Double Action Shooting

[slughammer]

How many of you guys practice your double action shooting? What type of distances and targets do you use? I'm feeling out the interest; It's about that time of year again for me to run my postal match. Hope you'll all join me.

One of my main sports is ICORE (International Confederation Of Revolver Enthusiast). This sport is based on a good blend of speed and accuracy. When I get out to practice I usually do a bunch of 25 yard double action shooting to get my trigger stroke down. Usually I use a plain piece of paper and shoot for center of mass for the best groups. My ICORE gun for the past several years has been the S&W 627 V-Comp. Loads are Federal Cases, Federal Primers, and either WST and a 150RN or American Select and a 130RN.

[fourarmed]

JSH and my wife are shooting our summer bullseye league double action. They have both broken 270 on the national match course (1 slow, 1 timed, 1 rapid target). My wife got 100 on timed fire a couple of weeks ago. She is shooting a stock 586 with 6" barrel and 148 gr. match wadcutters. I think Jeff has a dot sight on his, and may be shooting slow fire single action.

[BD]

I have a couple of revolvers that I practice double action with. The first is a M37 Smith with the hammer spur milled off. I put 50 rounds a month through this, 5 @ 7, 5 @10, 5@ 15, 5@ 20 and 5@25 every two weeks. This gun lives in my pocket. Pretty near all the time. If the 25 shot drill is down more than five or six on an IPSC target I get worried and practice more. I hunt with a DW744 and I practice with this double action, either hand at 7 yards fairly often, more often just before hunting season. I hunt with it single action, but I've found that it's good to be able to hit something even if one hand is full of dogs/tree limb/edge of cliff/canoe or whatever. For me double action is an up close and personal fast paced kind of thing.
BD

[MT Gianni]

S&W Mod 14 gets shot DA at 25 yards and in. It had a button to feel when the trigger started to break that made it DAO but that is off now. 44 Bulldog gets DA at 7 yds and 15 yards then goes to SA. CZ85 gets some practice with the transition of DA first shot then SA, Taurus Millenium Pro is DAO. Both if those are 9mm. Gianni.

[Bret4207]

I don't have any idea how many rounds I've put through various revolvers in double action, but it's lots. I still practice hip shooting (point shooting they call it now I think) out to 15 or so yards. Nothing formal, clay pigeons, clay lumps, wood blocks, stuff like that. I can still walk a rock across a flat with my M19 S+W, or I could last year, or was it 2 years ago? At any rate it impressed my kid and I'll take that as a good thing. If you have a decent DA you get used to where it starts to break and thats the sweet spot you pay attention to. In hip shooting it's all about aiming with your torso. You sort of lock your elbow into your ribs and twist to bring the gun to bear. Easier to show than explain.

Of course if this isn't the type of DA shooting you're talking, ignore this.

[kenjuudo]

Most of mine is up close work also, in the winter dirt clods in a plowed field make a stroll more interesting. Never seem to get as good as the guys in the movies, head shots while flying through the air is definately out of my league:-? :-? :-?

jim

[JSH]

Yup, SA on slow fire. I thought a fellows score were supposed to go up the more you shot, couldn't prove it by mine the last few weeks. Seems like I get a few more X's, then throw one or more clear off the blasted target.
The borrowed Ruger seems to be typical. It is good for a while then it starts to foul and throw some. Last year I got by with just a patch or two of Kroil, then a dry one. It ould only lead about 1/2"-1" fronm the forcing cone. The gent it belongs to ran a couple of slugs with some lapping compound and it is throwing me fits.
I cleaned it the week before last as the week before that it started patterning rather than grouping. Cleaned it and had to fool with windage and elevation.
Hope to have mine done by next year.
I am trying to get this 625 trigger figured out, but there isn't much info on the newer style internals, after 1999 I think.
Jeff

[garandsrus]

I shoot DA for PPC. I only shoot indoors so the range is only to 50ft. Outdoor PPC goes to 50 yds.

John

[eveready]

I shoot IPSC, Steel and ICORE with a 610 S&W 10mm and IDPA with a 625 S&W all double action. Can't remember the last time I shot a revolver single action.

Eveready

[lead_her_fly]

I shoot in a local PPC league. I shoot a 586, 686, 625, 629 all double action. Our course of fire is 12 shots in 18 seconds with a mandatory reload (we let bottom feeders in too) at 21 ft or 7 yards. The second part of the course is @ 20 yards. 18 shots, 6 standing, 6 kneeling, 6 sitting in 70 seconds. I shoot all of mine double action and shoot at least 2 rounds every week. That is 60 x 50 (weeks) for around 3000 rounds, at least.
Here are some targets.

Long course of fire:
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/Sackettwannabe/29015x001.jpg

Short course of fire:
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/Sackettwannabe/29015x002.jpg

[slughammer]

Looks like there is enough of us to run a postal match, I recon I can count on at least one target from all the posters. Here are the results from last year.

I think the distances are fair, though 10 yards for snub nose may be a bit far (facetiously stated) :roll: .

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=9403


Along with the Double Action Matches, I'll be running the 1911 Ballistic Challenge. Stay tuned to the Competition Forum for more info.


Bret, I like the point shooting idea. I think we'll add a category for that too. What distance? 7 or 10? Grip it and Rip it!

[Four Fingers of Death]

We shoot Service Pistol here at ranges of 50, 25, 10 and 7 yds. Virtually everyone shoots double action for the whole match and most have hammers lopped so that they pass the trigger pull test with the lightest weight. I didn't lop my hammer as I don't like to go too low with the trigger as I used revolvers at work and didn't want to get used to poofy trigger pulls an dhave a problem if the brown hit the fan at work. It never did thankfully and I am retired now so I might re-appraise te situation. I have used a 586 with a smooth faced triggger and smoothed action but not really lightened trigger for this since 1986. Works a treat when I do my stuff.

[ammohead]

When I bought my model 25-13 S+W in 45 colt I decided that the only time I would shoot it single action was to work up loads. I had been seeing bear crap and tracks where I was fishing quite often and although the chances of running into one are slim to none I figured it didn't hurt to be prepared. I practice at paper targets, but my favorite is to walk about the desert for jack rabbits. I have made some impressive shots on them in DA, but more get away than get hit. But I am way confident when it comes to minute of black bear, or 2 legged vermin for that matter.

ammohead

[KYCaster]

I have a S&W M10 X 4in. heavy barrel with a bobbed hammer that stays in the truck and gets a regular work out with 158 rn....also shoot a 625-6 in IPSC and ICORE...can't recall ever shooting it SA.

My favorite 22lr is a 617-2 X 6in with the ten shot aluminum cylinder. I have a Tasco red dot sight on it and I've found that I can shoot it just as well DA as I can SA. Golf balls aren't safe out to 25 yds. and I can get an occasional lucky hit way past that.

It seems like the SA guns have been staying in the safe lately.....Hmmmm....gotta do something about that.

Jerry

[Shepherd2]

I shot a S&W 625 in IDPA matches for several years so I did a lot of DA shooting in competition and practice. Now DA shooting is so natural to me that it is hard for me to shoot SA. The only time I do it now is for load development and then I have to be careful not to go into DA mode.

All my practice, other than point shooting, is at 25 yards. I figure if I can hit it at 25 yards closer targets aren't going to be a problem.

[Bret4207]

Bret, I like the point shooting idea. I think we'll add a category for that too. What distance? 7 or 10? Grip it and Rip it![/QUOTE]

3,7,15 yards. Thats what we used to do.

[scrapcan]

I specifically had to search out a good k-frame to shoot DA and not have to chase brass. I have been shooting it only DA. Needs a bit of smotthing up, but I might be in for the shoot and send game if I have time. Sounds like a good bit of fun.

On the hip or point shooting, I have been ever amazed at how well beginners can do with a low-light point shoot when doing basic pistol classes. I know many of the students are amazed also.

[slughammer]

The Double Action Postal Match and 1911 Ballistic Challenge are hereby posted in the Competition Forum.

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=18414

Enter as often as you like.

[MGD]

Try to run at least a box at the plates with the M-57 Every time I go to the range to shoot rifles. Shooting Bianchi falling plates is a hoot and why wouldn't you shoot double action?