelguns won't feel so "flinch worthy" for a LONG time afterwards..... :D
 
Double cover your ears...use plugs in your ear canals then cover with Mickeys. A lot of flinching is a reaction to noise, so eliminate the noise so you can focus on your trigger pull.

Semi auto shooters can easily fall into the "shoot'em fast" mode. Try single loading your revolver..it will force you to take a slower pace, again focusing on precise placement of each shot. And don't forget the oldest basic: focusing your attention on the front sight rather than the target.

Try different brands of ammo. You will be surprised at the variation in group size from one brand to the next
 
Shooting DA revolvers is a whole nother discipline (if you're talking about shooting in DA). You will learn it. Bring lots of ammo. Do a lot of dry firing while concentrating on the front sight to see if you are moving the gun. Heck, if you can bounce cans at 100 yards you're already better than 90% of the people I have seen at the range.
 
If you want to learn trigger control, dryfiring is the way to do it. find a blank wall, you want a clean slate, nothing to draw your eye away from teh sights. Find your sight picture and squeeze the trigger. If the sights moved at all, your trigger control is lacking. It takes practice but it pays off.
 
YES, that chart is just what I was hoping to find and it seems to go along with what the other fella was saying...

When I stated I can bounce cans at 100 yards, I was merely stating that I have done it a few times, so I know that the gun is capable and that SOMETIMES I can pull it off, but with absolutely no reliability, just seems to be when the stars align... not quite luck, but almost haha

been doing a little more dry firing and yes, seems like 3-4 out of 6 I am "pushing" and I can see my sight go up and left a hair. Shooting from a rest, I'm still dead-eye with it, so I need to really work on my trigger control, just not sure where to go from here. I tried multiple spots on my finger as suggested and I'm not immediately seeing any noticeable improvement.

My single six will help with the financial ability to pump some rounds downrange, but I still need to work on my trigger control.

Wish some of you fellas were closer so I could get some face to face advice/critique... I'm wondering if I need to do some trigger work to these critters, quite a bit of creep and pretty stiff to boot. Does that sound reasonable? I'm not blaming the trigger, it's obviously my own doing here, as said I'm mostly doing pretty awful with it and would be doing good to keep it at "paper plate" groups at 25 yards, no way that's all in the triggers.

I'm still not missing to the right, ever. Even moving the sights isn't making any real improvement, so I guess I just need to work on not "pushing" although I am uncertain about what I am doing that is making the gun push to the left...
 
forgot to mention... For what it's worth, I'm doing the same thing with my security six DA .357, missing to the left and sometimes a bit high... The trigger geometry is substantially different as are the grips, but I seem to be having the same problem with all my revolvers... My autos, when I was having a bad day I would miss all over, no real rhyme or reason to it, hence my getting shed of them, just couldn't get the hang of it (although the wifey could empty all 15 9mm into a teacup size hole with the p89)...

someone above had mentioned DA shooting, I've not even attempted to do any of that yet, figure I need to get SA shooting so I'm consistent before I throw a monkey wrench into the machine.
 
hipoint said:
...someone above had mentioned DA shooting, I've not even attempted to do any of that yet, figure I need to get SA shooting so I'm consistent before I throw a monkey wrench into the machine...
Click to expand...
Try DA dryfiring. You have control of the trigger all the way through the pull. In SA, you are merely applying pressure to trip the hammer. In DA, the total control of the trigger motion will help you with sight picture.
 
Again, the fast track to success here is to get instruction from a quality instructor who knows revolver shooting. Pay for a few private lessons and then attend a defensive revolver class at Sand Burr Gun Ranch, Ayoob's MAG-40, Gunsite, Thunder Ranch or similiar. Why waste a year or two figuring it out when you can get it done in a few days?
 
Some Single Sixes have poor triggers...tough to shoot accurately with a heavy, gritty trigger pull. How would you characterize your trigger situation?

Are the sights secure or do they wiggle? Yeah, I know... but it happens sometimes.

Do your misses always come from the same chamber? Only way to tell for sure is to mark the chambers and shoot a group over a rest from each one individually. It takes some range time, but its a good excuse to go shooting, and it will make you focus on trigger control practice.
 
I own a farm, so there's really no way I can leave to go take a class even if I could convince the mrs. about the money it would cost haha... I do know about checking individual cylinders, it's me, not the gun/guns... The front sight was wiggly, a 1/4 turn of the screw and it's tight again, noticed that the first day. My .41 blackhawk and .357 security six have pretty good triggers, still pretty heavy, but not much travel, the single six has quite a bit of creep, not gritty, but long and heavy...
 
maybe I'll contact the CCW instructors and ask them about any revolver specific classes, I just worry that I'll go pay money and have someone who isn't really much better than myself.... I live in far western N.C. way out in the country so we really don't have the resources that most folks do... There is a shooting club that manages a local range, maybe I'll just go spend some time up there and keep an eye out for someone who seems like they know what they're doing and approach them.

I usually stay away from the ranges, they're crowded with folks who make me very nervous to be around from improper gun handling, but I do know the clubs that manage them have certain days that they shoot. I have a nice 100 yard range here on the farm, but ya never know, might run into someone who can help...
 
Don't forget these revolvers have adjustable sights. I find most of the revolvers I have bought shoot slightly to the left for me (just slightly) at extended ranges. A small turn of the windage screw has fixed that for me for decades. There are charts that show how different improper trigger techiques can change point of bullet impact. These are also useful. Once you get your trigger tehnique down as best you can and your groups are consistently small but off point of aim, change the sights.
 
BHK - I have tried adjusting the sights, I'm still pulling/pushing to the left. Pretty sure it's me and not the gun. It's looking like my next step is to find a "greybeard" to critique my handling of the gun/guns as it's happening with all of my revolvers.

I'm really hoping to become a consistent good shot with these as I would rather carry them around the farm than carry a rifle...

I've been googling since last night and I keep running into advice to concentrate on the sights and forget about the target, this is entirely different from how I shoot a rifle, I concentrate on my target and pretty much forget about the sights. Does this sound like good advice? It's so hard to wade through all the B.S. on the interwebs, that's why I come here.
 
The shorter sight radius on a handgun will magnify any sight misalignment. If you wear corrective lenses that don't allow you to keep the front sight in sharp focus, that could contribute to the error. Is any part of your trigger finger contacting the frame? Are you varying the amount of pressure applied by your other hand ( assuming shooting 2-handed)?
 
I've been googling since last night and I keep running into advice to concentrate on the sights and forget about the target, this is entirely different from how I shoot a rifle, I concentrate on my target and pretty much forget about the sights. Does this sound like good advice? It's so hard to wade through all the B.S. on the interwebs, that's why I come here
Click to expand...

Google "trigger control"

Here are some tips from Jerry Miculek:

http://www.shootingusa.com/PRO_TIPS/JERRY_MICULEK/jerry_miculek.html
 
Jbar, I don't wear corrective lenses, I feel like I have pretty good vision as is. As far as varying pressure with the other hand, I don't think so but to be honest I really don't know what you're referring to haha. I have tried a technique suggested earlier in the thread of starting with my finger touching the top of the trigger/frame intersection and rolling it down, didn't seem to help and I don't think my trigger finger is touching the frame in other spots, but I'll have to check in the a.m. and see... (we have farm interns here that are a little hippy minded and I don't wanna start dry firing while they're still in the house haha)

Tomrkba, thanks for the link, I'll check it out and google some on trigger control this evening.

I really appreciate all the help from everyone, I hope to eventually work through this issue I'm having so I can be satisfied with my revolver performance. Thanks again!
 
If you can't take a local course at least get some online tips from one of the best.

http://www.shootingusa.com/PRO_TIPS/JERRY_MICULEK/jerry_miculek.html

Look down at the articles from "Season 1". These are stills and text from some rather amazingly useful videos of the same titles. Sadly I can't seem to locate the videos themselves any more.

In particular note how the revolver fits in his hands and how he stresses that the gun sit back in the web between thumb and forefinger so that the gun lines up with your forearm when the wrist is held at a naturally inline manner. Also how far his trigger finger sticks through the left side of the trigger guard.
 
thanks for the link, I already found that and remembered hearing the name. Wish there were vids though, the pics are ok but not perfect... I think I may have figured out my issue though, more practice will reveal it... I was teaching one of our farm volunteers some general gun safety and handling of various types of firearms, so I brought out just about everything I had. First time actually shooting in a day or two, so I applied some of the stuff I had learned. I might not have been gripping it tight enough. With a rifle I find I get better accuracy if I don't even really hold it, just cradle and tap my ultra light triggers and had gotten in that habit when I was REALLY trying to hit something, seemed like the harder I tried the worse it got. Today I put my mechanic hands to work on those grips and didn't have one miss on a little 6 inch "healing target" at around 25 yards. Nothing to run home screaming about, but I didn't get a chance to try longer shots and I was consistent with each of my wheelguns...

I'm really thinking that was my issue though, just not holding it tight enough, I was trying to relax like I would with precision rifle and I think that's the wrong way for me to go about it with these heavy ruger triggers.
 
really want to get back out there in the next day or two... today was mainly about teaching him how to handle guns since he's getting his first and I was just firing a few through each before I handed them over to make sure they were safe and that the scopes and such were good on the rifles still.

I'll report back later when I get back out on my range again.
 
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