[Car Nut]

Ron,

I'll try to answer your questions as best I can because you asked. Just remember, different people have different opinions and no one is absolutely correct. You will have to experiment to see what works for you. So here goes.

.44 mags are used a lot in silouette shooting and can be very accurate. I've heard of 3 inch groups at 100 yards but that is a scoped gun.

I have a .44 Ruger Super Redhawk with a 16 inch premium Douglas barrel that shoots real nice. It certainly is capable of 2 inch groups at 50 yards with the right ammo. You also have to be able to see what you're shooting so a sight that you can see and line up your target to are important. As far as open sights are concerned, I like my old shiney small bead sight with a matching V notch rear. The idea is to be able to repeat that sight alignment exactly the same each time you fire and you might like something else (most people do LOL)

The right ammo needs to be consistantly loaded to get real repeatable results and some ammo works better in certain pistols. Most shooters handload and do a lot of testing at the range to come up with a preferred load for their pistol.

Cheap ammo usually has more inconsistancies in the powder charge, the crimp and the length. These inconsistances can add up to where your group has a larger spread and even a flyer here and there.

Dropping a round out of the group is more of a shooter thing, inconsistant sight picture, inconsistant grip, and developing a flinch when shooting. My favorite test for flinching is to have someone else load less than 6 and you shoot through, when the hammer hits an empty, you'll know what is happening. You can also practice with short loadings to get rid of your flinch.

I shooting off hand, double action. It seems for me, I can pull the trigger to hammer back, hold, then squeeze off the round. I get less anticipation and can shoot better. Other people like to manually cock it and squeeze.

It just takes practice, practice, practive. Work on your stance, consistantcy and your flinch. Shooting is a mental game mostly. There are days when I can't hit the broadside of a barn when my mind ain't right and some days when the fly on the bull is deadman walking. If you want to devote a lot of time to it, you can get those groups a lot smaller with fewer flyers.

Oh, about the grips. I think it more important to find a set of grips the fit your hand. I love the Ruger post in grips on the Super Redhawk. My 454 Cassul (sp) is a SRH with the post in grip design and is very comfortable to shoot off hand. That aside, rubber grips will likely allow you to hold onto your firearm better especially if you don't wear shooting gloves. Most of the Hogue grips I've had are too big for my hand and I have gone back to wood grips.

There are several AZ CC members that shoot and may have some other good advice for you.

Ducking for cover now.