Long Distance Handgun Shooting
- Thread starter HughScot
- Start date
Wow, thanks for the memories. In the very early 80's I also shot IHMSA and started out using a Ruger super blackhawk, .44 mag. Too much holdover at 200 yds.for that .44 so I built a wildcat 6mm based on a .222 mag case. The first time out I would have shot a perfect 40 out of 40 score but the little 6mm couldn't knock over the rams unless you got a head shot. Back to the machine shop and necked up the case to .30 cal and loaded a 165 grain bullet that got 2000 fps. in my XP100 with a .30 cal Shilen barrel. I then shot a perfect 40 X 40 score.
This is my thought. I frequently do the majority of my shooting between 15yds and 25 yds (35 if I have the room). It's a slight majority, but a majority none-the-less. I then come in to about 7 to 10 yards and practice speed from the holster, failure-to-stop drills, etc. As others have said, the fundamentals of being able to shoot a decent group at 25-35yds only aids in being able to rapidly hit center mass at 10 yards. I do not shoot handgun over 50 yards much at all as I don't hunt with handguns. My interest is actually piqued though, I may have to stretch out and try a few hundred yard shots.
FWIW, I don't question hitting 20" plates at 100 yards off hand (even at 200)... but golf balls at 100 off-hand? Yall are some shooters
jetinteriorguy
New member
When I was quite a bit younger it was fun shooting my M57 6" at 100 yds. Off of sandbags I could routinely put 4 or 5 out of 6 into a paper plate. Man I wish I had those eyes again. I'm still shooting that gun but now in the same situation I'm lucky to get 1 out of 6, and I do mean lucky.
IHMSA was a fun pursuit for me as well and I still enjoy the plinking with my long heavy Ruger MkII, the .41 Magnum and the ,414 SuperMag on the steel targets at long distances, and even handgun hunting.
I worry that the "straight line" sports which place and emphasis on accuracy and fundamentals are not getting exposure to the younger generation of shooters while the "action" sports are.
I would assert that a good all-around shooter, like a Bruce Piatt or Jerry Miculek, both of whom I have been blessed to have shot with several times, can successfully shoot both fast, and accurately. The ability to know what sight picture you need and apply the trigger control to hit the target is a learned skill and one that is harder than shooting close and fast with less needed accuracy.
I worry that the "straight line" sports which place and emphasis on accuracy and fundamentals are not getting exposure to the younger generation of shooters while the "action" sports are.
I would assert that a good all-around shooter, like a Bruce Piatt or Jerry Miculek, both of whom I have been blessed to have shot with several times, can successfully shoot both fast, and accurately. The ability to know what sight picture you need and apply the trigger control to hit the target is a learned skill and one that is harder than shooting close and fast with less needed accuracy.
NoSecondBest
New member
Spray and pray is instantly rewarding even though it doesn't improve actual shooting. The top shooters (two mentioned above) have acquired the skill sets needed for precision shooting, at distance, and have applied speed to those skills. There's a reason why they're as good as they are and it's simply not because they can pull the trigger quickly. I've seen both of those shooters many times, and quite a few others equally as good, and they can shoot distance very well.
In my case a 25 yard indoor range is the longest option I have available locally unless I want to drive a ways to use 100 yard range. The local gun clubs have very long waiting lists (as in 3+ years) and I don't own any land.
I'd love to have a place to just plink with my .22 pistol, I'd even pay someone for permission to do so but I wouldn't even know where to start looking for that.
I'd love to have a place to just plink with my .22 pistol, I'd even pay someone for permission to do so but I wouldn't even know where to start looking for that.
I do think that shooting at really small targets it shorter distances like 25 yards can simulate in some circumstances a longshot. But it's by no means a perfect simulation. Long shots you have to deal with wind and drop. And with handgun cartridges there is a lot of drop past 50 yards. Not something you have to worry about with small targets at short distances.
If you want to practice at 50 yards and only have a 25 yard range then that is more viable. An 8 inch circle at 50 yards is equivalent to a 2 1/4 inch circle at 16 1/2 yards. And for most handgun cartridges there will be very little drop between those two distances. But it won't be exact.
If you want to practice at 50 yards and only have a 25 yard range then that is more viable. An 8 inch circle at 50 yards is equivalent to a 2 1/4 inch circle at 16 1/2 yards. And for most handgun cartridges there will be very little drop between those two distances. But it won't be exact.
dakota1911
New member
I still enjoy far away.
And I enjoy close up.
And I enjoy close up.
Sometimes it can be useful to look at the normal distances that we encounter in our lives. When sitting in a restaurant what distance is your table from the front or rear exit? How long is the back of your house, or apartment, to the front? The aisle in a supermarket? A Ford F150 is parked behind a Honda sedan on the street, what's the distance from the front bumper of one to the rear bumper of the next? From your front door to the street? etc.
If the primary reason a person has a gun is for self defense, and they work primarily at defensive shooting, keeping attention to the actual distances in our lives is useful.
tipoc
If the primary reason a person has a gun is for self defense, and they work primarily at defensive shooting, keeping attention to the actual distances in our lives is useful.
tipoc
More and more we are seeing terrorist active shooters or somewhat sedentary truckers. I would like the ability to ambush them without having to close distance first. So I shoot my Glock 17 at 100 yards and a little bit more.
Downside is you can't use cheap practice ammo at that distance. It's gotta be $1.25/round stuff or hand loads you gave up an afternoon with the family to make.
But shooting at 100 yards even if you only get 5 or 10 hits per mag on a torso target makes 25-50 yards seem easy. Yes there is a bunch of drop-2+feet with my 115 grain target hand loads-but with a good tall serrated front blade it can be done.
I also like to use the same gun for coyote hunting if they come up behind me. That happens quite a bit and the Glock is a lot lighter to carry than a shotgun which is what I used to tote before I built up my skill.
I am at 12 years of frequent target shooting and still miss as much as I hit at 100-200 yards. I have only really focused on 100+ for the last couple years and wished I had done so way earlier.
So, there are many reasons to shoot long distance and I gave you a couple of mine
Downside is you can't use cheap practice ammo at that distance. It's gotta be $1.25/round stuff or hand loads you gave up an afternoon with the family to make.
But shooting at 100 yards even if you only get 5 or 10 hits per mag on a torso target makes 25-50 yards seem easy. Yes there is a bunch of drop-2+feet with my 115 grain target hand loads-but with a good tall serrated front blade it can be done.
I also like to use the same gun for coyote hunting if they come up behind me. That happens quite a bit and the Glock is a lot lighter to carry than a shotgun which is what I used to tote before I built up my skill.
I am at 12 years of frequent target shooting and still miss as much as I hit at 100-200 yards. I have only really focused on 100+ for the last couple years and wished I had done so way earlier.
So, there are many reasons to shoot long distance and I gave you a couple of mine
