How to grip a single action revolver for best accuracy?

[HABCAN]

I grip/shoot SAA's same likeum Char-Gar (Post #28), Pietta 7-1/2" .44-40............slowly, at long ranges. To each his own: consistency rules. YMMV and don't be ashamed of it if it works for YOU. 'Long Hunter' shows you what works for HIM at HIS game.

[44man]

One thing he mentioned is to hold lower. It gets your trigger finger straighter to the trigger too. I see pictures in gun rags with the finger near 45° to the trigger.
I don't think I want my thumb on the recoil shield of my .475, etc.

[jmort]

The video of Long Hunter addresses shooting up close and fast. The OP opened a discussion about rabbit sized targets at 25 yards distance.

You think that would be a problem. I don't.

[44man]

I don't understand at all. Why is 7 yards to 25 so sad? Why not get a revolver to as far as you can, yes even 500 meters (547 yards.)
I have aged enough to have lost it but a few years ago this is what I did at 100 yards off hand and a line of bottles at 100 was all busted with any revolver.This group was 3/4" off hand with my SBH, 100 yards
No I can't shoot fast or point shoot anymore but back in the old days I could.
In 1956 with a Ruger Flat Top I shot to 500 yards off hand and hit rocks or a chuck off hand. I can understand your pocket pistol in 380 or nine but I watched a marine hit every target to 200 meters with a 1911 but the steel would not fall.
Why in the world would you shoot a big bore revolver at 10 yards?

[jmort]

Why not get what you want?
That is what I do
Crazy, right???

[atr]

I also cock the hammer with my left thumb when shooting both DA and SA two handed. That way my right hand grip doesn't change.

I use the same technique

Nor do I not put the pinky finger under the grip.

[44man]

Why not get what you want?
That is what I do
Crazy, right???

Not at all. The revolver has taken me more then 60 years to figure out. Yet at the beginning I was doing crazy things. Just did not know why.
Must be the hardest gun to work. Some will live to be 100 and never make it work.
I will never forget the guy that came to shoot at the range. He asked to put a target out. We stopped for him. He put a target at 10 yards, got a SBH out and could not hit paper. I asked if I could shoot it. I clicked the sights and hit every target at 200 yards with my loads. The trigger guard cut my finger until blood flew but I never missed, He packed up and left.
Yes a revolver is a nut case. Many prefer a pistol. Still shoot 7 yards but a good pistol has no limit. Why not 100 with a 1911? Been there, done that.

[Char-Gar]

One thing he mentioned is to hold lower. It gets your trigger finger straighter to the trigger too. I see pictures in gun rags with the finger near 45° to the trigger.
I don't think I want my thumb on the recoil shield of my .475, etc.

You are right there. It doesn't have to be a .475 either. I have split my thumbnail on lesser calibers.

[tdoyka]

i used to be pretty good when i was shooting my(well, its been traded) ruger srh(7.5" barrel, 44 mag). i was able to do a 1 1/4 - 1 3/4" at 100 yards(5 shots) off a bench. using a tree/shovel handle/etc, i was able to do 3 - 4" group at 100 yards. this was all two handed.

since i've had a stroke, i had a hard time to get with one handed shooting. i've traded my srh and got a ruger sbh(4 5/8" barrel, 44 mag). i know that there will be no shooting at 100 yards. heck, i'm trying to get 6" circle at 30 yards. i can do 3 - 4 rounds and i'll miss the rest. i can do it at 25 yards(6 for 6 in a 4" circle), but i'm having a hard time when i go 30 yards. the sbh goes ,from a bench, 1 1/2 - 2" at 50 yards(5 shots), so i know that accuracy is still there. i'll keep trying to do 30 yards, but i am a 25 yarder when it comes to my sbh.

[GL49]

[44man]

i used to be pretty good when i was shooting my(well, its been traded) ruger srh(7.5" barrel, 44 mag). i was able to do a 1 1/4 - 1 3/4" at 100 yards(5 shots) off a bench. using a tree/shovel handle/etc, i was able to do 3 - 4" group at 100 yards. this was all two handed.

since i've had a stroke, i had a hard time to get with one handed shooting. i've traded my srh and got a ruger sbh(4 5/8" barrel, 44 mag). i know that there will be no shooting at 100 yards. heck, i'm trying to get 6" circle at 30 yards. i can do 3 - 4 rounds and i'll miss the rest. i can do it at 25 yards(6 for 6 in a 4" circle), but i'm having a hard time when i go 30 yards. the sbh goes ,from a bench, 1 1/2 - 2" at 50 yards(5 shots), so i know that accuracy is still there. i'll keep trying to do 30 yards, but i am a 25 yarder when it comes to my sbh.

We go to pot, I had my eyes fixed and can see again. But I complained to the eye doc that my hair has not come back or my shakes have not gone away. I crack them up in the office. When they did my eyes in the hospital, I had them rolling. Told them the thing that held my eye open was from the butt doctor. I had the gown on to recover the darn thing from my shorts.
Just got a check up and doc said the guy that did my eyes did a good job. He did it of course. When I left they were all laughing.
But need half a bottle of booze to hold still now.
We go on even with problems. We will be friends forever.

[tdoyka]

We go to pot, I had my eyes fixed and can see again. But I complained to the eye doc that my hair has not come back or my shakes have not gone away. I crack them up in the office. When they did my eyes in the hospital, I had them rolling. Told them the thing that held my eye open was from the butt doctor. I had the gown on to recover the darn thing from my shorts.
Just got a check up and doc said the guy that did my eyes did a good job. He did it of course. When I left they were all laughing.
But need half a bottle of booze to hold still now.
We go on even with problems. We will be friends forever.

hahaha!!!!

my dad had his eyes done(cataracts) like three weeks ago. he can't believe the difference. next time he goes is laser back surgery.

it took me about a year before i realized that i would be disabled. my speech isn't that great anymore, my right arm is pretty much useless and my right leg is about 20%-30% good. i'll go on walks(my road) and i will try to do anything i used to do. i can't shovel, use a chainsaw, be an operator(excavator, back hoe, skid steer...), treestands....but i learn to adapt to anything. and you(meaning i )have to laugh at yourself. i do, alot.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I guess everyone is afraid to post a picture of their grip. This is how I grip my Ruger SBH Bisley.

Like 44 man said you grip the gun further down the grip so your trigger finger is straighter.

The thumb of your support hand wraps down around your firing hand thumb to tighten the grip on the gun and is also used to run the Hammer.

Also when doing this you push forward with your firing hand and pull back with your support. This puts the gun in "Isometric Tension." it is also the basis of the Weaver Grip Stance

This locks the gun in position in your hand and forces the whole mess to rotate around your elbows in recoil.

If you allow a heavy recoiling revolver to pivot loosely in your hand it will crack you between the eyes. There will always be some movement in your wrists but it should be minimized, Also when your elbows break the left elbow should break first which allows the gun to go by your face on the left side. (for right handed shooters.) If you are doing a Weaver style hold on the gun with your left elbow dropped slightly and your right arm nearly strait or slightly bent, it will tend to got that way anyway.

If you insist on doing a perfect Isosceles stance and grip with both elbows locked you will probably see the revolver going over your head as it has to pivot at your shoulders.

These are methods to control Revolvers with **** kicker loads. I don't load that hot so I get maybe 6-8" of movement out of the gun. I still use the same grip.

The Grip portion of shooting a pistol or revolver is probably the single most important thing in successful shooting. Sight Alignment and Trigger Control can't take place if your grip is not consistent and solid.

See Pic:

Randy

[jmort]

Just watch how Long Hunter does it. Watch and learn.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

Two hand hold standing 100 yards. Trigger control and sight alignment and regular practice is most important. This Colt's .44 Special fixed sighted SAA 3rd generation with iron sights accurately shoots Unique, Bullseye, Green and Blue Dot with scrap alloy cast in 429667 and 44-250-K sized .431. The forcing cone was cut the 11 degrees. The arch of the blackstrap comes together in the hand with regular practice.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

[bedbugbilly]

Late to the party . . .

You're talking SAA but it applies to all SA revolvers . . . first, every gun shoots different and the biggest problem some have in going to a SAA style from what I would call "modern" SA/DA revolvers boils down to the sights - especially when they are used to adjustable sights. Everyone's hands are different so the fit to the grip is going to be different from one person to the next.

As far as how to hold it . . .. and this isn't a smart a$$ answer . . . you hold it in the way which works best for "you" . . and then you practice, practice and practice.

One hand hold or two . . . doesn't matter. People have this vision of "cowboys" and "fast draws" and "perfect shots" . . . and certainly there were those who were good shots with a Colt SAA . . . but not everyone was going to put drive a nail each time or put meat in the pot with each shot. We are no different than they were and your brain and body tell you that if you are making a long shot, you need to support the revolver the best way you can to make it. If a competition requirers ou to shoot one handed - then you shoot one handed. If you are hunting, plinking and playing . . you are not a "sissy" if you shoot two handed. But, practice both ways to become as skilled as you can.

Think about C & B revolvers. In the Colt, you have a "Navy frame" and an "Army frame" - two different sizes and for those with big ham size hands, the Army will be easier for them to grip - but if they switch to a Navy frame - they are going to have to adjust - kind of like going from a full size auto to a sub compact. You adjust, adapt but through practice, you find out by results whites the best way for "you" to hold it.

I have a book that was written by an old WWII Marine who grew up shooting 1851 Navies and who talked and visited with many Civil War veterans - sorry I can't remember the name or the author - a senior moment. It was a private published book though. Anyway, in it, he refers to being told by a vet about a "trick" for shooting long distances with a 1851 Navy. Visualize retreating soldiers or cavalrymen . . . . he said they would cock the Navy and then drop the loading lever so that the loading plunger entered the chamber it was lined up with. They would grasp the loading lever to stabilize the revolver with their weak hand while gripping the grip with their strong hand - stabilize the revolver and aim high depending on the distance the target was from them. Shoot, pull the loading lever up, cock and rotate cylinder and then repeat for the next shot. The point is . . . they figured out a way to hold the revolver so that they could get the most accurate shot.

I have shot SA revolvers for over 50 years. I cut my teeth on an original '51 Colt Navy. I still shoot C & B but my two favorite SAA are my Uberti 357 Bisley and my 45 Colt 7 1/2" Uberti Cattleman. Both different grip styles and it took me a while to adjust to both of them but now, the grip I use just seems "natural" but to explain it, I can't. You might grip them entirely different than I do. I shoot both revolvers both ways - single handed and double handed. I love the 45 Colt and usually I shoot at 25 yards. I stepped it out to 50 yards last summer one day just to play with it. My first shot, single handed at fifty yards I hit the Bull dead center . . . skill? Nope! Just plain dumb luck. Next shot I hit three inches to the right and the third shot I didn't even hit the paper . . . but it sure was fun!

Practice practice practice . . . practice at different distances besides just 25 and 50 yards - practice with different odd distances and remember that different loads shoot differently as far as POA and POI - learn to use some "kentucky windage" and before you know it, it will all come together for you . . and don't get discouraged in the meantime. The object is to have fun . . . and if your plinking or shooting bunnies or critters . . . it doesn't make any difference if you shoot one handed or with a two handed hold . . . they aren't going to know the difference!

Good luck to you and have fun!

[tdoyka]

i hold my thumb out to the offside too. i'm going to try the thumb as a pointer, it seems more stable(dry firing). my super blackhack isn't a bisley, my thumb is too small, so i can't place it on the recoil shield, although i can put my thumb on the back grip frame screw. i'll try a few of my 44sp loads of "thumb can be pointer", maybe i can shoot much better.

the answer is a NO!!! and it goes with OUCHH!!!!!MY THUMB!!!!!

i have done the thumb outside dry firing, and it wasn't too bad. it actually did what thumb could do, it could point to the target while maintaining accuracy. so i loaded up 280gr wfn and 8gr of unique in 44 mag and i went outside. i have a couple of split up logs that are about 15 yards away, so i decided that instead of a target, i could shoot a piece of wood. so my revolver goes out, is cocked, thumb points to the target, the front sight settles down and bang! OUCH!!!!MY THUMB!!!! i looked at my thumb, there was nothing wrong with it, so i decided i must have done something wrong, so i decided to try again. revolver goes out, is cocked, thumb points to the target, front sight settles down and bang! OUCH!!!!!MY THUMB!!!!!! i look at my thumb again and i see that i have cracked my thumbnail. i decide that the thumb should not point to the target, it should go outside( like i used to do!!!).

i have tried using my thumb to point and i have found it to be unnecessary and it hurts!!!!!

[rob55]

another thing i learned quickly. i bought a rest and i thought, now i am going to test ammo and really see how it all shoots. was i wrong, sort of. with the barrel of my uberti colts resting in the v of the rest and squeezing the trigger slowly i couldnt hit the broad side of a barn with a scoop shovel standing next to it. then i sqitched to my right arm in the v rest and the gun held in my right hand as usual and the left hand just barely touching the right hand. then i could test loads. the colts does not like the barrel solid in the v of the rest. at least mine dont. i bet every one of you already know this and i just had to find it out the long hard way.

I know this is an old post, but I couldn’t help myself. I have shot a pistol from a rest with some success. I have small hands and my pinky is on the grip. I sit the butt of the pistol on a property elevated sand bag.

I encourage anyone wanting to shoot a pistol accurately to focus on trigger control. Sit in your easy chair with your shooting arm relaxed on the chair arm and an imaginary pistol in your hand. Practice the independent function of your trigger finger. Slowly squeeze and feel your hand and wrist while watching it. Tension on the back of your hand drifts the point of impact outside. Tension in your wrist drifts the point of impact inside and perhaps down. Any and all of the fingers below the trigger finger can pull inside and down. An untrained trigger finger can introduce error in any direction. Then shoot. Shoot frequently. When I was a kid a 500 brick of 22LR could be had on sale for $3.99. I probably shot a 1000 rounds a month through a Ruger semiautomatic. I later was given a S&W model 10 38. I reloaded and shot hundreds of rounds through it. When I was 13 a ten yard shot at a gray Squirrel’s head was a sure thing with either. As a young dad with no money in an urban setting I consistently shot a spring loaded daisy 1911 at paper inside a half inch. The hall down the apartment was 18 feet. I’ve found pistols to have much greater inherent accuracy than most folks believe. Don’t blame the firearm. Train the trigger finger.

[Char-Gar]

Many shoot the SA with their little finger under the grip. Skeeter Skelton said that's how he shot them. Johnson1942 points out a pearl of wisdom I also adhere to, that is the support hand rests gently against the side of the grip. This is the manner in which I shoot Colt's SAA's for maximum accuracy.

That is the straight truth from an old Texan. Keeping all of your fingers "on" the SA grip makes it easy to rest the revolver on the trigger finger which will destroy accuracy. Placing the little finger under the grip will lift the pistol up and allow the trigger finger to not contact the revolver frame.

Much of this is also true of DA revolvers, that is why folks put grip adapters on them and grips with a filler behind the trigger guard.