Still having trouble shooting the Redhawk--RESOLVED!!!

[Scott Tschirhart]

I love the way a Redhawk looks and I love the way it feels in my hand, but I have to tell you that I have never been able to shoot one well.

This is certainly true of the one I am messing with now. There's nothing wrong with it mechanically. I has a very smooth bore and I'm getting no leading.

But I simply do not shoot it as well as a SAA or something along those lines. I want to, but it simply doesn't work out. I've been dry firing the heck out of it, but my groups at 25 yards are simply not acceptable.

Any tips from those who do shoot these guns well?

[samsi]

Are you gripping the piece with a "heel index" as with a single action (plowhandle) grip?

For me, I find that a heel index doesn't work well with the Redhawk, too much inconsistency shot to shot. It's a large gun with the thrust/bore line high above the grip, more so than an N frame. I have the Pachs on mine and go with a full palm high grip like I'm shooting a 1911. I'm only getting away with it on the Redhawk because of the full backstrap coverage of the Pachmayrs.

I pretty much cut my teeth on a 1911, so when I started shooting revolvers extensively I just adapted my 1911 hold to everything else. Now, a combination of arthritis and plain old wear and tear has me shooting most any hard kicker with a heel index - I had to learn how to hold a revolver all over again. Exception to the rule is that the Redhawk doesn't like being held like that. My big epiphany during my grip/hold experiments is that the Ruger Bisley doesn't care how you hold it. I sure like Bisleys these days.

[Blaine]

If it's shooting poorly from a well supported bench rest, it might be the shooter and not you??

[Scott Tschirhart]

If it's shooting poorly from a well supported bench rest, it might be the shooter and not you??

I don't have, nor have I ever used a bench rest for a pistol or revolver. I don't even use them for my rifles.

What I am seeing is inconsistency. I will put a couple of rounds where I want them, and then I will inexplicably shoot the next round right off the plate!

[Scott Tschirhart]

Are you gripping the piece with a "heel index" as with a single action (plowhandle) grip?

For me, I find that a heel index doesn't work well with the Redhawk, too much inconsistency shot to shot. It's a large gun with the thrust/bore line high above the grip, more so than an N frame. I have the Pachs on mine and go with a full palm high grip like I'm shooting a 1911. I'm only getting away with it on the Redhawk because of the full backstrap coverage of the Pachmayrs.

I pretty much cut my teeth on a 1911, so when I started shooting revolvers extensively I just adapted my 1911 hold to everything else. Now, a combination of arthritis and plain old wear and tear has me shooting most any hard kicker with a heel index - I had to learn how to hold a revolver all over again. Exception to the rule is that the Redhawk doesn't like being held like that. My big epiphany during my grip/hold experiments is that the Ruger Bisley doesn't care how you hold it. I sure like Bisleys these days.

Hmm? I think I have a set of Hogues around here somewhere. Thanks for the tip, I may just see if that helps.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Let’s try this. Edited to say: I ran out to the ranch and the Hogues did not seem to cause any improvement. I’m fact my Glock 43 was grouping much better at 25 yards than the Redhawk…and that little gun is not terribly easy to shoot well.

[crs]

Scott,
What caliber is the Red Hawk? 45/454 Casull?

[Scott Tschirhart]

.44 magnum

Resting the barrel on a 2x4 it shoots a little better.

[samsi]

I used Hogues on the RH back in the 90's, and I think that I picked them up after initially thinking that the Pachmayrs were too large. They were okay, though a little on the narrow side for me. After those I used Butler Creeks before going full circle back to the Pachmayrs.

I was at Gary Reeder's last summer and there was a set of Redhawk Pachs in the used grip box on the floor. If they're still there the postage would probably be about the same as the cost of the grips (I.e. not a lot).

[CowboyTutt]

Hi Scott, I hope that Hogue rubber grip works out for you. It might. You got me into a virtual study of grip frames tonight. And a study of the few I have actually shot.
I would put the Ruger Bisley and the Freedom Arms Model '83 at the top of my list. They are both outstanding but I would give the nod to the FA gun, because it has a more
upswept hammer that doesn't bite your thumb as much as the Ruger Bisley hammer does. I could see how that piece of metal on the top rear backstrap of the RedHawk
offers some substantial recoil bite potentially. It would not be fun. The next best grip frame after the Bisley and FA would be the S&W X-Frame one with rubber grips IMHO. Sorry, working on how to get the pics to post! -A-

[Sarge]

After owning several Redhawks, my opinion is they have two deficiencies that make them substantially harder to shoot well, in unsupported shooting, than a S&W DA or good SA revolver.

The first is excessive single action sear engagement. You have to pull the trigger farther, to release the hammer, than you would on a Model 29. The second is lots of overtravel after the SA trigger breaks. The Redhawk trigger just sort of wanders around aimlessly until it clanks into the frame, while you're trying to maintain your grip and sight picture for the follow-through.

These things can be fixed of course.

If you can find a discontinued set of Butler Creek grips for the Redhawk, I suggest giving them a try.

[AJMD429]

.

So much of it depends on the shape of your hand and the length and width of your fingers. I have a really hard time shooting single action revolvers because my fingers are long enough that the knuckles wind up just behind the trigger guard. The bisley grip gets around that however.

[TraderVic]

Interesting comparisons. For some silly reason I've always thought of Ruger's Bisley hammer more comfortable to "work".
A Freedom Arms revolver will always be on my wish list.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I tried the Hogues and saw no difference. So I dug deep and found these. Dry firing they feel more solid in my hand. Won’t know till I get back out to the ranch.

[Grizz]

Scott, Marshall Stanton has a great article on tuning up revolvers. He hones the bore with soft lead bullets and grit, and he custom fits the cylinders to his bullets. He shows before and after photos on his web site. beartoothebullets.com he has his redhawk putting bullets in a quarter size space

I'm going to do mine after I send it to Ruger for the trigger adjustment that some of the older ones need.

something else that I plan to do is slow-motion record dry firing to get an idea of how my let off is moving the front sight.

[earlmck]

I'm mystified: when I have hold of my Redhawk it makes me look like a better shot than I am. And a great-grandkid and his buddy just used it in very impressive fashion this afternoon against a bevy of hard-sided tin cans. Ya' just grab hold of it and aim keerful and it just hits things is all I know about it.

[Blaine]

.44 magnum

Resting the barrel on a 2x4 it shoots a little better.

So...first time? Helps narrow it down, eh?

[Scott Tschirhart]

.44 magnum

Resting the barrel on a 2x4 it shoots a little better.

So...first time? Helps narrow it down, eh?

It means that it isn’t the gun or my loads. It’s something about how I’m performing.

[AmBraCol]

I'm mystified: when I have hold of my Redhawk it makes me look like a better shot than I am. And a great-grandkid and his buddy just used it in very impressive fashion this afternoon against a bevy of hard-sided tin cans. Ya' just grab hold of it and aim keerful and it just hits things is all I know about it.

Which is why I tell folks "there's no one size fits all" when it comes to guns. What works great for one may not work at all for another. I have ONE Bisely gripped sixgun and it raps my knuckle every time I shoot it. Don't have that problem with my bird's head grip frame or the regular Ruger grip frame. Each hand is different.

[ollogger]

At 66 the rear sight gets out of focus & my arms shake a bit, it does not matter what gun i shoot, from
22 thru 454 & i shoot the Ruger Alaskan 454 alot, mostly with Ruger only 45 Colt loads, i do tame it down
some times with 200 or 255 gr. cast bullets for a normal 45 load, one thing that has helped me
is a 8 - 10 inch bulls eye, for me its the age thing, no longer can i plink a can & keep it jumping around




Brad

[Bronco]

Back when Lincoln was president I got me a RedHawk! The darn thing banged my knuckle behind the trigger guard something fierce, I mean after a cylinder of mags the knuckle was about trashed.
I got these http://prntscr.com/1zpqql2 on it and man what a difference. No more pain and I swear the recoil felt lessened.

Looks like the last one you showed.
download/file.php?id=27638&mode=view

Back when I practiced I could hit for flip a clay bird on the berm behind the 50 yd stands 5 out of 6 regularly. Single action slow fire.

Oh yeah the barrel length is 7 1/2 "
Good luck''

John

[AJMD429]

The Pachmayrs are great but I almost couldn't see them in the screenshot - http://prntscr.com/1zpqql2 - all I saw was sunglasses and a confederate flag....

[samsi]

I tried the Hogues and saw no difference. So I dug deep and found these. Dry firing they feel more solid in my hand. Won’t know till I get back out to the ranch.

That's the ticket. Hope they work out as well for you as they do for me.

[Bronco]

The Pachmayrs are great but I almost couldn't see them in the screenshot - http://prntscr.com/1zpqql2 - all I saw was sunglasses and a confederate flag....

You must have a different browser than I have

[Scott Tschirhart]

Pachmar grips solved the problem. Just fired several cylinders into a fist sized group.

Thank you all for your input!

[AmBraCol]

Pachmar grips solved the problem. Just fired several cylinders into a fist sized group.

Thank you all for your input!

I love it when a plan comes together. It's amazing how much difference a properly fitted grip can make.

[AJMD429]

The Pachmayrs are great but I almost couldn't see them in the screenshot - http://prntscr.com/1zpqql2 - all I saw was sunglasses and a confederate flag....

You must have a different browser than I have

LOL the pop-up ad must have changed.... it was an ad involving a pic of a chick in a TINY confederate flag outfit...

[Rusty]

I have a 4" .44 that my wife got me for Christmas several years ago. Mine fits me rather well but my son, not so much. For my son the distance between the backstrap and the trigger is too far. It doesn't seem to mater for my large hands.
Veral Smith of LBT molds says many Rugers can benefit from fire lapping the bores. You might consider that.