My accuracy not my guns .

bulldog1

Inactive
I have been shooting for a year and 1/2 and normally vary distances up to 30 ft (10 yds). I have moved my distances up to 50 ft ( 16 yards) and have done 75 ft (25 yds) a couple of times. My groups are spreading out at the farther distances. Is that normal? They are within 3 inches or less but further away from my point of aim. Any thoughts to tighten them up ?
 
Seems you're doing okay

If I understand you to say you are shooting three-inch groups at 25 yards,you are doing fine.

A handgun is a close-range emergency weapon. The saying has been beaten to death, but Col. Cooper had it right. You use a handgun to fight your way to a rifle or shotgun.

There are tricks you can use to tighten your groups, but the main trick is practice.
 
Col. Cooper had it right. You use a handgun to fight your way to a rifle or shotgun.

Maybe in war, in the civilian world the handgun is often all we have that's remotely accessible. You can't disregard that reality.
 
They are within 3 inches or less but further away from my point of aim.

Are you wanting to make the group smaller or adjust your sights to hit closer to point of aim?

Tell us about your gun and the sights that are installed on it.
 
3 inches is pretty good. Quite servicable for a using handgun.

I WOULD adjust the sights to hit dead on at 25 yards though. Even if they hit dead-on at 10, hitting a few inches left or right is (in my opinion) something I don't want it doing.
 
Response to responses

I like the responses on ths forum..

Here 's three pics 30ft ,40ft and 50ft.
I shot with an Xd 40 cal, 4in 3dot Dove tail sights. I always have flyers. I was shooting dead on ( before i saw the suggestion ) and 6 o'clock . As you see the longer the distance the more my shots are farther from the center.
I want tighten groups and have them closer to the center of the target. 3in at 75 feet may be good . I think it can be better ?
 

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IMHO your sights are fine. My suggestion is to not move out to 50' until your 40' targets look like what you posted at 30'.

Your shooting skill seems to be about the same as mine. At least your 30' target looks about the same as what I turn in. At 15 yards my targets look similar to your 40' target. I can pretty much keep them all on a paper plate, but that's about it. I spend the greatest majority of my time at 10 yards.
 
I'm assuming you're talking about shooting offhand and not from a rest. I'd be really pleased if I could consistently shoot 3" offhand groups at 25 yards. That's pretty good shooting by any measure. Some people don't do that well with a rest.
 
With regards to some of the posts, if you were at the Texas tower shootings you would have needed a whole lot more distance to be of any help. Nothing wrong with practicing out to 50 and 100 yards with a pistol. You never know what situation will arrise. It can be done, even with a snubbie.
 
When I was at Front Sight back in April their combat master prep students were easily hitting human-sized targets by handgun at 400-450 yards
 
It is practice - but it also depends on what you are trying to do.

There is "Bulls-Eye" accuracy ( taking your time, squeezing off each round ) / and there is "tactical accuracy" - where you put effective fire on a target in a quick time frame ( like drawing from a holster and putting 3 shots on target in under 4 or 5 seconds ).

If all the shots are in the A zone of an IPSC target - regardless of whether they are 3" accross or 6" accross - doesn't matter if you are working on tactical accuracy .... at 21 feet, 30 feet etc Now, if you are yanking all of them to 9 o'clock on the A zone - then you need to work on it / and get them center mass - but its a whole different thing than " bulls-eye" 10X ring all the time - every time - out to 50 yards ....

Personally, I like having a timer / working on any number of different courses of fire vs just plinking at a bulls-eye. I know my guns can shoot 1" groups at 25 yards / but heck I can't even see a bulls-eye at 25 yards clearly anymore .....and training for tactical firing, practical pistol courses of fire, etc are frankly more fun .....

Here is a course of fire I shot last nite ( 48 rounds ):
Target at 10 feet.
1. Weapon drawn, fire 2 rds in 3 sec ( do it 3 times )
2. On whistle, draw weapon, fire 3 rds in 5 sec ( do it twice)
Move Target to 15 feet
1. Draw weapon - 2 rds in 5 sec ( do it 3 times )
Move target to 21 feet
1. Draw weapon - 2 rds in 5 sec ( do it 4 times )
2. Draw weapon - 3 rds in 7 sec ( do it twice )
Move target to 30 feet
1. Draw weapon - 2 rds in 5 sec
2. Draw weapon - 6 rds / reload / 6 rounds in 15 sec.

Then mix it up / put in some reload stages - adjust your time - play with it ...
keep a notebook / dropped 4 rounds in B zone ( at 9 o'clock ) .... get better over time.
 
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