Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Hlding a revolver when shooting

When shooting a Ruger SBH Hunter ,44 Mag, do you hold it tightly to hold down the recoil, or fairly loose to let it ride up with the recoil?

I've got a 480 and I hold on for dear life. But then again, I'm not a good handgun shooter.

Firmly, but not in a death grip.

Everyone develops their own style. That said, you should hold it tightly but not a death grip to where your hands start to tremble from squeezing.

One of the most important things for accuracy with a hard kicker like that is to hold it in the same place with the same pressure every time. Actually that's important with any handgun but more so as the recoil level goes up. Note where your hand is on the grip and place it at that exact same spot for each shot. Higher up on the grip is better than lower down to mitigate the leverage of the recoil but it's going to roll no matter what you do.

The old target shooting books taught you should grip the revolver or single shot pistol as loosely as possible, for the reasons Jim stated. However you can't do that with semi-autos or heavy recoilers. Again like Jim said consistancy of grip is whats important. A looser grip will cause you to shoot higher and may allow more torque in the recoil throwing the bullets all over the target. Its the reason you need to practice so much with handguns. Back when I watched TV, I would sit with an unloaded handgun and practice holding and aiming at the channel dial.

Sorry you can't do that anymore, and no I won't explain what a channel dial is.

I know! It's that bullet hole in the TV set where the dial used to be...

IMO the Hunter has the best grip of any Ruger SA; the long Dragoon handle of the Super w/o that damned knuckle opener on the trigger guard.

Shoot for something akin to firm handshake for starters and go from there. If you're getting shake, you're gripping too hard. There's no shame in working with a grip exerciser to enable you to grip harder without shaking.

Here's another thought. Unless I am shooting long distance or at a very small target, I shoot one handed. With SA revolvers in particular, I get less disturbance and the gun just rolls up where the hammer is right under my thumb.

I like to let it roll in my hand but not to loosely or you'll be bleeding between the eyes

For heavy recoiling, a good grip and let it rid up. I'm not in a hurry to make a second shot.

This and let the recoil pivot at my elbow deal with the recoil. No roll in the hand, no roll in the wrist.

If you hide a revolver when shooting you will blast a hole through your clothing when you shoot it.


Mike

I shot a contender in 45-70 a lot. I just held a moderate one handed grip and let my arm rise up to take the recoil.

I shoot some hefty loads in my RSB in 45 Colt and do it the same way. I have no clue if it is the right way but it's how I do it.

My SBH Hunter is in 41, rather than 44. I shoot a lot of 210's at 1350 to 1400 fps. And I also shoot 250's at 1300 fps

Mine has the Bisley grip, which allows me to get a full three finger grip on the revolver. I grip it solidly enough to be sure that I do not lose control of the revolver during recoil.

The revolver definitely rolls in my hand, and rotates through my wrist. Gripping the revolver hard enough to prevent rotation serves to drastically increase felt recoil, making even a 56 ounce revolver painful to fire.

With heavy recoiling ones, I prefer a tight grip, to keep control of it.

Got a laugh out of that one. My Dad shot a hole in the wall near the TV with my .22 pistol way back in the 1970's. He was not a hunter nor shooter and just why He was fooling around with my pistol, I will never know. Usually it is the other way around, the kid shooting a hole with His Dad's pistol. Dad was in His Sixties at the time. miles

Yup, firm but not a death grip. Fortunately it's just a 44. A buddy was shooting his 500 Linebaugh and let a guy who'd never shot anything bigger than a 9mm shoot it. He was fine with the first shot, and then said oh it's not that bad. Second shot he planted the front sight in his forehead.

Taught a 12 year old frail kid in a wheelchair. He had spina-bifida. Little spindly arms. Smith and Wesson 6" model 29. Told him to "direct" the recoil and not fight it. We practiced with me pushing the gun back and he letting it start back and directing it up. A couple of .44 Specials and he was ready for the 240 grain factories. Did well and he enjoyed it.

Farmer tight grip with all but my trigger finger.

For my not fighting it has worked the best.

This again, although some handguns require something between firmly and a death grip. Most don't.