I took my 686 to gun range

[Tony617]

I took my 686 with a 6" barrel to the gun range today. I pulled the hammer back and hit the brain. I using 30' for my target. Then I had two misses in row and I kept shooting the shoulder area for a while. Successive reloads I was hitting area 5 on the target. I forgot how heavy the 686 is and I need to practice more.

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[No_Regerts]

686s are good guns. Many don't know about the use of 686s by Navy SEALS.

 

[Tony617]

686s are good guns. Many don't know about the use of 686s by Navy SEALS.

My 686 was my only gun for more that 15 years. Kind of disappointing with PMC 357 158gr rounds that the gun range sold since I missed a few times. Not like shooting my 9mm or USP 40. I will try 125gr 357 magnum rounds instead and see if it improves my aim. I have a few boxes of Speer Gold 135gr +P 38 special rounds for HD. I know I have to be careful if I shoot too many 38 special rounds since clogs the cylinder over time and make it hard to insert 357 magnum rounds.

 

[OutwardHound]

Umm, changing loads will not "improve your aim" per se. Revolvers will usually reliably handle a wide range of loads but having said that, a heavier bullet could hit differently than a lighter bullet but this is not really anything to do with your "aim". Lots of other factors go into "your aim": sights on the gun, your grip, trigger control, even your eyesight! The actual bullet be it lighter or heavier will leave the barrel in the direction it was aimed, even a small flinch from the shooter could alter its trajectory.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Single action at ten yards?

 

[Tony617]

Single action at ten yards?

I pulled the hammer back for the first shot only and then double action for the other 5.

 

[teflon6string]

Tony, you've got the perfect pistol to work with and really tighten up your groups. Trust me, I'm hardly an "expert." Who really is? But I've used my 686 for over 30 years to shoot my best, and help others improve groups and solve problems.

The 686 is perfect for this drill because you can load it with .357 mag, ,38+P, .38 spl, and spent brass.

Try this:
Start with single action, triggering a random mix of full loads and empty brass that someone else puts into the cylinder so you don't know what's coming next.

If you've developed an unconscious habit of flinching or "compensating" in any way, it'll be immediately apparent whenever a random dud in the cylinder rolls around, The hammer goes "snap" and the barrel twitches. Doh!

Maybe "shoot" all 6 duds a few times. The front sight should be dead still 6 times. Then put a .38 special somewhere in the mix. Again, all 6 trigger pulls should leave the barrel dead still. Start adding magnum rounds among the duds and .38s. Then start working on double action. If the barrel moves, even slightly, on any surprise dud, you're not holding your weapon on bulls eye.

Ask your friend who's setting up those surprise loads to watch your front sight closely and provide constructive critique. He/she might need a little work too. Expecting a loud bang with recoil but getting a harmless click instead will tell a very interesting story for both of you.

Run 5-6 reps of "surprise cylinders" like that right off the bat whenever you go to the range - single and double action. The loud bangs will find their way to bullseye once you're "shooting it like it's empty" every time you pull the trigger.

Lemme know how that works for you.

 

[Heywood]

Tony, you've got the perfect pistol to work with and really tighten up your groups. Trust me, I'm hardly an "expert." Who really is? But I've used my 686 for over 30 years to shoot my best, and help others improve groups and solve problems.

The 686 is perfect for this drill because you can load it with .357 mag, ,38+P, .38 spl, and spent brass.

Try this:
Start with single action, triggering a random mix of full loads and empty brass that someone else puts into the cylinder so you don't know what's coming next.

If you've developed an unconscious habit of flinching or "compensating" in any way, it'll be immediately apparent whenever a random dud in the cylinder rolls around, The hammer goes "snap" and the barrel twitches. Doh!

Maybe "shoot" all 6 duds a few times. The front sight should be dead still 6 times. Then put a .38 special somewhere in the mix. Again, all 6 trigger pulls should leave the barrel dead still. Start adding magnum rounds among the duds and .38s. Then start working on double action. If the barrel moves, even slightly, on any surprise dud, you're not holding your weapon on bulls eye.

Ask your friend who's setting up those surprise loads to watch your front sight closely and provide constructive critique. He/she might need a little work too. Expecting a loud bang with recoil but getting a harmless click instead will tell a very interesting story for both of you.

Run 5-6 reps of "surprise cylinders" like that right off the bat whenever you go to the range - single and double action. The loud bangs will find their way to bullseye once you're "shooting it like it's empty" every time you pull the trigger.

Lemme know how that works for you.

Excellent advice. My grandad did this with me with an old 41 magnum. There is no lying to yourself when you see it happen.
Also, different grips dictate weather I seem to shoot right or left with my 627. Thin grips I always seem to pull right, a bit of a palm swell helps me a lot, and too fat a grip on the bottom seems to make me push left. Probably could train it out but what the heck, it's fun trying new grips on a revolver.
Don't be afraid to try things that may be less comfortable as the the most comfortable set of grips or way you hold it may not be the way you shoot best. It isn't for me.

 

[Mistman]

I shoot mostly 38 sp through my 686 and 66, just a lot more fun to shoot than magnum loads. Also I've never found a 357 load that will shoot as accurately as a good 38 sp load. I spent a lot of time shooting a 686 in the 80's, my only centerfire sidearm as the time. Personally, if you shoot a lot, 38's are going to be best for those 200-300 rounds days. I see no reason to shoot 357's a whole lot, they're expensive to buy and expensive to load. When I do shoot 357 it's a stout load as a magnum s/b which makes it pretty brutal out of a 4" gun. I probably do 90% 38, 10% 357. You're top strap will thank you for the reduced flame cutting which you can't get away from on a revolver.
I mostly shoot 158 gn wadcutters and while lead is dirtier than plating or jackets the 'gumming' up shouldn't happen within a few hundred rounds. Lately I've switched to coated which is the next best thing to straight lead. I've actually never had an issue w/lead, ever, but I do clean my guns at least every couple of range sessions. The only gun that happens to me on is a 617, it doesn't matter what I shoot in that after a couple hundred rounds the chambers start tightening up and I need to run a brush through the them. But that's with .22's which are inherently dirty rounds and often don't burn clean.

 

[Alexx1401]

View attachment 364808

I took my 686 with a 6" barrel to the gun range today. I pulled the hammer back and hit the brain. I using 30' for my target. Then I had two misses in row and I kept shooting the shoulder area for a while. Successive reloads I was hitting area 5 on the target. I forgot how heavy the 686 is and I need to practice more.

Just needs more range time. They are VERY nice wheel guns. Shoot lots and lots of .38 in it and you will do better with the full loads. If you don't want to roll just clean after a session with .38's. and all will be fine.
The target kind of looks like my fist trip out with my new LCPII. Wife bought one, as I warned her it was too much for her. So it's now mine.
I had to work with the little sucker a while to get a group I could call enough for a day.

 

[KKG]

At 30' a change in Bullet weight isn't going to make enough difference to notice. Sounds to me like you need some additional "Practice" AND the 686 can be dry Fired but make sure you work on the "Basics". Sight Picture, Trigger Squeeze. Sight Picture, Trigger Squeeze. OVER and OVER and OVER again. If your Sight Picture is different after the Hammer Falls then you're doing something wrong. You might try placing a Dime on the Rib and if it falls off after the Hammer Falls then you're definitely doing something Wrong. It should stay there wether you are practicing Single or Double Action.

If you haven't already had an action job done on your gun by a Pistolsmith that would be a great Investment because if your action isn't smooth you can practice all day long and never get good. Smith and Wesson does a very fine job but they do offer different levels and of course, you get what you pay for.