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

[The Bushmaster]

Mark_Mark...If you are shooting that low at 10 yards you might be anticipating the recoil and dipping the muzzle.

I have a COLT second generation SAA in .357 Magnum 4 3/4' barrel. I purchased it new in 1966. I shoot light loads one handed and heavy (hunting) loads two handed. My hunting load is 18.5 grains of W296 under a 140 grain Remington SJHP.

 

[Mark_Mark]

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

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.

I’m not dremaling just right now. But just how you cowboys and cowgals adjust your SAA sights

 

[Mark_Mark]

Mark_Mark...If you are shooting that low at 10 yards you might be anticipating the recoil and dipping the muzzle.

I have a COLT second generation SAA in .357 Magnum 4 3/4' barrel. I purchased it new in 1966. I shoot light loads one handed and heavy (hunting) loads two handed. My hunting load is 18.5 grains of W296 under a 140 grain Remington SJHP.

I better shoot from a rest and see!

I always wanted to go Hog Hunting with iron sights ! get real close as possible

 

[Pat Riot]

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

have not shot the 45 Colt yet

So, I am assuming the 147 grain is the 9mm. How is the POA/POI for .38 and .357 from the same gun? I would leave it alone and just aim appropriately. That’s what I do with my SA revolvers. I adjust my aim to the load because I shoot several different loads through them.

 

[Mark_Mark]

So, I am assuming the 147 grain is the 9mm. How is the POA/POI for .38 and .357 from the same gun? I would leave it alone and just aim appropriately. That’s what I do with my SA revolvers. I adjust my aim to the load because I shoot several different loads through them.

Before we get to anymore confusion. I’ll only shot 95grain very hot 9mm and hot 158g .357 thur it. The 95gain was 1-2 inch low. I’ll try 147 soon to see where the POA/POI is.

.357 was all over the place! I’m either having filch issues with hot .357 mag or load problems.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Try some 2400 light loads. Say around 14 grains and a 140 grain TCFP. Missouri Bullet has them, or did.

 

[Pat Riot]

Before we get to anymore confusion. I’ll only shot 95grain very hot 9mm and hot 158g .357 thur it. The 95gain was 1-2 inch low. I’ll try 147 soon to see where the POA/POI is.

.357 was all over the place! I’m either having filch issues with hot .357 mag or load problems.

I have found with all my Ruger Vaqueros and New Vaqueros that really hot loads and mouse fart (CAS) loads give groups like 00 Buck patterns.
Middle of the load charts loads always seem to be more accurate in regards to aim points and groups. I have only owned 7 Ruger SA’s - 4 Vaqueros, 3 New Vaqueros. 1 Blackhawk.
I currently have 1 Vaquero and 1 New Vaquero, both in .45.
Some folks on here own and have owned many more than me. Maybe they have a different perspective.

 

[bangswitch]

I’m not dremaling just right now. But just how you cowboys and cowgals adjust your SAA sights

Welcome to fixed sights. You don't adjust the sights, you adjust your sight picture, which will be different for each caliber and each distance you shoot. If you "adjust" your sights by filing the front post, you might get it right for one caliber at one distance, but nothing else will be on target. So it goes when you have a gun that will fire two different cartridges (9mm and .357M, for instance). Their ballistics are way different from each other and you can't expect both to show up in the same place on the target with one sight setting. It's the main reason I don't care for multiple caliber guns with fixed sights. Even shooting .38 Spl and .357M from the same gun, a very common exchange, you'll get two different POI's from the same sight picture. Practice until you know how much to adjust your sight picture for each caliber you shoot from a single gun.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Welcome to fixed sights. You don't adjust the sights, you adjust your sight picture, which will be different for each caliber and each distance you shoot. If you "adjust" your sights by filing the front post, you might get it right for one caliber at one distance, but nothing else will be on target. So it goes when you have a gun that will fire two different cartridges (9mm and .357M, for instance). Their ballistics are way different from each other and you can't expect both to show up in the same place on the target with one sight setting. It's the main reason I don't care for multiple caliber guns with fixed sights. Even shooting .38 Spl and .357M from the same gun, a very common exchange, you'll get two different POI's from the same sight picture. Practice until you know how much to adjust your sight picture for each caliber you shoot from a single gun.

GREAT ADVICE!

Adjust the sight picture

 

[Mark_Mark]

Maybe a little white nail polish for the hold mark??

 

[J-Bar]

Maybe a little white nail polish for the hold mark??

Whatever works for you.

 

[bangswitch]

Maybe a little white nail polish for the hold mark??

For what distance? 7, 15, 25 and 50 yards will all need their own mark. It's sort of like "Kentucky windage" for figuring drift. You practice enough, you just know how much.

But whatever makes it easy for you.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Whatever works for you.

For what distance? 7, 15, 25 and 50 yards will all need their own mark. It's sort of like "Kentucky windage" for figuring drift. You practice enough, you just know how much.

But whatever makes it easy for you.

it’s so personal!

 

[Jimster]

SAA/clones, 1 handed. 1911, 2 handed. That’s the way it should be.

 

[doubleh]

What it would be like to live in the Wild West!

Much, much harder than today. I will settle for this era and play with the guns for entertainment. It was a far cry from the wild west but we didn't have electricity until I was in the fourth grade and I have taken many a summer bath in a galvanized washtub in the back yard using water heated by a hose laying on the ground when i was kid. Today is much mo' better,

 

[.45Coltguy]

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

have not shot the 45 Colt yet

And once you do shoot that .45 Colt, you won't soon be returning to the others. Just sayin'.

 

[StrawHat]

it’s so personal!

But only if you shoot one revolver. If you have multiples, each one has its own personality. I have nearly two dozen iterations of the 45 ACP , N frame S&W revolver. I carry only one, the same one, for my edc. I have one more that is close enough for point of aim and point of impact that it can substitute out to 25 yards or a little further so I have a spare edc. The others are very accurate but enough different to need to be shot a lot before carrying.

Kevin

 

[Varminterror]

I'm not sure I've ever played cowboy, but I've shot SA revolvers longer than I've shot anything else. When I want to shoot fast, I use two hands. When I want to shoot accurately, I use two hands. I can and do shoot one handed, but recognize what it gives up to two handed shooting.

 

[Mark_Mark]

I'm not sure I've ever played cowboy, but I've shot SA revolvers longer than I've shot anything else. When I want to shoot fast, I use two hands. When I want to shoot accurately, I use two hands. I can and do shoot one handed, but recognize what it gives up to two handed shooting.

nothing feel better than a SAA!

Love everything about them. The look, the blue, the 4 clicks, just quality from an age we will never see again. Love them

 

[Mark_Mark]

But only if you shoot one revolver. If you have multiples, each one has its own personality. I have nearly two dozen iterations of the 45 ACP , N frame S&W revolver. I carry only one, the same one, for my edc. I have one more that is close enough for point of aim and point of impact that it can substitute out to 25 yards or a little further so I have a spare edc. The others are very accurate but enough different to need to be shot a lot before carrying.

Kevin

me and Smith have a love hate relationship. Love the build quality, but hate that everyone wants one. I’m middle age now and when I introduced my co-hordes to old smiths, they buy all they can!

 

[Varminterror]

I'm a Ruger guy. I've had original Colts and have clones, but don't find the SAA's hold up as well as the Rugers, and I don't have to fight any reality of 1) fighting relatively lower production quality in clones, or 2) breaking original colt parts and wasted equity.

I reduced my roster of single action revolvers several years ago - sold off all of my Colts and around 75 Rugers which had appreciated significantly in value since purchased - but I still kept around several Ruger bangers - two sets in case I want to get back into CAS/SASS someday (although, the reasons I quit seem to be running rampant even worse today than back then), a few hunting revolvers, a few for fun... I'm playing with finishing a pet project after a few years, a 5144 NV which I've chewed apart to make my own vision of a Sheriff's Model, I suppose it would be intended predominantly for single handed fire...

 

[Mark_Mark]

I'm a Ruger guy. I've had original Colts and have clones, but don't find the SAA's hold up as well as the Rugers, and I don't have to fight any reality of 1) fighting relatively lower production quality in clones, or 2) breaking original colt parts and wasted equity.

I reduced my roster of single action revolvers several years ago - sold off all of my Colts and around 75 Rugers which had appreciated significantly in value since purchased - but I still kept around several Ruger bangers - two sets in case I want to get back into CAS/SASS someday (although, the reasons I quit seem to be running rampant even worse today than back then), a few hunting revolvers, a few for fun... I'm playing with finishing a pet project after a few years, a 5144 NV which I've chewed apart to make my own vision of a Sheriff's Model, I suppose it would be intended predominantly for single handed fire...

75+ Guns! must have been fun collecting them. Alltho it must have been heart breaking to sell them off to. You are a good writer!

 

[Varminterror]

75+ Guns

The Rugers weren’t the half of it, and that wasn’t my largest offloading. I’ve taken opportunities to purge excess investment inventory multiple times.

I accumulated over 2 dozen matched pairs of Ruger Single Six 32 H&R’s in every finish and barrel length option available, plus a few single stragglers. I amassed 60 original Vaqueros in 44mag at one point. I’ve done very well on those investments, and enjoyed the ride, but I try to keep my inventory much lower now - I accumulate what I will shoot, not just stuff I want. Staying under triple digits seems to be a hard line to sustain, however.

I’m a sucker for magnum revolvers though.

 

[Mark_Mark]

The Rugers weren’t the half of it, and that wasn’t my largest offloading. I’ve taken opportunities to purge excess investment inventory multiple times.

I accumulated over 2 dozen matched pairs of Ruger Single Six 32 H&R’s in every finish and barrel length option available, plus a few single stragglers. I amassed 60 original Vaqueros in 44mag at one point. I’ve done very well on those investments, and enjoyed the ride, but I try to keep my inventory much lower now - I accumulate what I will shoot, not just stuff I want. Staying under triple digits seems to be a hard line to sustain, however.

I’m a sucker for magnum revolvers though.

I just got on the wagon! FUN ADVENTURE

 

[CraigC]

God gave me two hands and I'm gonna use `em. What they did 150yrs ago or in some Hollywood movie is irrelevant.

Most of my one handed work is point shooting, always pinky-under on Colt SAA/Navy/Ruger XR3 grip frames.