How to shoot a revolver?

[GoodGrief]

First off, let me say that I just started leaning to shoot recently, and know very little about guns in general.

Now, me and my gf have been learning to use handguns, and we have always used a semi-automatic. While we are not great, we can hit the targets 95% of the time. However, the last time we were at the range, we rented a revolver to see what it was like. We fired 20 rounds each, and I hit the target twice and she couldn't hit it at all. I don't know what kind of revolver it was, but it took 38 special rounds and 357 magnum rounds (I think). It felt comfortable in both our hands. So how come we couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it? Is there a special way to shoot them?

Thanks!

 

[P95loser]

What length barrell was the gun, what type sights did it have, what brand was the gun (different grip angles). We need more info to know the quirks of a particular gun.

 

[romeo212000]

Shooting a new gun when you are inexperienced with handguns on the whole can do that to you. What it more than likely is, is the ultra long trigger pull of a double action every time. Remeber, slow is fast. People want to hurry thru that long trigger pull because they are anticipating the recoil which causes them to throw rounds all over the place except at the target. I would recommend that you and your gf practice dry firing one hundred times a night. Practice focusing on the front sight and getting a smooth clean trigger. Put a penny on the top of your slide if you can and dry fire without knocking the penny off. It takes between 2500 and 10,000 repetitions to get something ingrained in your muscle memory. Make sure you are ingraining the right techniques.

 

[45Badger]

Lots of things can impact your shooting and accuracy. How far away were targets? The quality of the gun, does it time correctly?, barrel clean or leaded up?

Assuming the gun itself is not the culprit, were you shooting it double action or single action? Single is easier for many shooters to master. Double action requires a bit more trigger and sight control. I think we need more info.

Next time, check (or have someone knowledgeable do it) the gun out for timing, lock up, and cleanliness. Might even be a good idea to have a known experienced shooter put a few on paper to confirm accuracy (or lack thereof). Use .38 special target ammo, and stay away from .357 mag or .38+P. If you know you have a reasonably accurate gun, and are not flinching like crazy to compensate for lots of recoil, you can start to diagnose your shooting.

 

[Navy joe]

Pull the trigger without moving the sights. A double action trigger pull takes some learning to master. With a revolver it is easy to do something like leave one or two chambers empty so you can see when you jerk the gun off target. If you decide to own a revo, dryfire a lot. Slowly pull the trigger, smooth, no jerking.

 

[TimM]

This link may help (or not).
http://www.gunthorp.com/how%20to%20shoot%20a%20handgun.htm

 

[GoodGrief]

I can't remember what make and model the gun was.
The barrel was about 3 to 3.5 inches. We tried both single and double action (single is when you cock it first, right?). But mostly single as that was easier for us.
I thought the sights were kind of strange. It seemed like it was groove in the frame at the back.
I believe that the distance was about 13 yards.
And I would say it was more likely to be my skills rather than the rental gun. I have never had any issues with any of the guns I have rented from the place.
We both liked the feel of the gun, and were impressed by the lack of recoil we felt (compared to the springfield XD 9mm that we own). I just couldn't figure out what we were doing wrong. The two times I hit the target, I have no idea how I did it. My gf is usually a better shot than I am, and she didn't hit anything.

That's why I thought that maybe there was some "trick" we didn't know or perhaps some bad habit we picked up by using semi-autos.

Thanks for all the advice so far though.

 

[Sgt.Dusk]

3inch barrel and groove rear sights.....hmmm...cant expect much but you should be able to hit a man sized target easily from 15 to 40yards. I think anticipating recoil had something to do with your inaccuracy. A short barrel like 3inches and .357mag does a lot to your hand
...and I guess that the trigger overtravel could have something to do with it too.
With revolvers you gotta spend lotsa time doing dryfiring and watching your sights. In time it will get easier when you get used to the trigger.

Now that Ive gotten used to my revolver trigger pull after months of hard training I found out last weekend that Ive lost my touch with semi-autos....I shot my friends CZ75 and I was just spraying.....frustrating

 

[Virginian]

Hard to say without watching you, but if you got used to swatting the trigger on a semi auto a revolver could be enuf different to throw you off. BTW, 'swatting' was not intended to be demeaning, because that is how I describe someone shooting fast, and as long as you are hitting the target you are doing fine.
One of you get the other one to load the gun for you next time you go to the range, and leave a couple of charge holes empty. If the gun goes click and the sights are pointed two feet from the target you have your answer.

 

[Brian Dale]

Try a slow, smooth squeeze. You don't want it so slow that it becomes jerky, but try to do it as smoothly as you can, and focus your attention on the front sight.

Let your mind drift away from the normal tendency to focus on exactly when the gun is going to fire. You want it to go off, and it will go off; you don't have to worry about when. Just watch the front sight in its place in the rear notch, hovering over the center of the target.

Make your goal a smooth trigger press, set aside the awareness that the gun is about to fire, forget about needing to hit the X ring. Under these controlled conditions, just focus on the front sight and on smoothly pressing the trigger.

It's OK to start the session with the target really close to you (3 to 5 yards), if the range permits it. Getting more shots on paper gives you more information that you can use.

I also agree with previous posters about dry firing. Dry firing is good.

Please let us know how that works for you.

Welcome to The High Road.

 

[Majic]

Next time pick a revolver with a longer barrel. A 6 incher would be great, but a 4 incher will suffice. Also get one with adjustable sights. These sights have a larger rear sight which makes the job much easier.

 

[P95loser]

It might have also been a smaller framed revolver... I am much more accurate with a K or L frame than a J.

 

[SDC]

Trigger technique is what really counts with most handgun shooting, and even more so with a long double-action pull on a revolver. You need to be able to keep your sights aligned all the way through your trigger squeeze, and keep them aligned until after the hammer falls. This is what many people can't manage well (especially single-action shooters who can't get the Glock trigger), but it takes time and practice.

 

[GoodGrief]

Thanks for all the tips!

 

[earplug]

Its possible that the ammunition you were using was not compatable with the fixed sights.
Not knowing the size of the target, the weight/grain of the bullets, its possible that most of your bullets hit below your target. This would happen if you were using bullets much lighter then 158 grain that is the standard weight.
I'm assuming you can hit the target withyour own handgun.