just started shooting my ruger sbh today....definitely different than my gp100:) but i was grouping left no matter what sight adjustment i made? i would get a few good shots in but then i would shoot left...btw im right handed....any suggestions?

Are you shooting with both hands? It sounds like when you are squeezing the trigger you may be squeezing your whole hand. If the trigger is stiff you might consider a spring change, but index finger isolation and consistant grip tension are paramount.

As The other Rod said there is a good chance an action job or at least springs could fix the problem. The out of the box triggers are horrendous and you'll actually push the gun to the left if you don't stay extremely focused when you pull the trigger.

thanks guys...it definitely needs a trigger job and i have to get a consistent grip too. im use to my gp's finger grooves for consistent placement each time. just gotta figure out a good one for the sa

Hold the grips tighter and never let the gun "roll."
I feel you have experienced torque and the barrel is moving left because of a weak hold. The bullet when it engages the rifling twist will try to turn the gun, you must resist it.
Use the pad of your finger on the trigger. Don't let the side of your finger touch the frame, you will push sideways instead of straight back.

My SBH Hunters' trigger has 268 yards of creep.

To keep things honest I confirmed this with my laser range finder.

ok...i guess i was confused. i thought i was suppose to let it roll in my hand:0 woops! thats the problem but i am getting a spring kit. anyone used the wilson combat kit or have one they prefer?

I've always used the Wolff kits but they are all pretty similar.

Yea, you gotta hold on to the gun. It will want to roll, but a good grip should keep it settled down a bit. I prefer the Bisley as it pushes more straight back.

Actually, I put a Wolff over power 26# hammer springs in all of my SBH's and BFR's. I remove creep and make the trigger spring lighter but never the hammer springs.
Reducing the hammer spring is a sure way to bad groups. Primers need a certain impact.

so i just need to reduce the trigger spring or have the sear stoned down a tad?

I would try springs first, and a lot of practice. Dry firing does wonders for trigger control and smoothing out the action.

The hands down favorite of myself and my customers in my action jobs is a 19lb hammer spring with a 40oz trigger spring which in conjunction with a full action job will give you a 2.0-2.25lb trigger pull with no creep. If you drop that to a 30oz spring without the rest of the action work the poundage will come out about the same except more creep. If you go one step further and use the 30oz with the rest of the action work you'll come out at 1.5lbs.

nice! now i know what is needed! thanks guys

before you make any changes bmbailes, do you have a pic of your group? what's the spread and how far does the gun group left at how many yards? offhand or bagged? a great trigger never hurts but you may be able to get even more precise feedback if you have a few more details. good luck with the gun!

no pics...but i shot from a bag at 25yrds. the groups were usually around 5-6in. no matter what i did. and by the end of 50rnds i started grouping high also

I like the heavy hammer springs (28#)and the 40oz trigger spring myself,but everyone is different.A single action is going to feel different and handle recoil different.Don't get discouraged.My advice is get a hold of some cheap ammo and practice grip and trigger control and sight picture.Start at a closer range and work out.The push you are experiencing will be less at a closer range but should allow you to watch your movements more.Dry fire practice may help also.Just a few thoughts,good luck to ya

Accuracy increases with primer impact.
It is possible to get a light, creep free trigger with a strong hammer spring. My SBH is 1-1/2#, My BFR 45-70 19 OZ. My .45 Vaquero is 1-1/2#. All have 26# hammer springs.
I shot IHMSA and when I started to miss, I changed the hammer spring. Ruger springs take a set and accuracy went away.
I changed to Wolff over power springs and live high on the hog.
Fellas would loosen the strain screw on the S&W to shoot real bad. Keep it tight!
A sure way to spray shots is with a weak hammer spring but if the right spring is used that is FAST, it will work too. It is not hammer time, it is primer impact. When a primer barely fires it is spray time.
Anyone with experience will know the transfer bars on a lot of Ruger's, BFR's are too short and cover little of the firing pin at full cock. Make the trigger too light so it kicks your finger forward and you can get a hang fire or failure to fire because the bar drops off the pin. It is on the trigger. THAT IS WHY TRIGGER SPRINGS ARE STRONG, so you move it back enough to raise the transfer bar.
Some overcome this with a light hammer spring and it is wrong because you lose accuracy. The solution is a longer transfer bar.
There is a limit to trigger spring tension.

No flame intended, Sir but 6 inch groups off the bags at that distance is just plain terrible. Do you have another pistol that you shoot very well @ 25yds. to see whether it's you or your pistol ?

Yeah I can do very well at that distance with my gp! Heck I shoot at crows in a field by my house with it.....out to 100yrds...never hit one but got very very close

I agree but it is hard to say from such long distance between us.I really wish I could work with fellas.
Groups that bad is almost sure to be the shooter.

Damn waskuly cwoes !!!!

Any specific shapes to your groups ? My shooting coach would pull his hair out at over sized round groups.


WVS.

my groups are vertically stringing

my groups are vertically stringing

Grip. If you like the finger grooves I believe Hogue makes some for Ruger SA's. I think you just need to firm it up and hold in the exact same place on the handle each time.

if you have a vertically stringing 5-6 inch group left of the POA, that's a good start, i.e. side to side alignment is ok and the gun is actually shooting left for you (and not just all over the place and also left). you may want to try sticking your trigger finger a little further into the triggerguard, to give the trigger a little more meat and reduce the chance of pushing the gun sideways when pulling/squeezing/manipulating the trigger. make sure the heel of the gun does not touch the bench and only the mid section of the gun is nestled into the bags or whatever you use. this should stabilize the group more. I just sighted one of my guns in for a new load in, too and I think there is no need to adjust the sights until the groups shrink to around 2" on bags (my opinion) at 25 yards. send me a PM if you like, there are some more techniques that may help.

Great point. I never rest the butt on anything either.

only my own...

Stringing can be case tension. New brass is bad for groups as the grain structure from case to case is too different.
Dies used can ruin groups and I found Hornady dies best.
Here is a test I made with a scoped .44 at 50 yards using brand new brass. I had at least 7 different POI's.

Get tension even and the .44 will do this at 200 yards.

This is the SBH at 50 yards with a 265 gr RD cast boolit.
Sometimes it is not the shooter but how the gun is loaded for.

Explore all avenues. I hate to say anyone can't shoot.
I have factory loads here that I can't make group. I might blame me or the gun but I know what the gun can do.
Don't give up, the SBH can shoot like a rifle. 95% of the time when the revolver will not shoot, it is what you are putting in the cylinder.

Those are beautiful groups! What kind of magnification do you use? I have never shot with magnification but I'm willing to learn. I take it you shoot more than just a handful of rounds per month?

When you are all over the place and can't see a specific problem go back to the basics. It all starts with a good, consistent,
repeatable grip,with the same grip pressure each time.Then proper sight alignment top of front and top of rear.If you use a round bullseye hold 6:00 clock so you have a definate aiming point,it's easier than trying to hold center on a large dot. Then a proper trigger squeeze or press straight to the rear moving only the trigger finger. Bag it the same way each shot with the butt clear of the bench.I like Pachmayr or Hogue rubber grips(try both if possible)as they keep my knuckles from getting bashed and provide a non slip grip, even wet. Consistancy from shot to shot is what you are after,without it no matter how good your ammo you will not get good groups.

yeah as bad as i hate to...think i might be ordering some hogue rubber grips. i think they look odd on a sa but i feel they would give a consistent grip just like my gp100

lets not forget hogue makes over sized finger grooved wood grips. they dont look much better on a sa but they aint rubber.

I use a red dot for hunting. Scopes are too dark in the AM and PM and I am so old I can't see open sights at those times either. I love the Ultra Dots but this .44 has a Busnnell that has given problems. Glass pulled loose that I had to epoxy back in.
No, I don't shoot much at all because the important thing is to know what revolvers need for accuracy. My shooting never changes. Practice is very important for off hand but from bags---not so much.
You do not need magnification for the revolver. If you ever tried 2X to 4X off hand you will fail real badly. You need a dead solid rest. With my shakes---ME TOO! I shoot better when I don't see movement.
Yes, my friend, you can shoot unreal with no magnification at all. Open sights can do 1/2" at 50 yards with good vision. Mine went somewhere!
Here are average 50 yard groups with my BFR .475 and cast boolits using an Ultra Dot. From bags of course.

I really want to help everyone to understand the revolver and just what it needs. It is far different then any other gun. Here is a picture of what I shoot in my 45-70 BFR. Some 1/2" groups and one at 5/16" at 50 yards. My best with this revolver was a 2-1/2" group at 500 yards. 3/4" at 100 yards.
Yeah, I am 74 years old too!
Then my BFR .500 JRH. I put shotgun shells on their sides and shoot into the bases at 50 yards.
I hate bragging and keyboard shots, I show you. I want all of you do do this and yes you can, if you really know how to load for the revolver.
You can never, ever shoot poor loads and can shoot 100 years without getting to be a better shot.
You really need to find accuracy first, then a miss can be laughed at because you need to laugh at yourself, never get uptight.
This gun was changed to an Ultra Dot when it arrived. I used my old Loopy when I first got the revolver. I can not see deer through this thing in the morning.

May I suggest that our friend bmailes try cocking the piece with the weak hand while maintaining a strong hand grip.

My coach used to tell me that it leads to better shot to shot consistency.

WVS329.

Good t!!

That is true but when I shot IHMSA with my SBH, I cocked with my right thumb from Creedmore. It was one hand shooting with a rest on the side of the leg.
Now the S&W 29's---NO way. Put the gun down while targets are set, pick it back up and you can miss all 5 of the next shots.
A Bisley grip is almost as bad, never put it down!
Grips are so important too. I stay with the hog leg and Pachmeyer grips make them comfortable without changes in POI's when you pick up the gun.

I know it is crazy. I will do anything for anyone but I get resistance. I was kicked off the Single Action site when I posted groups and a week of explanations of how anyone can do it. I am real tired of the explanations. I had a tiff with Taffin that has someone else shoot 20 yards and only counts the best 3 out of 6 shots.
I was booted from Graybeard with 4 posts, no pictures and I was very careful but was told I do not fit in.
Please fellas, I do not post to anger, I really want to help. I just love the revolver so much that you should never be unhappy.
How I wish we lived close with hands on. Most of you shoot great but it is the loads in the end.
Here is the best I can get at 50 yards with .44 factory loads. WHY, wrong primers. the center group was my loads with proper primers.