DAO

[J. Yuma]

I own a super Redhawk, chambered for 44 magnum, and I picked up a Taurus 431 chambered for 44 special.
I have been shooting for about three years, and recently have decided to explore DOUBLE action.
It's been challenging, and I've been using the super Redhawk and the Taurus 431 because I like 44 caliber and that's what I reload.
I wanted to share this article, although most of you probably know the contents of the article. I thought it might be helpful for somebody who likes to play with revolvers.
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/...d for targets no more than 15 to 25 feet away.

The photo is my best effort with the super Redhawk. If I showed you the rest of the session you'd think I was shooting a shotgun. I hope I can do it again in my lifetime

 

[contender]

DAO is a lot different than many may think. It requires more skill to operate it than a SA or a semi.
And lots of practice to become good at it. Especially once you add distance to the equation. Try it at 25 yds & it'll humble a lot of folks.

 

[J. Yuma]

25 yards?
I got a long way to go, and not enough time to get there.

 

[J. Yuma]

DAO is a lot different than many may think. It requires more skill to operate it than a SA or a semi.
And lots of practice to become good at it. Especially once you add distance to the equation. Try it at 25 yds & it'll humble a lot of folks.

this was the same session, but I moved the same target out to 10 yards.
Some of this was the super Redhawk, shooting magnums, and some was the 431 shooting specials.

a bit more...sobering.

 

[Hvymax]

Yeah I have 2 DAO pistols. 1 revolver and 1 semi. Hitting anything at 25 yds with the snubby revolver isn't happening and a challenge with the semi. DA is the way to go. I can thumb the hammer as easy as the safety!

 

[eveled]

I’m a firm believer in DAO practice. Both revolvers and semi automatics.

I might go single action for a shot or two. For extra precision or checking accuracy. But my practice is all DAO.

I also don’t stage the trigger. One deliberate pull straight through.

My advice to someone who wants to shoot DA:

If you are staging you might as well just cock the hammer.

Best thing to do is buy a really nice full size double action .22 Revolver. Practice is everything. Cheaper practice is even better.

If I want to shoot single action, I prefer actual single action revolvers and of course 1911’s.

 

[J. Yuma]

I’m a firm believer in DAO practice. Both revolvers and semi automatics.

I might go single action for a shot or two. For extra precision or checking accuracy. But my practice is all DAO.

I also don’t stage the trigger. One deliberate pull straight through.

My advice to someone who wants to shoot DA:

If you are staging you might as well just cock the hammer.

Best thing to do is buy a really nice full size double action .22 Revolver. Practice is everything. Cheaper practice is even better.

If I want to shoot single action, I prefer actual single action revolvers and of course 1911’s.

I think if I knew then what I know now, I would not have bought the super Redhawk, and I would've stayed single action. But that ship has sailed and if I have this beast, I'm gonna learn how to use it. I was thinking most of my DOUBLE action shots were lucky until I put those six within a few inches of each other. I am shooting pretty light Magnum loads, about 5 1/2 grains of tight group with a 200 grain bullet.
The Taurus 431 I suspect, is not as accurate as the super Redhawk. But it is nice to shoot and it looks cool.
Anyway I thought that article was pretty informative. Thanks for the replies.

 

[eveled]

It is a good article.

My only minor critique is he seems to think DAO automatically always means spurless.

There are some DAO revolvers that retain the hammer spur for the retention strap on the holster.

There are some spurless hammer guns that can be shot single action. Ruger used to offer a “speed hammer”. It was spurless but had a single action notch and checkering on top. You would start the hammer with the trigger then cock it with your thumb.

I prefer spurless or enclosed hammers on my fixed sight double action revolvers but hammers with spurs on adjustable sight double action revolvers.

I think the Redhawk over all is a better choice overall, but I do like my Blackhawks.

The .44 mag Super Blackhawk is less comfortable to shoot than a Super Red Hawk. IMHO.

I hope you bond with your Redhawk it’s a nice gun.

 

[rammerjammer]

If you can learn to shoot a double action well, you can shoot anything better.

 

[J. Yuma]

If you can learn to shoot a double action well, you can shoot anything better.

amen

 

[J. Yuma]

It is a good article.

My only minor critique is he seems to think DAO automatically always means spurless.

There are some DAO revolvers that retain the hammer spur for the retention strap on the holster.

There are some spurless hammer guns that can be shot single action. Ruger used to offer a “speed hammer”. It was spurless but had a single action notch and checkering on top. You would start the hammer with the trigger then cock it with your thumb.

I prefer spurless or enclosed hammers on my fixed sight double action revolvers but hammers with spurs on adjustable sight double action revolvers.

I think the Redhawk over all is a better choice overall, but I do like my Blackhawks.

The .44 mag Super Blackhawk is less comfortable to shoot than a Super Red Hawk. IMHO.

I hope you bond with your Redhawk it’s a nice gun.

I love my super Redhawk, but I love my super Blackhawk just as much.
It's all good.

 

[RoninPA]

When I was shooting in PPC Competitions, I was practicing weekly shooting about 320-480 rounds per session and then the competition was another 160 rounds (everyone I knew reloaded). The rounds we shot were pretty mild (.38 Spl, 148 gr HBWC, 2.5 grs of Red Dot or Solo 1000. The target distances were, 7, 15, 25, and 50 yds). At 7 yds you shot 12 rounds in 20 seconds. Even at 50 yds most of the competitors shot DA.

It takes a while to get proficient shooting DA (and a lot of ammo), but once you get where you are comfortable shooting DA, you do it even for longer distances. I also do not advocate "staging" the trigger, just a nice smooth complete pull through of the trigger. Remember - "slow is smooth, smooth is fast". **

** "Slow is smooth and smooth is fast," is often attributed to the US Navy SEALs and teaches that by performing a task slowly and deliberately, you can achieve a smooth, precise execution that will naturally become faster with practice than a rushed approach that results in errors. Rushing leads to mistakes, which slow you down because you have to correct them, while a deliberate, smooth process saves time in the long run.

 

[J. Yuma]

When I was shooting in PPC Competitions, I was practicing weekly shooting about 320-480 rounds per session and then the competition was another 160 rounds (everyone I knew reloaded). The rounds we shot were pretty mild (.38 Spl, 148 gr HBWC, 2.5 grs of Red Dot or Solo 1000. The target distances were, 7, 15, 25, and 50 yds). At 7 yds you shot 12 rounds in 20 seconds. Even at 50 yds most of the competitors shot DA.

It takes a while to get proficient shooting DA (and a lot of ammo), but once you get where you are comfortable shooting DA, you do it even for longer distances. I also do not advocate "staging" the trigger, just a nice smooth complete pull through of the trigger. Remember - "slow is smooth, smooth is fast". **

** "Slow is smooth and smooth is fast," is often attributed to the US Navy SEALs and teaches that by performing a task slowly and deliberately, you can achieve a smooth, precise execution that will naturally become faster with practice than a rushed approach that results in errors. Rushing leads to mistakes, which slow you down because you have to correct them, while a deliberate, smooth process saves time in the long run.

WOW!
I try to limit shooting .44 Magnum to no more than 50 rounds in a session, more often it's 30 or so,

Coach Fitzgerald, who was the head football coach at Northwestern University, used that as a motto.
I'm listening.

 

[contender]

Listen to Ron,, he has the experience in DA competition. That's the place that the target is the judge of your abilities.

 

[J. Yuma]

It is a good article.

My only minor critique is he seems to think DAO automatically always means spurless.

There are some DAO revolvers that retain the hammer spur for the retention strap on the holster.

There are some spurless hammer guns that can be shot single action. Ruger used to offer a “speed hammer”. It was spurless but had a single action notch and checkering on top. You would start the hammer with the trigger then cock it with your thumb. View attachment 87007

I prefer spurless or enclosed hammers on my fixed sight double action revolvers but hammers with spurs on adjustable sight double action revolvers.

I think the Redhawk over all is a better choice overall, but I do like my Blackhawks.

The .44 mag Super Blackhawk is less comfortable to shoot than a Super Red Hawk. IMHO.

I hope you bond with your Redhawk it’s a nice gun.

that spurless hammer is a snazzy item!
I went on ebay, and gun broker to see if I could snag one. To what purpose, I don't know? I doubt that I'm gonna start "drawing" that SRH. I've been forcing myself to shoot it DA, so a hammer like that would be a "shiny object."
...still

 

[eveled]

Thanks. That one is on my 4” GP 100.

I was I was inspired by this picture of one on a six series revolver. I think this one is an original Speed Hammer.

 

[J. Yuma]

sixy!

 

[protoolman]

If you're shooting any Ruger dao you need to stage the trigger. It's a longer action and much easier to do accurately. Few people shoot ppc with a Ruger if they prefer to pull through as it's much easier to do with a Smith or Dan Wesson due to the short action. Jerry Miculek shoots Smiths for that reason he can shoot more accurately with a Smith and needs the faster reset because he's so fast. I've seen him explain and demonstrate the speed six he owns. Not saying you can't shoot ppc with a Ruger without staging but you'd be doing it the hard way.

 

[Baxter6551]

My speed six came used with two hammers one of which was partially bobbed. My gunsmith buddy finished the bobbing with a factory profile. It retains the single action notch. I can shoot it single action as noted by starting the trigger DA, but I shoot 99.99999 % double action.

J Yuma … in my humble opinion (and experience as a police firearms instructor since 1985) the secret to accurate double action shooting is to focus solely on the front sight and a smooth trigger pull to the rear. Target and rear sight should be slightly blurry. Front sight should be crisply in focus. DO NOT watch your target to see where your shots are going, focus solely on that front sight. Dry fire and practice, practice and more practice are your friends in obtaining this smooth pull. Each time you come up on target chant in your head “front sight / trigger pull”. There will come a point of “Eureka” and your groups will shrink significantly.