Very new to revolver and need advice

[Gomar83]

Okay today was the first day I have been able to set up a stage at home and take a stab at running my new 625JM with alpha X and a moonclip server. Man I am rusty and am in need of some help on either setting up some stages here at home or setting up some classifiers that will really help me improve my skills. It was definitely humbling to go from shooting a 6” STI Eagle and running the stage as I would for limited vs trying to run a 4” 6 shot. Wow! It definitely takes a lot of skill and practice. So help/advise would be greatly appreciated.

Edited July 5, 2019 by Gomar83

[jcc7x7]

These are all obvious answers but you asked!

Learn to reload the gun, both standing and on the move.

Strong hand only and weak hand only shooting

Get smoother at reloading

start thinking of some stages you've shot and realize what you have to do different with only six shots.

Get faster at reloading

Set  up swingers and learn to shoot them with longer splits (at least at first)

Get smoother and faster at reloading

Learn how to keep the cylinder moving all the time during a stage

and oh yeah get fast and smoother at reloading

FWIW

[PatJones]

I spent a couple years shooting dumb stage plans to avoid standing reloads. You should typically shoot a plan similar to what you would with your limited gun. Obviously you will need to reload more often. Avoid the temptation to shoot 20 yard targets to avoid a standing reload. Remember, IPSC stands for "I Prefer To Shoot Closer."

[MikeyScuba]

I practice using Anderson's 12 drills with a modified Burkett reload where the moonclip is fully inserted into the cylinder.  Apart from that the other drills are the same but your finger will get tired by drill #9.  Double action!!

 

One thing I did yesterday for the first time yesterday (L3 Ontario Provincials) was prepping the trigger on a swinger.  I think Neil told me that tip on the weekend.  Made it easier but still got a mike. ^&*(^!!!

 

I've have shot 3 big matches in 6 days, sooo tired.

[Distant Thunder]

Take the time to learn/relearn your trigger. Try to be smooth with the least front sight wiggle you can before trying for more speed. There's a reason we did walk-throughs and half-speed scenarios before running a play full tilt. 

[Gomar83]

Trigger control is hard. I definitely need to switch to federal primers. I will try to find the Anderson drills. Shooting revolver I believe does make you a better shooter all around. After running a revolver for awhile then going back to limited does make sight  accusation much easier and faster on the bottom feeder.

[MWP]

11 hours ago, Gomar83 said:

Okay today was the first day I have been able to set up a stage at home and take a stab at running my new 625JM with alpha X and a moonclip server. Man I am rusty and am in need of some help on either setting up some stages here at home or setting up some classifiers that will really help me improve my skills. It was definitely humbling to go from shooting a 6” STI Eagle and running the stage as I would for limited vs trying to run a 4” shot. Wow! It definitely takes a lot of skill and practice. So help/advise would be greatly appreciated.

There is only 1” sight radius difference between a 6” 2011 and 4” revolver. Not 2 as the number suggest. 

 

Dry fire is is your friend when learning the revolver. 

[MikeBurgess]

5 hours ago, jcc7x7 said:

 

Learn how to keep the cylinder moving all the time during a stage

 

This ^^^

be reloading or pulling the trigger all the time, 

 

along the same line, many people try to stage the trigger for harder shots (pull till cyclinder locks up then stop) I am not a fan of this as in my experience it never seems to work as well as hoped for, I prefer to rip through the first 80-90% of the trigger pull fast then slow it down (but not stop) as needed as the sights settle and the shot breaks. 

[pskys2]

In USPSA most have gone the 627/929 8 shot route, it lessens the need for complicated stage planning but it does take the uniqueness out of shooting a stage with a 6 shot.

Looks like you're not far from Des Moines, have you gone to Ankenny?  Some pretty salty Revolver Guys there.

 

As for competing with a Revolver you lose by slow/jerky trigger work, you win with smooth/reliable Reloads.

 

Break it down to the basics and don't set up stages.  At some point you can, but while learning it tends to be a distraction.

Learn to roll the trigger without hesitation, always keep it moving and hang on.

Work on smooth reloads first, speed will come by removing wasted motion and quicker reaction time.

One of the advantages of Revolver is you can use dry fire to smooth out the edges better than with a semi-auto.

 

Most of all enjoy the trip!

 

[RangerMcFadden]

1 hour ago, MikeyScuba said:

Apart from that the other drills are the same but your finger will get tired by drill #9.

Look at Mr. Iron forearms here only getting tired by #9

 

I’ve actually started doing them out of order to rest my finger: doing the draw then it’s associated 6 reload 6 drill. I know they’re recommended to be shot in order but the built in rest shooting them out of order provides is essential.

[Gomar83]

As I found out yesterday having a round not gun off is extremely  detrimental and costly when trying to shoot a stage. I’m glad I’m about out of the rds I already had loaded and I am looking forward to switching to federal primers. I did find it to be a challenge to keep the trigger moving and not stopping while in transitions.

[MikeyScuba]

2 hours ago, RangerMcFadden said:

Look at Mr. Iron forearms here only getting tired by #9

 

I’ve actually started doing them out of order to rest my finger: doing the draw then it’s associated 6 reload 6 drill. I know they’re recommended to be shot in order but the built in rest shooting them out of order provides is essential.

Lol maybe it's 10 or 11.  I never thought about doing the drills out of order.  

 

Federals or bust.  I did try the Fiocchi non toxic ones but they aren't quite as soft even though I've had 2 go off in my 650.

 

  I've not hand re-steated for the last few matches with only 1 light strike, my wife nothing.  I do for the major ICORE matches.  You are just making sure there isn't any room for the primer to move once it's struck.  And setting the primer too deep is bad too.

 

Revo is a LOT more work. And I do find it helps my semi shooting (whenever I take it out)

[J_Allen]

Ben, what’s your trigger pull at now?

[Gomar83]

To heavy! Pushing 8 lbs I’m guessing. I was just over 7 lbs then I turned the strain screw in a half round.

[jcc7x7]

You've got about .031 per turn of movement in each turn.

Once I get the gun firing primers 100 out of a 100 I turn it 1/3 tighter or about .010, I actually make a strain screw that size, I don't trust Loctite.

I use it at work everyday and the stuff is a crutch IMHO

That solves the problems of clicks for me!

 

I also tend to short stroke anything less than about 63/4 -7 lb triggers.  

I could train that out but I don't shoot my revo's often enough to take the time to do that.

If you're fully committed to the revo get the trigger as light as you can with reliability and go from there.

Obviously it has to be smooth along with light!

[Dr. Phil]

5 hours ago, Gomar83 said:

As I found out yesterday having a round not gun off is extremely  detrimental and costly when trying to shoot a stage. I’m glad I’m about out of the rds I already had loaded and I am looking forward to switching to federal primers. I did find it to be a challenge to keep the trigger moving and not stopping while in transitions.

(My bold edit above)

Apologies for a (maybe ) dumb question. I shoot very little USPSA, but always with a revo.

I heard ROs at my last match warn shooters that any finger inside a trigger guard during transitions (maybe outside a shooting box) was grounds for DQ. Also in SC Outer Limits stage, it is supposed to be "finger outside trigger guard" during transition.

So how does one keep the cylinder moving during transitions? I understand the prepping trigger within the box, IE between targets, but can the trigger be run during box to box transitions?

Thank you for helping an old dumb guy learn!

[GMM50]

Nope

[Gomar83]

I should have been more specific. I was shooting a array of targets from within a shooting box with no movement outside of the shooting box. So as I meant moving from one target to the next from a fixed position and trying to “prep the trigger”.

[MWP]

36 minutes ago, Dr. Phil said:

(My bold edit above)

Apologies for a (maybe ) dumb question. I shoot very little USPSA, but always with a revo.

I heard ROs at my last match warn shooters that any finger inside a trigger guard during transitions (maybe outside a shooting box) was grounds for DQ. Also in SC Outer Limits stage, it is supposed to be "finger outside trigger guard" during transition.

So how does one keep the cylinder moving during transitions? I understand the prepping trigger within the box, IE between targets, but can the trigger be run during box to box transitions?

Thank you for helping an old dumb guy learn!

What these guys are talking about is not letting the trigger go dead. Pulling the trigger earlier than what is perceived as “normal” with an auto, especially a single action gun. 

 

They aren't actually talking about pulling the trigger when they aren't on (or close to on) target. 

 

If you’re a numbers guy, lets day you do a .25 split (revolver.) Most people can transition that fast as well. If you wait until you move the gun to the next target to begin the trigger pull (like you would a limited gun for example) that transition time is going to be significantly longer than that .25 you’re capable of. 

[jcc7x7]

1 hour ago, Dr. Phil said:

(My bold edit above)

Apologies for a (maybe ) dumb question. I shoot very little USPSA, but always with a revo.

I heard ROs at my last match warn shooters that any finger inside a trigger guard during transitions (maybe outside a shooting box) was grounds for DQ. Also in SC Outer Limits stage, it is supposed to be "finger outside trigger guard" during transition.

So how does one keep the cylinder moving during transitions? I understand the prepping trigger within the box, IE between targets, but can the trigger be run during box to box transitions?

Thank you for helping an old dumb guy learn!

Transition from target to target put your finger where ever you want too!

Moving your feet while not shooting finger should be out of the trigger guard, not only should be, it has to be if you are not engaging a target 

[Dr. Phil]

Thanks for the replies.

About what I was thinking and how I try to shoot this game.

Thanks again

[pskys2]

I tend to think of keeping the trigger moving on a Revolver as a mental process.

 

With a Semi-Auto I try not to even think of the trigger pull, I try to let the shot happen.

With a Revolver I know there is a lag time due to the longer pull and so I train engage the trigger sooner, but still don't try to think about it while shooting.

When I go back to a SA I have this feeling that I'm waiting on something between shots?  The Revolver always feels like it's running, and when it is smooth it's running good.

 

One would think that by going back to a SA trigger after shooting like that with a DA trigger you would see AD's.  I've not found that to be the case, I do find I tend to get jerkier with my SA trigger though.  It's really more of a mind game to me.

[Distant Thunder]

I remember something Rob said at the Bianchi Cup many years ago when he had decided to switch from revolver to semi-auto. He said that although he was able to shoot more Xs with the semi-auto he was also more likely to "jerk" a shot than with a revolver.

[MikeBurgess]

On 7/5/2019 at 3:44 PM, Dr. Phil said:

(My bold edit above)

Apologies for a (maybe ) dumb question. I shoot very little USPSA, but always with a revo.

I heard ROs at my last match warn shooters that any finger inside a trigger guard during transitions (maybe outside a shooting box) was grounds for DQ. Also in SC Outer Limits stage, it is supposed to be "finger outside trigger guard" during transition.

So how does one keep the cylinder moving during transitions? I understand the prepping trigger within the box, IE between targets, but can the trigger be run during box to box transitions?

Thank you for helping an old dumb guy learn!

Steel challenge,  you can transition from target to target while standing with your finger on the trigger when moving between boxes you can't untill your gun is back up pointing at the target and your stepping in to the other box.

 

USPSA 

If you are moving (walking running stepping standing up siting down etc) and your gun is pointed "at" a target and you are in a location that you could engage said target then you can have your finger in the trigger guard because you could be shooting that target on the move. 

[Dr. Phil]

Thanks, got it.

BTW I have seen any number of "sponsored" shooters and pro shooters moving on Outer Limits with finger inside the guard. Watch them online or Shooting USA etc and see for yourself. I do not. But many do! (and when I inquired about it to a friendly RO was told "if they have an AD they get DQ'ed like everybody else. Until then we allow them to do it.

 

I also have recently shot (my first) 2 USPSA type matches. Never appealed much to me, and, they tend to be on Sundays when my family and I are in church. These are being run on Saturdays. So I shoot my revo and have a ball. So, I have exactly that much experience.

 

I asked the question mainly because of the way the above responses were worded.

 

Thanks again,