Efective range of a snub nose revolver

F

Fer

New member
Hey,

Assuming that we live in a perfect world where your aim was a 100% accurate, lets say you have a powerfull scope on your snub revo, how far could you shoot a target (a bad guy) and hit it with enough power to kill.?
Remember we are talking about a snub nose revolver, lets say a S&W 442.


FER
 
I'm no expert (especially not on revolvers), but I have reservations about how much a short barrel impacts the accuracy of the gun. I think it has more to do with the space between the sights and how well you can control said peice.

If I'm wrong so be it. Like I said, I'm no expert.
 
Bigger bullets or?

Well you can get over 800 fps from plus p lead in the 158 grains, but that bullet will shed velocity, but not as fast as a lighter blunt hollowpoint. I would think you could hit someone at 100 yards with a snub if you were an expert and they stood perfectly still, and you already had the ballistics and aiming down pat. Maybe if he sets still long enough for a couple misses to establish windage, and you have a good trigger action in S.A. I have seen some articles where shooters did some long range shooting with snubs just to establish the fact that they can do it in ideal conditions. Can't remember the exact results, but you are not really a huge threat to someone at 100 yds, for deliberate hit attempts. Much lowered probability of a hit in "combat" at long range, but that bullet will do damage at that range, if that is what you mean. It could kill. Remember that some have been hit by a .22 at extreme ranges and killed, in freak accidents. Not freakish for fatal potential at long range, but that it struck someone unseen in a vital area.
 
I don't think it is the effective range that you have to worry about.It's your ability to hit at those ranges. Me up to about 15 yards I can hit at what I aim (Snub nose)at from there it goes down hill. I'm not talking stand and carefully aim I'm saying point and shoot in single and DA like you would have to under some circumstance or other.:eek:
 
Once 5 of us had nothing but time to screw around at the range so we took turns with a Colt DS and 2 S&W M36s shooting at the 300 yard gongs. When we did connect it would ring loud enough for us to hear so that should cause enough soft tissue damage to be effective.
 
I totaly agree with TBT

Its the sight radius not the barrel.
With a long barrel its easier to see a small amount of displacement than a short barrel.
I have a 3 inch smith 29 and a 6 inch and with a ransom rest there was a little difference but at 25 yards it was so little it diddnt matter, were talking less than 1/2 inch.
Sure the bullet speed is differnt by quite a bunch but the the pattern was much the same.
 
The question has nothing to do with what kind of gun. The question is how far can *YOU* accurately shoot a snub. Quality snubs by S&W, Colt, Ruger, and others are far more accurate than most people can shoot them.
I tell the story that when I was teaching it seemed like in every class there'd be some guy trying to impress the class how much he knew who would blow off that snubs aren't accurate past 10 yds, or some other short distance. Without fail, these guys would say something like "I'd let someone shoot at me all day at 100 yds with a snub." You could get where you could almost pick out the guy in the class within the first 5 minutes. There was no need arguing with these kinds in class. So when we'd hit the range I'd take my S&W 49 with 2" brl and at 100 yds standing, 2 hand, I'd put 5 rds in the body of the silhouette. Most of the time that would shut up the blowhards but occasionally there'd be the one who claimed it was a trick or it was luck, so I'd have to do it again. Twice usually shut them up but occasionally there'd still be the knucklehead telling the others it was just a trick. It just takes practice. Just like shooting free throws in basketball, practice, practice, practice.
The hinderance involving snubs is the short sighting radius. If you apply the same principles (sight alignment, breath control, trigger squeeze) then it really won't matter much if you're shooting a 6" at 10 yds or a 2" at 100 yds. The limitation is not the gun, it's the shooter.
 
range of snubies

How far away is going to be considered self defence? IMO anything over 10-15 feet distance is going to be questionable as to why you elected to use deadly force outside of your home.
 
I'm not too bad with my 3" sp101.

I was toying with a 16" cardboard box at 50 yards out in the desert. I would hit it low, and it would often times bounce and roll another 5-10 feet.

I did this for about 30-40 rounds before I got tired of it.

Point is, I could put the bullet more times than not, close enough to the base of the box to purposely make it flip in the way I wanted it to. At 50 yards.

Never tried at 100 yards, but after seeing me do that at 50 yards, I'm sure someone else can do it at 100.

Snubs just take some familiarity. After that, they get just as dangerous as a 4" service revolver.
 
How far away is going to be considered self defence? IMO anything over 10-15 feet distance is going to be questionable as to why you elected to use deadly force outside of your home.
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This to me seems to be a growing problem these days as so many shooters have no idea of how effective or accurate their handgun can be beyond spitting distance.
 
+1 Majic

It took some practice but I can keep all 5 on a 8" plate at 20-25 yds with my Model 60 snubbie. This gun is surprisingly accurate as long as you practice!

Too often the shooter says "this gun is just not that accurate", when in reality its the shooter, not the gun.

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True dat mosttoys

90% of the time, its not the gun. Like when people tell me my kel tec isnt accurate....no, you just arent good with the trigger. If you practice with it as i have, Im sure you'll be fine.

Unless the gun is damaged somehow, its probably you, man. thats my POV

PS edit: Nice Lady Smith!
 
Can usually get one or two hits, sometimes more, per cylinder on a 16" rock at about 200 yards with a 2" 38. Like has been mentioned, it's the shooter more than the gun.


Not meaning to offend, but the attitude that the guns "can't do it" AND the attitude that "beyond such and such distance it isn't 'defense'" sounds more like an excuse or rationalization to not even try, or push ones abilities. We never know when, where, or exactly how, our defense gun may be called upon to pull our tail, or someone elses, out of the fire. Handicap yourself if you choose, but don't put down those that choose to push their own limits, abilities, and seek better than "average" performance from themselves and their guns. I don't want to be average.
 
I am perfectly confident in my ability to handle any threats (2 or 4 legged varieties) with my 3" M-65 or M-66 out to about 50 yards. Past that point, I am less certain. I have been able to do the 100-yard thing, but not with an acceptable level of consistency.

I know that the likely self-defense scenario will be 25 ft or less, but I also want to hone my skills for ranges longer than that.
 
Effective range of a snubby

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I can usually throw mine across the room and hit a guy with pretty good accuracy
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ROFL!!
But that's basically it.
When you say snubby, that's a pretty broad term.
My 686 (no dash) snubby, I'd have no problem whatsoever hitting a business card sitting perfectly still from a ready position in perfect daylight at 25 yards. Single action, no time pressure.
I have a 3" ported .44 mag performance center trail boss that I have no problem hitting a running raccoon while chasing after it at 15 yards. In double action with full throttle loads. Through the woods. In late afternoon shade. (They run much faster than you think!!)
However those are not concealment type snubbies, they have full usable sights, nice triggers, and I have practiced with them a LOT. As well as being uncharacteristically accurate for their size. And I've adjusted my nice adjustable sights to a dead zero for my handloads tuned FOR THOSE GUNS.

The sub 2" category of lightweight carry guns usually have fixed sights that are basically just a groove cut in the topstrap matching up to a bump on the end of the barrel.
Broad daylight from a rest while mildly distracted and you'll have a problem hitting a stationary paper plate target at 15 yards without a lot of practice. Don't BS yourself.

Moving target from a draw 7-10 yards while mildly stressed in good lighting, best I can hope for. Factory ammo. 3 out of 5 on a pie plate in 3 seconds. Again, don't BS yourself. People tend not to practice with these types of guns, but this is where they need the most practice.
Throw on a set of crimson trace lasergrips and that makes up for bad sights.
Or buy a snubby with a usable sight picture. Usable in low light/bad conditions.
But above all, practice, practice, practice.
 
..one gun I am making a point of practicing with is my Colt Detective Special, I am shooting at 25 yds. now and will eventually fire at 50 yds....a standard 38 Special round from the 50s or 60s ran out of a 2" snub at 775 fps at the muzzle...a bullet has the capability to cripple or kill at extreme ranges..but for reputable purposes I would trust my weapon to do it's job at 50 yds at least...that is my guess and it's only a guess...
 
Back to basics - snubby pistols are not intended for football field length shots. They're a close up "Oh S*H*T!" firearm meant for up close and personal defense.
 
I love the way no one can seem to answer the question, as asked.
(Except Majik and HSMITH. :) )
The question was, given 100% accuracy, how far would a snubby be deadly? Given 100% accuracy, the barrel length is out of the equation other than the fact that a short barrel will usually have a lower muzzle velocity than the same round in a longer barrel. Once the bullet leaves the barrel, it is all a matter of exterior ballistics and what velocity/energy is remaining at any given distance. I don't know what energy is considered "deadly" and it would depend on placement. (But we have been given "100% accuracy" so I will assume perfect placement. An "eyeball shot" vs a "hit in the butt". Both can be deadly, but the "eyeball" is more likely:D )

Dean
 
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