At least Jonah knew how to load the gun, although he would still need to practice so that the motions were second nature, something he really didn't have to think about.
First, he strapped on the shoulder holster, something he needed help with, since it was a little more elaborate then a standard one, and needed to be adjusted.
He flicked out the gate, then rotated the cylinder, slipping a bullet into each chamber, the snapping the gate closed. As he slipped the revolver into the holster, he chuckled and quipped, "Now to not shoot myself in the chest pulling this thing out!"
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"An' that there's the first thing ya gotta learn." Doc stated, "No sense in givin' the other fella a chance ta see ya down without his doin' a dern thing but watchin'."
"Now, ya see them targets yonder, well, we'll just be shootin' at 'em fer a bit without you drawin' that pistol," Carson explained. "I want ya to crook yer arm at the elbow, an' have 'er loose from yer side. Lesson one is point and shoot." He paused then continued, "What yer holdin' is the comin' thing, double action. No need ta cock it, ya just squeeze the trigger. So, get to squeezin'!"
Shooting without drawing...
Jonah understood, going through the motions over and over to work out the kinks and get used to them, so they were second nature. It was a common form of exercise for all sorts of disciplines, and he didn't mind.
Taking a deep breath, Jonah steadied himself, then reached across his chest, mimicking the motions of drawing the revolver without actually touching it. He pointed his finger at the target, like a kid who wasn't allowed to touch his father's guns, then 'cocked' his thumb.
"Bang, bang!" He glanced at the other men and chuckled. "Oh, right, don't need to cock..." That was going to be odd when he actually used the weapon. "But hey, bullseye, right?"
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Carson and Doc Gilcrest took a moment to look at one another.
"Sure thing Doc, now, take holt'a that pistol'a yers and, just like I said, just sortta swing it out to yer side, do that a couple times, but without yer finger in the trigger guard. Just to get the feel for it." Gilcrest directed. "Now, look at the targets and let 'er rip! All six, fast as you can, an' lessee how it goes.
The idea of the double action was to eliminate cocking and firing a lot faster than most me with a single action could. How many times Jonah hit anything was not important. Emptying the gun so quickly would give the physician an idea of the firepower he had.
Several times, Jonah drew the pistol, bringing it down to his side, correcting mistakes, until he was comfortable that he wasn't going to accidentally shoot anyone, then drew and aimed down-range, pulling the trigger in rapid succession until the hammer hit on an empty chamber.
"That's a fine weapon," Jonah commented, clicking back the hammer part-way so he could clear the chambers and reload. "With enough practice, I might actually be able to hit something. How long have you gentlemen known Miss Steelegrave?"
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"You hit one'a the cans, and chipped the neck of a bottle, so yer right about where ya oughtta be." Carson stated with a smile. "The real trick is not to aim so much as it is to use yer eyes to see the target an' shoot."
"One'a reasons we practice. sharpen that skill. Look an' shoot." Gilcrest added, "Now there's all this talk about fast. Fast gettin' inta action is fine, but Doc, I cain't emphasize enough, it being acc'rate is whot counts! Be it animal 'er man."
"So load 'er up an' lt's go another round. Look an' shoot." Carson guided the man. "Yer doin' jest fine though, just fine!"
"Yes, of course, you have to hit what you're shooting at." Jonah grinned. "Preferably before he shoots me!"
Reloading was simple enough, insert a cartridge into the chamber, rotate the cylinder, repeat, and soon enough, the pistol was reholstered. The men hadn't answered his question about Leah, so he wouldn't bring that up again.
"Draw, aim, shoot," he muttered quietly to himself, then did just that! Smoothly, the revolver slipped from the holster, Jonah extended his arm, using that as his means of aiming, then squeezed off six shots in quick succession.
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"Better! You're gettin' the hang of it." Gilcrest blurted out, "Ain't he Carson?"
"Yep, but now what ya gotta do is draw, don't extend yer arm, leave yer elbow crooked, an' shoot. Ya gotta be able to hit what yer lookin' at. The men you may have to face can and will do that." Carson stated. " All yer doin' is shootin' what point at an' hittin' it. By extending that arm yer given yer foe an extree couple seconds an' that can be the difference."
"Ah, well, that makes sense," Jonah agreed, "first on target pretty much wins!" He was joshing, of course, although it was true...the first bullet to a vital body part set the stage for winning.
Reload, re-holster, get ready to do it again. It dawned on Jonah that he'd never shot a man before, but if it came down to that, he had to be able to face it. So, in addition to learning the mechanics of shooting, he's need to mentally prepare himself, so when the time came, there was no hesitation.
Of course, he wasn't really sure how to prepare yourself to take a life, which was sort of funny, considering that he'd not thought twice about bilking people out of money, possibly ruining their lives...
Time to worry on that later, if ever...after all, that was in the past and there was nothing he could do about it, and he wasn't going back.
"All right, then..." Again, he repeated the motions, more smoothly this time, and shooting with his arm close to his side.
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Luck being what it is, the weather began to close in again, and flurries returned with a vengeance as Danforth was just finishing his shooting.
"Best we get on back to town." Doc Gilcrest said.
"Good idea, and Doc you just keep practicing every chance you have. We'll get together in a day or two and do some shootin'." Carson added as they started for their horses.
The trio got mounted and brought their mounts to a trot on their way back toward town. It had been a very productive day for Doctor Danforth and his Colt Thunderer were getting comortable with one another. It seemed that Jonah Danforth had a natural ability that he might have been unaware of.