As someone said, I like to shoot at both twice the normal range I would normally shoot at as well as practice at close range. I typically start at 10 yards, move to 25 yards, if I feel like humbling myself, shoot at 50 yards, then finish up at 10 yards (to restore my wounded self esteem).
Long Distance Handgun Shooting
- Thread starter HughScot
- Start date
Practice
I am a Bullseye shooter. Indoors, I practice at 50 ft. - gallery distance. Outdoors - mostly slow fire at 50 yards and some sustained fire practice at 25 yards. Sustained fire (timed and rapid strings) are often difficult because other shooters walk forward of the line so that they can shoot at closer distance. I cannot shoot while they are in front of me.
Pete
I am a Bullseye shooter. Indoors, I practice at 50 ft. - gallery distance. Outdoors - mostly slow fire at 50 yards and some sustained fire practice at 25 yards. Sustained fire (timed and rapid strings) are often difficult because other shooters walk forward of the line so that they can shoot at closer distance. I cannot shoot while they are in front of me.
Pete
What they have suicide tendencies? Who would walk in front of the firing line when the range is hot?
-TL
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g.willikers
New member
Must be at a place with fixed target stands.
Otherwise prudence dictates just moving the targets closer to the shooters.
But it's worth remembering how many folks there are buying guns with no previous experience of guns or ranges.
Otherwise prudence dictates just moving the targets closer to the shooters.
But it's worth remembering how many folks there are buying guns with no previous experience of guns or ranges.
Goodness. It is any day things can turn really bad. I wouldn't want to be at place like that.
It defies common sense. Is it possible the firing is indeed there closer to the targets? Some shooters just move back so that they can shoot "long range".
-TL
The fire line doesn't exist in practice, nor do any rules, in the place. Who calls cease fire? Probably anybody could in theory. But somebody could also decide to finish his last mag...
Anyway, sorry for the digression. Let's go back to the topic. I keep listening in.
I read about long range handgun shooting, and have tried that a few times at 100yd, the maximum distance allowable by our club (we do have fixed firing line followed by all). It was solely for fun. Don't see any practical value of such skill.
-TL
Anyway, sorry for the digression. Let's go back to the topic. I keep listening in.
I read about long range handgun shooting, and have tried that a few times at 100yd, the maximum distance allowable by our club (we do have fixed firing line followed by all). It was solely for fun. Don't see any practical value of such skill.
-TL
Most of us won't ever have a practical use for long range handgun shooting, but there are a few cases where it has been useful.
June 20 1994, Fairchild AFB, Spokane, deranged shooter with a MAK 90 (with 75rnd drum & stick mags) killed 4 and wounded 22 at the base hospital. Airforce SP stopped him, using the issue Beretta, from approximately 70 yards distance.
The SP fired 4 shots, two missed, one hit the bad guy in the shoulder, and the other between the eyes, ending the rampage.
NEVER say no one will have a practical use for long range handgun shooting.
Something for all those who practice at 7 or 10yds and consider 25 long range to think about.
99.99999% of us won't ever need it, but its fun, and if the stars line up the wrong way, might just be useful.
That is some decent shooting under stress right there...
have to go out past 50 now... unfortunately I'm going to need a rest to get many hits past there I think...
On another note, had some fun with the family at Sureshot in Havelock, NC this weekend and was eating up the clay pigeons on the berm at 25 yards off hand, so I'm not the worst with a pistol I guess.
I started out shooting .41 magnum in my youth at my dad's farm in the country.
I got pretty good hitting a 6" spinner and at 25 yards it was pretty boring.
I set up a 1'wide by 2' tall gong in front of a dirt pile, and shot from 50 yards.
Shooting standing offhand, the shots were pretty easy.
Every time I hit the target, I took a few steps back.
When I hit 75 yards, I still hadn't missed, and kept going back every time I hit that gong.
When I hit about 90 yards, I was hitting half of the time, and stayed there for a bit.
Just for the lulz, I tried shooting with other calibers, .45 and 10mm seemed to be pretty good too. You'd be surprised how good you can get in an afternoon of practice at some distance. The only things required are a bit of ammo, a way to slowly get farther from the target, and some time. Adjustable sights or a red dot sight really help, too. .22 long rifle makes it there, too but it's not quite as fun, and the little 40 grain bullet seems to lose it's oomph rapidly out past 50 yards out of a pistol. This does affect accuracy somewhat, like you'd expect. I've found that shooting a few kinds of ammo, you'll find a brand that each gun likes, and with a good gun/ammo combination, the little .22 is good a lot farther out than you'd think.
Full power .41 magnum really rings that steel at distance, as does 10mm, and even heavier bullets in a .357 magnum.
.38 special out of my Henry big boy is so easy and fun at 50-100 yards shooting off from a picnic table, and it's really not that much harder with a pistol. Standing offhand, I do better with a pistol. Off a rest, the rifle is much easier. I have had a bit more practice with pistols, but with a bit of practice I'm sure a rifle gets easier to shoot unsupported, as well.
Ever since then, it has gotten quite a bit easier and if I have a good range day I start at 15 yards, and wind up at 50 yards, and still have pretty good success going further.
9mm isn't the best at distance for me (I seem to do better with revolvers), but with some practice, if you don't hit the target at 50 yards- it's not the gun's fault. What surprised me is how easy my Glock 20 hits targets at long ranges, even with it's stock plastic sights. I would have never expected that.
Most of my pistols shoot a 6 o'clock hold at 25 yards (As in, to hit the center of the target, you aim at the bottom), at 50, they still print a bit high. At longer ranges, they hit dead on, and it's a simple arrangement to shoot both eyes open to superimpose the front sight over the target.
I think the main obstacle to overcome is that the range I go to has a 7 yard, 15, 25, 50, 100, and 200.
If you shoot in the country by yourself, or with a friend, you can step back a step at a time, and learn quickly, rather than getting frustrated trying to go straight from 25 to 50 and then 100.
Don't knock it 'till you try it.
I got pretty good hitting a 6" spinner and at 25 yards it was pretty boring.
I set up a 1'wide by 2' tall gong in front of a dirt pile, and shot from 50 yards.
Shooting standing offhand, the shots were pretty easy.
Every time I hit the target, I took a few steps back.
When I hit 75 yards, I still hadn't missed, and kept going back every time I hit that gong.
When I hit about 90 yards, I was hitting half of the time, and stayed there for a bit.
Just for the lulz, I tried shooting with other calibers, .45 and 10mm seemed to be pretty good too. You'd be surprised how good you can get in an afternoon of practice at some distance. The only things required are a bit of ammo, a way to slowly get farther from the target, and some time. Adjustable sights or a red dot sight really help, too. .22 long rifle makes it there, too but it's not quite as fun, and the little 40 grain bullet seems to lose it's oomph rapidly out past 50 yards out of a pistol. This does affect accuracy somewhat, like you'd expect. I've found that shooting a few kinds of ammo, you'll find a brand that each gun likes, and with a good gun/ammo combination, the little .22 is good a lot farther out than you'd think.
Full power .41 magnum really rings that steel at distance, as does 10mm, and even heavier bullets in a .357 magnum.
.38 special out of my Henry big boy is so easy and fun at 50-100 yards shooting off from a picnic table, and it's really not that much harder with a pistol. Standing offhand, I do better with a pistol. Off a rest, the rifle is much easier. I have had a bit more practice with pistols, but with a bit of practice I'm sure a rifle gets easier to shoot unsupported, as well.
Ever since then, it has gotten quite a bit easier and if I have a good range day I start at 15 yards, and wind up at 50 yards, and still have pretty good success going further.
9mm isn't the best at distance for me (I seem to do better with revolvers), but with some practice, if you don't hit the target at 50 yards- it's not the gun's fault. What surprised me is how easy my Glock 20 hits targets at long ranges, even with it's stock plastic sights. I would have never expected that.
Most of my pistols shoot a 6 o'clock hold at 25 yards (As in, to hit the center of the target, you aim at the bottom), at 50, they still print a bit high. At longer ranges, they hit dead on, and it's a simple arrangement to shoot both eyes open to superimpose the front sight over the target.
I think the main obstacle to overcome is that the range I go to has a 7 yard, 15, 25, 50, 100, and 200.
If you shoot in the country by yourself, or with a friend, you can step back a step at a time, and learn quickly, rather than getting frustrated trying to go straight from 25 to 50 and then 100.
Don't knock it 'till you try it.
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There is no practical use for me. Didn't say for anybody else. BTW, I do wear spectacles for shortsightedness
. Maybe that's why I don't do well shooting a pistol beyond 25 yards. Staying within my ownlimits, that what I am doing. -TL
Purple Bikerr
New member
The last time I shot a handgun @ 100 yds. I used a S&W 640 Centennial with full house .357 loads.. It has a 2 1/8" barrel. Out of seventy shots I hit a 12" plate 5 times. But a bunch were close. Seemed to have about an 8" drop.