How should I practice shooting?

[Quietdood]

I have another question for you guys... some of you mentioned using snap caps in between live rounds. My local gun shop never has them. Can you get away with just dry firing with a GP100?

 

[c.r.]

I have another question for you guys... some of you mentioned using snap caps in between live rounds. My local gun shop never has them. Can you get away with just dry firing with a GP100?

you could probably just use already shot cases. and just every so often use a different recently shot piece of brass.

I'm not sure dry firing would cause any damage. I believe the owner's manual says it's ok....... I just like to err on the side of caution and if snap caps are unavailable, I'd think spent cases would be the next best thing

~c.r.

 

[Dale53]

If you really want to learn to shoot well, join a local gun club (if possible) and spend a season shooting NRA Bullseye. It teaches all of the basics of good pistol shooting. Then, when you have that going for you is plenty of time to start learning to shoot defensively. Starting out making lots of "fast noise" will often just teach you bad habits. None of us need practice in "jerking the trigger" - we learn that all by ourselves. Learning to watch the sights, apply proper trigger control takes practice and LOTS of practice.

Frankly, unless you have deep pockets, buying factory ammo and trying to learn to shoot is a losing proposition. Think seriously in investing in a reloading outfit and reload your own. Then, cost will not rear it's ugly head when you want to go shoot.

An alternative, is to get a .22 rimfire version of your revolver (or as near as possible) and learn with the .22 rimfire. Cost can be quite reasonable and you will learn to shoot well without the distraction of recoil. This REALLY works and has for generations.

FWIW
Dale53

 

[nnero93]

I really debated getting a .22 revolver (Ruger single six) but since I sold one of my favorite guns for cash to buy a pistol, I went with the GP100. I am saving all my spent cases and my friend and I will be splitting the costs for a reloading setup sometime in the future. But I cant do too much without a full time job and the milk prices keep me from working at home, so it will happen someday.

 

[wolfsong]

Over 20 response/opinions and not one person suggested practicing with .38 ammo! Hurray! My way of thinking is, if ya wanna practice with .38 caliber ammo, buy a .38 caliber gun! If ya wanna shoot .357 caliber guns, use .357 caliber ammo! Or get both and shoot to your heart's content, or your wallet's content - whichever dictates your life. My heart usually wins, nuch to the dismay of my budget.

There is lots of good, practical advice offered here. No matter what type of routine you adopt, the key is practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more. Time at the range is the most important factor. Have fun, shoot lots, and keep us posted.



Peace and God bless, Wolfsong.

 

[WESHOOT2]

.....
I am not looking to win any competitions or anything....

....if i ever need it, I am competent with it.

I most highly recommend visiting this site: www.uspsa.org , and, using its "club finder", locating a USPSA club local to you (there is one).
Then go.
Watch, ask, learn, join, enjoy!

You WILL learn enhanced safe gun-handling skills; you WILL learn to be a better shot.
You will be safer.
You will be more competent.
You will be more confident.

You're right, you won't win.
But you'll have fun.......


Not guessing; both my wife and I started with GP100s, and that's still all the wife will use.
Since 1995.

I moved on to Redhawks.

 

[Ruber]

Are wadcutters just target ammo? I have heard some people say they are not safe with revolvers (because of the gap between the cylinder and barrel or something like that).

Awww... wadcutters are just plain fun in the GPs and Blackhawks. They can be loaded down or up and are pretty cheap when you load your own (especially when an afternoon at the range with the kids means 6-800 rounds). There are several types available from cast to moly coat to copper jacketed which can be driven to top velocities.

The only safety concerns I've heard of are with the old 38 special loads that might not be able to build enough pressure to get down the barrel. I'm not shooting those anyway and am using loads tested in revolvers by the major manufacturers. I'm no expert on the low pressure loads, so if any one else has better information it would be appreciated.

A 148-158 gr WC or SWC at about 1100 fps makes for a full day of family fun and can work well on the varmints. I have one load that drives 158 grain SWC's to about 1200 with great success. In the GP, after one or two cylinders full, it's difficult to find individual holes in the target. Those should be able to take care of the varmints. :wink:

 

[Tommy Kelly]

I shot pistols for years and thought if you hit close that was all a pistol would do. Then I found a tape with the proper hold and stance so I tried it their way and saw a imidiate improvement in my shooting. I don't remember the name of the stance and hold but it works for me. Its a 2 hand stance where you push with your gun hand and pull with the off hand the two together make for a great locked position and it turned me from hitting within 6 inches either side of my target to hitting where I was shooting. I don't shoot targets but hit whatever I shoot at most of the time. Where I live we have a nice concrete bridge out in the middle of a field with just a dirt road on either side the ditch it crosses keeps water in it year round. Everyone says dont shoot into water but I do here its probably 20 feet down to the water and shooting 20 yds out either side and 20 ft down ricoshet's dont happen. My favorite target is small twigs about 1/4" wide and 6" long. The first shot you have 2 targets the next shot you have 4 targets and so on each time you hit it it gets smaller and more pieces. I enjoy shooting the last ruger mkII I bought I shot on this bridge every afternoon and shot 7 cartons of 22 ammo in 7 days through that 1 pistol 3500 rounds in 7 days. My suggestion would be to buy you a good 22 pistol and shoot it daily to learn on then set the 357 up to hit with your style of shooting. I have 2 fine 22 pistols a single six and a new mkIII out to about 60 yds a cyote wouldn't stand a chance with either the single six has the mag cylinder and will almost double the range of it. 22 ammo is cheap and a lot of fun and a great learning tool.