Ive got an old 4” 63 that i cant hit the broad side of a barn with. No use having a gun you cant shoot no matter how cool it is. Thinking of selling it and buying one of the new adjustable sight bearcats. Am i making a mistake?

How old is the 63 ?

My 1st ex wife has my 63......1980 era

Its pinned and recessed 4”. I hadnt looked up serial number

Why specifically can't you shoot it accurately?

J frames are tricky if you have big hands. i don't shoot my 34 very well either with the magnas. if i put a big ugly set of pachs on it then i can shoot it much better but it looks like schit.

Pretty much my problem too. I shot 6” gong at 100 yest with my super blackhawk but i cant hit a coke can consistantly at 20 steps with that 63.

If you can't shoot the M63 well I can't imagine the Bearcat being better.

Ive got to get my hands on one and see how it feels i guess. I read they balanced a little better.

Are you shooting the 63 as a double action or single action?

And what style handgun do you shoot really well?

I had a mint 4” 63 with factory smooth target stocks, couldn’t hit a damn thing with it. I determined that it just didn’t shoot for beans. My 2” square butt M36 would shoot circles around it. I swapped it off for something I don’t even remember now. Maybe you just got a lemon like mine.

I do know that I’ve seen very few people who could consistently shoot a bearcat well enough to decapitate grouse or squirrels. They’re very small and light and hard to master. The Single Six I find much easier to shoot well. Maybe a Wrangler would make a good mix of Single Six size and Bearcat weight.

K22s and Ruger or Browning autos are almost always accurate and easy to shoot well.

A bearcat is small too.

Get a model 617/ 17 Smith

Phoneman: I have a bunch of Model 63's, 34's and 651's both 4" and 2" types - and indeed they are "tasking" to shoot "accurately" - in my opinion.
I can shoot heavier 4" barreled rimfire and centerfire pistols more accurately.
Its been a long time since I shot a Bearcat but I am sure I would should my 63's better.
Never shot an adjustable sight Bearcat.
I would think the Model 63 would hold the relative accuracy edge over the Bearcats for most larger framed shooters like me.
If you are trying for or need more accuracy i say get a "K" framed Smith.
Having said these things my main Model 63 (4") is a constant companion of mine when I am afield. I just am aware of its accuracy and make do.
By the way what price range would your Model 63 be in if you decide to sell it?
Best of luck to you with whichever you sell.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Have you tried a Tyler T on it?

What Dirt said. My old Model 63 is easily minute of squirrel accurate. This one was taken about about 25 yards.

That grip filler is what the OP needs. Maybe.



I have learned to modify my grip for J frames. Easy to do in small caliber versions. Grip to pull straight back in the middle of the finger pad. The gun has a light front end.

My 63 no dash has traveled more miles with me a than any other gun I have.

Maybe I need to try one. Typically I can shoot revolvers very well. Blackhawks, gp100, 686s' redhawks etc. I cant master this one for some reason. Im thinking that maybe it being so small in my hand that when I squeeze the trigger its pulling to the right just a hair. I don't want to put some big ol fat rubber grip on it. I have been thinking hard about a wrangler too as they seem to get good reviews and I wouldn't worry as much if I dropped it in the mud or on something like I would the 63 or the bearcat.

Im basically looking to have something to strap to the pack that's not too heavy to pop rabbits or snakes with and not spook all the game. Took my first elk trip last year and we came up on several jackrabbits in easy pistol range. Headed to CO in nov after elk again and wanted to be proficient by then.

Mine looks just like that one minus the grip extension thingy

Depends on your idea of heavy, for me any time I go larger than a 63 it's heavy.

You should take a look at a S&W Model 18, which is a 4 inch K-frame 22LR. Not as light as the 63 but a lot handier than a 6 inch S&W.

Jerry

I have both S&W 63s and a Bearcat. The 63's came with the smaller magna grips but I replaced them with S&W target grips and they fit my hand much better now. The Ruger Bearcat grip is too small period...….I would find a way to make the 63 work for you if possible before trying the Ruger...…

Tim

Bearcat has a pretty small grip, too.

What TimZ just wrote. I traded my K22 for a blued M34 because that K frame was too heavy for my .22 handgun needs. Early on I replaced the little stock grips with a full size custom walnut set and have since tried a finger groove rubber set, but the larger walnut ones are back on it again for better accuracy. I bought an original Bearcat back in '67 and being all alloy, it was too light and I couldn't hit anything with it. I sold it to a kid in the dorm for $35.00 and was pleased that it had only depreciated $5.00. The 34 and 63 are better pieces than any Bearcat and in your place I sure wouldn't trade it. I'd also leave a handgun home when you go elk hunting or you might just get a rabbit instead of an elk. You can rabbit hunt back home the rest of the year.

The epiphany for me when I went to CO. elk hunting is that I was hunting 9,500 feet higher in elevation than I was back home and there wasn't enough air to breathe. Every day I'd look in my pack and see what I could take out to save a little weight going up those mountains. A handgun would have been totally superfluous and probably the first thing to go.

The Hogue wood grips do it for me......

I'll check that out. I shoot my 686 very very well.

I just ordered a set of these. See how they work for me.

As others have already noted, the Bearcat is going to be just as tiny in your hands as the 63, in fact it will probably feel tinier, and the trigger pull won't be as good. I've always wanted to like the Bearcat and had one briefly a few decades ago but just couldn't get around the small grip and short reach to the trigger. Plus there aren't a ton of aftermarket grips available that would radically change the shape.

Have you thought of a 4" Ruger SP101? The stock grip still feels kind of short to my hand but aftermarket Hogues or Pachmayrs are readily available to lengthen it without adding a lot of girth. At 30 ounces the weight is about halfway between the Smith J and K frame revolvers. DA trigger isn't anything to write home about but then neither is the Bearcat's. SA trigger on the ones I've tried seems okay and IME Ruger triggers generally wear in to be better than they are out of the box.

I prefer the Model 63 to the Bearcat. I would keep the 63. I like the swing out cylinder. .

Mine has Pacmyr grips as does my 651. Those helped me quite a bit. Oddly, my 651 is much more succesful on sage rats than the 63. Despite them shooting very similar groups from a rest. I attribute it to the .22 Mags slightly lighter trigger pull.

Yessir I thought about an sp101 as well.

I just wanted to ask ya'll's opinion as I figured many of you had shot both. Ive read of cult followings of both revolvers. I honestly didn't know they made those hogue grips for the j frame. All i'd ever seen were the bantam type. For some reason, any handgun that my pinky hangs off the bottom I cant seem to shoot well. I do really well with bisleys and hogue and pachmayrs. I put a set of pachmayrs on my super Blackhawk and it was a game changer for me. I wish someone would make me a set of wood copies so it didn't look so ugly. Big hands are good for palming basketballs and scaring away daughter's potential boyfriends, but I think in general, most handguns are made for average size hands.

Thanks for ya'lls help. Hopefully those hogues will fix the problem.

"I put Pachmayers on my SBH & it was a game changer, wish someone would make wood copies"

Herrett grips. Not sure if they still make them, be see them on Ebay quite often, sometimes really cheap. No exactly the same but have a look.

Hunts, we can always count on you to bring out the good stuff. You have a fine collection.

Aim small is where it's at.

"I put Pachmayers on my SBH & it was a game changer, wish someone would make wood copies"

Herrett grips. Not sure if they still make them, be see them on Ebay quite often, sometimes really cheap. No exactly the same but have a look.

I have settled on Herrett's grips for my M63. I have rubber Pachmayer grips, a Tyler T used with the stock factory grip and the Herrett grips. The rubber Pachmayer is bulbous and heavy. The Tyler T is a huge improvement over the stock factory grip but still seems a bit small. The Herrett grip fills the hand while remaining trim and looks good on the gun. The Herrett is a tad shorter than Hunts22's Hogue. The Hogue uses that stirrup attachment which adds length.

My only complaint with the M63 is the front sight. The front sight is too thick and the red ramp insert isn't good with my eyes. I really dislike that glowing blob of plastic. A black .100" thick Patridge front sight would be killer on a M63. Someone on this forum has a 63 set up like that and I'm jealous every time they post a picture of it.

It made a difference for me.

Dang you!

^^^^^^^
NICE!
The 63, not the comment that beat me to the post. But I agree on the "Dang you!" too.

Dave Clements. Don't remember the price but I'm cheap so it could't have been real high.

Apples and oranges comparison. Bearcat is not the same league as 63 for accuracy for most people.

I have one done much like that also but the Patridge is 90* and has a white dot along with two white dots in the rear blade...

Makes a BIG difference in a clear sight picture....

Bob

I'm always amazed by the number of people that need customization to their DA revolver but instinctively shoot a 1911 just fine.

The Bearcat is a cute little gun. The M63 is THE Kit Gun, in stainless, making it even better. Really no comparison.

Thanks!

The 1911 works like your pointing finger. Haven't you heard?

I'm just the opposite.

I shoot my bone stock Black Hawk 44 Special and Model 10-8 pretty well but I really struggle with the 1911.

So much so that I actually replaced the 1911 with a Model 64 (SS model 10) for home defense.

I suck with a flat mainspring 1911 but can dot your eye with an arched one

Yea, about the same number of people who leave their Glock triggers and sights stock...

Bob

I own both and concur with the rest, an M63 with proper grips.

Who made the grips Ed? ^^

No idea. I bought them out of a gunshow junk box many years ago. They have the look of Herrett's though.

Thanks Ed. I recall asking this once on another site, did't remember getting an answer. Now it seems the answer in familiar. If you've told me already, please excuse my forgetfulness.

I'm gonna try a set of Hogues without finger grooves that look surprising close to yours. With a different mounting system of course.

Phone man,

Something else you might look at is the ammo your using.

I find Remington rimfire ammo to be quite poor in quality, and has been for 30 some years.

Besides quality some guns, particularly rimfires can be picky about what they will shoot accurately.

Worst case I had was a 9 1/2 inch barreled single-six that shot lousy with everything I tried in it, one day I tried of all things CCI Blazer which it shot extremely well.


Jerry

You are wise.

I have/had both a 63 and a Bearcat. I had the 63 worked on by a LE gunsmith and it turned out to have the smoothest lightest trigger drop either single or double action, of any revolver before or since. I gave it to one of our sons with the instructions that he was to never to sell it or he would be cut out of the will. Our other sons and I loved to shoot that revolver and the round count was into the 5-7k range at least when I gave it to him. Absent giving it to one of our sons I would have never parted with it. Accuracy was superb and I put some Hogue grips on it that turned out to be a premium move. I've thought about replacing it with the same model but.......................................

My Bearcat is one of the second round of manufacturing with that line. A Bearcat was a revolver that I dreamed about as a teenager when the first came and was convinced that if I had one that all tin cans, pop bottles, rabbits, squirrels and any and all small game was as good as dead, I only had to pull the trigger to realize that outcome.

I came across one and bought it and even found a holster for it at a holster maker that was in a pile from the first go around of the release of the Bearcats. I have practiced and practiced and now don't practice with it any more as it has defeated me in the accuracy department. If I really bear down hard and focus on paper I can usually shoot 5-7 inch groups off a rest at 25 yards. All pop bottles, tin cans and etc are now safe when I'm shooting that handgun.

I have a Single Six that I tuned up that was superbly accurate with 2-3" groups at 25 yards that would take the place of the Bearcat whenever the need would arise for a carry revolver for a deseret episode. That gun also was gifted to another son who dearly loves it and carries it all the time when out in the deseret shooting. He also was warned to never sell it or he would suffer the same fate.

I would never sell my Bearcat because as it sits in my safe it has fulfilled a teenage dream and for me that is all it will ever do or be. If I want to hit stuff with a .22lr handgun I've turned my choices to others particularly autos that are super accurate.

I would also suggest a look at a Wrangler and after some trigger work see if that works out for you. Good luck

I, too, am a fan of no grooves.

My hogues came in yesterday. It is ALOT better but i think its still me a little. Like redhill and the bearcat I have to seriously concentrate. Ive faced fact that mine dont like winchester ammo

I have a bearcat worked over by Dave Clements. He did a trigger job and adjustable sight conversion as the original fixed sight set up left much to be desired for me. It's a wonderful little gun! Mine is capable of good accuracy but is certainly more sensitive to consistent grip and trigger control than my bigger .22s such as the Bisley single six or K-22. I had a high ride kydex cross draw holster made for it which keeps the grip above the waistbelt of a backpack. Clements uses a pretty narrow front sight, which I find very helpful for accurate shooting.

My experiences with 63/34s are limited to one example of each. For some reason the 34 had a terribly heavy trigger which was compounded by the small size of the gun.

Apologies for cherry picking your post but that sentence focuses in on the one and only thing that I found lacking in the traditional 4" Model 63. The red ramp front sight is too wide for the rear notch. My 63's all grouped okay but it was really easy to get horizontal stringing. With so little daylight around that sight you really had to concentrate to keep it perfectly centered. The thinner black blade of the 34 was much easier to center and keep groups nice and round.

That's definitely a handgun looney's nit picking since both are fine firearms but the difference in sight picture is noticeable. Kind of wish I had bought one of those 5" Model 63's, that had a much improved sight setup, but with that barrel you're kind of getting away from the whole compact kit gun idea plus it had the wart and I was still mad at S&W for doing that.

Exactly Jim! I was pleased to recently discover Dawson Precision makes a .100 front sight for my S&W 69 that has a fiber optic. I've had a regular .100 blade from them on the gun for a few years now (a great improvement over the OEM blade) but the fiber optic will be a great improvement for some days around here.

i have one of the early bearcats, back when they were selling for about 40bucks a piece. it is a real little gun, and does have small grips.
but i like shooting it once in a while.
It was being used by my great grandson, who is 4years old, with assistence, this weekend. He loved it.
His father at about the same age started with that gun, except i think he was still in diapers at the time.
daddy and i use to go on walks where he was allowed to carry the unloaded holstered gun, walking in front of me.
as i got more comfortable with him, one round was allowed to be carried in the gun.
eventually as i figured he was safe, he carried it completely loaded.
Great grandson has a new baby sister. If i am around in a few years, hopefully it will be her turn.
If not, her dad when appropriate will expose her to it if she wants to go that route.
Come to think of it, i introduced my daughter in her teens to that little gun.

Do a Google search for Model 60 Pro grips.

I learned about them on the S&W forum.
They are beautiful wood grips that make the j frame grip much larger. (K frame size?)
I have them on my 63-5 but don't have pictures available.

They really fill the hand better than the rubber combat or small J frame grips.
I think they are made by Altamont, but you can occasionally buy them from S&W.

I recently purchased a New Model Bearcat, and a Shopkeeper.
I'm really struggling to hit pop cans past 10 yards with either of them.

Model 60 Pro grips are Altamont. Different patterns & colors are available. About $50 a pop.

Different J frame, but same problem. I recently bought a 3" model 60. Either the front sight was too wide, or the rear sight opening wasn't wide enough; but it was difficult to see any daylight on either side. I also tend to lose which is which with black on black sights on darker targets with a narrow opening like that. Really wanted to have a white outline rear, but couldn't find such a thing for my J frame. I ended up filing the rear sight's slot wider, putting a tiny dab of white on each side of the rear, and some hot pink fingernail polish on the front sight's ramp. Made all the difference in the world.


Also, while I thought the hard rubber grips that came on my gun looked good on it, the curve on the back drove all the recoil straight into the center of my hand. Having had a good experience with some Boot Grip Altamonts on my scandium .357 (by fitting good, looking good, and feeling good), I ordered two more Altamonts for this one, a set of Rosewood Combats, and a set of the Altais. The Combat grip looked better to my eyes on the gun, but I didn't care for the "feel". The Altais provided exactly what I wanted.

Well, my Hogues for the 63 came in yesterday. Square butt, no finger grooves The gun is a lot easier to handle & shoot than before.
Shaking my head as to why I waited this long to try something different.

Different grips do turn a j frame into a different gun.