What is the furthest distance that you practice with a handgun/pistol?

Today was CQC drills with a J-frame, 50 rounds @ 5yds. 30 rounds @ 40'. {double action of course}
Most days I shoot out to 25 yds. {not with a J-frame} Once in a while I shoot out at 50yds just for fun.
 
Hunting revolvers, out to 150 yards.
Desert Eagle .50 AE, out to 100 yards.
Defense pistols, point blank to 25 yards.

I killed a mulie buck a few years ago with a single shot to the head from a scoped Freedom Arms .500 Wyoming Express at a lased 145 yards, and a year or two later, killed a cow elk at just under 200 yards with a scoped S&W .500 mag. Far and away the longest two shots I've ever taken on big game with handguns. The buck dropped in his tracks, of course, and the elk went maybe a hundred yards.
 
Man, you guys shoot far. I shoot up to about 12 yards with my handguns. Since I don't hunt with them, I can't really imagine a need for shooting them much farther in a self defense type scenario?
 
It very much depends if someone is shooting at you and the distance.
There's plenty of examples of successful defensive shots at far more than 12 yards.
Since the universe does not conform to our wishes, it's always best to be prepared.
What's to lose?
Long distance handgun shooting is fun.
 
My Glocks see up to 40 yards at steel plates, but typically its about 30 yards at most.

The wheel gun will see out to 180 when I get out to the secret squirrel range with the 2' gong though. Thats satisfying!

BOOM............................................ting
 
In reference to the title of this thread, it should be 'farthest,' not 'furthest.' Furthest refers to time, as in, "I need to think about that further (into the future).' Farther or farthest refers to physical distance. Such as, 'I think we need to go a little farther to find that gas station.'

With my handguns the farthest I practice with them is 25 yards. In fact, most of the time I practice at ten yards, only occasionally at 15. The exceptions are my Ruger GP-100 .357 mag and my S&W Model 69 .44 mag. Since I still hold out some hope of being able to hunt with these revolvers I still spend some range time shooting as far as 100 yards.
 
Probably 75% of the time at 25 yards. About 10% at 50 yards and maybe 5% of the time at 200 yards with the center fire silhouette handguns. About 10% at rimfire silhouette which includes 25, 50, 75 and 100 yards.
 
The "Bane drill" says a pistol shooter should be able to make a head shot at 25 yds. and a body shot at 50 yds.

https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2016/10/10/skill-building-the-bane-drill/

I personally find this drill difficult. In other words, I can't do it yet. Still working on it.

And then, of course, is the issue of speed. How fast can I make 5 head shots at 25 yds. and 5 body shots at 50 yds. I'm working on that too.

I don't see any practical purpose of shooting a handgun beyond 50 yds. I would use a rifle instead.
 
CCW/SD guns mostly 10 yards, but I will stretch it out to 25 to prove to myself I can do it.
Rimfire target pistols, reactive "spinner" targets @ 25 yards.
Scoped TC Contender chambered in various rifle rounds, 100 yd minimum.
 
I don't hunt with my handguns, at least for the time being, so I am perfectly content with my local indoor range's 25 yard max. Most of my practice is even shorter than that - 5 to 10 yards. Longer distances can be fun, and when I go out to shoot with my step dad on his property, I'll take my handguns out to about 50 yards (where my accuracy is questionable, at best). That is rare, though, and it doesn't really have anything to do with self defense training. If I ever decide to get into handgun hunting, I'll worry about longer distances then.
 
Range: One mile. BE CAREFUL!
Click to expand...
 ;)

Mostly 10-25. Although I like .22 on a 4" steel square at 50.
And have gone to 100 on same steel but fewer hits. Not a LOT fewer. Kinda amazing really for a 4" 22LR @ 100 yds. :)


yes, from rest. :D
 
Shooting at 25 yards is known as target practice, which has zero application to tactical shooting. Tactical shooting is designed to save your life. Target practice is intended for myriad reasons none of which have to do with surviving a gunfight.
 
Target practice is intended for myriad reasons none of which have to do with surviving a gunfight.
Click to expand...

I will bear difference with that statement.

As in all shooting situations whether it be target or SD, what difference does it make if you can't hit what you are aiming at.

I shoot long range and I strongly believe that it make for a much better marksman at any range.

Agreed that SD shooting will have elevated levels of everything, but the shooter still has to maintain control or he/she might as well not have a gun in the first place.

Any sort of practice, long, short or in between begets confidence and marksmanship.
 
Shooting at 25 yards is known as target practice, which has zero application to tactical shooting. Tactical shooting is designed to save your life. Target practice is intended for myriad reasons none of which have to do with surviving a gunfight.
Click to expand...

This is false. The fundamentals of marksmanship, which will allow you to shoot groups and make hits at 25 yards, will absolutely make you a much better shooter at 7 yards. Even when you turn the speed on at SD distances, fundamentals WILL make your groups smaller and times faster. SD shooting, specifically point shooting, will NOT make you better at 25 yards... and don't rule out the possibility of needing to engage someone at that distance for SD. I think it's 44amp that has a long list of SD shootings that reached out past 25 yards, some of which didn't include Cops.
 
Short of the Zombie Apocalypse or the Red Chinese hitting Huntington Beach, I will never shoot anyone at 25 yards.

I think that there is something to the notion that practicing marksmanship at greater distances will help develop marksmanship at closer distances as well. Shooting at longer distances amplifies the shooter's errors and makes them more obvious for correction.

On the other hand, it is always important to practice shooting at combat distances, i.e. 10 yards or less.
 
Dufus said:
As in all shooting situations whether it be target or SD, what difference does it make if you can't hit what you are aiming at.

I shoot long range and I strongly believe that it make for a much better marksman at any range.
Click to expand...

Possibly.

There's nothing wrong with shooting at long range, and you should, of course, continue shooting as you think best. That said, however, I'm not sure that the skills needed to be a good long-distance shooter (or even an effective Bullseye shooter) broadly overlap with the skills and techniques needed for effective at closer-ranges in a true self-defense situation.

When shooting at targets that are far away -- getting into the proper position, controlling your breathing, slowly squeezing off each shot, just taking your time -- is very important -- as is avoiding caffeine that day and maybe even the day before (:)).

But when the target is "up close and personal," when you are forced to shoot while moving, when you're trying to get a companion out of the line of fire, when the target is also moving and shooting at you, what you need to do is quite different -- and that seldom includes taking your time. Then, too, shooting from awkward positions or from behind cover or barriers arguably calls for different skills and a different kind of practice -- and maybe mindset.

The legal ramifications of taking shots at those longer distances can be hard to appreciate, and self-defense may be harder to proove. If the target (my opponent) is 50-100 yards away, I'm going to try to get out of Dodge, or find better cover (which might give me some much-needed TIME!)
 
I recall a Massad Ayoob article that sited a number of instances where lethal force was justified at long distances, some of which involved ordinary armed citizens.

Now, I would agree that extreme caution must be exercised in this regard. The instances are few where someone 25 plus yards away would constitute an immediate threat to life. But, CC and personal protection is all about preparing for the extremely unlikely. The ability to make consistent hits at longer distances is always an advantage.
 
I suppose we should also take into account that your own life is not the only one you might be defending. If someone is attacking your spouse, child, parent, etc., and that attack is happening 50 yards away from your position, it would be good to know ahead of time whether you have a snowball's chance of making the shot.

That being said, there is always another "what if" out there, and if we try to train effectively for all of them, we will never get anything else accomplished in life. Train to be prepared for the situations that are most common/likely, and you will be better prepared than most other folks. The skills you develop by doing this will, no doubt, translate to other situations, even if they do have to be modified.
 
Hmmm

In the summer it is outdoor bullseye competition at 25yds and 50yds.

Winter is 50' indoors, league shooting.
Click to expand...
This^^^^.
About the difference between tactical shooting and "target" shooting.
If I can hit the target at 25 yards, I can hit it at seven. Now....all that baggage about "tactical" shooting is important but much of it is tactics, not shooting.
Moving, getting a proper line of fire, deciding when to start, when to stop, assaying danger, drawing the weapon, loading, clearing jams...etc. etc. is all related to shooting but none of it is the shot. If you can't make the shot, then the rest is just exercise.
The hardest part of tactical/SD shooting is deciding to take a life (even if that life needs to be taken.) because doing so is going to change your life. (of course, not doing so may end your life. Him or me? Gonna be him everytime.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top