Speed Reloads & Cylinder Machining

[D.B. Cooper]

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I'd always thought when a bear attacks it runs at the person.

That tends to be the M.O. of Yogi's more violent cousin.

PS: we had a fatal bear attack here today. Victim's buddies found the bear eating him. It was a sow with two cubs. They killed all three.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Lot of good points here, wronghanded.

Is he practicing with the gun and the (I will assume powerful) ammunition he intends to carry in the field? - And therefore dealing with the same POA/POI, and recoil and recovery he'd face in an actual attack. And also in the case of revolvers and reloads, the same length of cartridge in his speedloaders vs the transition from .44 special to the longer .44 magnum.

So...yes and no. I shoot handloads in 44 spl that are cheaper and easier to handle with less muzzle flip. (200 grn LRNFP @ about 750 fps) My "carry" ammo is a 305 grn hardcast WFN magnum. I have to crank my elevation all the way down, relative to my POI for the practice ammo, and I'm still 6" high at 15 yrds.

Is he carrying his gun holstered and accessible in the same way during practice as he would in the field? - If a jacket is working in the field covering the gun, it would be wise to practice dressed as such. If a backpack waist belt is used in the field, how will that effect the draw.

This is actually a bigger issue than one might think. I'm required by the league rules to use only a strong side hip holster. I sometimes carry inthe field wit the same holster, although often attached to a pack hip belt, but I also have a chest holster rig.

Is he practicing retrieving his reload from where he would keep it during time in the field? - Whilst I think it's unlikely that anyone would get the opportunity to reload during a bear attack, it seems possible that the bear might initially be scared or injured enough to retreat, but then come back to try again. If this is the case, a reload may be possible. And if the gun is not run dry at this point I see an advantage in getting the reload in hand before beginning to open the cylinder, or release the magazine currently in the gun (particularly if the reload is not as easily accessible as it may be in competition). This way the gun would be in a non-firable condition for a shorter period of time, should a "tactical" reload (I understand that's what it's called) be deamed appropriate.

This is a whole other thing. No I do't go around the woods with a dump pouch full of speedloader on my thigh. I carry one in my front pocket. I agree, Yogi isn't likely to give me a second chance. I really do't have a good way to carry speedloders while camping/fishing etc.

when DB began talking about maybe selling his Redhawk and changing guns, and has seemed so focused in where he is ranking in these competitions; I thought it might be worth bringing up his original motivation for beginning to compete in the first place.

Thanks

 

[D.B. Cooper]

This is not intended to insult anyone. But who, on average has better gun handling skills? Those that compete or those that don't compete? Are their exceptions? Yes to both. But if talking about "on average", we all know the answer to that question.

My thoughts exactly. I know from experience that competition drives improvement. Iron sharpens iron.

 

[WrongHanded]

My "carry" ammo is a 305 grn hardcast WFN magnum. I have to crank my elevation all the way down, relative to my POI for the practice ammo, and I'm still 6" high at 15 yrds.

A taller front sight will fix that for you.

Edit: I had a little math in here, but made an error remembering it for rifle iron sights. But here's the way I should have done it.

Inches High ÷ Inches to Target × Sight Radius = Needed Front Sight Height Increase

I'd run another group or two just to confirm you're really shooting that high (I know the anticipation of recoil can get me a little twitchy, and get me throwing shots high when I'm shooting SA for a tight group with heavy loads). You could just live with it as is, but 6" at 15yds is 10" at 25yds.

I'm not going to suggest this for competition purposes, but running a 240gr LSWC at 1,000 - 1,100fps might be a nice intermediate load that would bridge the gap between the two extremes.

This is all just food for thought. Do what you feel will best suit your needs.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

A taller front sight will fix that for you.

Edit: I had a little math in here, but made an error remembering it for rifle iron sights. But here's the way I should have done it.

Inches High ÷ Inches to Target × Sight Radius = Needed Front Sight Height Increase

I'd run another group or two just to confirm you're really shooting that high (I know the anticipation of recoil can get me a little twitchy, and get me throwing shots high when I'm shooting SA for a tight group with heavy loads). You could just live with it as is, but 6" at 15yds is 10" at 25yds.

I'm not going to suggest this for competition purposes, but running a 240gr LSWC at 1,000 - 1,100fps might be a nice intermediate load that would bridge the gap between the two extremes.

This is all just food for thought. Do what you feel will best suit your needs.

Well. I already have hih viz fiber optic sight on the front. Not sure what we be taller, but that' a whole other discussion. I do't yet feel the need to replace sights.

 

[JohnKSa]

One thing that competition will force a person to do is to get good at everything, not just the things they like practicing. When you're setting up your own practice routine and are your own evaluator, there's a strong tendency to avoid practicing things that you don't like doing or that you aren't good at. Face it, most of us shoot because we like shooting, and practicing things we don't like takes away some from that enjoyment.

When you compete, you don't get to be your own evaluator and you don't get to only shoot the stages/scenarios you like. And, for many of us, the only times we get to "practice" some things may be during competitions.

 

[thomas15]

I think we can all agree that competition is not for everyone. But in the context of this discussion the concept of competition is being used as a means to increase/develop a skill.

One thing that competition will force a person to do is to get good at everything, not just the things they like practicing.

^^^ This is exactly right.

No one is saying that competition and using competition gear will be a dress rehearsal for a face to face with a pissed off bear. What we are saying is it is a great way to develop skills, maintain skills and keep interest levels high. Unless the lone wolf has a bear attack simulator their practice sessions will have no better chance of achieving the desired result, probably less of a result and will lack most of the incentive.