I am not a great shooter but I shoot my J frames at 25 yards regularly. I can keep them on a silhouette double action. Well, last two range sessions I have. Indoors. I find it harder to do outdoors when there is wind. And there usually is.... LOL.
This was earlier this week, double action at 25 yards. The silhouette of the man is not full sized. It's more like 2/3rd size. Anything on the paper is about the size of a real silhouette.
2 cylinders full double action. I did take my time though.
Nice.
Since revolver shooters seem to be a vanishing breed among LE shooters, I typically start out the folks I help beginning at 4-5 yards on
paper targets. (We operate our own agency range and can shoot at any distance we desire, which isn't always the case at public ranges.) That close range allows us to begin to work on them learning the DA/DAO revolver trigger pull, which is noticeably different than that of the average plastic pistol to which many younger folks have become accustomed, or may have learned their basic handgunning skills on. It also helps them gain a little confidence by seeing holes on the paper.
As their skills and confidence develop we incrementally move out to 7, 11 & maybe 15yds. Since modern philosophies for LE quals have often involved courses-of-fire that run from 3-11yds, this is a realistic distance range for them to work on developing their DA/DAO snub skills, since it's usually going to be what they use for quals.
Now, in older days when revolvers were still prevalent as common service weapons in LE, even the average cop revolver shooter could have trouble when changing from their larger work belt gun to a diminutive snub gun for off-duty (or plainclothes). The smaller grip frame could be adjusted to a degree by adding larger grips, and some of the larger grips might even help in extending the "reach" from the backstrap to the trigger face. The shorter trigger/hammer arc, heavy DAO trigger pull and the "less tall" relationship between the cylinder/frame and the trigger could still throw some folks off, though. Not quite the same grip position of mechanical advantage as many folks enjoy with large revolvers.
Then, the shorter sight radius and the older "dime thin" front post/ramp (and correspondingly thin rear sight notch) could make it a lot harder for someone to pickup a sight alignment/picture compared to their larger duty revolvers.
Lastly, the reduced weight meant increased recoil force being experienced, and that was often compounded by having a smaller grip. Depending on the the powder used for the loads, a load designed to burn in a 4-6" barrel might mean a 2" barrel could produce some greater muzzle blast/flash. Another difference the average shooter might have some trouble trying to adjust to.
Another shooter-related factor that can cause some folks a bit of frustration is trying to "stage" the trigger when using the DA/DAO trigger. Aside from it creating more potential for a mechanical issue or disadvantage to develop (the S&W manual recommends against trying to use this "technique"), it can also introduce more time for the shooter to lose his/her POA/POI alignment. More time and opportunity for muzzle wobble, to put it simply. A smooth, consistent, firm and brisk DA trogger pull makes for less time for the muzzle (sights) to wobble off-target.
When a close friend of mine was thinking about retirement, he dug his old blued 2" 36 out and brought it to the range. He was having trouble getting all of his on paper even at close distances. Now, he'd been around for the revolver days, and he'd been carrying a full-size issued 3rd gen S&W TDA pistol for many years afterward. (The 3rd gen S&W has a shorter DA pull than a revolver, and it's typically lighter.) It wasn't like he was unfamiliar with a longer DA trigger press, but he'd apparently forgotten what it was like to use a little J-frame.
After watching his trigger technique for a few minutes I saw that he was consistently trying to "stage" his DA pull really slow, trying to "aim better" during the long pull. I pulled him off to the side and discussed how we used to shoot DA revolvers. I suggested he acquire his desired sight alignment/picture and simply use a brisk and smooth trigger press, and avoid trying to "stage" the trigger.
His next several cylinder loads had him looking more relaxed, with less obvious stress in his shoulders/arms and neck ... and less anxious. He was putting his intended hits nicely clustered COM ... and he was smiling. He sailed through the qual course-of-fire and had confidence once again carrying his little Chiefs Special.
I miss the days when revolvers were de rigueur for defense guns, as learning to master a DA revolver seemed to make for better overall handgunners. The emphasis was primarily on DA shooting, though, instead of single action. This increasingly became the case toward the latter part of the days of the service revolver, when an occasional cop thumb-cocked a revolver into SA and then unintentionally ended up shooting someone who ought not have been shot (and killed). Some agencies started converting (or ordering) their service revolvers converted to DAO.
Anyway, congrats on the 637. It's a dandy little J-frame. Perhaps if your local shooting range or club has a skilled instructor or competitor familiar with revolver shooting, he might be able to offer you some hands-on insights that may not only help you improve your skills, but have more enjoyment out of shooting.
