Taking my pastor shooting (with his .44 mag)

[Shadow 7D]

I'm not a revolver guy. << Thats a PERIOD

I'm going to look for lighter .44 special ammo, as all he has full bore 320 grn. ammo, that he bought for bear defense.

He has never shot it, or, even shot a handgun, he knows rifles, HAD a .357 for bears, but a friend talked him into getting a .44 mag. So I want to take him to the range, but, I'm an auto guy, not a fan of 'bear guns' cause you HAVE TO BE GREAT (not good) IN A BROWN DRAWER SITUATION

I was thinking about starting him on my Ruger MKIII to teach him sights and trigger pull, then working on the basics with his gun using .44 specials.

Can you offer me some tips, or point to good info on shooting the big guns.

 

[Steve C]

The principles of pistol marksmanship is the same regardless of caliber but recoil caused flinch can get in the way. I think you've got the progression correct but using heavy .44 mag loads can cause a flinch in even the most recoil tolerant and 320gr is rather over the top. If you can't kill 'em with a 240gr a 320 isn't going to do any better. If you can get some 240gr JSP's that are commonly found it may add one step before trying the 320's. The biggest issue will be point of aim with the different power and bullet weight levels.

Make sure he hangs on tight and uses full arm extension when touching off the magnums. I saw an guy put a divot in his head by holding a .44 mag too close to his face. Blood all over the place.

 

[sm]

True

A Clergy that assisted me-n-mine with battered women and abused kids was given a single action .44 mag by one of his congregation.

He had been in war, sworn off guns, hunting and some other stuff he did before the war.

For some odd reason I drew "short straw" on getting this hard-headed, country boy, country Methodist preacher "back on track and "up to speed" with guns and self reliance, and self protection.

He had made a deal with God, if he got out of a fox hole alive, he would quit whiskey take up the Lords work, and marry that gal back home.

He drank on occasion beer, wine, never "hard liquor", married that gal after the war, and "guns" were NOT on his list of things to have or do, or use again, after the war.

A Deacon may have given him a .44 mag, but it was the deacon's wife that gave him the "sermon". Concerns about the battered women , abused kids, and gang types and...

It is hard to argue with a big ole red-headed wife of a deacon...

I tried to get this preacher to re-learn with a bolt action .22 rifle, I tried to get him to consider shotguns...I tried....

Some preachers are more hard head-headed than red-heads...

I never got into reloading metallic, only shogun shells. You can bet your sweet bippy I had one of my trusted friends I reloaded shotgun shells for and he metallic for me, to reload some .44 mags.

Yeah, we started with primer only casings, then went to homemade wax bullets, then really mild loads.

Damn Preachers! He got into all this, and it was me of all people that reminded him " The Lord expects one to take an action when evil rears its ugly head"

Yeah, I gots a Preacher to understand a .44 mag, with what amounts to .44 spl loads is what one uses to stop evil, if need be, waiting on God, and the Sheriff's dept to respond to a threat. There was no 911 at this time...

This .44 mag single action then became "fun" He the got the biggest kick out of scaring pests out of his garden with primer only ctgs,

Put it this way, he would leave me spent cases and strongly but polite ask for more primer only ctgs, wax bullet loadings, and the 44 spl loads.

I had a wooden folding chair, near the piano, that was "mine", in case " I ever showed for church services"....nobody ever sat in "my" chair. It always had notes, spent casings, and such in it though.

I gave him a police trade in .38 spl later, and he gave it to one of the battered women.

He said-
It did not make big enough holes, or scare critters out of his garden as well as a .44 mag.


Dang Preachers!

*big grin*

 

[Shadow 7D]

Yeah...
I had a guy in the army pick up a super redhawk or blackhawk, some type of Ruger, and he took it out to the range, with full bore .44mag loads, came back monday with a broken nose, a nice big gash from the bridge of his nose to up between his eyes. and of course TWO black eyes...

He touched off the first one, and smacked himself between the eyes real good. Once they got the bleeding control (we were medics), according to the stories, he decided to try it again, and thats when he broke his nose and continued the gash down to his nose.

That's the type of shooting experience I'm trying to avoid, I HATE the stupid youtube where some big boob chick is given some huge gun and knocks herself silly. And my wife really likes her wife, so I'm under orders not to mess this up. I did start him on the basics of firearms educate and the golden four.

 

[06]

Know some pastors who carry everywhere and some who think "God will take care of me and mine". I tell the very quickly what Jesus told his disciples in Luke @ 23--"if you do not have a sword then sell one of your cloaks and buy one". We are not supposed to "live by the sword" but I see nothing wrong with "keeping our bow arm strong"--as David did. David did not take the Philistine giant out with his bare hands--he used a weapon of war to fell him. Even on the Mount of Olives the soldiers ear was cut off by a disciple's sword. He was "carrying" even in Jesus's presence. If someone will not defend themselves that means he will not defend me or mine also--I do not want a "friend" like that.
Break that Pastor in with very light loads--lol. First time I touched off a 44 it came back to my ear. Glad I did not have it lined up on my nose.
Just today stumbled onto a set of Lyman 44 mag/44 Sp dies for $15. Do not have one yet but will not be long-lol.

 

[Shadow 7D]

funny you should mention that, I happen to be sitting on a butt load up .44 reloading stuff
I bought a used press and it was what the guy reloaded...
humm, I will have to look into so powder puff loads for them.

 

[Ruger4Life]

Nope. A 320gr load IS more lethal than 240gr loads---it will penetrate bears much deeper.

 

[Guillermo]

When teaching people to shoot handguns I start with a 22 and we move up the scale, usually not above 357.

If they start to flinch we go back to the 22 and move up.

The main thing really is the noise. Any full size person can handle the recoil comfortably (with a full size gun) (not with the speed of an experienced shooter)

All this said, I have never taught a noob to shoot a 44 magnum, probably would work up to specials.

 

[Walkalong]

The .22 LR breeds confidence. Move up from there.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Thanks for input, I'm going to start him on my .22 and probably work him up through a few different guns.
I'll load some .44 specials, in part for me ### Remember, I'm new at this TOO###
Then use .44 specials to get him used to his gun.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

Nope. A 320gr load IS more lethal than 240gr loads---it will penetrate bears much deeper.

That's a pretty broad generalized statement. There is a lot that will determine penetration besides sheer weight of the bullet. Bullet construction and speed will both have an effect for sure. Also, as long as the 240 gr bullet penetrates deep enough, who cares how much deeper the 320 travels. I could be happy shooting a "lethal" 240 even if your 320 kills them deader.

I'm sure your friend will shoot the h*ll out of those guns!

 

[Shadow 7D]

Yeah, he was kinda excited at the idea, he told his wife after church today, that we really need to get together, I get a range trip, my wife get social time, win win

 

[CraigC]

If he's never shot a handgun before he's in for a rather rude awakening. He REALLY needs to learn the fundamentals on a .22LR and do so for a rather long time before even bothering with carrying the .44Mag. Proficiency with a big bore is not something one can learn overnight.

If you can't kill 'em with a 240gr a 320 isn't going to do any better.

This is pure nonsense. A 320gr, we can reasonably assume it is going to be a hardcast bullet and probably of LBT design, will outpenetrate any 240gr bullet available. Period, end of discussion, no way around it.

That's a pretty broad generalized statement.

And "generally" true.

 

[Gordon]

"if he got out of a fox hole alive, he would quit whiskey take up the Lords work, and marry that gal back home."
Well I dumped the cheating wife back home and developed a moderate taste for GOOD whiskey instead of swilling beer!
I took a local Priest for pistol lessons, he never wuz in a fox hole like your Methodist boy, SM, but started him with a Smith & Wesson Model 18 .22lr. The 4 rules over and over. Muzzle control , grip, sight picture (emphasis on front sight) and trigger technique for an hour, then a break. Next hour wuz "show me what U learned" first followed by 50 rounds thru a Ruger Mark one , which he did better with target wise as I start people on revolvers DA. Then on to a .38 spl S&W matching the Model 18 with 50 wadcutters-GOOD results! Then to a Ruger Blackhawk .357 with 50 rounds of "range ammo" .38 158 grain bullets to show the SA manual of arms. 2 mags of ammo from my CCW Officer's Model .45acp, which he thought had a lot of recoil and finished with 6 shots from the Blackhawk with 180 grain .357 mag ammo which I told him wuz bear medicine and he found over the top!