GP100 "freehand" accuracy

Just curious what folks consider decent accuracy with a GP100...4" or 6" at say 10, 20, and 30 yards....not off a bag or rests but one handed and two handed freehand...I know of the 1" groups at 1000 yards already...read it on the internet...but just curious what the normal, average, sport shooter considers a decent day...I'm older with arthritis and marginal sight but with my Williams fire sights on my 4" GP and moderate loads of 357 or full strength loads of 38 special (jacketed 125's or 158's in either case) I get reasonable accuracy for a home defense (can't carry here) situation...just curious what the other folks might consider "decent"...I'm not a precision shooter..not a target or competitive shooter..just a paper puncher that likes to reload. I'm not good at 25-30 yards...I can probably put most of the rounds into an 8" paper plate size target with one hand (either one) or both hands on a good day..on a bad day might have 2/3 on the plate....at 10 or 12 yards I can probably hold 4" or a little better free hand. I've shot the gun off a rest and the accuracy of the revolver and ammo are not in doubt. I've seen shooters that are 2" regular shooters at 10 yards or so and probably 4-5" shooters at 25 yards. Whatever the situation I'm "minute of bad guy" at what I'd consider reasonable range in my home.

A 2-3" group should be reasonably achievable free hand at 25 with a factory gp and range ammo

Qualifying for the Sheriff's Dept, I would routinely shoot out the center of the silhouette target (no one shooting back ) at 7 feet to 25 yards. That is approx 3-6 inches. Good luck. I haven't tried that since the late 90's. At the forum get together in NC at Ty's range, I had no trouble clearing the table of the 8 inch metal plates?
gramps

Kind of interesting and hope to see where this goes....I used to shoot at a small indoor range in my area where the Border patrol often shoots...don't know if it was qualifying or just practice...they shot what looked to be .40 semi's and my shooting at around 3"-4" at 7-10 yards was more accurate than what I saw from their scores...Kind of surprised me that LEO's were shooting what looked to be 6"- 8" groups at the 10 yard area pretty regularly...not rapid fire..not double tap...just shooting.

bcgunworks said:

A 2-3" group should be reasonably achievable free hand at 25 with a factory gp and range ammo

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What he said ^^^

I'm not that great a shot and I don't get to shoot often but I have fun and am happy in the 6 inch range.

On one really great day, I managed to plink some clay birds freehand with my 4" GP at 35 yards -- so around 4 inches at that distance maybe? With my 6" GP, I've managed around 2 inches freehand at 15 yards and probably 2 inches resting on a bag at 25 yards. The GP's in either length are the handguns I can shoot most accurately; the GP is the handgun against which I judge all other handguns I have ever fired.

My average with a 6" GP and a red dot was in the 250's shooting bullseye. Gun gets to heavy as you go. A 5" with out the full lug would help in that game.
Jeff

I used to shoot PPC with my 6" GP and shooting double action at 25 yards had no problem keeping them in the ten ring with most in the X. That was on a B27 target, so groups were generally under three inches. Shooting for fun and firing single action, offhand groups at 25 yards ran closer to an inch and a half to two inches. This was with 38 Special loads running 158 grain semi-wadcutters over Unique. Not super mild loads, but certainly not as hot as most self-defense ammo. I never got into Bullseye shooting, so one-handed shooting for groups is not a discipline I've had much experience with, and my groups are much larger.

Now, that was back in my salad days, before breaking my back twice, tearing up both shoulders, and becoming familiar with old Arthur and his brother Burs. My eyesight has also gotten much worse, especially in my dominant eye, so now my groups average two and a half inches with a gun that is capable of under an inch at the same distance when fired off sandbags and wearing a scope.

I think the definition of accuracy is often ill-defined by many.
Each person is different, and as they age, even they change.
Then we have the firearm itself,,, as well as whatever ammo is being used.
Thrown in the distances, as well as other minor factors,,, (grip, stance, shooting style, etc) and "accuracy" can be all over the map.
For many years,,, as a self taught handgunner, I THOUGHT I was doing good. Then, I got into USPSA competition, and started learning that my methods were not quite the best. I learned things that helped me a LOT in becoming a better & more accurate shooter. Just as I was beginning to feel better about my personal accuracy & all, I began to see the results of aging eyes starting to creep into my shooting abilities. Curses!
But, no matter your age, or your health,,, you can still learn things & change things to where you can improve your personal abilities.
As long as you are satisfied with what you achieve,,, who cares?

I started shooting handguns in the 50's when I worked in a gun shop...have shot rifles all my life...I quit shooting handguns in the mid 70's and turned my attention to other things...Started about 20 years ago to shoot some handguns on a limited basis but again other activities were of more importance...now being nearly 78..arthritis...one eye (dominant) with a branch retinal occlusion that forces me to shoot both eyes open or cross over to the non dominant eye and beginning cataracts make things really tough with iron sights...I didn't mention in mh OP that I have several revolvers with red dots on them and my shooting is much tighter than with open sights...but was just interested in what folks can do.."in my day" I could pretty well hold my own with most "non professional" shooters but time and tide have taken their toll...I'm just glad I still get to the range and can still do some handloading..very slow and methodical but fine for me..I have never had any loading mishap (caught a couple before they became a mishap). Love to shoot the GP and the Williams fire sights did help a great deal.

As long as you are shooting,,, and having fun,,,, that's all that matters! Now go & burn more powder!

contender said:

As long as you are shooting,,, and having fun,,,, that's all that matters! Now go & burn more powder!

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I can even do that...found a "hidden cache" of W231, Unique and 2400 along with some rifle powders I use (4350 and 4831SC)...couldn't believe it but there they were about a week apart...I bought what they would let me buy and have tried to sell off some (called "unicorn tears" around here because of the scarcity)...advertised it for exactly what I'd paid for it (inclding Hazmat and freight) and got yelled at for being a "scalper"...didn't figure $25 a pound was too pricy but got disgusted and gave a bunch to a friend that has done favors for me and the whiners that offered $15-17 a pound got bupkus.

Hi,

My GP's got some growing to do to be part of the conversation: it's a 3". With nearly 65 yr old eyes that were far-sighted from the get go and have developed an increasing amount of astigmatism since about age 40 or so, I'd describe my shooting with that gun as "point shooting" rather than aimed. On paper, 6" at 25 yds with .38 Spls is about as good as it gets these days with that gun.

Out in the desert, we set up cans at 25-100 yds for handgun use. Past 50 yds, I don't often hit one with the GP, but can still make 'em sorta nervous clear to 100. Since the longest possible shot inside the house is about 13 yds, I'm still sure it will scare BGs well enough, which is what I bought the gun for...

Rick C

At 10 yards I'd be disappointed if I didn't have a quarter-sized grouping. 20 yards ~3"-4". At 30 yards I'd say 4"-5" groups. This is my average with both the GP100 and my S&W 686. Both 6" barrels.

I`m a hunter not a paper puncher , but seeing what the gun can do off the bench has always been a boost to my confidence in the field & what`s the ole saying , practice , practice then practice some more .

I like practicing on gongs a ringing gong seems to make me feel better than measuring groups!
6" groups is a realistic number to expect from a 6" revolver with it in the average Joe`s hands.

GP

GP100man said:

I`m a hunter not a paper puncher , but seeing what the gun can do off the bench has always been a boost to my confidence in the field & what`s the ole saying , practice , practice then practice some more .

I like practicing on gongs a ringing gong seems to make me feel better than measuring groups!
6" groups is a realistic number to expect from a 6" revolver with it in the average Joe`s hands.

GP

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Good post.

My thing is benchrest testing different handloads @ 25 yds with handguns. I generally use a playing card as a target (aim small miss small) and believe me, sometimes a bum combination won't even group that tight! But a load that groups under 2" at that range is a good one and wouldn't be much improved even from a Ransom Rest. Occasionally, the stars align and one stumbles onto a group running an inch or slightly less. This is cause to rejoice and will be followed up with much backup shooting to verify. Mostly one finds that pretty deflating... :?

Anybody who claims shooting a 1" group @ 25 yards OFFHAND is likely using a keyboard not wood and steel IMHO. Hell, most untuned guns shooting factory ammo simply don't have the capability! Don't believe it? Find a Ransom Rest and become enlightened... :wink:

Custom sixguns, FA and a few others can from a RR. A stock Ruger is doubtful IMO.




PS...I like a link to the 1" group at 1,000 yds mentioned in the opening piece. No BR rifle that I know of has done it... :shock: