How Recoil Affects Handgun Accuracy
BY Herschel Smith
1 year, 5 months ago
The wheel guns do actually experience muzzle rise before the bullet leaves the muzzle, albeit small, but small at the muzzle means big at the target.
I haven’t done a detailed analysis of it with a “free body diagram,” but I’m willing to bet that the reason this effects revolvers and we didn’t see it with semiautomatic handguns is that the round is in front of the hand rather than at the back of the gun, providing a force “couple.”
I won’t attach a picture here. You can research “couple.”
On June 3, 2023 at 5:00 pm, xtphreak said:
I agree.
With my .44 Special, a 240 gr solid shoots 1-1 1/2″ higher at 10 yds than a 210 gr solid.
The 210 gr solid shoots to point of aim at 10 yds, so that’s what I carry (except in summer when the first two are CCI #4 snakeshot).
On June 5, 2023 at 9:39 am, Frank Trappist said:
You absolutely see it with autoloaders too. Heavier bullets hit higher, even loaded to the same level of recoil… because it takes longer for them to exit the barrel (they’re slower).
Flip a handgun over and set it on a flat surface on the sights. Barrel will not be parallel to the flat surface. It’s more obvious with a revolver, but always the case.
This is why consistent grip is critical when shooting target groups! For defensive practice, you’ll never notice, but get slow bullets (.38 wadcutters for example), and the need for extreme precision… and grip matters, a lot. Follow-through as well. The pellet gun guys all know this, and well.