What ranges do most people practice handguns?

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Palmetto-Pride

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So I primarily shoot long range rifles 600-1000yds and I am thinking about getting into 3 Gun. My question is at what ranges do most people practice semi auto handguns at? What is considered short, mid, and long range for semi auto handgun. I just bought a S&W M&P CORE 5" 9mm. Thanks guys!
 
We don't compete, but there's one CORE and one Pro in our normal shooting group. We typically start in the 15 and move to the 25yd range. If we're away from the plate range the 50-100 and 200 yard gongs always attract a few rounds from every magazine.

One of our guys (regular pro not modified any) can off hand hit the 100 with almost 100% hits, way over 80%. Now out at 200 that's a different story maybe 20%.
 
21 feet is my medium range and 50 is long. To some degree this is dictated by the indoor ranges I go to are 50 feet long.
 
Our police range is 25 yards for long. but score of 270 out of 300 needed and every shot worth 5. that means six misses and your retraining.
 
Depends on the gun, 10 yards is about my normal max for my MP340 DAO snubbie, but I'll go to 50 yards with my P210. I can't see well enough to go farther with iron sights, but beyond 10 yards or so it's just for fun anyways.
 
I usually practice at around 7 yards. That keeps my ego in check :D, and I've read that 7 yards is the most common distance that gun fights occur at.
 
About same as Doctor Death. If I shoot any farther than that I need a side of a barn to see where I hit:D If I am shooting of a rest I will run to 25 to 30 Yards.
But that is not reality. I should shoot more and get better, but 20 to 25 feet is good to go for me.
 
I would think knowing at what range your local 3 Gun competitions operate would be very helpful. Unfortunately for me it's not something prevalent where I am :(.

Me personally most of my shooting is at 10 yds, with some done at 25 yds for practice. I'm a cross-eye dominant shooter with a strong astigmatism. I can go out to 50 yds with good results but even with my glasses at 100 yds I'm more lucky than anything else.
 
I do not know about three gun, but I've never seen targets beyond 25 yards in IDPA. I am not sure it is legal under the rules to have targets further then that.

Actual practice: 6 feet to 25 yards.
 
For years I've pretty much confined my shooting to 7-10 yards. Mostly because the range I went to only had 7 yard pistol lines. Once in a while when out in the woods back of the house I'd pop a few at 10-15 yards.

Before that, back in my IPSC days, most practice was still in that 7-15 yard distance, but occasionally we'd move the pepper poppers back to 50. I could hit them most of the time just by holding a bit more front sight. I don't think I've ever fired a handgun at anything farther out than that.

I've started going to a really nice indoor range recently and just the last time out I did run the target, a B-27 out to 25 yards. It took a few shots to get the sight picture, but I was able to stay in the 8-9 ring anyway. But MAN that front sight is fuzzy these days.
 
It depends on the gun - I mostly shoot my PM9 at 7 yards, occasionally 10 if I'm bored. I shoot my CZs at 10 yards and 50 ft (16.67 yards, because that's where the distance markets are) in DA and SA, and then occasionally at 25 yards using a B27 target, SA only.

I've gotten good enough that I can't see individual bullet holes at 7 yards, but am still bad enough to sometimes entirely miss a 12" square at 15. I need the B27 at 25.
 
I start at about 15yds. and go about out to 60yds. The longer distance amplifies errors so it requires you to get everything right to get the hits. When you go back to the 5-15yd. stuff you have the basics down and can work on speed.
 
I shoot in front of the bank behind my house. I shoot 7 yards when I shoot from the crack in my driveway and 11 yards from my garage door.
 
If I remember correctly, the FBI determined the average distance of a "gun fight" was 7 yards. However, I suspect they were using data from law enforcement shootings, which may not apply to a civilian exercising his right to self defense. Therefore, before an ideal distance is stated, one should consider what purpose the shooter is relating to. For instance, if one is considering handgun hunting for deer, a maximum of fifty yards seems to be an appropriate distance...but given some states requirement to retreat from a threat, fifty yards would not seem an appropriate distance for self defense practice. Or, in other words, seven yards.
 
I switch it up from 7 yards to 25 yards (max at indoor range) shooting at 3"x5" note cards up to 8" paper plates (yes, I'm cheap).
 
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