I have a Ruger SP101 in .38 special. I've had it for awhile and I can't seem to hit the broadside of a barn. I do sort of okay in SA. On DA I seem to shoot high. I shoot much better with semiauto handguns though. I have no idea why I'm fairly decent on the semiautos and the complete opposite with the revolver. I need some advice on what I'm doing wrong and how to somewhat improve.

Learn how to stage the DA trigger like we use to do in the 1960's and 70's. How you think old time coppers qualified at the range.

Fill most of the cylinders with ammo every 4 out of 6  of chambers.  Close your eyes and spin the cylinder and close cylinder into gun. Open eyes  and shoot SA and see if you flinch on the empty cylinders. I bet you do...work on squeezing the trigger with all attention on sights.

Regular dry fire practice is very helpful with double action revolvers.

QFT

Learn to stage the trigger as stated above through dry firing.  Find an object slightly larger than the front sight and call each shot when dry firing.

The peg board in my shop does well, hundreds of target options.

With time, and practice, accuracy will improve.

Autos and revolvers have very different triggers.  A little dry fire at the range before going hot can make a world of difference, I find it helps the mind and muscles to remember that particular trigger.

Yeah as others have already said.  Learn to stage the trigger in double action and then practice that will lots of dry fire.

Shooting high tends to be one of several things:
Jerking the trigger
Heeling which is pushing the heel of your hand forward at the instant of firing causing upward movement and high shots
Bad sight alignment - I had an associate who complained about his revolver shooting high. It had a dot on the front sight and if you brought the dot into the center of the sight picture the front post was visibly higher than the rear notch resulting in high shots. Keeping the front and rear level ( resulting in seeing only half the front dot) and it was dead on. This is very common. My glock 42 with perfect sight alignment and center hits results when half the front dot is under eye level

Can't hurt to watch this guy some:  He's got other vids on da youtube....

Jerry Miculek shooting a revolver tips


I'm not that good.  But I know I've read in other places to not stage the trigger.  And I don't typically.  But for all I know they're right.  

I also don't use Jerry's grip on a J frame.

The range I am shooting and size of the target dictates if I stage the trigger or not.  If the targets are close and large (like a hoser stage at a USPSA match) then I am simple sweeping the trigger back as fast as I can.  As the range increase and targets shrink I will start slowing my sweep and eventually start staging the trigger.  

A good DA trigger will not "stage". It should be smooth and even, all the way through. Your best bet is, as was said above a couple times, snap caps and LOTS of dry fire practice. Concentrate on the front sight and try to be smooth and even all the way through your pull, not too fast and not too slow. If you know someone who had a S&W Model 36 or similar J-frame snub then try dry firing theirs. I can keep my K frame Model 19 and my J frame Model 36 in a 3inch shoot-n-see out to about 10yd. I dry fire all the time, usually every day.

Ooooh, I gotta get more pro active about my dry firing practice.  I used to do it just anywhere in my house, then I got anal about only doing it in my basement in and effort to try and be safer.   But I need to increase how much I actually do this.


John, have you found that all that dry firing smooths out a j frame trigger and makes it much lighter?  I don't have a lot of J frames, but they are notorious for having heavy triggers.  And I have to say the ones I've fondled in the store were no exception.  However, my Mom has the "Bodyguard" .38 that has been shot very very little and I swear it's a nice 10 pounder.  I need to measure it.  But my J frame that I shoot and dry fire waaaaaaay more than hers has ever seen is still like 13#.  

I'm debating on an apex kit.  I think 10 pounds would be just about perfect and the kit claims to take off about 3 pounds.  I am a little concerned about light primer strikes and all that.   I'm also concerned that if I do the job by myself, I run the risk of launching springs everywhere and it would leave me without my main carry gun.  So I either plan to get a back up J frame, or something similar.  Or, wait until my Mom moves in with me (June) and use her bodyguard as a back up.  She doesn't carry it.

On a high level:

Grip
Focus on the front sight
Learn to shoot with both eyes open - Do you know your dominate eye?
Where do you place your finger on the trigger?

It might be helpful to shoot a few strings of 3 rounds and mark each one and then post a photo. This might help fols give you some helpful tips.

Learn the fundamentals and master them - as stated above lots of dry fire.

Good Luck & have fun!

There was just a good thread about this on smith and wesson forum......

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/519945-intro-my-rental-observations.html

My eyes are totally fucky. They do not wok together so one eye is looking one way and the other is looking somewhere else.  I'm a lefty and my left eye is the dominate one on pistols.

Great!! I'll take a listen this weekend.