Range Report

nanney1 · January 10, 2018, 04:47 PM

Newbie on third range visit.

Went to the Range today and started off with my Shield 9mm. I was consistently left and a little low of where I aimed. Though not in the X, I was still on the target. Range Officer gave me a pointer and recommended only using the front tip of my index finger while pulling the trigger. I had been wrapped through a little more and pulling on the crease between the tip or either on the second joint. Did it help? I did improve after trying this out and got a couple in the X. I was at 5-6 yards and always hit the torso of the silhouette. So, from a SD standpoint, it wasn't the worse.

I then switched over to my new S&W 442. And while I hit the silhouette, I was off a little more. Using the tip of my finger was a little harder with the heavier trigger. Had a couple that I wasn't sure where they hit, but at this point there were a lot of holes in the target.

I added some paper plates to my ragged target and started back again with the 442. I could now see that I was both left and high to the left with the 442.

Switched back to the Shield and consistently hit the paper plates over and over again. Firing the 442 made using the Shield much easier.

So, if faced with a SD situation, I should probably fire five rounds from the 442, then pull the Shield and fire once.

stephen426 · January 10, 2018, 04:54 PM

Consider getting a trigger job and replacing springs to improve your trigger pull. You can also work on hand strength by getting a squeeze ball or other device. You can also practice dry firing. Be sure to check each time that the gun is unloaded and always point it in a safe direction just to be safe.

nanney1 · January 10, 2018, 05:24 PM

Ran 50 rounds of Remington .38 special 125 grain FMJ and 30 rounds of Hornady Critical Defense 110 grain +P FTX through the 442. I couldn't detect any difference in recoil between those two.

SauerGrapes · January 11, 2018, 01:50 PM

One thing I found for me was, shooting revolvers in DA seemed to help me learn trigger discipline.
You know what? I've never fired any +P ammo. I have some, just never shot any. I guess I should at some point.

SonOfScubaDiver · January 11, 2018, 01:54 PM

You're learning firsthand that there's a difference between revolvers and semi-autos. Cool beans! I thought I was becoming a fairly decent shooter until I bought my first revolver. Hehe. I've gotten good enough with the revolvers now that I'm confident with carrying one, but I still have a way to go before I can say that I shoot them as well as I do the semi-autos I own. And yeah, you'll have to figure out how much finger to have on the trigger of every gun you end up getting in order to shoot them accurately. For me, that's part of the fun in owning guns--they all shoot differently. If all goes well, you'll have six or eight of them in no time!

K_Mac · January 11, 2018, 02:34 PM

Keep practicing. Mastering a DA revolver trigger takes some time and work. I recommend a lot of dry firing.

Get a roll of tape to cover holes in a used target. It will make life easier.

January 10, 2018, 04:47 PM	#1
nanney1 Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2017 Posts: 239	Range Report Newbie on third range visit. Went to the Range today and started off with my Shield 9mm. I was consistently left and a little low of where I aimed. Though not in the X, I was still on the target. Range Officer gave me a pointer and recommended only using the front tip of my index finger while pulling the trigger. I had been wrapped through a little more and pulling on the crease between the tip or either on the second joint. Did it help? I did improve after trying this out and got a couple in the X. I was at 5-6 yards and always hit the torso of the silhouette. So, from a SD standpoint, it wasn't the worse. I then switched over to my new S&W 442. And while I hit the silhouette, I was off a little more. Using the tip of my finger was a little harder with the heavier trigger. Had a couple that I wasn't sure where they hit, but at this point there were a lot of holes in the target. I added some paper plates to my ragged target and started back again with the 442. I could now see that I was both left and high to the left with the 442. Switched back to the Shield and consistently hit the paper plates over and over again. Firing the 442 made using the Shield much easier. So, if faced with a SD situation, I should probably fire five rounds from the 442, then pull the Shield and fire once.

January 10, 2018, 04:54 PM	#2
stephen426 Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2005 Posts: 3,840	Consider getting a trigger job and replacing springs to improve your trigger pull. You can also work on hand strength by getting a squeeze ball or other device. You can also practice dry firing. Be sure to check each time that the gun is unloaded and always point it in a safe direction just to be safe. __________________ The ATF should be a convenience store instead of a government agency!

January 11, 2018, 01:50 PM	#4
SauerGrapes Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2009 Location: S.E.PA. Posts: 920	One thing I found for me was, shooting revolvers in DA seemed to help me learn trigger discipline. You know what? I've never fired any +P ammo. I have some, just never shot any. I guess I should at some point. __________________ NRA member, DCF&S member, PAFOA member, USPSA member, NSCA member R.I.P.____Murphy

January 11, 2018, 02:34 PM	#6
K_Mac Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2010 Posts: 1,850	Keep practicing. Mastering a DA revolver trigger takes some time and work. I recommend a lot of dry firing. Get a roll of tape to cover holes in a used target. It will make life easier. __________________ "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Benjamin Franklin

January 10, 2018, 05:24 PM	#3
nanney1 Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2017 Posts: 239	Ran 50 rounds of Remington .38 special 125 grain FMJ and 30 rounds of Hornady Critical Defense 110 grain +P FTX through the 442. I couldn't detect any difference in recoil between those two.

January 11, 2018, 01:54 PM	#5
SonOfScubaDiver Senior Member Join Date: October 1, 2017 Posts: 391	You're learning firsthand that there's a difference between revolvers and semi-autos. Cool beans! I thought I was becoming a fairly decent shooter until I bought my first revolver. Hehe. I've gotten good enough with the revolvers now that I'm confident with carrying one, but I still have a way to go before I can say that I shoot them as well as I do the semi-autos I own. And yeah, you'll have to figure out how much finger to have on the trigger of every gun you end up getting in order to shoot them accurately. For me, that's part of the fun in owning guns--they all shoot differently. If all goes well, you'll have six or eight of them in no time!