50 yard shot, your 'go-to' handgun?

50 yds

I think one problem is the type of training one does.most bullseye shooters can hit a 50yd target with precision one handed.I know I can.S&W mod 10 Bomar rib bull barrel.and 45 AMT longslide.I have carried the longslide in belt slide holster.and the mod 10 in a Berns Martin holster.If you shoot bullseye you will improve you accuracy immensly.and silhouette shooting also.I did shoot it with my 1911 military with hd ball and got the ram at 200 on 7th shot.it went down.suprised me.:rolleyes::eek::D
 
Haven't tried it yet with my Sig 226 ,357Sig, but when I was training to work Olympic Security for the L.A. Olympics I trained with my 4" model 19 and by aiming at the neck on a standard B-27 target at 100 yards using 145gr Silvertips all rounds went into the upper chest.
 
Since we are talking carry guns, that leaves 3 for me. And I am going ot assume man-sized target at this range. I can't imaging shooting this distance with a carry gun against anything that wasn't actively trying to do me harm.

Glock 36 - I might be able to hit a man-sized target at 50 yards. I can shoot fairly well at 20 yards (max lenth of indoor range here), but never shot beyond that with such a small gun. I have put all 6 inside of 10/9 rings at quick pace at 20 yards before, so I believe I could pull off atleast a wounding shot at 50 yards under normal conditions.

Taurus 651 - 50 yard shot with a 357 snubbie? Not likely. I wouldn't even attempt it unless my life depended on it and I was 100% certain there were no bystanders to risk hitting. I can shoot well at 10-15 yards with it, but start to open my groups too much beyond that. At 50 yards, I'd be lucky to land 1 in 5 on my target.

S&W 625 MG - Carried when hiking, so still a carry gun, right? With it's 4" barrel and sizable grip, I think this gun would give me my best bet of the three.


As much as I enjoy shooting, I never have tried shooting handguns at these ranges. I should have to give it a try sometime. I'm not terribly interested in scoped-handguns or match-style bullseye shooting, but I think it would be interesting to know just what I could do with a gun beyond my usual 5-60 foot shoots.
 
This was shot at 50yds using ball ammo..

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from a Ransom Rest :D
 

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Oh yeah, I think its kindda amusing. Anytime I hear something along the lines of "100 yards all day with a handgun" I really start to wonder. I wouldnt post statements like that with out video, but thats just me...
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Is 350+ yards good enough for you, then?

\http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzfTtGD1eik

It's hard to see, due to my poor camera, but that's a 2x3 foot plywood board propped up against an old tire. Four out of six at that range, by the way. And yes, we do it often.


As far as those making statements that a 50 yards shot is not defensible, you really should wake the hell up. There ARE events in which a long shot can be required. Rare? Incredibly. But they exist. A guy I worked with (deputy sheriff) used his .45 to shoot an attacker at 58 yards. He fired in defense of another person, and one shot in the lower chest stopped the threat.
 
I often put targets (clay pigeons) out at 50 yards or farther and plinked at them with my handguns, unsupported.

Interesting that a couple of posters listed a Taurus 94. That too would be one of my choices. Also my GP-100 and my Model 29.
 
I have one pistol for that .my ruger security six 4 in. used it for nra hunter pistol silhouette foryears .25 50 75 100 metersit just fits the bill.
 
WHY

I also used to shoot a lot of IHMSA and still have those guns, but they are not ones I carry unless I am Hunting with them. I do carry my 6 inch Anaconda up in the mtns. and 50 yard shots with it are not that hard. But for a 50 yard shot with my carry guns it would have to be my 3 inch Taurus model 85 with its Crimson trace grips.

At 50 yards it is going to be awful hard to convince anyone that it was self defense against a human. Now a bear in the Mtns that has on its mind to put you on the evening menu is a whole different ball game. :D

I have bad knees so I don't run and I don't compete in any type of shooting that has you going from one shooting position to another one at anything faster than a walk. It is too hard to run with a LIMP! Can be done but not fun:) .
 
My favorite for 50 yd shooting would be a 6" S&W N frame revolver, with red insert front sight. .357 mag, 41 mag, 44 mag or .45 Long Colt. Any one will do.

Six O-Clock hold zero @ 25 yds equals a dead on Zero @ 50 yds. Raise the btm of the red insert to the top of the rear sight and 75 yds to 85yds is zeroed. Fire the revolver in the Single Action mode. Trigger control is even more important at range than sight alignment.

No jerking no flinching.
Just the hammer falling, then the bullet hitting.
 
Practically any quality centerfire handgun is more than capable at 50 yards (and beyond) but you've got to have them zeroed and you certainly have to shoot them at distance to see what both you and the handgun are capable of. Even a little SP101 will get you hits, if if not perfect ones.
 
Odds of ever having to use a handgun in self defense?...Infinitesimal

Odds of ever having to use a handgun in self defense past 7 yards?...Infinitesimaly infinitesimal

Odds of ever seeing a net thread alleging to use a handgun in self defense at 50 yards and making up scenarios to justify it?

Priceless:D

WildyourcoldslimyragofrealityAlaska TM
 
Depends on what I'm shooting at. If it's deer-sized game or larger, I'd want my 4" S&W 629 for both it's accuracy and power. If it's smaller than deer-sized game, I'd want my 4" S&W M28 because I shoot it a bit better than the 629. If I had to do it with a bottom feeder, I'd want my S&W 1076.
 
Now it is the M&P 9 Pro Series. By far the most accurate handgun I have ever owned... Including my Colt and Springfield 1911's.
 
Odds of ever having to use a handgun in self defense?...Infinitesimal

Odds of ever having to use a handgun in self defense past 7 yards?...Infinitesimaly infinitesimal
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Hey, could you put that in percentages or decimal points please. Big words just confuse me and give me a head ache. :D
 
I did understand the OP asked about a handgun that was practical to carry,but I did not notice the discussion was to be around SD scenarios.As far as the question,the target could be jackrabbits.
For myself,shooting is fun,and a skill I enjoy developing.
I understand the concept of developing as a firearms martial artist,thats cool.
But,when I think of shooting,my mental go-to place is not about shooting people.

Its enough to know I can head pop a bunny at 20 yd with a Ruger 22
 
But,when I think of shooting,my mental go-to place is not about shooting people.
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Maybe I am just oblivious to the dangers of the world, but I feel pretty safe in my environment. When I think of difficult, long range shots I immediately think of small groups of holes in paper used to impress your fellow shooters. :)
 
Read a thread in the semi auto forum about that SA EMP thing, in one of the post a guy says that he can hit steel poppers at 50 yards off hand with that thing. orchidhunter
 
while it is extreamly unlikely to ever need to make a 50 yard shot in self defense.
The skill to make a 50 yard shot is superfluous at 7 yards.
however the skill to put a shotgun like pattern on a full size sillouette a 7 yards will do nothing to a target at 50 yards.
 
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