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TCLouis
01-18-2009, 11:06 PM
Typically I shoot a lot of my Contender tests with forearm and grip firmly on the sandbags and firm hand grip.

Today I was testing some loads out of the BH and accidently fired two of the same loads with a different technique. Relatively low recoil loading.

First load was with barrel and ejector rod housing firmly held to the sand bag.

Second was with the barrel touching the sandbag just enough to assist steadying it. Second group was significantly smaller.

So what is the "best" technique for test firing revolver loads??

Barrel on bags?

Frame only on bags?

Grip supported by bags?

Hand/wrist supported by bags and grip free?

Opinions?

Yes I realize POI may change from test to normal shooting position and I may have to adjust sights

MtGun44
01-19-2009, 12:02 AM
I think you are asking for trouble resting a barrel on ANYTHING when shooting.
Well, not actual damage to anything trouble, but a chance to get poor or inconsistent
accuracy trouble.

I only rest the frame of a revolver when 'benchresting' - and make sure to leave
room for the butt to move back and down in recoil. I rest my knuckles on
a soft sandbag with room under and behind. If you don't leave enough under
you will know by substaintial pain in your hand as the meat is pinched between
the grip and the bench --- memo to self, don't do that again!

No guarantee that this is any magic formula, just the way I do it. Seems to work
fairly well for me.

Bill

454PB
01-19-2009, 12:13 AM
I rest my wrists on the bag, no part of the handgun touches the rest. Laying the barrel on a bag can result in a torn bag if it's a heavy caliber.

freedom475
01-19-2009, 02:00 AM
I guess I tend to push my knuckles and triggerguard into the bags. With heavy calibers like the 475 this can tend to make my shots group a bit low compared to offhand shooting.

I somtimes place my hands on and over the bag and allow the back of the plowhandle to dig into the bag a little. This can make my groups a bit higher than offhand shooting.

With Heavy revolvers consistancy from shot to shot is the most important part in keeping groups tight.:Fire:

I don't think that resting the barrel is a bad thing for revolver shooting....but it sure tears up a bag fast and can even blow sand and other crud into your face and action.

I suppose some might say that barrel harmonics can be effected but here again consistancy is the key...When shooting a Sharps rifle the barrel is rested without problem but many shooters will mark the location of the rest on there barrel to maintain consistancy.

GP100man
01-19-2009, 02:11 AM
i may use a rest to test loads but i mostly support my forearms with towels .
i recieved a range suspension one time for sittin down with my back against the post with arms on my knees & i was the only shooter there , ro was watchin out the window.?????


GP100man:cbpour:

waksupi
01-19-2009, 03:37 AM
I keep an old piece of buckskin out in my shooting shack, to put over the bags when shooting revolvers. Sure blackens the leather, but saves the bags.

joeb33050
01-19-2009, 08:00 AM
My best solution.
joe b.

cajun shooter
01-19-2009, 08:06 AM
Back in the 70's and shooting IHMSA I saw a few shooters blow a hole in some jeans from resting on the jeans. I agree with Mt Gun and 454. If you rest the bbl directly it would lead to shots all over.

dale2242
01-19-2009, 10:28 AM
Aways use a leather front sand bag to prevent tearing it. Buy a piece of suede, big enough to make the bag size you want, and filler of choiceand take it to the local upholstery shop. Have them sew up 3 sides. then fill and have them finish it. They charged me $5 to make a couple. When I shot revolver in IHMSA we always used a leather guard to protect our pants---dale

DLCTEX
01-19-2009, 10:46 AM
I'm going to have to give this some thought in firing my Taurus Raging Hornet, it requires a rest and the barrel shroud is convenient, but I will have to experiment to see how it shoots best.

mtnman31
01-19-2009, 11:27 AM
GP100man,
Kicked off the range for shooting from a supported position? What kind of range were you on? Personally, if the range has rules like that, I don't think I'd want to shoot there anyway. Kind of like the ranges that won't allow any "rapid fire" shooting or worse yet don't allow handloaded ammo.

bobk
01-19-2009, 01:56 PM
Definitely have your hands behind the barrel-cylinder gap. I used ti use the same technique that I used in the woods with a rifle. I would grab a tree, and rest the forearm on and against my hand. Did the same thing with an old Colt that was a spitter, and it burned through a cloth glove in three shots, and embedded lead slivers on my hand for the remaining two. Had the marks for years.

I could have set the barrel back a turn, but John Jovino had 8" Python barrels for $10, so I installed one, and ended up with the most accurate revolver I've ever seen. Happy ending.

Bob K

454PB
01-19-2009, 02:14 PM
The rest Joe B pictured is a good way to damage a heavy recoiling revolver. I've seen guys bust the grips right off the gun doing that, and you might even crack the buttstock frame.

MT Gianni
01-19-2009, 03:09 PM
I have an older handgun rest that has hard rubber and is adjustable for the butt to rest on. I will rest the frame on it for load develepment, knowing that the poi will be different than if unsupported. I get poor results with resting the bbl.

C1PNR
01-19-2009, 07:07 PM
I rest my forearms on sandbags. Otherwise my grip is the same as if I were shooting offhand. My plan is to let it recoil just like it will when the shot is for real, target or game.

joeb33050
01-20-2009, 07:41 AM
The rest Joe B pictured is a good way to damage a heavy recoiling revolver. I've seen guys bust the grips right off the gun doing that, and you might even crack the buttstock frame.

Why would that be? The gun is free to recoil, and it does. The rest merely holds the gun 9" off the bench, so I can focus on the scope, and the front "miraclerest" holds the pistol level l-r, and the inclined plane is used to adjust elevation. Maybe you didn't understand the picture and rest?
was gebst?
joe b.

Lloyd Smale
01-20-2009, 08:15 AM
i put a bag on the bench just to rest my hand on. I dont allow any part of the gun to touch anything. I think a guy might get a tad better accuracy with the frame of the gun rested on a bag but i do it this way because the point of aim doing it this way is the same as if im shooting off hand. If i do them all that way im getting a consistant comparison of accuacy and i dont really care if it shoots 1 inch or 1.5 inch so i can brag to everyone how good my guns shoot. Im more interested in if one load shoots better then another. The technique i use gives me that info plus makes a guy really consentrate on his trigger work.

454PB
01-20-2009, 11:20 PM
Why would that be? The gun is free to recoil, and it does. The rest merely holds the gun 9" off the bench, so I can focus on the scope, and the front "miraclerest" holds the pistol level l-r, and the inclined plane is used to adjust elevation. Maybe you didn't understand the picture and rest?
was gebst?
joe b.

If the grip touches the bench, when the gun recoils the barrel goes up and the butt goes down. When the butt strikes a hard object, all the recoil energy is "absorbed" by a hard object. Using rubber grips helps, but eventually the grip frame can be stressed enough to crack. With wood grips, there is no shock absorber at all and they break.

Your rig will work fine if the butt is not allowed to touch the bench. Great for testing ammo, but you will get a different POI than when it's fired free handed.

GP100man
01-21-2009, 09:59 AM
mtnman31

i was sittin against the front post that held the shelter up , actually i was sittin "on range "
but still i was the only one there???

GP100man:cbpour: