Target grips for Mark IV

Hello all,
Right to the question.
Do target style grips such as "Rink" help with shooting?
If so how?
What would the collective here suggest?


I'm using Hogue grips with the finger grooves right now and have made it to Sharp Shooter. Just looking for something to help with the next step up the ladder.
I do practice twice a week and I know that helps a lot.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

Anatomical grips allow you to support the pistol in your hand without gripping the crap out of it. Suppliers are Rink, K-N/Nill and Dick Horton are wood while Precision Target are 3D printed plastic.

Good grips help but a good trigger and dry-firing with a plan every day will get you further. You can even get a decent air pistol and do some good slow fire practice in your basement or garage for under $20 for 500 pellets.

IMHO. Rink style anatomical grips do help with Pardini's, etc., because they create a better feeling of "security", I guess because of the somewhat nose heavy balance of most of the Euro guns (except 208 and similar). I prefer the Rink "upright" version which is closer to a 1911 grip angle. And I find that the "Bullseye" version is much more secure than the "ISSF" version, primarily because of the upswept palm rest. But nothing works if you don't get the hand fit REALLY tight!. Most folks are unwilling to cut/fill a $300 grip - but that is what will really make it work!

But, even the best custom Rink grips can be improved with some judiciously applied grip tape, etc. That is complicated and down to the individual.

As for Ruger's. Again IMHO, an anatomical grip is not a good solution. But, I very much advocate getting the most aggressive, "bitey" slab grips you can. Find some really aggressive "skateboard" tape and experiment - especially on front/back strap and under thumb pad. Don't be afraid to "cut & fill" grip plates to get the best possible hand feel. A battery Dremel and plenty of WeldWood does the trick.

I very much prefer the Ruger 22/45 version, but shoot whatever you have got.

I put a Volquartson grip on my Mk IV  , I like it and think it helps, I like the grippy rubber AND the price.

Texasref wrote:Hello all,
Right to the question.
Do target style grips such as "Rink" help with shooting?
If so how?
What would the collective here suggest?


I'm using Hogue grips with the finger grooves right now and have made it to Sharp Shooter. Just looking for something to help with the next step up the ladder.
I do practice twice a week and I know that helps a lot.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

I might break some hearts here. Some of you might agree with me while others hold different opinions. That's okay. I won't agree that there is ever a wrong or right. A shooter has to find their own way and gravitate towards what yields the desired results. But here goes..

Slab sided grips - or non target grips.. that is to say something that does not provide a thumb rest, or a rest for the heal of your hand be it adjustable or non adjustable... are probably best for someone starting out in this sport.. or in my opinion they tend to prove to be better choice overall. The reason I say this is because a slab sided grip scenario allows the shooter to grasp the gun comfortably as a starting point and then experiment with shifting the hand around the gun into a slightly different position to adjust where the trigger finger might lay or adjust how the gun sets in the hand for control. Realistically slab sided grips will allow a shooter to grasp the gun in a way that allows the shooter to get the most out of the gun. 

"Target" grips.. something that has a thumb rest and finger groves and a heal rest be it adjustable or not.. can actually cause issues if they are not fitted correctly. The issues one might experience with target grips that aren't fitted properly would be proper trigger control becoming more challenging to execute and if the pistol is chambered in something bigger like .45 caliber then your grip on the gun can suffer allowing for flyers, and a feeling of loss in control during sustained fire. A sustained fire string will feel chaotic like there is a lack in follow through. Recovery might not be so direct because the gun isn't pointed naturally because you've got this big hunk of target grip between you and the gun that's not fitted. 

Now if you have assistance with getting a grip like this fitted then a good set of target grips can be a great option. But keep this in mind: Two thirds of this game is shot with a 45 usually. As far as my opinion goes on grips and a 45, there is no better option than slab sides. So if I'm going to shoot slab sides two thirds of the way through a tournament, then I personally feel like I'd like to maintain that in my .22 aggregate gun situation also. But that's just me. 

Congrats on the move to Sharpshooter. But grips will not get you to the next classification. Mastering the fundamentals will. This means ironing out the flaws in your trigger control, your follow through, recoil management, recovery, your choice in stance and position, the whole nine yards. Including and perhaps most importantly, your mental approach to executing your shot process.

There’s actually ergonomics that demonstrate that slabs are best on a recoiling pistol.  According to this, a tool handle diameter should be between 1.5 and 2.0 inches in diameter to give the human the best power grips.  Not that power grip is the best technique, but it gives one less variable when you’re learning how to shoot a pistol.  

https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/handtools/tooldesign.html

It is no accident that hammers, Screwdrivers, and power tools all have similar size grips.

I have found the ergonomic/target grips are best on guns originally designed for their use (Hammerli, Pardini, AW93, ect), especially the more nose heavy guns like the Pardini. Ergo style grips have more of a learning curve than standard slabs and as mentioned really need to be properly fit to your hand. I typically shoot a1911 22 conversion with slabs, if I want to shoot my 208 with rinks it takes some time to get acclimated to the grips. If you we looking at air pistol well fit ergonomic grips are a necessity, bullseye 22 not so much.

On the other hand ....a perceived edge is still an edge.
I'm partial to training rather than buying points.

STEVE SAMELAK wrote:On the other hand ....a perceived edge is still an edge.
I'm partial to training rather than buying points.

Most of us who have been doing this for a while feel the same, hence the last paragraph in my post above.

Most of us have spent the money and learned the hard way.  Trigger time, with a purpose and being self-critical, whether shooting or dry-firing, pays more than it costs.

These Hogues on my Mark IV are a bit of both choices. Mostly slab with the addition of finger grooves. The grips are very grippy. The other good thing about them is the price and availability. Just my .02.

With Rink be careful to order the MK IV grip.

Thanks for the replies.
All good advice here, which is what I was looking for.

I bit the bullet and bought (2) Rink grips for my Mark IVs. I think it helps me. I’m in no way an experienced bullseye shooter but my scores and consistency improved with them. I used the Volquartsen rubber grip last year. A good inexpensive option but not the same feel as the Rink for me.