Proper way to shoot a SAA/Clone 1 or 2 handed grip

[bangswitch]

2 handed looks “STUPID” I was hoping no real cowboys shooter was looking at me…

I want to get good at 1 handed, like the movie gunfighters

That's what practice is all about. Shooting a 9mm one handed shouldn't be too hard to get down pretty easily. OTOH, I'd rather not even start shooting one-handed with a .357 or .44M, but as with any shooting, there may come the day when you only have one functional hand, and it might not be your dominant one. It's really a matter of controlling the gun, and magnums are a bit harder to control one-handed. If you want a steadier shot where accuracy really counts, then do it two-handed.

Consider the cowboy who lived by his SA 6-gun. It was black powder and a .44-40 or .45 Colt if it was a big bore, and neither of those have the recoil of a smokeless powder .357 or .44M, and probably gentler than either caliber (.44-40 or .45 Colt} using modern smokeless powders. I revel in shooting my Uberti SAA .45 Colt one-handed. Do a cylinder right handed and then repeat, doing it left handed. Don't worry about the movie cowboys, they ain't really cowboys. If the shot really matters, I figure the real cowboys used two hands, if they had both of them free.

 

[J-Bar]

The Hickock-Tutt gunfight happened on the square in the center of Springfield, Missouri on July 21, 1865. There are brass markers embedded in the street marking their positions. Andy Thomas painted this picture, verified as correct by historians, and it hangs in the Greene County Courthouse a mile or so from the square. Hickock steadied his Colt Navy revolver with his left hand, as shown. Not quite our modern two-handed technique, but sufficient for the job.

 

[Mark_Mark]

That's what practice is all about. Shooting a 9mm one handed shouldn't be too hard to get down pretty easily. OTOH, I'd rather not even start shooting one-handed with a .357 or .44M, but as with any shooting, there may come the day when you only have one functional hand, and it might not be your dominant one. It's really a matter of controlling the gun, and magnums are a bit harder to control one-handed. If you want a steadier shot where accuracy really counts, then do it two-handed.

Consider the cowboy who lived by his SA 6-gun. It was black powder and a .44-40 or .45 Colt if it was a big bore, and neither of those have the recoil of a smokeless powder .357 or .44M, and probably gentler than either caliber (.44-40 or .45 Colt} using modern smokeless powders. I revel in shooting my Uberti SAA .45 Colt one-handed. Do a cylinder right handed and then repeat, doing it left handed. Don't worry about the movie cowboys, they ain't really cowboys. If the shot really matters, I figure the real cowboys used two hands, if they had both of them free.

YEP! I’m going to practice until my primers run out! left hand, right hand, from the hip too

 

[Mark_Mark]

The Hickock-Tutt gunfight happened on the square in the center of Springfield, Missouri on July 21, 1865. There are brass markers embedded in the street marking their positions.. Andy Thomas painted this picture, verified as correct by historians, and it hangs in the Greene County Courthouse a mile or so from the square. Hickock steadied his Colt Navy revolver with his left hand, as shown. Not quite our modern two-handed technique, but sufficient for the job.

View attachment 1190583

Is Gunfighter Tea Cupping!

What it would be like to live in the Wild West! Bet the whiskey was horrible

 

[J-Bar]

Is Gunfighter Tea Cupping!

What it would be like to live in the Wild West! Bet the whiskey was horrible

Don't forget sweat, bad breath, and outhouses.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Don't forget sweat, bad breath, and outhouses.

oooh.. all things I dis like

 

[Armored farmer]

Don't forget sweat, bad breath, and outhouses.

And warm beer....ugh

 

[Mark_Mark]

My gun is shooting low. Do I just file the front sights down?

 

[Pat Riot]

I mostly shoot my single actions one-handed as some would say “as God intended”
I shot Duelist in CAS. I tried Gunfighter, a revolver in each hand, but while I am sure the image and the noise was impressive my hits were not, but my misses were spectacular!

I can shoot an SA revolver pretty quickly with two hands. I sometimes do that for practice or when my right wrist is bothering me.

After shooting Duelist in CAS for a few years I started shooting IDPA with a Glock 34. I can’t tell you how many times I shot my stages like I shot CAS. One handed. I did really well like that. My scores tanked shooting two handed. I didn’t intend to shoot one handed. I guess I did what came naturally to me.

I often shoot my DA revolvers one handed. It’s good practice for if one is injured and loses the use of a hand or arm.

 

[Smokin Gator]

I mostly shoot my single actions one-handed as some would say “as God intended”
I shot Duelist in CAS. I tried Gunfighter, a revolver in each hand, but while I am sure the image and the noise was impressive my hits were not, but my misses were spectacular!

I can shoot an SA revolver pretty quickly with two hands. I sometimes do that for practice or when my right wrist is bothering me.

After shooting Duelist in CAS for a few years I started shooting IDPA with a Glock 34. I can’t tell you how many times I shot my stages like I shot CAS. One handed. I did really well like that. My scores tanked shooting two handed. I didn’t intend to shoot one handed. I guess I did what came naturally to me.

I often shoot my DA revolvers one handed. It’s good practice for if one is injured and loses the use of a hand or arm.

Pat. I think that as so many SASS matches moved the targets very close and bigger then ever over the years it has made shooting Gunfighter easier for the average cowboy shooter. It's still as difficult to be one of the top fastest champion shooters but for many shooters who had too many misses, especially with their weak hand, they can at least not miss as much.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

@Mark_Mark
Shoot that smokewagon one handed, holding the reins in the other.(extra credit for shooting your SAA rotated 90 degrees so your grip is horizontal)

I actually tried shooting one of my Colts "gansta style" once.

Holding it sideways.

No one who has ever fired a revolver with much recoil would ever try such a stupid way to fire a revolver.

The recoil kicked the front sight so far to the left that if I had fired it again no telling where the round would have wound up.

It may look good in the movies, but I'm here to tell you it would be a stupid way to fire a heavy recoiling revolver.

 

[Reinz]

My gun is shooting low. Do I just file the front sights down?

Correct

Be sure and be judicious with tape, one slip of the file and you may have a mark that may be hard to fix.

Also, take very little off the sight and then test. No matter how many times it takes. Depending upon the make, model, and sight it can be expensive replacing that sight by being too aggressive with the file work.

 

[gnappi]

There's really no correct way, do what feel right. The days of "slap the leather pardner" are long gone.

 

[J-Bar]

My gun is shooting low. Do I just file the front sights down?

How much low, and at what distance?

Using a heavier bullet will raise the point of impact, maybe enough that you don't have to file down the sight.

If you shoot rapid fire, most folks shoot high when shooting fast (not perfecting the sight picture).

I strive for small, centered groups, but using Kentucky windage or using a sight picture with the front sight held up a bit may be enough.

Reinz is right, make sure you really want to file before you do.

 

[Mark_Mark]

How much low, and at what distance?

Using a heavier bullet will raise the point of impact, maybe enough that you don't have to file down the sight.

If you shoot rapid fire, most folks shoot high when shooting fast (not perfecting the sight picture).

I strive for small, centered groups, but using Kentucky windage or using a sight picture with the front sight held up a bit may be enough.

Reinz is right, make sure you really want to file before you do.

about 1 to 1.5 inches low at 10yards. My 10mm SAA clone is the same way too.

Did the ole’ gunfighters use the yard measurement?

 

[mavracer]

Just for giggles I'll hold em upside down look at sights between my wrists and pull the trigger with my pinky.
Between recoil and gravity ya gotta aim well above the bullseye

 

[Armored farmer]

It may look good in the movies, but I'm here to tell you it would be a stupid way to fire a heavy recoiling revolver.

Y'all know I was only joking....

 

[Pat Riot]

about 1 to 1.5 inches low at 10yards. My 10mm SAA clone is the same way too.

Did the ole’ gunfighters use the yard measurement?

Hey Mark, do you reload? What @Reinz anf @J-Bar said is very true. You can also adjust your powder measurement to tailor a load to your gun.
1-1.5” isn’t really enough to fuss with. SA cowboy guns aren’t target pistols, but they’re your guns and you can do as you wish.
If you don’t reload try a couple of other ammo selections that might work. Look up the feet per second of the ammo that you’re shooting. A lower FPS should bring the point of impact as well, just like J-Bar’s suggestion of a heavier bullet.
Slower in the barrel = more muzzle rise as the bullet is in the bore.

One more piece of advice if you’re filing the sight down.
When you finish with the file set it somewhere besides the work space directly in front of you. The same goes for sandpapers. If the file or sandpaper is near the gun on the bench odds are the gun may come in contact with them. One absent minded movement, a phone call, multi-tasking, or whatever could cause contact and then you have a nifty gouge or scratch as a reminder that you messed up.
Guess how I know…

 

[Pat Riot]

Pat. I think that as so many SASS matches moved the targets very close and bigger then ever over the years it has made shooting Gunfighter easier for the average cowboy shooter. It's still as difficult to be one of the top fastest champion shooters but for many shooters who had too many misses, especially with their weak hand, they can at least not miss as much.

Thanks Pard. I appreciate it, but one of the reasons I left SASS is the close targets and the same ol’ 10-10-4 routine combined with the encyclopedia of “sweeps” with each one having 4 names. Also the wimpy gamer loads that are the norm.
It’s a damn shame that the word “Cowboy” on a box of ammo means “wimpy ammo”, rather than “manly ammo shot by the manly men of the old west”.
I apologize if you don’t see it this way, but in reality, SASS left me, I didn’t leave SASS. They took the fun out of it for me.

Enough about that from me. This thread’s not about that.

Thank you anyway.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Hey Mark, do you reload? What @Reinz anf @J-Bar said is very true. You can also adjust your powder measurement to tailor a load to your gun.
1-1.5” isn’t really enough to fuss with. SA cowboy guns aren’t target pistols, but they’re your guns and you can do as you wish.
If you don’t reload try a couple of other ammo selections that might work. Look up the feet per second of the ammo that you’re shooting. A lower FPS should bring the point of impact as well, just like J-Bar’s suggestion of a heavier bullet.
Slower in the barrel = more muzzle rise as the bullet is in the bore.

One more piece of advice if you’re filing the sight down.
When you finish with the file set it somewhere besides the work space directly in front of you. The same goes for sandpapers. If the file or sandpaper is near the gun on the bench odds are the gun may come in contact with them. One absent minded movement, a phone call, multi-tasking, or whatever could cause contact and then you have a nifty gouge or scratch as a reminder that you messed up.
Guess how I know…

I’m a reloader as much as a shooter. They are very light bullets I was trying to get ride of. I’ll try some 147g Subsonic and 124 Sub sonic loads

 

[J-Bar]

I’m a reloader as much as a shooter. They are very light bullets I was trying to get ride of. I’ll try some 147g Subsonic and 124 Sub sonic loads

If you feed that hogleg with historically potent loads, I expect you will be hitting high. As well as having lots of fun. (250 grain lead bullet)

 

[Pat Riot]

If you feed that hogleg with historically potent loads, I expect you will be hitting high. As well as having lots of fun. (250 grain lead bullet)

250 or 255 grain RNFP over 8.0 grains of Unique is a nice load.

We are talking .45 Colt, right?

 

[Smokin Gator]

Thanks Pard. I appreciate it, but one of the reasons I left SASS is the close targets and the same ol’ 10-10-4 routine combined with the encyclopedia of “sweeps” with each one having 4 names. Also the wimpy gamer loads that are the norm.
It’s a damn shame that the word “Cowboy” on a box of ammo means “wimpy ammo”, rather than “manly ammo shot by the manly men of the old west”.
I apologize if you don’t see it this way, but in reality, SASS left me, I didn’t leave SASS. They took the fun out of it for me.

Enough about that from me. This thread’s not about that.

Thank you anyway.

Pat. I'm right there with you on SASS. I enjoyed shooting my cowboy guns especially because I shot black powder. Started in 2001. About 2008 I started shooting IDPA and USPSA. Gradually I shot less and less SASS. I also shot Western 3 Gun in Piru and enjoyed that. But finally with the limited target presentations used in SASS I didn't want to spend my shooting time just trying to do the same very close shooting faster.

Now I primarily shoot USPSA with much more varied targets (distances and sizes) to shoot at. 3 yards to 25 yards. An occasional standards stage with a 50 yard string. I've mostly shot my 1911 but recently started shooting my CZs. I'm still a SASS member but haven't shot a match for probably 8 years. I turn 71 this year and figure at some point when I can't run around as much I'll maybe shoot some cowboy again. I really love shooting my 44-40 Marlin with the bp loads. I have shot the Western States Single Stack match several times. 200 to 250 shooters all shooting 1911s. Some of the best in the world (not me) shoot it.

 

[Mark_Mark]

250 or 255 grain RNFP over 8.0 grains of Unique is a nice load.

We are talking .45 Colt, right?

I have 2 real Colt .45. one 9mm/.357 clone, one 10mm clone.

have not shot the 45 Colt yet

 

[bangswitch]

Don't forget sweat, bad breath, and outhouses.

Smallpox, syphilis, tuberculosis, typhus, tetanus, snakebite, Crapping in the bushes, staying warm at night in the wild.................

My gun is shooting low. Do I just file the front sights down?

Are you using a 6-o'clock hold? Adjust to a sunrise hold and see what improvement you get, or just modify your sight picture until you're on target. Your POI will change with distance anyway, don't go grinding on your gun just yet.