What's the proper hold for a single action?

[BCRider]

For some time now I've been wrestling with trying to learn how best to hold my array of single action cartridge and capn'ball revolvers. I sometimes think I've got it nailed and then suddenly I'm shooting consistently to the left again.

My cartridge guns are Pietta SAA clones in .38Spl/.357Mag that I've trimmed the front sight to work with the same loads that work super well in my S&W Model 10. The BP guns are modern replicas of the 58 Remington and Colts in 1851 and 1860 versions.

Also to fit in with my Cowboy action shooting I only hold them one handed and generally with my pinky under the butt to aid in swiveling the gun back into place after cocking for the next shot.

My question is more about how far around and how high to hold the gun's stock in my hand. I'm using primarily my thumb on the one side and my middle and fourth fingers in a firm but light grip with the frame sitting pretty much centered in the web between thumb and trigger finger. My trigger finger is through as far as I can get it to where the trigger is resting pretty much on the fold of the last joint in the trigger finger.

But still, they are patterning consistently to the left.

Oddly enough when I shoot my Ruger Single Six the same way they are only a hair to the left or centered nicely. But I only just got the SS and have less than 100 rounds through it so that may have been beginners luck. The other guns have had many rounds through them.

Oddly enough one session I played around with my grip and found that by shifting the web around to the right (I'm right handed) the gun actually shot more to the right and centered the groups instead of to the left like I assumed it would. But the next time I tried that it was back to shooting about 3 inches to the left at 12'ish yards.

Any help with pictures or links to sights you can give would be much appreciated.

 

[Art Eatman]

Could be you're doing what's called "wristing", which is when you squeeze all the fingers instead of only the trigger finger. That tends to cause hitting left and a bit low. Try watching your forearm muscle as you first only move the trigger finger, and then when you move all of them. See the greater muscle movement?

I'll often use a modified Weaver stance and cock a single-action with my left thumb. Works well with hot loads in my Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt or in my Redhawk .44 Mag.

 

[murf]

mornin bcr, try a firmer grip. too light a grip will let the trigger finger's pull overly influence the sight picture. also, pull straight back to your nose with your trigger finger. sounds like you are pulling back to your left shoulder (if a righty). good luck. accuracy with a handgun is difficult. the only way to become accurate is to do it exactly the same every shot: sight alignment, grip squeeze, stance, trigger control and followthrough (don't stop pulling the trigger back to your nose until the bullet exits the barrel).

murf

 

[kiskicowboy]

Try a slightly different approach to you trigger. You stated that you are using the first joint of your trigger finger to pull with. Instead, try to pull the trigger with the first pad of your trigger finger.

You stated that your "trigger finger is through as far as you can get it to where the trigger is resting pretty much on the fold of the last joint in the trigger finger". Based on this, when you squeeze the trigger, you are torguing the pistol to the left when it fires. Back your trigger finger out a bit, squeeze the trigger with only the first pad of the finger on the trigger.

Make sure your pistol is unloaded, check it again to make sure it is unloaded, then pick a safe spot to aim at and do some dry-fire practice. Go through your entire trigger squeeze, and keep doing this till you can keep your front sight on target through the entire pull/fire cycle. Once you have it down doing dry fire drills, then go to the range and do the same drill with live ammunition. Pretty sure you'll find your hits on target will be much more centered.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

I find gripping a single action about twice as firm as other handguns seems to give me better results, more consistant. Put a vise grip on it, try to be consistent with your hand/finger placement, AND grip pressure. Consistency is the key, but a firm grip adds a large percentage to success and accuracy.

 

[Hondo 60]

BCRider,
I like Art Eatman's & kiskicowboy's answers.

I'd start with those & see where it leads you.

Don't know if you've seen this chart before, so here's something else to help.

Good LUCK!

 

[snooperman]

Try a firm grip and...

try relaxing your trigger finger while concentrating on the front sight as you very slowly pull the trigger straight back using the first pad.

 

[MCgunner]

Like this, bro.....

 

[Red Cent]

I suppose you are shooting duelist. The top duelist in cowboy is J.M. Brown. JM has won the nationals a couple times and , I believe, the world a couple times. From NC doncha know. JM pulls the trigger with all the finger through the trigger guard. He does this because the act of cocking the revolver and getting back to the trigger facilitates it. He would have to shift the revolver another time at least and taketim more time to plant the first pad on the trigger. What he did was the following.

"Habit formation is the process by which a behavior becomes habitual. As behaviors are repeated in a consistent context, there is an incremental increase in the link between the context and the action. This increases the automaticity of the behavior in that context.[5] Features of an automatic behavior are all or some of: efficiency, lack of awareness, unintentionality, uncontrollability.[6]

Habit formation is modelled as an increase in automaticity with number of repetitions up to an asymptote."

I had to look it up. Sounds like forever/infinity to me. You are training your subconscious to take over when that darn timer goes off.
In other words, find a way to perform the action that fits you and

PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!

you get the idea. Another thing. Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.