Learning to shoot a revolver faster with accuracy

[brianfede]

I have been working to improve my revolver accuracy skills over the past few month and I haven't had much luck. I can shoot pretty accurate when slow firing but if I attempt to speed up my shots i am spraying all over the target. Controlled double taps, forget about it. I would appreciate any advice. I am practicing with my Model 27 5 inch.

 

[RGNewell]

That's a great gun for it. Maybe you are trying to speed up too fast at one time. You might need a trigger job to lighten the trigger pull a little.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

 

[BigBill]

Put up a man sized rectangle at 25 yds and practice, practice more. What bullet weight are you using? Decades ago I tried most of the jhp bullet weights I reloaded from 125 gr all the way to 158 gr and inbetween.. my most accurate load out to 100 yds was a Speer 140 gr jhp. Using 2400 powder. Under the max load for better accuracy. I was using a 6” barreled python. Someday I’ll try some in my s&w m27/28’s.

 

[brianfede]

125 gr. What about trigger pull? Is it best to try a staged trigger or live?

 

[oysterer]

good news is: when you master it, all your shooting incl automatics, 1911s etc will all greatly improve. The key here is to set up a nice smooth and light trigger pull and go through the pull easy, smooth and evenly with a long rolling pull as gently and evenly as possible. There is no such thing as a double tap, forget that entirely. Once you shoot to POA, just steadily speed up but no jerking, keep the long smooth rolling pull just go faster and faster. Then you switch to autos and you will be surprised how digital and immediate they feel as opposed to that long rolling pull your now used to. What you will discover is to control your trigger finger independent of all the other fingers holding the gun solid and steady. Practice as long as it takes until DA and SA are equally accurate. Shooting a revolver in SA is pretty pointless.

 

[series guy]

Our club bought a Texas star. Talk about a humbling experience. BUT by sticking with it I've really improver my rapid fire D/A shooting. Only one other shooter is using a revolver. My best time so far is 3.21 seconds. Not pro level by any means but a huge improvement. I really thought that I'd never get under 5 seconds. If you can watch some of Jerry's videos he really breaks down the steps to improve your speed.

 

[dasnake]

So tell me.....

Is the gun stock? What grips are you using? What sights do you have? How is you eye sight pattern? Are you shooting with the front sight on target? How is your breathing? Are you jerking at all when you speed up your firing? Do you time your self when you slow fire?
Just some simple questions I had asked of me when I first started shooting PPC and IPSC, PPC is the more equitable as it is strictly revolver unless the duty gun stage is used.
Good luck.

 

[brianfede]

Thanks for the replies. I suppose I just need to be more patient and not expect immediate results. It's just a bit humbling not to be as proficient as I would like to be with a revolver.

 

[brianfede]

Is the gun stock? YES. I should be able to be proficient with stock gun, i can shoot any semi-auto spot on, revolver IMHO should be no different.
What grips are you using? STOCK
What sights do you have? TARGET
How is you eye sight pattern?
Are you shooting with the front sight on target? YES
How is your breathing?could improve
Are you jerking at all when you speed up your firing? def jerking as i try to pick up speed
Do you time your self when you slow fire? NO, but this is a good idea.
Just some simple questions I had asked of me when I first started shooting PPC and IPSC, PPC is the more equitable as it is strictly revolver unless the duty gun stage is used.
Good luck.

Timing sounds like a good idea.

 

[LPD256]

If you are looking where the holes are on the target instead of the front sight that means you have to acquire the sights repeatedly. I focus on the sight and the target is slightly blurry. Smooth consistent trigger pull no matter the speed is a must for accuracy. So think FOCUS, SMOOTH, And you’ll score.

 

[Marlin57M]

I shoot PPC in stock revolver class, usually with S&W Model 14 and occasionally 6” Model 28. Shooting a .22 revolver helped me greatly improve double action shooting to the point I can shoot double action almost as accurately as single action. I have shot 1000’s of .22’s in my Model 17 and 617. Economical and no recoil.

 

[Jimmyjones]

I agree with Marlin, loong time revolver shooter, paced, single action but pretty good. I picked up a K-22 and shot it a lot, cheaply. I went from an SA to shooter to DA, can't remember the last time I fired a revolver SA (I carry a DAO J-Frame).

My EDC shooting improved when I got a 2" model 34 and shot it a lot.

All this translates over to improved semi shooting

 

[BigBill]

My problem with accuracy decades ago we took too many guns to shoot at the range instead of mastering one gun. Instead of blasting off rounds and peppering the target I didn’t worry about shooting tighter groups. Once I focused on shooting tighter groups the accuracy evolved. I became good with one hand as well as two handed. But I shoot 44 mags for 45 years now. Recoil is recoil no matter what we shoot.

I say shoot more, less flinch.

 

[jerry52]

Do not stage the trigger, pull straight thru

 

[UncleEd]

Sounds like you don't have consistent
hold of gun in shot to shot.

Maybe the N-frame is too big
for your hands to do DA shooting
very well. Maybe stocks if
target style too big.

Be sure to use first joint of trigger
finger when DA shooting.

Also if you have a ridged trigger,
not smooth, not comfortable to
do straight pull through.

 

[Moo Moo]

I don't think anyone has said it yet, but I would forget about the .357 mag loads and start with some low recoil .38 specials. I know that theoreticall, they say "Don't stage the trigger" but I always do on the longer distance shots; eg 50 yard section in Service match in Australia (similar to PPC). And try and be Smooth first. With Smoothness = Speed.

 

[HorizontalMike]

My problem with accuracy decades ago we took too many guns to shoot at the range instead of mastering one gun. Instead of blasting off rounds and peppering the target I didn’t worry about shooting tighter groups. Once I focused on shooting tighter groups the accuracy evolved. I became good with one hand as well as two handed. But I shoot 44 mags for 45 years now. Recoil is recoil no matter what we shoot.

I say shoot more, less flinch.

BINGO! Even though we all should be wearing ear protection, repetition of the sound of firing is the ONLY way to get used to it and to overcome it.

 

[StrawHat]

The way I was taught double action shooting or how to manage the trigger was to learn how to manage the trigger without disturbing the sights. Easy said than done? Not really

Dryfiring to learn how to manage the trigger is a must. No sense wasting ammunition if the sights go astray with each pull of the trigger. I was a solid competitor in PPC. My fellow shooters gave me all sorts of tips but the one that helped the most was to dryfire while aiming at a blank wall. No target, dot, spot, just a plain blank wall and the smoother the better. Get your sight picture and squeeze through. Did the sights move? Do it again. And keep doing it until you can smoothly pull through and the sights stay aligned. Once you have to hang of it for one squeeze, add in the second squeeze ie the repeat shot. Eventually you will be able to squeeze through the whole cylinder without jiggling the sights. Then try it with target loads and go from there. It is not that hard. I still use da only for my S&W revolvers at any distance out to 75 yards.

Kevin

 

[18DAI]

Like StrawHat suggested, lots of dry firing. Buy some snap caps.

We learned with K-frames. Much faster handling and easier to shoot at speed than an N-frame with its greater bulk and larger, heavier cylinder.

We did dry firing, endlessly. Then dry firing with a quarter laying across the top of the barrel, to make sure we were smoothly pulling the trigger without upsetting the sights. If the quarter fell off, you were not doing it right.

Then live fire with 38 wadcutters. At various distances. Starting at 1 yard and moving back, gradually to 25 yards. And finally firing fast pairs at 3x5 index cards taped to a B27 target. One on the head and one on the chest.

We were considered proficient when we got two fast hits on the index cards, from various distances, on demand. Anything not on the card was a miss. Aim small miss small.

Hard to accomplish and maintain the skills using a K-frame. I wouldn't want to do it with an N-frame. Or even an L-frame for that matter. Good luck! Regards 18DAI

 

[ContinentalOp]

Dry fire practice is the key. Get some snap caps (I like A-Zoom) and set aside a few minutes every day for dedicated dry fire practice. As you get used to it, you can increase your practice time.

If you're trying to shoot faster, forget staging the trigger. I'd also suggest that pulling straight through is better overall. The goal is to be smooth and consistent while pulling the trigger quickly. Doing so will actually disturb the sights less than pulling slowly. But the key is smooth and consistent. No start-stops, no hesitations. When you can do that consistently, then slowly build up speed. You have to walk before you can run.

The trigger return is just as important, IMO. It should be the same as your trigger pull, but in reverse. The goal is to establish a consistent rhythm. As your skill and hand/finger strength improve, you can speed up the rhythm.

Speaking of strength, increasing the strength of your hands can help. Dry firing will do that, but you can also use grip strengthening tools. I like Captains of Crush grippers and elastic bands for strengthening the opposing muscles. You can also use tennis balls or crumple up a newspaper in one hand. If you lift weights, you can do forearm curls with dumbbells or farmer's carry with plates. Don't overdo it, though. Start light and build up gradually. It's easier to overstress and injure your hand muscles than larger muscle groups like quads and biceps.

Like UncleEd said, grips that allow you to maintain a solid, consistent grip on the gun is important. That could mean changing your grips or possibly using a smaller K- or L-frame gun.

The best way to improve, though, is to seek the help of a good instructor, especially someone who knows how to run a revolver. They can see what you're doing and offer corrections and suggestions for improvements specific to you. Just one hour one-on-one with a private instructor can be useful.

In case you didn't notice, I said the word "consistent" a lot. There's a reason for that.

Just my opinion.