Practicing Long Distance Shooting

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DennisE

New member
I posted this over at TAC and only picked up one reply so far so thought I'd try it here. Now that I've moved to Utah I've finally had a chance to shoot at something other than 50' indoor ranges. Previously I haven't shot outside for years except for IDPA matches, and their stages aren't very "long distance." So I'm outside practicing now.

I'm practicing hard to consistantly stay in a 6" target at 50 yards with the iron sights on my .22LR Ruger Super Single Six and .357 Magnum Ruger Blackhawk (yeah, I'm well aware I'm no Elmer Keith yet! ). Some of you can probably do this regularly while standing on your head and shooting a .454 or .475.

Anybody else practice "long distance" revolver/pistol shooting with iron sights? What's "long distance" for you? What do you shoot? Thanks, Dennis
 
lately I've taken to trying to hit an 8x11" piece of paper at 100yrds with a S&W 686 .357. I can usually get two on the paper while standing with a two hand grip.
 
NRA Bullseye match

starts out with 10 rounds slow fire (one handed) at a 6" bull at 50 yards. PPC shooting requires 6 rounds sitting, 6 rounds prone, 6 rounds left hand barricade, and 6 rounds right hand barricade at 50 yards.

50 yards isn't long distance in my book. In my mis-spent youth (pre-presbyopia) I regularly shoot at silouette sized targets at 100 yards. Yeah, a rifle is better, but I was dumber then. These days my range options are more limited, but I try to do some 50 yard shooting (and further) when I can.

By all means, keep working at it. It's part of being a complete shooter.
 
When not workin with a newbie....I like to mix up my range sessions. Work on close combat stuff then maby a few clays at 30-40 yards....then head sized targets at 50 to 150 yards.

Settin up shotshells at bout ten yards and launchin em is good sport and helps get fine sight picture rapidly.

Sight picture is so important at the longer ranges.....n if get passably good at distance, so much easier to very rapidly put em where you want em at close range.

I try to set up all my guns so they point alike. That way so easy to get good sight picture almost instantly.

Sam.....iffen it goes bang tis indeed fun.
 
There are a lot of fun games we played at the outdoor range to practice long distance. We used our 22LR four inch S&W kit guns to play golf. Here's how it go's ... Golf for one or two ... from the shooting bench throw the golf ball out 15 to 20 feet. Take turns shooting at the ball. scoring is similar to horse shoes, 5 points-for solid hits (big jump), 3 points for a tip (small jump), 1 point for nearest bullet (If neither shooters hit the ball). Yes, the game gets progressively harder as it go's along, and the advantage go's to the person who shoots first. A real challenge is when the ball falls into a Sand Trap (a deep foot print where only part of the ball can be seen) you must shoot through the sand to kick the ball up and out of the hole. The round of golf is over when neither person either cannot hit the ball (we set the number at 6 rounds each) or the ball cannot be seen because of a really deep sand trap. At this point throw a second ball out alternating who shoots first on the next round, and start the score over at zero. We first tried this with tennis balls but they deflated to easy making the ball much less responsive.
 
PERSONAL RANGE

My personal range at my personal range rarely extends past 150 yds, although I have 350 yd capability.

I shoot all my centerfires at this range, because I can. Targets normally consist of rocks, crows, and my (now-shot-to-pieces) range rest (concrete blocks -- my 180g 357 load demolished it entirely).

Sometimes I place paper plates out; perfect long-range target. Standing shots only.

Have bowling pin array, and a hill for rolling tires......
 
I love to plink at 50 yards with my S&W .22

Have tried some 100 yard shots with bigger calibers, but need more practice there.
 
One of my greatest "fun things" is long distance shooting. Once, in my jaded past, I managed to get six consecutive hits on a cardboard and lath refrigerator carton at 300 yds., after about 150 rds. of walking fire. I try to finish my range sessions (crowd permitting) on our stationary steel ram at the 100 yd. rail. Excellent practice for closer-in sight concentration, and just the sense of accomplishment when it goes "CLANG" :D
 
There's a nice range in Montana that has empty steel helium/acetylene/oxygen tanks, those 4-5 foot tall ones, hanging from a beam at 50, 100 and 200 yards.

Most people call them the gongs, due to their sound when hit.

I have been able to get six shots in a row, double action, from a 3" M64 on the gongs at 50 yards.

At 100yd.s, it's probably one in three hits, double action, with various 3-4" S&W 38s and 357's, and a couple 6" K-22s.
Single action at 100yds I'm only about 4 in 6 attempts.
At 100yds I'm seated, with elbows on knees.

50yds was standing, two hand hold

That's fun!
-Kframe
 
The best long range pistol group I ever saw (not by me) was 2" at 100 yards from a S&W Model 27, 6" barrel, shooting from a bench rest. At one time, I could hit a silhouette at 100yds every shot from a 3" Model 36, shooting two hand standing, DA. Tried it a week ago and could only get 2 or 3 in (out of 5). Old age does creep up.

Jim
 
Ten inch balloons at 50 yards with a Smith 686 4inch. Also, even though not long range, spent 12 guage casings at 25 yards with a Ruger Mark II, fixed sights.
 
If the breeze is blowing in a safe direction, free balloons are a hoot to shoot. Bouncing, wiggling, darting little muthas. Kinda like the head of an armed speed freek when he comin atcha with a knife.

Sam
 
I have shot at 100 yards with .45 acp, .44 Mag and .357 Mag. I get the best/most consistent results from the .357 (6" Ruger GP-100 full lug), but have kept all six .44 Mag (6" M-29) rnds on the torso of a sillouette tgt. .45 acp needs a little more elevation but it can be very accurate also. Just takes practice. It's a great confidence builder.
 
See if you can find a IHMSA match in your area, and check it out.
Metal critters at 50,75,150 and 200 meters. Standing and freestyle positions.
Geeze, ya might get hooked...:D
Tom
 
50 yards is about the limit for most handguns.Unless you have a custom or special built model (eg Contender).Ammo needs to be precisely loaded too.
I regularly shoot 50 yards with .32 and .38,both Smith and Wessons (Mod 16.and a Mod 10 Custom).The very best I have ever done is a group 4.5 X 4 inches.And that was shooting from the prone position (6 rounds)--I have seen it shot better,but not very often.The shooters who get the best results are the silhouette shooters--they normally shoot at falling targets and know immediately when they have a hit.Perhaps you could set up a group of metal Rams or suchlike and have a go at them.
Good Luck.
 
I've found that by shooting homemade paper targets with 3/4" to 1.5" bulls at 25 and 50 yd, the small targets tune me in to precision shooting much better than shooting larger bulls. I normally move these targets out to where I can just barely see the bull. You'll be surprised how a few sessions like this will tune your longer range shooting.
Next, move up to soda cans at 100 yd. When you can tag them with some regularity, move up to one liter plastic bottles filled with water and a drop or two of food coloring at 200 yd. (Don't forget to pick up your debris after you're finished shooting)
You'll be surprised by how many times you'll hit at these ranges once you accustom yourself to shooting the smallest possible target. I never use targets larger than 1.5 inches and as a result, not only has my long range shooting has improved tremendously but it has also helped me to be more precise close up when taking the head off a rattlesnake, etc.
Works great for rifle shooting too.
 
The 50 yard limit. Well,it's not really a limit as far as range goes,obviously.But for a relatively small barrelled gun with a relatively low charge,accuracy does tend to fall off as the range increases.Some pistols,notably the silouhette guns will go much further with accuracy---have a look at them,they are rifles really,just don't have a shoulder stock.
Maybe there are some loads that would work in my S&W's out past 50 yards,I don't know,I've never tried that.Over 50 yards I regard as rifle territory.
 
Although I have done longer range shooting (see above) I think 50 yards or maybe even 25 is the practical limit for shooting at a man-size target for most competent shooters with most quality handguns. Note I said competent shooters, not super experts or complete duds, and quality handguns, neither short rifles nor SNS types.

Jim
 
REALITY (need more practice)

Coloumbine engagement started at 72 yds. Good guy pistol; bad guys carbine.
(Good guy kept them pinned for while; ran out of ammo....)

Bullet (as long as it gets stabilized) does not know how long the barrel is.





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"all my ammo is long-range factory ammo"
 
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