Shooting a Revolver from a bench???

[RobS]

Ok, after reading threads about accuracy of bullets and working from a bench I have to ask what it is that people consider "shooting from a bench"?

For example:

I shoot from a bench with my forearms rested on a rolled up towel and usually standing.

How does everyone else test revolver rounds for accuracy from a bench?

ALSO A NOTE: I know there will be someone that says,......................"There is no reason to shoot from a bench, you are not going to be shooting like that in the field or in real life situations" so if you have the need..................please refrain from contributing to the thread.

[ETG]

I consider bench shooting with a revolver using a V sandbag on an adjustable tripod for the frame and sand bags to support the hand grip.

[RobS]

Well that is a bit more elaborate...............now I may not be as bad of a shot as I thought.

[Throckmorton]

to me,bench shooting is ; sitting at a bench,put my gun hand inside/on top of, my offhand,which is resting on a pad of some sort.Off hand grips the shooting hand,overlap thumbs.ie: my ususal 2 handed grip,only resting on a support.

[Echo]

+1 for Throckmorton. Bench resting is the next-best way of testing new loads, best being in a rst such as Ransom. I do it all the time.

[Old Grump]

to me,bench shooting is ; sitting at a bench,put my gun hand inside/on top of, my offhand,which is resting on a pad of some sort.Off hand grips the shooting hand,overlap thumbs.ie: my ususal 2 handed grip,only resting on a support.

My only difference is I don't grip with my non shooting hand but let it lay flat palm up, I only use it for a cushion between the butt and the sandbag. I find if I grip with it I influence the gun and it moves my group. Once sighted then I either shoot one handed or with a modified Weaver and I still don't grip the gun. Just my stroke and its going to be different from the guy next to me.

[Eagles6]

Snubbie I shoot with a 2 hand grip with the butt resting on 2 sandbags made from blue jean legs and scavenged sand resting on a former tackle box-now range box that I shot but blamed on someone else.
Works well for the semis too.

[Eagles6]

Actually , now that I think of it I do rest the butt on my upturned left hand on top of the sand bags.
Sad when the memory goes...it's only been 23 hrs since I did it.
Boolit placement is still good though.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
At a bench sitting up I try to grip the revolver as I do standing but with my wrist suported to reduce my wobbles. I grip with my left hand wrapped around my right thumbs overlapped which grips the revolver. I have small hands attached to a small 155 pound frame.
But my favorite test position is the Creedmore as suited to my body. I still shoot my best handgun groups that way.

[Hardcast416taylor]

With old towels for bench covering and padding, the Frau hasn`t missed them yet! I put my bench media filled bags down on the towels for support. I ONLY will rest the frame of the pistol in front of the trigger guard on/against the bags NEVER the ejector rod or barrel touch the bags. Been doing it this way for about 30 years.Robert

[mike in co]

ALSO A NOTE: I know there will be someone that says,......................"There is no reason to shoot from a bench, you are not going to be shooting like that in the field or in real life situations" so if you have the need..................please refrain from contributing to the thread.

PLEASE NOTE THERE ARE IDIOTS THAT CAN TYPE.

what do you want to do ? see how accurate your gun and your ammo are ?
you do this by taking as much of YOU out of the set up as possible.

you do this with a rest.

for a revolver the clue is to be as consistant with the rest as possible.

support the gun just forward of the cylinder...the lug at the front of the frame, and the base of the butt. try to be as consistant with your hold..the amount of energy you spend hoding the gun shot to shot affects group size. trigger pull...same story, cock it and pull.......do not cock with the trigger if you can help it.
with a solid set up sight pic should be very consistant.

if the ammo and gun shoot 2 in at 25yds its unlikely YOU WILL shoot 2".......standing up two handed.

it is highly unlikely you will ever shoot better that the gun and ammo can shoot, the only way to know what that is is to take as much of you out of the picture as possible...that means shooting from a rest PERIOD.

i sight in my one competition revolver standing, holding on a rest, but the gun is completely free to recoil up and away. no downward pressure when aiming, just lite support to steady the sights.

you get better at things by perfect practice, not by just doing the same wrong things over and over.

no sense trying to shoot 2" groups if the gun and ammo are only capable of 3"......

mike in co

[RobS]

PLEASE NOTE THERE ARE IDIOTS THAT CAN TYPE.

what do you want to do ? see how accurate your gun and your ammo are ?
you do this by taking as much of YOU out of the set up as possible.

you do this with a rest.

for a revolver the clue is to be as consistant with the rest as possible.

support the gun just forward of the cylinder...the lug at the front of the frame, and the base of the butt. try to be as consistant with your hold..the amount of energy you spend hoding the gun shot to shot affects group size. trigger pull...same story, cock it and pull.......do not cock with the trigger if you can help it.
with a solid set up sight pic should be very consistant.

if the ammo and gun shoot 2 in at 25yds its unlikely YOU WILL shoot 2".......standing up two handed.

it is highly unlikely you will ever shoot better that the gun and ammo can shoot, the only way to know what that is is to take as much of you out of the picture as possible...that means shooting from a rest PERIOD.

i sight in my one competition revolver standing, holding on a rest, but the gun is completely free to recoil up and away. no downward pressure when aiming, just lite support to steady the sights.

you get better at things by perfect practice, not by just doing the same wrong things over and over.

no sense trying to shoot 2" groups if the gun and ammo are only capable of 3"......

mike in co

Thanks Mike for a detailed description....................very much appreciated. And yes idiots do type BS, unfortunately, but there are also those that have good knowledge and come across wrong or are too hard headed to see a different direction at times.

It is what it is.

[felix]

See pics. ... Felix

[Blammer]

Ransom rest=bench shooting.

[KCSO]

If you can't afford a ransom Felix's grip with a soft rest under the frame of the gun. I use a padded v block rest. Mine is made of wood with a padding of sand bags.

[454PB]

When you get up to .454 Casull or higher recoil, that offhand thumb is at risk in the picture felix posted. The hammer can come back and punch the thumbnail.

[Larry Gibson]

When you get up to .454 Casull or higher recoil, that offhand thumb is at risk in the picture felix posted. The hammer can come back and punch the thumbnail.

Bad place for the thumb with semi auto's also, I've the scar to prove it. Better to lay the non-firing hand thumb over or alongside the firing hand thumb.

If testing loads for accuracy best to use a rest either on the forward part of the frame or the the barrel. Some say not the barrel but as long as the barrel can recoil up away from the rest I've not seen any difference.

If zeroing best to not have any part of the pistol/revolver on the rest. I like to have a soft giveable rest under the hands and a solid sandbag for the knuckles to press against. The elbows also should not be on top of the solid bench.

For both methods above with semi's, revolvers and single shots the butt of the handgun must have freedom to recoil down. Resting it on a solid sandbag or the hands on a solid sandbag will not let it recoil down as when you shoot without a rest. This becomes more important with the heavier recoil handguns and single action in particular. Resting the back of the non-shooting hand on the bench or a solid sandbag cupped with the firing hand resting in it will get your attention in a hurry with hard recoiling guns, especially SA revolvers.

Larry Gibson

[geargnasher]

Felix, you're quite a shooter if you can touch off that Model 29 like that without disturbing the sight picture. I've struggled for almost a year now with a 29-3 10" bbl, something about the grip shape seems to hit a tendon wrong and I can't make the trigger break without shifting the gun. 100-yard groups got better when I used a vee-block under the ejector rod shroud and a bag in front of my knuckles, but it's difficult to two-fist a .44 Magnum and NOT bear down on that front block. Vertical strings often result for me. SAA style guns are MUCH easier for me to shoot sitting at a bench.

I don't know the BEST bench postition for a pistol, but I know for sure POI is greatly affected by anything at all under the but of the gun, as well as any downward pressure on the bbl. Like Larry said, a pistol butt needs room to travel downward.

Gear

[44man]

I put the butt on a firm bag and the end of the barrel near the muzzle on another bag. Some guns will not shoot the same place off hand so I sight in from Creedmore and that works.
Have to watch that thumb.
You do NOT want to put your palm under the grip of my revolvers either or you will be hopping around with your hand between your legs, squealing like a pig!
I want zero motion of the gun as I pull the trigger.
Some guns like autos work fine with just the butt on a bag. But I never shoot under 50 yards so I need STEADY.
Creedmore is next best to sandbags. I only use one hand with the largest guns. True that some almost left altogether and I don't know how I held them!
Even from sandbags, the gun will leave my left hand and some revolvers will leave the left hand from off hand too no matter what wood clamp is used to hold the hands together.
The .44 and .45 are real ***** cats so you should be able to hang on with both hands.
Whitworth has left so much blood on my bench that I don't go down at night because of the vampires hanging around!
I played with a Ransom rest at the club and found I can out shoot it from bags.
Just do what feels good for you to test loads but sight in different for hunting if your gun does not print to the same place. My BFR's shoot to the same spot but my .44 SRH does not.

[excavman]

I bought a used "Pistol Perch" years ago, works great for taking the 'me' out of the equation.

Larry