Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Am I just a wimp or are you guys Superman?

I don't use the empty-chamber technique to trick someone into looking foolish before others or even to me (often, we two are the only ones there). Nor do I use it with beginners. It's the only way that I know to show an experienced shooter that in spite of all his honest denials that he doesn't flinch, he does. To recover or improve his shooting, he has to realize that his flinch is a real problem.

In a roughly parallel situation, my hotel roommate at an NRA convention -- one of the most popular of today's gun writers -- complained that I snored. I knew that I did -- had never denied it -- but he denied that he did. Said his wife claimed that he did, but still denied it. He snored much worse than I did (according to my wife's reports of my mild, occasional snoring and my experience with his very loud constant snoring).

He went to bed earlier than I did and went to full-volume sleep long before I dropped-off. The second night, I let him get his saw into full roar and taped several seconds of it. The next morning, without saying a word, I rewound the tape and played it while he was getting dressed. He immediately knew who'd been making that noise, and when.

"That's a dirty trick!" he said. I don't think it was.

The stark contrast between (a) an experienced shooter's usually emphatic denial that he flinches, and (b) the solid, undeniable evidence that he does, makes the evidence frequently very funny. But "funny" is the result, not the purpose.

Some of us do have positive, constructive motives for what we think, do, and report -- despite the too-ready, cocked and primed, jump-to-conclusions cynicism of contentious opiners who love to be given but not to give the benefit of any impression. Some of us are as conscientious, as thoughtful, and as respectful of others as you think you are.

Ken, me thinks thou doth protest too much. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I am as guilty as anyone I suppose.



Sights line up, quivering. Anxiously you begin to pull the trigger, uncertain of what to expect. Hammer, drops...click. Muzzle dives down then back up. Look around to see if anyone noticed. They are laughing and you know you look like Marvin Marshin, "Wha...there was supposed to be an earth-shattering KABOOM!"



Fortunately, I find this usually helps me because on the next shot, I am determined not to embarass myself twice.



BTW, I usually end up laughing at myself as well. I may be yet a youngster at 21 but I am fairly certain, still, that those who do not learn to laugh at their own mistakes live short lives fraught with misery and tears. When I flinch, I usally sniker to myself, even when there isn't an audience. Then I buckle down and try to get it right...repeat as necessary.

"I may be yet a youngster at 21 but I am fairly certain, still, that those who do not learn to laugh at their own mistakes live short lives fraught with misery and tears."

You are wise, beyond your years, RemFan! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

-FreeMe

Almost right -- just substitute themselves for "their own mistakes," and you'll have it hammered flat and nailed down.

At least two generations before I came along, and long before anybody reduced it to a motto, a Howell family trait was "take your responsibilities seriously but never yourself." It's a wonderful "secret" key to the great fun that life can be. You miss a lot of fun and laughter otherwise. And no one else has to be around for the fun to be rich.

You are indeed like most of us. I too have owned about a dozen Ruger Redhawks, Blackhawks, S&W 29's etc. Now a days my big bore pistol is a Glock 21. If a 45 caliber bullet at 950-1000 fps can't solve the problem I needed a rifle anyhow.

I challenge most big bore shooters to this simple test. Take a paper plate and staple it the target at 15 yards. Then empty your pistol as fast as possible on target. How many rounds hit the dinner plate. 1 for most and two for seasoned shooters near the 12 o'clock area of the plate. Repeat the exercise with the .45 auto of your choice.

When I shoot handguns the fun begins with a Ruger 22 auto with a 5.5 inch bull barrel.

A sack of potatoes and a .22. There are few shooting activities more enjoyable. Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer places where you can do that kind of thing. What a shame that every kid can't enjoy a day outside with a .22 and various targets of opportunity.

A M E N Hawk

The_Real_Hawkeye,

You might be the only person here who can believe what I am going to write.

When I purchased a FA .454, I based the purchase on the balistics. Originally I shot the FA 260 grainers, but discovered the 300 XTPs were a bunch cheaper. They averaged about 1,625 fps.

One day at lunch the conversation turned to firearms. I told them about mine. One of the fellows indicated he wanted to shoot it. I suggested we go about a quareter mile down the road and he could shoot it. Away we went. "What should I shoot?" he asked. "Shoot the big oak about fifty yards over there," indicating an old oak about four feet in diameter. Where he hit a piece of bark about 2" square flew off. He handed back and told me he did not want to shoot it again.

By then I had practiced and was just plain good with it. I put it up in good shooting position. For me that is. I rested the Pacmyer pistol grip on the fat part of the left hand with the left elbow against the ribs. (It hurts if you put the pistol grip in the palm!) A very stable platform. At the shot I saw the 2" square get bigger and a second later was on the way down. Before I hit the ground I had regained conscienceness enough to hear him excitedly say, "Did you hit that!?" The very next second his question and tone changed to, "What happened?" The blood coming from my forehead showed where I was pistol whipped. You see, my only thought was "sight picture and trigger control...nice an' easy." The next week that .454 was in the mail to get a muzzle brake. Cut the recoil by at least 40%.

Wow! What a story. No, I've never been beaned by my own handgun before, though I can imagine that if you hold it in a certain way, it could do that. Yeah, you can't, unfortunately, just think of a steady sight picture and trigger control with the big bucking handguns, because there is the reality that they could very well bang you in the head, so you also have to focus on firmness and tension in your arms. It makes accuracy a little more challenging, but then we're not talking about a .22.

I bought a Blackhawk a few years ago in 44 Magnum and it was distinctly unpleasant to shoot to me and to my nephew. I took it back. Fortunately the seller was a relative so no lost money.

I am now interested in the 45 Long Colt. What are the differences in the Vaquero, Birdshead Vaquero, Bisley, Bisley Vaquero, and the Blackhawk? Is a certain grip usually more pleasant to shoot? Which one most closely duplicates the Colt? Is there another brand besides Ruger that I need to check out that is in the same price range as the Rugers?

The standard loading of black powder and a certain grain weight in the late 1800's, is it more easy on the newcomer?

I have no problem with rifle recoil up to 338 Win Mag but the pistol I had turned me off for the past few years.

the original 45 colt load put the 250 gr bullet out around 900 +fps. Its has pretty healthy recoil None of the Rugers duplicate a Colt. The vaquero sort of looks like one but thats where the similarity ends. Most people say the Rugers Bisley version is easier to handle recoil.

That would be about 300 fps slower than a 44 magnum and about 300 less foot pounds of energy less so that should definitely cut down on recoil.
I just read in Gun Tests 2000 that while the Ruger Bisley grip is not like the original Colt Bisley grip, that it does indeed handle recoil better as you stated. It stated that the original Colt bisley has the same grip angle as the 1911 .45 Auto. The grip shape of the Ruger Bisley is similar to Linebaugh's for the .475 and .500.

Yes that defintely less recoil than a 44, but don't let the numbers fool you. I once stopped a charolais bull that weighed close to a ton from reaking anymore havoc on the world with one slug from my 45. that was with my favorite handload of 9gr unique and a 250 gr cast swc. That load will also penetrate both sides of an antelopes rib cage at 50 yds with no problem.

Well, the standared grip is close to the original Colt "P", the birdshead lets the gun "roll" in your hand and is fairly easy on the hand but slow for follow up shots. Now my favorite is the Bisley, just seems to transfere recoil much softer to my hands and with the Bisley hammer is quite quick with follow up shot. Y M M V. Good luck, the 45 Colt is probably one of the most versatile calibers out there.

Well the Ruger grip is close to the Colt, but I was always told only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
I like the feel of my Colts better than the Ruger, but the Rugers can be loaded a bunch stouter.