Proper grip/ recoil management for model 83?

[Not the 10th Man]

So...I hate to come out as a wuss here but...

I had a chance to shoot my beloved Model 83 .454 today.  I have two different loads I'm currently playing with- one of them is a sweet, mild load of 7.5 grains of Winchester 231 pushing a 255 grain RNFP at about 950 FPS- a very sweet handling, insanely accurate load that has more than enough horsepower to take care of most business.

Then I got around to the serious bear loads- some Buffalo Bore 360 grainers that are said to be doing about 1,400 FPS.  The good news is that both loads seem to hit at the same point of aim...great!

The bad news is...Dear God that load huuuuuurrrrrts!!!!!  It's not so much overall recoil, as much as my middle finger being mauled by the trigger guard.  I only shot about five rounds, and my finger is swollen, black and pretty darn painful.

Is there....something I'm doing wrong with the grip here?  I'm gripping it like any other DA or auto pistol, with my left hand wrapped around my right, right thumb over my left.  Is there some better way for me to be taking care of business with a heavy recoiling SA revolver?

It's already magna-ported, and I've swapped the Pachmayrs around for laminate wood because they felt clumsy as heck.  I'm sure there's something I'm doing wrong, I just don't know what it is right now.

What do you guys do?  a different gripping technique?  Do you just keep shooting until you get your knuckle replaced with titanium or steel, so it quits hurting?  impact gloves?  Please, impart your wisdom upon this big bore, SA neophyte.

Thanks!

[Bigeasy]

Well, I love my single actions, but have a similar problem- the trigger guard does a job on my finger as well.  I have really big hands, as you might also.  Some folks do not have a problem at all, just depends I guess.  There was probably a reason the previous owner had Pachmayr's on that gun....  A stock with a filler behind the trigger guard protects the finger, at the expense of slightly lowering your grip on the gun.  One method of grip that seems to help is to wrap your little finger under the butt of the gun - this lowers your grip slightly, and gives you more space between the trigger guard and your finger.

Usually, if I am going to be firing really heavy loads, I use one of my Smith 29's, or my Redhawk, as rubber grips are an eyesore on a single action (just opinion).  If you cant find a hold that works for you with the wood grips, try the pachmayers.  If they protect your finger, then you might want to consider having a set of nice wood custom grips made that follow the Pachmayer pattern with a filler behind the trigger guard, only a little slimmer in the rest of the grip, without those finger groves.

Larry

[Ken ONeill]

Toughen up, Dude !
No seriously, I recommend that you at least try that Pachmayr when shooting the heavy loads, in combination with a padded shooting glove. The Pachmayr will lower your grip and put rubber between the knuckle and trigger guard. The padded glove will protect the palm from the abrasion of rubber grabbing and tearing at it.
For those like me who have short fingers and therefore a short trigger reach, this doesn't work well, though. To pull the trigger properly the hand must be rotated a bit off-center, which then puts the recoil more into the web of the thumb / hand, resulting in just as much pain.
Several years ago, partly because of this short finger situation, I made a "knuckle protector", by cutting off the appropriate padded finger from a Past or Uncle Mikes (don't remember which) shooting glove, and slipping it over that finger knuckle when shooting heavy loads. It works fine, eliminates pain, and is convenient. Lowering your grip a bit, and gripping the handgun tightly - but not trembling, white knuckle - will also help.
If none of these things work, revert back to my first comment 

[Not the 10th Man]

Well, I love my single actions, but have a similar problem- the trigger guard does a job on my finger as well.  I have really big hands, as you might also.  Some folks do not have a problem at all, just depends I guess.  There was probably a reason the previous owner had Pachmayr's on that gun....  A stock with a filler behind the trigger guard protects the finger, at the expense of slightly lowering your grip on the gun.  One method of grip that seems to help is to wrap your little finger under the butt of the gun - this lowers your grip slightly, and gives you more space between the trigger guard and your finger.

Usually, if I am going to be firing really heavy loads, I use one of my Smith 29's, or my Redhawk, as rubber grips are an eyesore on a single action (just opinion).  If you cant find a hold that works for you with the wood grips, try the pachmayers.  If they protect your finger, then you might want to consider having a set of nice wood custom grips made that follow the Pachmayer pattern with a filler behind the trigger guard, only a little slimmer in the rest of the grip, without those finger groves.

Larry

Yup.  My hands are kinda unusually shaped.  My palms and fingers are incredibly thick, but very short.  I have to wear XL work gloves all the time, even though there's a good inch to spare in every finger of the gloves.  


The Pachmayrs were one of the reasons I got the gun for so cheap.  Previous owner HATED them.  They came with it from the factory.  It's been a catch 22 for me as far as grips.  Recoil was MUCH better with the Pachmayrs, but it pointed and handled terribly, on top of being butt ugly.  The laminate wood grips point and handle much better, but mauling my birdy finger's not acceptable.  

I've already tried adjusting my grip down, to no avail.  I'll keep playing with different holds, and might try a little experiment with wedging a piece of old Limb saver recoil pad up beneath the trigger guard to see what I can come up with.  Custom grips would be awfully nice, eventually, when cash is a little less tight for me.  Not sure who all makes 'em, but I'll have plenty of time to scout around while I'm saving pennies.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[MePlat]

Well true to form I'll give an opionion that most don't like to hear.
I shot my 454's thousands of times.  Hardly shoot them now.  When I did I wrapped my finger with band-aids and had at it.   Still have a slight knot on my knuckle though.
My 45 colt BH's do the same thing and I use that sticky crinkly type tape on the knuckle now.
Ways to go about things like this without to much fuss and bother.
Get some band-aids and go shooting.   
Never cared for gloves of any kind either.  Can carry a few band-aids in your billfold too.  Can't carry gloves in your billfold though.
Think about it before discarding what I said.

[ole 5 hole group]

Good advice MePlat.  I’ve done that a time or two.  There are just some revolvers with certain loads that will wreck havoc with one or more of your fingers.  For me, it’s usually the trigger finger.  You can play with different grips, hand positions etc all day long but sometimes nothing works except a home remedy to stop the scraping of skin or loss of a little blood. 

Good shooting gloves work best for me but band-aids will work just as well if you use a couple of them on the ornery loads.  These will hold up to the “real ornery” big bore loads.
http://www.gripswell.com/gs33.php

Tone the load down a little and all’s well but why would we want to do that?

[gcrank1]

Or,
back off that dinosaur load a bit.

[SJPrice]

Or,
back off that dinosaur load a bit.

My thought as well.  What are you going after with that load? 

[AkRay]

I've read about that 454 malady in print.  A well-known gunwriter calls it "Casull knuckle."  He's noted that many who shoot their revolvers extensively have a noticeable middle knuckle from it.

[Lloyd Smale]

choking down cures it for me. I tried shooting gloves but that extra padding just put the trigger guard closer to my nuckle and it to me anyway is tougher to get a consistant grip on a six gun with bulky gloves on. Super blackhawks with the dragoon frame are what gets me the worse. After two surgerys on my middle nuckle for bone spurs caused by those abortions cured me from ever getting another. I can shoot a fa or a bisley ruger all day long even in 475 or 500 without trouble if i choke down a bit but the supers get me no matter how i hold them even in something as mild as a 44 mag factory load.