Centerfire pistol for accuracy only

A

Auger

Inactive
Hey Folks,

I have always been a rimfire shooter but now want to get a centerfire pistol. Trouble is that you have to poke out mega-bucks to get a centerfire pistol to even come close to the accurracy of my cheapie .22 So, here's the question: I'm not interested in formal IDPA, IPSC, or Bullseye but love to shoot pistol games and Sportsman Team Challenge and want to have a centerfire to do it with. I have heard that the Desert Eagle is one of the most accurate pistols there is. And, if I get it in a .357, it would have the least amount of recoil, providing the most amount of control coupled with all that weight, not to mention the option of a 10" barrel. Tune the trigger and add custom grips. Am I missing something here? Local shooters are trying to steer me away from that gun. What gives? I'm not a fan of any model gun so 1911's have no special place in my heart. Any comments would be welcomed.

Kelly
 
Accuracy.....

The winner is the Sig 210....but it will cost you a lot. If you can afford a 210, buy one. I don't think there is a better pistol out there. BTW, I don't know what your price range is.

IMO,

less expensive runners up are....


1.CZ 97B
2.Sig 220/226
3.certain 1911s (notably Kimber and Springfield)

I hear great things about the Desert Eagles, but I have no experience with them. Can't comment on them.

I assume custom 1911s (like Wilson Combat) would also fair superbly in accuracy, but I have not had the pleasure of shooting one (they are not that common around here) and no one I know has one.
 
Desert Eagles are just too darn big and heavy for your purpose. A 19ll style Les Baer would be a good choice. You may also look around for a Smith & Wesson Model 52 that shoots .38 wadcutters. And of course the Sig 210 mentioned it the above post.
 
Several of the better 1911 smiths can build you a pistol that will easily shoot 1 1/2 inch groups at fifty yards. How much accuracy do you need?
 
Desert Eagle pisols are huge, and cost a lot of money. Once you add pistol smith work to it, you may as well get a custom 1911 for what you want. I didn't think I liked 1911's either until I held a Super Match in my hands. It was perfectly balanced and fit right for me.
Sig is putting out the 210 again. If you have the money, get one. Smith is re-introducing the 52 as the 952 for 9mm.
For accurace per dollar, you really can't beat a revolver though, even after custom work. I say this as a semi-auto fan myself.
 
If you can afford a Desert Eagle, you can afford just about anything. As previously mentioned, it also has a very large grip. If you are comfortable with a cocked and locked system, a 1911 may be for you. If not, a Glock is a great accurate gun right out of the box.
 
So, here's the question: I'm not interested in formal IDPA, IPSC, or Bullseye but love to shoot pistol games and Sportsman Team Challenge and want to have a centerfire to do it with.
Click to expand...

The Sportsman Team Challenge matches don't use any centerfire pistols, do they?

If you want excellent accuracy at a modest price, buy a Thompson Center Contender. You'll get a better trigger and more ammo choices than you'd have with a Desert Eagle.

I can't think of any pistol games where the Desert Eagle is widely used.
 
If you want competition accuracy there is pretty much only one answer; 1911. This isn't personal opionion, go to a formal bullseye shoot and see what they are using. Go to http://www.bullseyepistol.com/ and see what they are using. When you ask a question like this on-line, most people use this as an excuse to tout their faviorite gun instead of answering the question. Do a little research as to what the serious competitors are REALLY using, that will give you all the answers you need. One final note; there is a huge difference between what the average shooter considers accuracy and what a serious competitor considers accuracy; again, the only way to find out is ask a serious competitor.
 
This is heresy for a semi-auto board, but if you want good to excellent accuracy out of a center-fire cartridge handgun without spending a bundle and without spending money on a gunsmith, get a revolver. The average Smith(used only)or Ruger revolver will beat any non-worked over semi unless you're talk about a Sig 210(big bucks). If this idea has any merit to you may I suggest a Ruger G100 or a Smith model 14 or 586/686.
 
Revolvers.....

I have a 6" 686 plus and a couple Ruger revolvers. I have to disagree about revolvers being so much more accurate. I think that they are a little more accurate than centerfire semis, but not much. I in fact get better groups with my Sigs and CZ 97B than I do with my 686 plus or Rugers. I think if you buy from the accurate semi-auto makers (such as Sig, CZ, Kimber, Springfield, etc); then the difference between a semi-auto and a revolver is minimal. Now if you buy one of the less accurate "combat" accurate pistols (such as Glock, Beretta, Ruger, and Taurus), then the difference between revolvers and semi-autos become more apparent. Sorry for the generalizations, but in my experience, (Glocks, Berettas, Ruger and Taurus) semi-autos are only "combat accurate".
 
Revolvers are one thing - but this thread is in the SEMI forum.
Lets focus on the Semis.

The SIG P210 is King.

Others to look into:
Walther PP
HK P7
HK USP Match
HK P9
HK SOCOM
High end 1911s from custom makers Ed Brown, Wilson, Les etc...
S&W 945

There are many others...
 
Have you thought about the Benelli target model in 32 S&W Long? My rimfire version was a one hole wonder. That would be my pick if I were just shooting targets. That, or a S&W Model 52.
 
When you ask a question like this on-line, most people use this as an excuse to tout their faviorite gun instead of answering the question.
Click to expand...

That's a good point, but Auger specifically stated:

I'm not interested in formal IDPA, IPSC, or Bullseye...
Click to expand...

I'd be glad to talk Bullseye guns but that's not what he wants. ;)

It would help if we knew more, such as exactly how much accuracy is being sought and if there are any secondary considerations such as a certain power level or ease of control in rapid fire.
 
can anyone tell me why the sig 210 is so accurate?
seen many posts and a couple of infoblurbs about it in the mags, what are the qualities that give it an accuracy advantage. Having enver seen one, is the workmanship just that much better or does it have some kind of special techno stuff that makes it good?
just wondering
and if these attributes are so good, how come many other companies have not gone to them? price to build?
 
Tog,

Here is a Sig 210 picture.
493.jpg


210_8.jpg


I can't answer the tech questions (I am not a gunsmith).
 
How about...

a HK USP Expert or USP Match? One ragged hole at 25 yds with the Match. Unfortunately, I can't shoot that well. Someone else tried mine out and shot it that well. Now I know what to look forward to :D
 
CZ-52?

For accuracy alone, it might be fun to take a CZ-52 (in excellent condition $175-200), which has a reputation as a tack driver, and play around and see how accurate you could make it.

You can't use a .30 pistol in a lot of pistol sports, I don't know if you could use it in the sports you mention.

I would bet that it would be easy to build a CZ-52 that is as accurate as a custom built 1911 for a whole lot less money.

Mike P. Wagner
 
i'd definitly go with a 1911 if all you really care about is great accuracy. If you want to throw out big bucks some Wilson Combat 1911s are guaranteed to shoot 1" at 25 yards and other custom 1911s will be just as accurate. if you want to spend less money Kimbers are also very accurate. I've been shooting my friends Kimber Custom Classic and Custom Target a lot recently and they're both very accurate. the Target model has adjustable sights and the Kimber Gold Match is even better with things like a match barrel but they cost some more.
 
Thanks all for the information.

To add a couple of things: In the Sportsman Team Challenge, the pistol must have a power factor of 175 (bullet weight x velocity / 1,000). Regular 9mm can't do it but .357 can. I shot a freinds Beretta 92 in .40 caliber and experienced a lot of muzzle flip. I shot my son's HK 9mm (USP?) and didn't like the feel, not heavy enough. The Thompson/Center Encore pistol holds some sort of accuracy record and is not allowed in competitions with semi-autos or revolvers, but I need more than one shot. Interestingly enough, I have a Benelli MP95E in rimfire on order right now and never really thought about it in it's .32 caliber version, but again, I need the 175 power factor, something to think about. I was hoping to see a published centerfire accuracy chart at 3/4" at 25 yard (hoping for less than 1.5" at 50) but hadn't seen any, although the Benelli can, as well as the Sig/Hammerli Trailside (which is also on order). I did handle a Desert Eagle (Mark 19 in .44 caliber) at a gun shop once and I felt impressed, more so than the 1911 race gun that was there (don't remember the brand). At $1200, my gun allowance will be brought down to zero so I can go that much but not more. Gunsmithing was to come later. So many people mentioned the Sig 210 (even my son spoke highly of that one) that I will have to check it out. But heft is what I like. If I do decide to go the 1911 route, it would have to weigh more than some of the one's I have seen.

Again, thanks to all.
Kelly
 
If you need to make a 175 power factor, you can forget about the SIG P210 right now. You'd have to pay about $2000 for one anyway. (Yes, that is a lot of money!)

What is the course of fire for the centerfire pistol portion of the Sportsmans Team Challenge? Are there any limits on magazine capacity? Are you allowed to use optics? Compensators?

One and half inch groups at 50 yards is a tough accuracy requirement. It's not hard for a .22 pistol with a fixed barrel, but even a well-tuned centerfire target semiauto needs the right ammo to meet that standard.
 
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