Hip shooting fun

[HWooldridge]

I spent some time last week having some fun with hip shooting, using my old 44-40 Colt SAA, 4-3/4" bbl. This one was made in 1898 and I inherited it from my dad when he passed. Not much finish left and the bore is pretty rough but it still goes bang every time.

Standard load was 7.0 grs of WW231 and a 215 gr lead boolit. I was not trying for quick draws or fast handling but simply held the gun pointing downward then swung up to what I instinctively thought was correct, cocked and shot at a distance of 10 paces. I have a large dirt berm for a backstop in my pasture and was "aiming" for a small rock that was about belt height.

Thought it was interesting that I actually shot a so-called "group" that was about 6" in size - but about 18" high. However, when I tried to consciously bring down the POI, the bullets started hitting very low, around knee level - I wasn't able to easily adjust the impact.

I fired 15 rounds and the ones where I didn't concentrate all landed in the same general area, which would be upper chest/neck/head on a 6' tall silhouette. I didn't draw any conclusions from this little session, but thought the results were interesting - and I had fun popping off a few caps. I wondered whether the old West guys practiced a lot at hip level or used the sights more often than not. I have read that John Wesley Hardin often shot opponents in the head but he might have been using percussion revolvers most of the time, which are famous for shooting high.

[Bass Ackward]

Fun, huh? Expensive too.
There are two methods that work(ed) for me over time. You can either retrain (force) your muscle memory which takes a boat load of ammunition and practice often to maintain it. Or …. you can cheat with the second method of finding the weapon type / barrel lengths that work for your “natural” muscle structure. I do best with single over double actions. The only one now that works at my age is a 44, 6” Bad Boy with light(er) bullets. For a DA, it’s a 44, 2.75” S&W 69 with nothing heavier than 240 gr. My N frames are simply too heavy and have to be aimed.

[Froogal]

We sometimes do something very similar for one of the stages at our cowboy shoots. I can usually get 3 out of 5 shots to hit the target. Others can hit all 5 shots consistently and with a very tight grouping. I keep intending to practice, practice, practice, but I never do.

[G W Wade]

I remember 40- 50 years ago reading about hipshooting. They recommended setting your target and stepping back 1 step Draw and fire. If good, step back one more step. If good step back again Continue till empty. If you miss at any time return to first step. Repeat, Repeat Back when ammo was cheap I used to enjoy tried to replicate trick shots by the masters. Hip shooting the empty shotshell after ejecting it is a hoot when you finally hit the first one! Cutting cards is not that difficult. Even after all these years, I surprise friends with the draw and point ( not fast draw) method. And Yes, I have my own range GW

[HWooldridge]

I remember 40- 50 years ago reading about hipshooting. They recommended setting your target and stepping back 1 step Draw and fire. If good, step back one more step. If good step back again Continue till empty. If you miss at any time return to first step. Repeat, Repeat Back when ammo was cheap I used to enjoy tried to replicate trick shots by the masters. Hip shooting the empty shotshell after ejecting it is a hoot when you finally hit the first one! Cutting cards is not that difficult. Even after all these years, I surprise friends with the draw and point ( not fast draw) method. And Yes, I have my own range GW

Oooh, I like that method. I'll try to get outside once it warms up and practice some more.

And I reload - so cost is not terrible - even better if I start using my DIY black powder. Have plenty of brass and primers...

[country gent]

Small "adjustments to the grips can make a big improvement also. Adding a couple layers of tap in the right places will adjust where the pistol naturally points in the hand.

[country gent]

wax bullets shine for learning to point shoot starting out.

[Green Frog]

If you like hip shooting with a SAA, you need to find a Cowboy Fast Draw club near you. They shoot wax bullets at a stop plate. The specially modified cases generally used have the primer holes drilled out to accept shotgun primers and that’s all that powers the wax bullet, so you can even play indoors with proper backstop and ventilation.
Froggie
https://cowboyfastdraw.com/

[armoredman]

I remember 40- 50 years ago reading about hipshooting. They recommended setting your target and stepping back 1 step Draw and fire. If good, step back one more step. If good step back again Continue till empty. If you miss at any time return to first step. Repeat, Repeat Back when ammo was cheap I used to enjoy tried to replicate trick shots by the masters. Hip shooting the empty shotshell after ejecting it is a hoot when you finally hit the first one! Cutting cards is not that difficult. Even after all these years, I surprise friends with the draw and point ( not fast draw) method. And Yes, I have my own range GW

I gotta try this with my Uberti Cattleman II Birds Head, this sounds like fun.

[contender1]

As a young man,, and enjoying western movies & the concept of hip shooting,, I used to do a lot of it. I got pretty good. I mean,, why not? John Wayne & Clint Eastwood could do it! :D

But it was long before I had anybody teach me about serious longer range handgun shooting. You know,, where you actually use the sights,,, correctly!

Well, I developed a motor memory skill of focusing on the target, and NOT my sights. It caused me a lot of headaches trying to become an accurate handgunner at any real distance. My eyes kept wanting to focus on the target, causing me accuracy issues.
Retraining my motor memory skills, and such after a few decades of doing it improperly has been tough.

But I agree that it's a ton of fun to hip shoot, or just instinct shoot!

[HWooldridge]

As a young man,, and enjoying western movies & the concept of hip shooting,, I used to do a lot of it. I got pretty good. I mean,, why not? John Wayne & Clint Eastwood could do it! :D

But it was long before I had anybody teach me about serious longer range handgun shooting. You know,, where you actually use the sights,,, correctly!

Well, I developed a motor memory skill of focusing on the target, and NOT my sights. It caused me a lot of headaches trying to become an accurate handgunner at any real distance. My eyes kept wanting to focus on the target, causing me accuracy issues.
Retraining my motor memory skills, and such after a few decades of doing it improperly has been tough.

But I agree that it's a ton of fun to hip shoot, or just instinct shoot!

I'm 65, and never really did any type of instinctive shooting with a pistol or rifle (shotguns are the exception) - but all of my bowhunting and archery attempts have been with instinctive methods, which also emphasize focusing on the target.

[Nobade]

Tuco just did a very good video on how to do this. Something fun to practice!

https://youtu.be/C7cJ6KWb8kw?si=z725D5ErDs6c7pin

[HWooldridge]

Tuco just did a very good video on how to do this. Something fun to practice!

https://youtu.be/C7cJ6KWb8kw?si=z725D5ErDs6c7pin

That was very educational. Thanks for posting the link.

[rintinglen]

This brings back some fun memories!

In the latter part of the 1970's, north San Diego county had numerous places where one could legally and safely shoot. I spent a lot of time drawing and firing with my various 38's and 357's. I got pretty good, at least out to 21 feet, but I sure had a lot of fun shooting tree fall lemons and oranges. Though a hit up close might get you sprayed. Developers and anti-gun legislatures have closed most of those places, so I dare say it can't be done now.

[Electrod47]

Hip shooting was my forte as a young man. Ed McGivern's book "Fast and Fancy" was my Bible (for that subject).
Watching Have Gun Will Travel when I was 10, "Paladin" testing his quick draw while kicking over rocks covering coiled rattle snakes caused me to wear out my "Fanner 50" cap gun. Still enjoy a regular session of hip shooting on my home range. I can still amaze myself with what I can hit and I'me now 77. Put a lazer sight on a gun one time...It just slowed me down.

[wilecoyote]

...thank God I only discovered No Second Place Winner when I was already too grown up,
but that didn't stop me from losing all dignity trying :razz:

[dverna]

My first, and only, session was during a training class put on by Evil Roy. I thought "no way", but it was not as bad as I thought. It is fun but can get expensive.

If I was going to get into it, I would get one of those cheap CO2 pistols.