New to handguns.

B

Because 'Merica

New member
Ok so I just recently got into hanguns. I have been shooting rifles since i was a kid. But I bought a handgun that I can use for conceal carry and the range. I got the Ruger SR40c with the 9 round mag and 15 round mag. I must say I really like the gun. If feels awesome in my hands. Im just not sure what the accuracy standards are for a pistol of this size. I was at the range yesterday and after about 2-3 mags my groups were at around 5-7 inches at 15 yards, with the occasional flyer. Coming from rifles this seems kinda sloppy considering the standard is 1moa @ 100 yds. What should in be shooting with a med. Frame pistol
 
It really depends on 2 things. {IMO} How well the gun is built and the guy behind the gun.
No experience with SR SERIES compact. I would expect 3'' groups @ 15 yards from any pistol of that size. Small guns are accurate, just harder to shoot.

1911s and top tier pistols I expect much more.
 
If you can pump 2 to the chest and 1 to the head of a man sized target anywhere from 25 to 50 feet, quickly, you should be good to go. Lots of practice will get you whatever accuracy you are capable of beyond what's necessary. :)
 
That gun is capable of probably 3" groups or better at 25 yards (about 2" or less at 15 yards). Anything outside that is you.
 
Most of the 5 inch groups I was getting was winchester white box. From what I hear is cheap ammo. Only 20$ a box. Any suggestions on better ammo?
 
Better/premium ammo can give better results... But it isn't a guarantee.

All firearms can have a preference for different loads.


Generally speaking, premium ammo is more consistent and that can improve groups, as point of impact shifts are lessened from ammo variances... But these differences usually won't show up unless you are shooting out at 15+ yards.


I would suggest you start out close in with the target to help you get the feel of the trigger, and then work out farther as you improve. Striker pistols and their triggers can throw some shooters off if they are not familiar with them. Pistol shooting in general is different than rifle shooting. Your arms and muscles are not used to holding and aiming a pistol when you first start learning one. So give it time and practice.

Bring the target in to 5yds, and also practice dry firing. Small movements in a handgun affect aim quite a bit.
 
Take a pistol class. IMhO it is money WELL spent.

You'll get to see what a bunch of other people shoot (scores and equipment) and you'll hopefully be shown the fundamentals so you won't have bad habits to break later on. They'll give you info on ammunition too.

If you really want to improve your shooting join some kind of competitive pistol league and shoot every week. That will REALLY provide an incentive and a benchmark for your shooting. Almost every league I've been in has been mostly full of good folk who like to shoot and like to talk about shooting and are generally helpful and tolerant...even welcoming of new shooters.
 
Yeah WWB is only good for 5 or so inches. It is ok for plinking but QC is what you would expect for the price. I like Federal ammo for most things. Any good defensive ammo should tighten things up just try a variety to see what it likes. In my 30-06 150 gr bullets are good for 1 1/2 moa, 180's do 3/8.
 
Even other brands of practice ammo my group better. WWB is not necessarily inaccurate. Many accurate guns have no real ammo preference.

Try the Federal 100 round boxes they sometimes have at Walmart.
 
Have a more experienced pistol shooter shoot the gun. Then have that same more experienced pistol shooter watch you shoot the gun. More than likely the more experienced shooter will shoot better groups more like 3" @ 15 yards or less and will have some insight as to how you can tighten your groups.

Without watching you shoot the pistol it is hard to give real meaningful advice. IMHO it is not the "arrow" it is the Indian. Changing ammo is putting the cart before the horse.

You need to look at your grip, stance, sight picture, trigger pull etc. Once all of those are worked out and are rock solid then you can blame the ammo. :eek:

I personally am not at that point..... LOL

I would start with your grip and stance. Check out this video and see if it helps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa50-plo48
 
well i guess I shouldnt say in really 100% new to shooting pistols. have shot on multiple occasions. just havent really focused all my time toward it. the first time i shot pistols i was trained by a very skilled shooter with the sheriffs office in my county. he let me qualify with his deputies. i out shot every one of the deputies due to his training, most of the important fundamentals stuck. i was taught how to hold my grip, stance, trigger squeeze. most of it feels very natural and not really uncomfortable. i understand that not many can outshoot their own pistol. im certain that the gun can probably group 2-3" from a rest @ 25 yards. but the answer i am seeking for mainly is would a 15 round , 5" group @ 15 yards @ moderate speed qualify for passing? my groups will most likely shrink due to practice but im just wanting to know if the gun is right for me or is it an unnacceptable group consistancy?
 
Thanks for asking our advice.

Venom is on the right track with the .22 rimfire suggestion.

If you can swing the purchase, get a decently accurate 22 (You don't have to go S&W 41, but a Ruger MkII with target sights off the used market or Browning Buckmark or the like.

Accurate shooting with a handgun is almost entirely different from accurate shooting with a rifle. A long arm mounts to your shoulder, giving a much more stable platform where a handgun (even using both hands) has far more flex.

The short sight radius of a handgun makes it much more difficult to get a precise sight picture and every micro-inch of off-centeredness is multplied because of that short sight radius. 18 to 24 inches of sight radius of a rifle vs 6" sight radius of a handgun makes for 3 to 4 times larger groups even if everything else is exactly the same.

Practice with the fundamentals of handgun accuracy (which as I said before is very different from the fundamentals of rifle accuracy) is essential. And 22 rimfire is the third-cheapest way to get that. (Behind competition-grade airguns or -perhaps- the laser practice units).

Good luck. Don't be discouraged. Handgun accuracy is difficult to master, but feels so good when you do.

Lost Sheep
 
Ok so I just recently got into hanguns.
Click to expand...

You are no doubt used to a crisp, light trigger on your rifles. The spongy, Glock like trigger on that Ruger is a world away from what you're used to.

Bottom line, what you lack is trigger control, largely from inexperience and lack of practice. That or any other gun is probably more inherently accurate than the vast majority of us.

Put in some time learning trigger control on that handgun, then get back to us.

Dave
 
Hi all and new here. Just cruising the threads and ran into this one.

If you are dry firing the pistol for practice. (A great idea and free) DO NOT dry fire it with the magazine out UNLESS you take out the magazine disconnect safety. This will damage the firearm and void your warranty.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Yes, 5" groups at 15 yards would pass any carry qualification testing that I am aware of. Yes, even with WWB ammo the pistol is capable of better, and maybe much better with good ammo. I carry an SR9c daily and prefer the 9mm, but have shot the 40c enough to know it is a very good shooting pistol. The triggers on both guns are better than typical. Pay attention to your fundamentals, dry fire and shoot regularly. Sounds like you are fine.
 
Shooting from a steady rest, a pistol should be able to hit less than 3" at 15 yards.

Freehand... that's a test of the shooter, not the gun.
 
What you're describing is okay shooting for that distance and type of pistol. With practice you will improve, but you're already doing pretty well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top