From sandbags

[rlgarman]

I just bought a Ruger P89DC(my first centerfire semi-auto)It is suppose to have only been fired about 100rds. Shooting from the bench off of sandbags, 5 shot groups are about 18",with 3 different loads. But at 10yds bullseye style, I can put 5rds into a 3" target dot. Is this normal? How do the gun writers shoot off sandbags and get 2" or 3" groups with iron sighted pistols? I can hardley do this with scoped handguns!

 

[Mikey]

Shooting from sandbags, especially with a pistol, is not as easy as it may sound at first. It requires proper technique to get good results.

Proper positioning of the pistol on the bags is critical. There can be no movement and the shooter's grip has to be comfortable and repeatable. The gun has to rest on the bags the same way each time. The trigger must be pressed without moving the gun and exact sight alignment and positioning on the target must be maintained.

I use an aperature on my shooting glasses to sharpen the sight picture when shooting from a bench. Using these methods I can usually get 1.5 to 2.5 inch groups at 25 yards with almost any good pistol and ammo. I've had a rare few that would group tighter. I have a target fired with a 2x scoped Ruger Redhawk that measures 2 1/2 inches for 5 shots at 100 yards!

Shooting from sandbags, as with any type of shooting, requires proper technique and practice. I've been doing it for over 20 years.

Mikey

 

[JoeHatley]

Shooting off sandbags can be an exercise in frustration. Especially with a semi-auto like you'r using. Resting the bottom of the magazine on the bag can cause the rounds to feed differently depending on recoil.

One method I've had good luck with is to rest my elbows and forearms on the bags and hold the pistol normally in front of them.

Hope that helps. Remember to try for a consistent grip and trigger control.

Joe


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