Your J Frame is more accurate than you are

[East River Guide]

Or at least mine is more accurate than I am

Put some CT laser grips on my 337 and sighted it in SA from a bench rest. Put up a 2-3 inch group at 25 yds. I can't get close to that with the stock sights.

 

[SgtLumpy]

... I can't ...

Then I suggest, you never will...

You "can" do anything, unless you "can't". We were all born wet and ugly.


Sgt Lumpy

 

[wildenout]

My dad complained about that shortly after getting his first J frame. I stepped up and put 5 in an orange radius from 30 feet. He hooted and hollered, but in the end it's all about practice!

 

[S&WForty]

My dad complained about that shortly after getting his first J frame. I stepped up and put 5 in an orange radius from 30 feet. He hooted and hollered, but in the end it's all about practice!

What is the size of the orange radius or circle diameter? I need to A) have a complex, and B) set a goal to achieve!

Saturday was my first time shooting my new 638. I placed shots better than I thought I would, but I definitely want to improve.

 

[Rpg]

Your goal for accuracy and time should be 5 shots in 6 seconds at 7 yards, all in a circle the size of a teacup (+- 5") starting from the leather.

Takes some practice. But you can do it.

Lots of dry fire work. Lots - one shot live fire for every 90 shots dry fire.

Limit live fire to 25 rounds per session.

 

[SgtLumpy]

One shot where you want it. Once you can do that, repeat.

Look at all the other, much more complex things we do every day. Drive a car. When we started we were horrible at that. Now we can drive while texting, talking, changing CDs, eating, having sex, whatever. Only difference between now and when we were 15 years old? - We've been practicing.

Stay relaxed. Put the shot where you want it to go. Repeat. You can only fire one shot at a time. Focus your energy on the shot you're making NOW. Not on the next one or two or five.

Stay relaxed.


Sgt Lumpy

 

[wildenout]

As if you traced an orange onto a target, sorry! Should have specified. I enjoy shooting a J frame a lot. I love my Ruger Sp101 a lot, but I'm itching for a 640, or a 686+ 2.5".

 

[1sailor]

I am impressed with the shooting abilities of some of our members. The OP mentioned a 2" to 3" group at 25 yards with a 2" barreled snubby and the replies would indicate that a group that large at that range is unacceptable and he needs to practice more.

 

[M29since14]

...and the replies would indicate that a group that large at that range is unacceptable and he needs to practice more.

I don't think that is it at all. A lot of people are, like the OP, surprised by how accurate the little guns can be. I've seen that for years. Many people assume a "snub-nose" revolver is not going to be a good shooter. A 2-3 inch group at 25-yards would be a pleasant surprise to me, but not anything that can't be believed. I think the others were just encouraging the OP to keep working with the gun with the standard sights and see what he can do. If he says "no way!" to start with, he is already stacking the deck against himself. That's all.

 

[5Wire]

From the S&W Revolver manual:

The certification below is required only for handguns sold in the United States with a barrel length shorter than 3”.

Smith & Wesson Corp. hereby certifies average accuracy test results for all new handguns with a barrel shorter than 3” as follows:
7 yards 1.7”
14 yards 3.9”
21 yards 6.3”

This certification is based on tests conducted by Smith & Wesson Corp. using a fixed handgun, rest and firing ammunition manufactured by a member of the Shooting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI) as defined in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3-1993.

This certification represents actual tests based on several handguns, selected at random. Your particular handgun may have accuracy better than the results stated in this certification.

 

[East River Guide]

A lot of people are, like the OP, surprised by how accurate the little guns can be.

I was surprised the gun is that accurate, but there is no way I will ever be able to shoot that with iron sights. I can't distinguish the minute differences in sight picture that equate to a group that size. What the laser did was allow a precise alignment off the bench rest, much more precise than I can see with the naked eye off the iron sights. My point was just that the gun can be accurate, but I don't think many people can actually achieve full accuracy given the sights (and shooting free hand)

 

[S&W45Colt]

I was surprised the gun is that accurate, but there is no way I will ever be able to shoot that with iron sights. I can't distinguish the minute differences in sight picture that equate to a group that size. What the laser did was allow a precise alignment off the bench rest, much more precise than I can see with the naked eye off the iron sights. My point was just that the gun can be accurate, but I don't think many people can actually achieve full accuracy given the sights (and shooting free hand)

Other than a few pro shooters, I'd be willing to bet there are very few people who are going to shoot 2-3" groups at 25 yds with a short barreled J frame. Besides a J frame is a get off me gun, I'm more worried about how I shoot it 7 yds and in.

Don't beat yourself up, learn to use it well for what it was intended for, leave the longer distances to your longer barreled N frames. Just my thoughts........

 

[Comrad]

Am I the only old guy that's happy when they all hit paper? Jeepers creepers my peepers ain't what they used to be.

 

[Rolling]

Using my 642 iron sights and two hands, I can be fairly accurate up to 10 yards. Anything beyond that and I am happy to hit paper. Those sights are near non-existent and quite unforgiving. Maybe I'll pick up a laser grip in the future. Anybody have a LG-305 they want to sell me?

 

[SgtLumpy]

... there is no way I will ever be able to shoot that with iron sights. I can't distinguish the minute differences in sight picture that equate to a group that size...

Bowlers, golfers, gymnasts, baseball pitchers, calligraphers, lots of people do very accurate things without the benefit of "sights" at all.

Look at that baseball pitcher, for example. He's not looking at the ball, nor his hand(s) at all. His "bullet" is swinging on the end of a very long arm that he can't even see. Yet he manages to throw the ball into a very small area. On the other end of that exercise the batter is also virtually blind to his "sights". He swings a bat in three dimensions, without looking, and strikes an object that is not only moving incredibly fast, it's destination area is unknown to that batter.

Nearly every non-drunk, and even some drunks, can, without the benefit of sights or even looking, touch their outstretched arm index fingers together in the classic field sobriety test.

If you can remain relaxed and un-tense, you can close your eyes once you have your pistol on target. The bullet always goes where the gun is pointed, every time. The sights are only there to help you verify where you're pointing it.


Practice seems like a worthwhile exercise..


Sgt Lumpy

 

[Rolling]

Sounds like your talking about using "The Force". I'm not sure if that applies to firing firearms. I always keep my eyes open, otherwise I may shoot the target in the next lane.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Practice makes perfect. I usually don't shoot long distances with my J-frames but I am pretty sure I can do it any day of the week and after I see where the first couple of rounds hit I can determine what my errors might be and adjust until I get real groups. I used to get amazing shots with my CS-45 at 15 yards and it's not much different than a J-frame. I practiced that because it was part of the Texas CHL test.

***GRJ***

 

[Mister_Smith]

Am I the only old guy that's happy when they all hit paper? Jeepers creepers my peepers ain't what they used to be.

Join the club, I'm happy when I can get 5 shots on the paper at 25 yards (that's the closest our range allows handgun targets). I usually get 2 to 3 on paper at that range, never mind the bull's eye!

That's shooting double action only and magnum ammo in a lightweight J frame.

 

[J. W.]

For whatever bizarre reason I shoot my 442 really well. It came from the factory with a great trigger than I can easily stage for a near SA let off when I'm trying to really wring the last bit of accuracy out of the gun. I actually shocked myself yesterday by consistently knocking down tomb stone shaped 12" x 24" steel targets at 50 yards! Of course I'm sure I won't be able to repeat the feat when I have a witness along to back up the claim!


Sent from my iPhone 4s using Tapatalk

 

[S&WForty]

Practice seems like a worthwhile exercise..


Sgt Lumpy

Muscle Memory is a wonderful thing. In total darkness I can walk up to my outside door and stick the key into the lock, and if it was a basketball, it would truly be "nothing but net." If I approach the door from a slightly different direction/angle, I'm close, but not quite on target. But let my body approach in the way that is my habit, and it's pretty cool how I hit the keyhole dead on.