[beebee]

I have a ton of trouble with accuracy shooting snub nose revolvers or really any short barrel gun, such as a small pocket .380..
I believe its more in my sighting technique than anything else, but I;m not sure. At least thats what other shooters have told me. Using a longer barrel my accuracy is drastically better than it is with a short barrel,, I shoot my .22 target 22/45 quite well. My snubbies I was so awful with that I traded them both in. My 9mm carry guns I am adequate, I guess.. i was never a really good shot at any point in my life.
. I do have substantial optic distortion in my dominant eye.. the vision is clear, 20/25, but my right eye distorts images.. a square box at distance looks about 20% higher and narrower than it really is.. Its not correctable.. Also, like a lot of people my age I need reading glasses. Great vision for my age at distances over 8 feet or so, and half blind up close.. If I sight downrange, the target center is clear as a bell, but the gun sights are blurry as hell. If I put my readers on, the sights are big bold and bright, but the target is a blurry wash.
even with the vision issues, I do ok with longer barrel and really really bad with a very short one.. I would welcome any tips from those with similar issues as to the best approaches in sighting short barrel handguns... bob

 

[searx]

I have a ton of trouble with accuracy shooting snub nose revolvers or really any short barrel gun, such as a small pocket .380..
I believe its more in my sighting technique than anything else, but I;m not sure. At least thats what other shooters have told me. Using a longer barrel my accuracy is drastically better than it is with a short barrel,, I shoot my .22 target 22/45 quite well. My snubbies I was so awful with that I traded them both in. My 9mm carry guns I am adequate, I guess.. i was never a really good shot at any point in my life.
. I do have substantial optic distortion in my dominant eye.. the vision is clear, 20/25, but my right eye distorts images.. a square box at distance looks about 20% higher and narrower than it really is.. Its not correctable.. Also, like a lot of people my age I need reading glasses. Great vision for my age at distances over 8 feet or so, and half blind up close.. If I sight downrange, the target center is clear as a bell, but the gun sights are blurry as hell. If I put my readers on, the sights are big bold and bright, but the target is a blurry wash.
even with the vision issues, I do ok with longer barrel and really really bad with a very short one.. I would welcome any tips from those with similar issues as to the best approaches in sighting short barrel handguns... bob

Next time your out pick up some snap caps for that snubbie and practice trigger control. No one is surprised more than i that my accuracy is the same whether it be my 4.12" 9MM semi-auto or my LCRX1.87"

i use reading glasses as well, they really help lining up your sights!

 

[Mike1956]

I have a ton of trouble with accuracy shooting snub nose revolvers or really any short barrel gun, such as a small pocket .380..
I believe its more in my sighting technique than anything else, but I;m not sure. At least thats what other shooters have told me. Using a longer barrel my accuracy is drastically better than it is with a short barrel,, I shoot my .22 target 22/45 quite well. My snubbies I was so awful with that I traded them both in. My 9mm carry guns I am adequate, I guess.. i was never a really good shot at any point in my life.
. I do have substantial optic distortion in my dominant eye.. the vision is clear, 20/25, but my right eye distorts images.. a square box at distance looks about 20% higher and narrower than it really is.. Its not correctable.. Also, like a lot of people my age I need reading glasses. Great vision for my age at distances over 8 feet or so, and half blind up close.. If I sight downrange, the target center is clear as a bell, but the gun sights are blurry as hell. If I put my readers on, the sights are big bold and bright, but the target is a blurry wash.
even with the vision issues, I do ok with longer barrel and really really bad with a very short one.. I would welcome any tips from those with similar issues as to the best approaches in sighting short barrel handguns... bob

Accuracy, in my experience, is much more affected by grip and trigger control than by sight picture. The smaller the gun, the tougher effective grip becomes. Similarly, the longer and harder the trigger pull, the more difficult it is to maintain muzzle alignment.

 

[Rhinoman]

You're fighting with several issues with a small carry gun. It has a short site plain, so slight variations are magnified. They're harder to get a solid grip on. Most firearms as more accurate than the shooter, even short barreled ones. I've seen some great marksman pop balloons at 100 yards using a snubbie, which proves that the weak link in the chain is the shooter.

The best advice I can give you is to practice a lot. I use to stop at the range every Friday on my way home from work and shoot 200 rounds. I got pretty good with a Glock 30. I quit shooting for about a year and was really shocked at how much proficiency I lost in that amount of time. It takes thousands of rounds of practice using the same firearm to develop good muscle memory that you can count on in a stressful situation.

 

[beebee]

Accuracy, in my experience, is much more affected by grip and trigger control than by sight picture. The smaller the gun, the tougher effective grip becomes. Similarly, the longer and harder the trigger pull, the more difficult it is to maintain muzzle alignment.

understood, and the snub nosed revolvers I had were both DA with really tough triggers.. I do shoot better with a light SA trigger .
However, my 22/45 has an easy light trigger, as does my 938, yet I shoot close tight groups always with the .22, yet am much more inconsistent with the 9mm, despite the light, short trigger.
All things being equal, the actual barrel length seems easier for me to sight along.

 

[Mike1956]

understood, and the snub nosed revolvers I had were both DA with really tough triggers.. I do shoot better with a light SA trigger .
However, my 22/45 has an easy light trigger, as does my 938, yet I shoot close tight groups always with the .22, yet am much more inconsistent with the 9mm, despite the light, short trigger.
All things being equal, the actual barrel length seems easier for me to sight along.

Perceived and actual recoil also affect accuracy, which is one reason the fifty yard head shots seem so simple with the target .22's.

 

[beebee]

You're fighting with several issues with a small carry gun. It has a short site plain, so slight variations are magnified. They're harder to get a solid grip on. Most firearms as more accurate than the shooter, even short barreled ones. I've seen some great marksman pop balloons at 100 yards using a snubbie, which proves that the weak link in the chain is the shooter.

The best advice I can give you is to practice a lot. I use to stop at the range every Friday on my way home from work and shoot 200 rounds. I got pretty good with a Glock 30. I quit shooting for about a year and was really shocked at how much proficiency I lost in that amount of time. It takes thousands of rounds of practice using the same firearm to develop good muscle memory that you can count on in a stressful situation.

Yes, I usually get to the range every week, and put a lot of rounds downrange, but the weather has made it tough to get out for a while.. I get as much range time in as I can.
The thing I don't understand is this- If I had grip/trigger/shaking issues, shouldn't I have the same issues with a 4 inch barrel, as I have with a 1 3/4 barrel?
I am very satisfied with my shooting with one gun, and appalled at how bad I am with another that has a short barrel.
bob

 

[beebee]

Perceived and actual recoil also affect accuracy, which is one reason the fifty yard head shots seem so simple with the target .22's.

This is pretty interesting- When you say "perceived recoil", do you mean that a shooter may "tense up" instinctively in anticipation of the recoil he knows is coming?.. bob

 

[Mike1956]

This is pretty interesting- When you say "perceived recoil", do you mean that a shooter may "tense up" instinctively in anticipation of the recoil he knows is coming?.. bob

Not necessarily in response to the first round, but by the time rounds four or five roll around, accuracy can diminish significantly. Ever shoot .357 magnum loads through one of those ultra lightweight snubbies?

 

[Rhinoman]

Yes, I usually get to the range every week, and put a lot of rounds downrange, but the weather has made it tough to get out for a while.. I get as much range time in as I can.
The thing I don't understand is this- If I had grip/trigger/shaking issues, shouldn't I have the same issues with a 4 inch barrel, as I have with a 1 3/4 barrel?
I am very satisfied with my shooting with one gun, and appalled at how bad I am with another that has a short barrel.
bob

Not necessarily. It will depend on the grip size. I have large hands and cannot grip a small pistol, like a P3AT or Bodyguard easily. I have a lot of problem getting a consistent grip on it, especially if I'm drawing from a holster or pocket. I have to be very conscious of my grip. I don't have the same issue with a pistol that I can get a full grip on, like a Glock 30 or 27.

 

[Dave909]

This is pretty interesting- When you say "perceived recoil", do you mean that a shooter may "tense up" instinctively in anticipation of the recoil he knows is coming?.. bob

Mike is right and, with new shooters or people new to a heavy caliber, you're right too. It's happened to me, my first time with a .44. I thought "man, this is gonna be rough", and sure enough it was that first shot and the rest of the cylinder. I was actually overconfident with the .357 mag, and the sharpness of the blast and the quick snap up of the barrel took me by surprise. What Mike is saying is right because, unless you have years behind some of these calibers and some of these light weight BUGs, you're going to get very tired after full power loads.

 

[DaGunny]

If he target is clear and your sights are blurred, you're "chasing the target." Your sights should be clear & your target out-of focus.

 

[Dave909]

With my eyes the way they are now, I have serious issue with "front sight focus" with most 3 dot setups. It just takes too long. That's why I employ things such as night sights, red dots and some lasers.

 

[ghost tracker]

Don't "strangle-squeeze" the grips. Concentrate of pressing both palms (in a two-handed grip) directly toward each other (at 90 degrees). That uses your (bigger) chest muscles and so, lets your forearm muscles concentrate on only the trigger-press. Especially important on small, high caliber revolvers. Try it. it might surprise you! :yup:

 

[beebee]

Not necessarily in response to the first round, but by the time rounds four or five roll around, accuracy can diminish significantly. Ever shoot .357 magnum loads through one of those ultra lightweight snubbies?

My S&W 642 DA snub ran .38 Special and that was more than enough for me.. Too damn snappy. I traded it in on my Sig 9mm.
I am not a real "gun nut" like a lot of members here, that likes to shoot everything from .22 short to .50 cal. If something is harsh shooting or has a heavy trigger, I typically don't stay with it.
I just want to get better with our CC and home defense weapons than I have been using and feel comfortable with at the range, like any shooter.

I guess I can understand where you are coming from.. Although I wasn't "afraid" of the recoil, I will admit I didn't like it much, and I suppose that could certainly have caused physical even mental adjustments I wasn't even aware of... Thanks for the lesson in being more self aware. i will keep that in mind... bob

 

[beebee]

If he target is clear and your sights are blurred, you're "chasing the target." Your sights should be clear & your target out-of focus.

Yes, I have been told that a few times .. I wish I could find a happy medium, but it doesn't seem likely. With readers I see the sights great, and without them they are blurry... Next time at the range[after the 3 feet of snow melts], i will use just one gun, and spend considerable time with and without glasses to see how it changes my groups...bob

 

[1MoreFord]

Until recently I never had a text book sight picture. Always the target in focus and the sights in decent focus when younger and the eyes were good. Then the eyes went south and very blurry sights with target in focus. If I used my bifocals to see the sights I was out of stance and the target very blurry. Not good.

I now see a text book sight/target sight picture. I've related this in another thread before but I'll give it again here. The last glasses I got are called occupational tri-focals. Regular bifocals on bottom with about a 70% of bifocal strength tri-focal at the top of the lenses. Distance vision is in the middle. For me it's a wonderful arrangement since I have a slight head forward/down stance. Did have to compromise. The lenses are plastic - not polycarbonate. They are of safety glass thickness. Got scratch resistant and UV coatings. Then got clip on sunglasses lenses. This actually works better in some ways than the transitions I used to get. Much better in the car and full sun.

 

[Mike1956]

If he target is clear and your sights are blurred, you're "chasing the target." Your sights should be clear & your target out-of focus.

Threat-focused is how I shoot the most effectively, but we'll save the in-depth for another thread.

 

[rocky]

Smaller guns tend to take more work to shoot accurately IMO . Practice dry firing , especially with a laser trainer seems to help everyone I have taught get better. Some good suggestions for glasses might make a difference over all too.

 

[bsms2]

FWIW, I've considered getting a S&W M43. DA only, 11.5 ounces, stiff trigger pull like most 22s, 1.875 inch barrel. I figure if I could learn to shoot it OK, I"d be darn good with just about any other gun I picked up.

It isn't just the sight radius. The small grip & the lighter weight of a snubbie makes it more challenging. My first gun was a 22/32 Kit gun, and it's long hard pull - even on a steel gun with a 4" barrel - forced me to learn at least one good habit. Maybe the only good habit I have when shooting. My Ruger Alaskan was also good as a teacher. The only way I could avoid flinching was to pull the trigger slooowwwly, so I would be surprised by the bang.

Snubbies tend to reveal the flaws in a shooter. I just have so many competing flaws that it is hard to sort them out!