Tried Weaver first time.
 

Always shot iso, but decided why not try weaver? Id always shot revolvers poor in iso (although semis are okay:confused:

Well, recoil was less, muzzle went on target faster, i didnt seem to anticipate shots. Ill try it on an auto soon. Dont see why people poo poo weaver as outdated and think its iso or nothing, i like it.

What kind of stance were you using before? I myself use weaver but I have been familiarizing myself with Center Axis Relock. First I need to get used to a gun discharging that close to my face.

I was using ISO.

That stance is so awkward to me. You have to train your muscle memory to bring the gun up to the same place everytime. I admit I'm not well trained in it though so I could just be unaware how to do it properly (I looked up a guide for it, didn't help much though)

The only time I saw the CAR grip used consistantly was in the newest Splinter Cell game. Which was weird because he hadn't used such a grip in the previous installments, to my recollection.

I can shoot well within center mass groups at 15 yards and I can hit CDs and 4 inch clays at 50 yards with a Weaver stance. Works for me. And if you shoot revolvers more poorly than autos, it's probably the trigger pull and being more used to semiautomatics more than stance. I'm not very good with revolvers either and that's the conclusion I've come to as to why.

Trigger always gets me, a longer heavier pull i pull muzzle off target. So a sig dak trigger is hoot poor, a nice 1911 i shot nice. I like to squeeze, bang.

Last time I shot Center Axis Relock was with a Taurus 9mm 1911 and I noticed no change in group size with weaver and CAR.

What you want to do is have a steady pull straight back, don't let off or slow down if your sights go off target, just bring it back up while pulling back still. I learned to shoot handguns with a Daisy Semi auto CO2 pistol with a heavy (8 lbs I think?) trigger that was long and thats how I learned to shoot handguns, self taught. The best way to learn to shoot handguns is to start off with double action, if you learn to shoot that first, you can shoot anything.

Dry fire really helps aswell, pick a "target" with your unloaded gun and pull the trigger while doing your best to keep the sights alinged and as you get better, pull the trigger faster.

I'm a big fan of dry fire. Since I made it part of my routine I've seen a real improvement.

I've always wanted to try out dry-firing, but I am not sure if doing so would harm my 4506 in any way

I use Snap Caps in all my firearms when doing dry fire. Even in the Ruger revolvers. The peace of mind is worth the extra expense in my opinion.

And snap caps help practice loading and unloading.

i think a perfect trigger weight is 4.5 pounds. The Triggers on SIG da/sa autos (in sa) many 1911s and my revovler (n sa) are this lght and shoot well but you can control it unlike a 2lb match trgger that goes off you stare at it too long.

Im not wedded to one grip. Some people think you use one for everything and avoid the other. In a real gunfight, standing squared up, shouler width apart arms fully outstretched will get you killed, you have to run to cover. ISO is great for running forward or back. However, side to side, you have to use weaver-ish hold. And shooting around cover, I would use weaver to expose as little of myself as possible. However ill never use the thumbs forward grip, sure the big name competitors use it, but steel plates dont get drunk and try to steal your gun, get closer than 10 yards, and need to be held up while being cuffed.

The idea with ISO is you stay in retention while moving and alternating targets (meaning you bring the gun into your chest with your elbows cocked out) and then extend, touch, press when needed. If the target is too close to extend, you rest your non-dominant hand on your chest and fire at the target from the hip. The point of retention is so you keep the gun close to you at all times, and your elbows stay cocked out so someone cannot easily disarm you from behind.

Alternatively with Weaver, the defensive stance is to have the gun pointed towards the ground. This is better than the "Hollywood High Ready", because if someone tries to grab your arms and stop you from bringing your gun to the ready, you can fire into their legs and abdomen, where with the High Ready you wouldn't be able to level the gun on them.

I sort of mix Weaver with ISO. I like to keep my left elbow bent when I extend, it keeps me more stable and for some reason, it looks more professional to me than having both arms fully extended (it looks amateurish to me). But I like the retention, it makes you fast and keeps you safe from disarming when it's not the first thing you think of.

venticedi kind of prefer soon autos and weaver with wheelguns due to much better recoil control in weaver. Seemsi can control heavy triggers in weaver better too.

When it comes to triggers, I prefer about 3.5lbs. I was taught to pull the trigger with the tip of my finger, because it is the most sensitive and since you aren't wrapping your whole finger around the trigger, the gun has less chance of pulling to the left or right. When I pull double action, I use the second tier (or whatever you'd call it) of my finger (or at the bend), so I have better leverage.

I always feel like I sound preachy when I talk about technique, so my apologies if I come off that way to anybody. I'm far from a perfect shooter, but I figure it doesn't hurt to pass on knowledge for others to try out. I've had some teachings from competition shooters (some guys get there guns fixed at the shop, and when they test fire, they give pointers), as well as just watching shows like The Best Defense or reading up online, to accumulate some different techniques.

To reiterate, I am not preaching anything as THE way to shoot. Everybody has their own preferences and methods to suite them, I just share mine and what I've learned.

Im a big proponent of shooting the way you feel confortable, but being open to new ideas and trying different things. I prefer 4.5 on a pistol about 3.5 on a rifle.

It depends on the size and purpose of the gun in question in my opinion. If the rifle is something like an AR-15, I like about 3.5lbs. If the rifle is something like a bolt-action long range rifle, with a larger need for precision, something like 2lbs with maybe a little hangtime is what I prefer. That way you can take up the creep while aiming, and fire without squeezing the trigger for too long and over-anticipating the shot.

Same with handguns, it can depend on the size or purpose. A full-size automatic or revolver, I'd prefer about 3.5lbs in single action, maybe 7-8lbs tops in DA. But if I'm shooting some little .380 Kel-Tec with an 8lb trigger, that makes things a little difficult. Same with a higher caliber handgun. If the pull in DA is too long, it can give you more time to over-anticipate the shot.

It's far from an exact science, but 3.5 is my average preference I guess.

My savage breaks at 3 pounds 2 ounces and seems just about perfect, but then again i have the most trigger time on it so probably just grew used to that. I hate little guns like the kel tec, i have a large hand (large glove size) and cant fit a p3at or lcp or such n it, they feel rediculous.

If my cheap FM90 can take dry fire, your 4506 can handle it. I have a 645 and its fine with it.

But, snap caps are cheap. Theyre not made of gold. Just man up pay the 3.99 and use them.

Where have you seen them for 3.99? Were they some no name brand or one of the 2 packs for a rifle/shotgun caliber? About everywhere I look for pistol caliber Snap Caps they want around 15 bucks. I can never rationalize buying them though because for that price I can buy a box of real 9mm ammo and dinner. My friends have them though and enjoy using them, and if I could get a lot of cheap dummy rounds to practice loading and ejecting, I would but my brain won't allow me to buy them at that price, especially when I subscribe to the idea that they are not necessary for safe dry fire, and consider that they wear out over time too, and pretty quickly from what I can tell.

And I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that you can handle DA triggers better in a Weaver stance after trying it one time. A few times maybe, but not once. I did a decent grouping with my 1911 at 10 yards with one hand a few years ago, and I assumed I could shoot better with one hand than with two. Since then I' haven't been able to produce a decent one handed group with anything, even guns easier to shoot than my 1911, so I've pretty much dismissed that idea.

I also think that 4.5 pounds is about perfect for me too at this point since I've shot nothing but 5+pound triggers in my time, and the slight decrease in weight makes for a slightly more surprised break without a complete underestimation of when the trigger will go off. My buddy's Jericho is worn down to perhaps 4 pounds or less judging by my other buddies SIG (which shoots the best of anything I've shot save for my Hi-Power) and I've found I break long before I think I'm going to when shooting it, and it messes my rhythm up. The real point is that it's all relative to what one is accustomed too, granted I think some trigger types, or perhaps triggers specific to a certain gun are easier to master than others, but everything is somehow mastered I'm sure.

Any firing pin can take dry firing. It's just the matter that eventually it won't, and you can't predict that. When the firing pin is struck by the hammer and doesn't impact a primer, it vibrates in place and absorbs the hammer blow. Over time this can cause it to crack.

If snap caps aren't within one's personal budget, use spent shells (they can take about 50 or so hits before the primer is too dented to do anything) or make a couple dummy rounds using a bullet puller or impact remover hammer (you fit the bullet inside it, smack it on a hard surface, and the inertia pulls the bullet head without setting off the round), dump the powder, fire the primer off, and reinsert the bullet head with a vice and some super-glue. If snap caps and store bought dummy rounds are so expensive today, making use of regular ammo probably wouldn't hurt.

I found 5 packs of 357 (yeah, 5, they cant give you a full 6) for 3.99 at kittery trading post here. So were 9, 45, .22, 2 packs of longgun calibers.

Didn't realize they were that cheap at KTP, my LGS has 5 round packs of .45 snap caps for $17. He is expensive though with everything but a really nice guy. Do you know if KTP has reloading manuals? I plan on swinging by there soon to get some shotgun reloading stuff.

havent been there in like a year but sure nothings changed. where do you live? BTW bet theres cheap snap caps online.

Right on the Maine/New Hampshire border in the south.

Was at KTP yesterday and snap caps are $11 per pack.

packs of how many? i got a 5 pack of 357 (they get you by having to buy 2 packs....assholes. I havent been there in a long time though they mightve had a sale.

Packs of five, its listed on their website, prices do vary but none are that low. http://www.kitterytradingpost.com/fu...data=snap+caps

I got a 10 pack of pachmayr 22 for less than that 24.