Posted: 5/24/2007 3:38:21 PM EDT
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When I fire my S&W 500 magnum, I often only load one round. These monster magnums are prone to double-taps if the shooter gets tired. I had it almost happen once, and for plinking I find it safer to just load one round. As soon as I fire, I cup the frame with my support hand and use my middle and ring finger to push the cylinder out so I can load the next round. A guy saw me doing this, and said 
To which I replied:
Then he said "
I want to reply with:
But I would like some input from the pool of knowledge here. |
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he's right. under intense recoil, your finger stays relatively steady while the gun moves backwards...allowing the trigger to reset under spring tension. When the gun comes forward and your mind is telling you to hold onto the fire breathing monster for dear life, you tighten up again. That's where your double-taps come from. I was taught a mantra when I went through my long range rifle phase...."Gently squeeze, follow through, see the fire....It's about control while the gun is in full recoil. same principle applies in a handgun, but we don't normally practice with a .500 and a .45ACP is a lot more forgiving. That big 'ol bullet is traveling downrange awfully fast, but don't think that there's no movement of your sights between the time the sear trips and the bullet leaves the barrel. (I tried this with a .454 Casull that was kicking my ass. My groups improved tremendously as soon as I applied the technique) |
| I think he's right. Follow through is important not only for the fraction of a second before the bullet leaves the barrel, but also what happens immediately before the hammer falls. I think if you're not planning on "following through" then you tend to start extraneous movements before the gun even fires, and it happens so fast you might not even notice. |
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He's absolutely 100% correct. Give it a try, shoot from a vice or bench rest or some ultra sturdy position, try a group of 10 with conscious follow through every time, and then one with out. You should see your good follow through shots being much tighter. Just because it happens very fast doesn't mean that you have no effect on the gun before the bullet leaves the barrel. Any extra movement during that short amount of time can cause your aim to change before the bullet exits the barrel. It doesn't have to be much with a rifle at a good distance, but at 50 feet or so with a big handgun, you might not notice. A lot about having a good follow through, in my opinion, has to do with focusing on the fact that you need to have a good follow through before you start to squeeze the trigger. Especially when you're shooting something with a lot of recoil, focusing on the follow through can avoid flinching, lobstering, limp wristing, and just maintaining a good trigger squeeze. |
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He's right!! It's more apparent with a semi auto rifle or pistol: I hold the trigger back throughout recoil, and when my sights are back on target, and then I release just enough to feel the sear reset to fire again without having to use all the trigger 's travel, or electing to not take another shot, go ahead and release the trigger completely. I have an NM M1A that can be unforgiving to a shooter; it'll double if the shooter doesn't firmly hold the trigger back until the recoil impulse has passed. After seeing someone else do it with my rifle, I had to spend some time trying to replicate the problem. I ended up having to pinch the trigger and trigger guard between my thumb and index to get it do it again. |