Do You Aim or Just Point Your 1851?

[almrl]

I picked up a brass framed CVA 1851 Navy in .36, recently and went back through the pistol forum looking for loads, opinions on brass frames, and general lore on the '51.

The '51 is lauded for its' pointability and at the same time condemned for its' miserable sights.

My question is, when not punching paper for accuracy/group size, do you use the sights to aim, or just point?

Old Coot

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

I use the sights. To me pointability means it is more comfortable in the hand and you don't need to adjust the grip as much as maybe on another type of revolver. That being said, it's as natural as pointing your index finger. Now if my finger had sights... :rotf:

 

[biliff]

I shoot Cowboy action with either a percussion 51 or a cartridge conversion. When going fast on the large up close and personal kind of targets they use (16" square at 7 to 10 yards) I just point and pull the trigger. Kind of like shooting a shotgun.

 

[dukewellington]

I wish I had the luxury to be able to shoot a pistol, but due to our caka-mame gun laws I can't.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

Do you mean no handguns at all, pistol or revolver? :bull:

 

[crockett]

Old Coot: when punching paper you want to use the sights just like any other handgun. Some of the shootists of the old west claim they always used the sights.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I do both. But it's a lot of fun to point shoot at tin cans or full size cardboard humans with vital areas marked out. I don't do it with just my Navy Colts either. Point shooting with my Walkers is my idea of a real good time! :thumbsup:

 

[madcratebuilder]

I practice point shooting every time I go out. Mostly with snub nose revolvers at 15 feet, but I do the bp some times. If I don't hit them, I at least set them a fire.

 

[grey8833]

Ditto Russ T. Frisson.

Walker on 50 grains of fffg at 25 yards - aim and, with good form, outshoot the moderns, then point and pop six, watch everyone on the firing line stop and stare. Love BP revolvers.

Mike F

 

[David Teague]

I use my sights, and shoot one handed.

The one of the local range masters told me to stop embarrassing the modern shooters one day.

My 61 navy is dead on at 10 yards, my 1871 conversion (off of the 1860) shoot to the left & high but I can use Kentucky windage to bring into the 10 ring.

BTW, I agree with Double Duce on the issue of pointability. Things just line up with little effort.

Cheers,

David

 

[Emet Huntsman]

Yep!

 

[bingo1952]

No handguns on the Queen's territory. :youcrazy:

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Depends on how close I am to the target. Point shooting is good for full-size B-27's. Always aim during a paper competition shoot. Most of the Colts aim / point the same way...even the Walker is a good "pointer" :thumbsup:

Practice, practice, practice...til ya get it just right!

Dave

 

[crockett]

David Teague : I have sort of a funny story that's similar and related to the accuracy of BP revolvers. At the range I shoot is an area where you can use tin cans, plastic milk jugs, etc. In any event these guys show up and set up some water filled milk jugs and the guy has a semi-auto and starts blazing away, kicking up dirt all around the cans. At first I thought he was just missing but after he hadn't hit a single jug I thought he was just joking around and a started laughing. "Hey that's some shooting" says I, in a jovial tone. One of his friends looks at me anxiously and says, he ain't joking, he's REALLY trying to hit the jugs!
"Oh" says I, "Sorry".
"It get's worse" says the friend, "he's a COP"
"Oh" says I, "Maybe you ought to find a different line of work"
Well as I stared into his anguished eyes at his failure compassion overcame me- this guy needed some help.
"Have you ever shot a long barreled pistol?" I asked.
"One of those old things? You've got to be kidding, there antiques!"
"Won't hurt to try" I coaxed.
"Okay, Okay"
Well he took the Colt 51, cocked back the hammer, took deliberate aim and there went a milk jug. He tried again, another milk jug bit the dust.
In short all the milk jugs got the same treatment.
I wish you could have seen that face, it was like he just hit the lottery.
"Get yourself a Stainless steel, Smith & Wesson 357 magnum with a six inch barrel and shoot it, worry about the semi-auto later on I said". I think he ran out right then and there and got himself a revolver.
So getting back to the point or aim, aim, but learn to aim quickly. In a real life gun fight, eyeball to eye ball at twenty five yards, what would you prefer, a semi auto with a short 4" barrel or two 44 caliber 1860 Colts loaded to maximum charges? The Semi auto has 14 rounds and you have 12 rounds and a long barrel? Who wins?

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

Having been there and done that, my clear choice would be the semi-auto... Colt 1911 Government. The "cop" needs to get some serious time on the trigger. It is easy to use the sights to hit your target. It sort of takes the guess work out of shooting stuff and adversaries.
The pointing thing is the main reason the cowboys on television kept missing the bad guys. :shake:

 

[almrl]

Thanks, everybody for all the replies.

The pointing thing is the main reason the cowboys on television kept missing the bad guys.

Hmmm, and I always thought TV cowboys rarely hit the bad guy because their pistols were loaded with blanks.

Well, you live and learn.

Old Coot

 

[Mike 56]

I do both i have three handguns that point and shoot well 1895 Nagant, 1911A1, and my 44cal 51 Colt.

Mike

 

[Zonie]

To shoot well using the "pointing" method first and foremost the gun must "fit" your hand.
If it properly fits your hand, the barrel will be pointing just about exactly where your index finger would point if it were out straight rather than resting on the trigger.

If the gun doesn't fit your hand its barrel will be pointing up/down/right or left. Maybe a combination of these.

There are some guns which naturally point for many people but, like the 14 inch pull many rifle makers use on their stocks, one size doesn't fit all.
While the Military grip on the 1911 is comfortable and will point naturally for many, the slanted grip on my Luger fits my hand better.
That doesn't mean I can't shoot my 1911. It just means that when I point my Luger at something it aligns with the chosen point on the target better and I have to do less to hit the target.

Revolvers like the 1851 Colt often fit peoples hands better than the modern semi-automatics because the curvature of the grip tends to flow with the web of the hand between the thumb and the index finger. The straighter grip of the Military grip tends (on me) to interfere with my hands web so the gun ends up being pointed downward.

The only way to find out which pistol "fits" your hand is to try many different guns and "snap" point them at a small target. Then without moving your hand, look down the sights to see where the gun is actually pointing.

 

[kevthebassman]

With the way the sights on my Pietta '51 work, I'd be better off pointing it. I took a dremel and a file to them and brought them about 4 inches closer to the bull, so now I'm only about 12 inches high and left at 25 yards. Too bad that I can't file it any closer. :cursing:

One good thing is that the pistol groups GREAT. Just nowhere near where I aim it.

 

[Juggernaut]

I use the sights align the rear notch with front pin and bang.