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

Is this good enough 7 1/2 yards with a 340PD chief's Special from the hip

38Target.jpg
 
Back in the dark ages when we had to carry wheelguns we had to qualify out to 50 yards. This included the guys who carried the 2in. .38's. Course that was firing from the barricade position and you had the option of shooting D/A or S/A. With the 681 I fired D/A, S/A with the snubs. I am still reasonably comfortable with this. For some reason when we went with the Glock 17 we dropped the 50 yard position. About 5 years after that someone realized that we were basically a rural police dept. and we fired about 12 rounds at 50 separate from the qualification and never again repeated it.

If I have to shoot past 50 with a handgun and have a choice I will take my 6in. Python every time. Out to 100 yards this gun shines. My 629 would not be far behind.
 
Depends what I am shooting - Ruger MKII Gov't 7.5" barrel. I enjoy shooting it at spinner targets at 70 paces or so seated from cross-sticks. I suppose if I had to shoot something bigger and didn't have a rifle handy, highly unlikely, I'd use my FN High Power, 9mm
 
My first pick is the g-20. Stock, this gun will do it out to 120yds (as far as I've tried so far) on the 12" gong. We try the 6" barrel tomorrow.

My second pick is the 29fs. Stock as well, this one does rabbits and the such at 30yds, and I trust it will do it at 50yds. Man sized targets out to 100yds.

My third pick is my Kimber custom classic II. Stock as well, this is one of the earlier Kimbers and has none of the problems that I've read about the newer ones. Great gun.

Just about any gun of acceptable quality will do this, if you can do it. Practice is key. Do I NEED to be able to shoot at 50yds with a hand gun? I don't need ice cream either, but I like it.:)
 
50 yarder

I think a lot of you would be surprised if you shot your carry guns at 50 yards. It really isn't that tough to do, and any quality handgun will hold its own!

If yor range allows it, shoot out to fifty or even 100 yards. You'll be surprised!

Todd
 
I'd use my Romanian TT-33 in 7.62x25, or my Norinco 213 modified for 9x23 Winchester, They are both very flat shooting at longer distances. I'd feel reasonably confident even at 100 yards with either of them. I wouldn't worry at all at 50 yards.
 
Can anyone really hit a plate sized target from fifty yards with a regular carry weapon? I shoot a Glock 20 with regular factory sights. When I shoot from fifty yards I almost always hit a man sized target. But I can't imagine grouping the shots inside a plate.
 
I've done it with my Walther P1 at 100 yards.
On the 10mm front, I used to have a S&W 1006...it would shoot tiny groups at 50 yards right to POA using silvertips. Never got a chance to try it at 100yds.
 
Can anyone really hit a plate sized target from fifty yards with a regular carry weapon?

Yep. I HAVE kept a 4 round 3" group at 50 yards with 2 flyers making it a 5 inch total spread ( 6 .38+p rounds out of a 6" S&W686). I'm completely serious. Granted, that's a best, and not always the case. Still though, I don't usually have a problem with that same gun keeping it in a 6" circle at 50 yards. That's certainly smaller than a paper plate. Also, I do like that gun a great deal :) To be fair to your question though.. the 6" might be a little big for carry.. but some people do it.

Funny thing is, I'm GREAT with a pistol at times, and heck I can be a little cocky about it even.. hehe.. BUT .. I can't hit a darn thing with a rifle. Go figure.
 
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Yep. I HAVE kept a 4 round 3" group at 50 yards with 2 flyers making it a 5 inch total spread ( 6 .38+p rounds out of a 6" S&W686). I'm completely serious.
you regularly carry a 6" 686?
sorry just read the rest of your post.
 
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Hey guys, I'm not doubting you. But, tell me more. Are you shooting from a table? Can you expect to group all of your shots inside a 9" plate with factory sights from a semi-auto pistol with a 4" or less barrel while standing. If so give me some advice on how.
 
Accurate long range shooting with the service pistol requires proper technique.
One of the most useful field positions is sitting, back against a tree, rock, fence post,etc, with the knees up and the elbows on the knees.
Then, like all shooting, it moves to the zen-like excercise of of sight alignment, breathing control, and trigger squeeze.
For sighting, I use the technique described by Elmer Keith...Raise the front sight so that the rear sight cuts it in half, then place your target on top of the front sight blade.
Not every pistol will stay on a dinner plate at 100yds, of course. In the case of my Walther P1, I have excellent squared off sights, a single action trigger that approaches target grade (crisp, light, barely any overtravel), and a grip which fits my hand very well.
While not every pistol I have fired does as well at 100yds as that P1 did, just about every one is minute of torso accurate at the same range.
 
Hey guys, I'm not doubting you. But, tell me more. Are you shooting from a table? Can you expect to group all of your shots inside a 9" plate with factory sights from a semi-auto pistol with a 4" or less barrel while standing. If so give me some advice on how.

Well, in my post above it obviously wasn't a semi-auto pistol with a 4" or less barrel, but from the 6" revolver I was talking about standing in a regular shooting stance and using factory sights. Slow fire single action shots only.

I've never really seen a tremendous amount of difference inaccuracy between a 6" and a 4". I personally shoot better though with my 6" 686 than I do the 4" 66 , mainly because I prefer the forward weight of the full underlug.
 
50 yarder

Well if I were carrying in the woods looking for Bambi, I would give it to my Winchester 94. However, this is based on the carry guns in my arsenal. Assuming this were at a range, with a wager of who buys the ice cream, mine would be:

1. Colt Series 80 Government w/ +P ammo (fair chance)
2. Colt New Agent (slim chance)
3. Colt Pocketlite Mustang (slim to none)

A self defense scenario at this range would be very sticky ground.
 
Are you shooting from a table? Can you expect to group all of your shots inside a 9" plate with factory sights from a semi-auto pistol with a 4" or less barrel while standing.
standing unsupported no I'll put most on a pie plate but not all.Give me any kind of a rest and yes all rounds will stay on the plate.
there's no trick to shooting well with short sight radius guns.it's just that sight picture (alingment) is more important.
you need to have the sights in crisp focus and perfectly aligned and let the target blur.
 
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