50 yard groups.

[Medicmike3762]

Did some shooting today with one of my favorite rugers today and shot 1 group at 50 on paper for the first time and it turned in a respectable group (I thought) that got me thinking what is a good iron sight 50 yard group with a revolver? I shot with my arms supported but the gun was not supported. I’m curious to hear what other shoot @ 50. It seems the standard is 20-25 yards but rarely do you hear 50.

 

[hittman]

Depends on if I’m shooting my LCR or Redhawk.

What were you shooting?

 

[Medicmike3762]

Depends on if I’m shooting my LCR or Redhawk.

What were you shooting?

lol! Good point, I was shooting my OM 5.5” 45 colt Blackhawk.

 

[contender]

Well, being a handgun hunter,, even 50 yds can be "short distance" sometimes.
Or how about handgun silhouette shooters that bang the steel at 200 yds?

First off, if you were shooting a Ruger Om .45 Colt,, has it been customized? Ruger never made that model in a 5.5" bbl. They only made them in 4-5/8" & 7-1/2".

But as noted,, it can depend upon the gun.

My scoped T/C Contender in 7x30 Waters,, IF,, IF,, I do my part can easily put a 5 shot group at 100 yds of about 1" or so. But my open sighted .357 Maximum with Wells/Garza sights, and a Bradshaw Bisley grip,, I can get 4" groups at 100 yds,,, again,, IF,, IF,, I do my part. However,, I did check the Maxi at 60 yds last week. I'm carrying it to a stand where 60 yds is the longest distance I should encounter,, and I got a sweet 18 shot group,, of 5" which included the flyers I called as "off" a bit. But most of that group was a tad under 3" with more than one overlapping hole sets.

 

[hittman]

Thread 'David Bradshaw Photos - Vol. LXIV, 357 Maximum Notes'

Mar 31, 2015

As William Ruger initiated development of the .357 Maximum, the intent was to provide the impact to topple a 55 pound steel ram from 200 meters, while inflicting less recoil recoil than the benchmark .44 Magnum. A lengthened .357 case fired in a straight chamber would permit interchangeability with .38 Spl. and .357 Magnum. The Maximum would be a hot rod cartridge, devouring a near .44 mag dose of powder in a .357 cylinderr. Ruger partnered with Remington for ammunition. Ruger, Sr., freely expressed consternation as Remington seemed to drag its feet on proving ammunition necessary to...

• Lee Martin
• Replies: 22
• Forum: Ruger Photos & Gallery

• 
• 

Good Maxi info and other Target shooting stuff here ….. Medicmike if this off topic for your thread lemme know and I’ll delete it.

 

[Medicmike3762]

Well, being a handgun hunter,, even 50 yds can be "short distance" sometimes.
Or how about handgun silhouette shooters that bang the steel at 200 yds?

First off, if you were shooting a Ruger Om .45 Colt,, has it been customized? Ruger never made that model in a 5.5" bbl. They only made them in 4-5/8" & 7-1/2".

But as noted,, it can depend upon the gun.

My scoped T/C Contender in 7x30 Waters,, IF,, IF,, I do my part can easily put a 5 shot group at 100 yds of about 1" or so. But my open sighted .357 Maximum with Wells/Garza sights, and a Bradshaw Bisley grip,, I can get 4" groups at 100 yds,,, again,, IF,, IF,, I do my part. However,, I did check the Maxi at 60 yds last week. I'm carrying it to a stand where 60 yds is the longest distance I should encounter,, and I got a sweet 18 shot group,, of 5" which included the flyers I called as "off" a bit. But most of that group was a tad under 3" with more than one overlapping hole sets.

Yes sir, it’s modified.

I’m mostly interested in open sight shooting and groups. I understand that the TC contenders and encore guns are in a league of their own as well as scoped revolvers. 4” @ 100 is wildly impressive! I’d like to see that maximum!

This is the gun and the group I shot today. This is a 5 shot group the lower left hole is two almost overlapping. Front sight is a Garza king’s mirror sight.

 

[Medicmike3762]

Thread 'David Bradshaw Photos - Vol. LXIV, 357 Maximum Notes'

Mar 31, 2015

As William Ruger initiated development of the .357 Maximum, the intent was to provide the impact to topple a 55 pound steel ram from 200 meters, while inflicting less recoil recoil than the benchmark .44 Magnum. A lengthened .357 case fired in a straight chamber would permit interchangeability with .38 Spl. and .357 Magnum. The Maximum would be a hot rod cartridge, devouring a near .44 mag dose of powder in a .357 cylinderr. Ruger partnered with Remington for ammunition. Ruger, Sr., freely expressed consternation as Remington seemed to drag its feet on proving ammunition necessary to...

• Lee Martin
• Replies: 22
• Forum: Ruger Photos & Gallery

• 
• 

Good Maxi info and other Target shooting stuff here ….. Medicmike if this off topic for your thread lemme know and I’ll delete it.

No that’s was a great read! Thank you for posting!

 

[Richard76]

I'm satisfied with all 6 within a softball at 50 yards offhand with my own cast bullets and reloads

 

[Novsek03]

The fact that you're shooting at 50 yards and thinking about group size puts you ahead of 95% of recreational handgunners. Keep up the great practice

 

[peachhead]

Excellent. I wish I had room for a 200 yd range. I would shoot steel with handguns daily!
Back to the drawing board to see how to make that happen....

 

[Medicmike3762]

Thank you for the kind words. I have just been thinking lately……dangerous I know, but the guns I carry around the property are not special target guns but “working” guns. I have been reading a ton about hand gun shooting and watching Brian pierce and his kids on YouTube talking about revolver hunting and performance. This all has caused me to ask myself what is acceptable at longer ranges? And how others shoot at these distances so as to gauge my own progress. I have been shooting most of my life more or less since I was a small child and hand-gunning is by far one of the hardest shooting skills to master. Not so much talking about fancy auto pistols, but larger bore single or double action revolvers with iron sights and 6 inch barrels or less. I think it is a very cool skill set to have and very valuable as well.

 

[Johnnu2]

If I can consistently hit the 8" (I think they're 8") plate at 50 yds with my Blackhawks, I'm a happy (81 yr. old) handgunner.

J.

 

[3040krag]

I have four revolvers that I keep sighted in at 50 yds- a 7 1/2" Super Blackhawk, 7 1/2" .357 Bisley, 6 1/2" 32/20 Buckeye, and a 6 1/2" Model 29-2. All have factory iron sights. I also try to practice with them at that range. If I specifically hunt with a revolver it will be with one of these. Everything else has shorter barrels and gets sighted in @ 25 yds.
Our old deer lease had a safe area we could shoot handguns out to a little past 300 yds. Once you learn how much front sight to hold up (and can shoot to begin with) it is surprising how far one can hit with a sixgun. I will not use a handgun on an animal much past 60 yds but long range targets are fun. I am always surprised when I go to the range no one seems to shoot at a pistol target past bayonet range.

 

[Yaworski]

I'm an old bullseye guy. Slow fire strings are sometimes shot at 50 yards. The ten ring is about 3.5 inches. The nine ring is 5.5 inches. I usually shot about 95. Now I'd be happy to hit the paper.

 

[contender]

Ok,, a modified OM .45. Understood!

I just tried to find a picture of my Maxi,, with the deer I shot,, using the Bradshaw/Martin bullet,, in it. The deer was about 45 or so yds away,, and I hit it in the neck,, (where I was aiming,) and it has the Garze front open sight & the Wells/Garza rear insert. So,, open sights,, and a drop in the tracks deer. I will admit to shooting for the neck,, more at the base of the neck, instead of just under the head because I wasn't as comfortable with that shot at that time.
I couldn't find the picture immediately,, thanks to a recent computer crash & I'm still trying to find stuff. My pictures are not as easily found due to the way some of them transferred.

 

[mirglip]

The fact that you're shooting at 50 yards and thinking about group size puts you ahead of 95% of recreational handgunners. Keep up the great practice

The standard is 25 yards for handguns, 50 yards for rimfire rifle and 100 yards for centerfire rifle. Anything beyond that is pushing the envelope.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

My habit is to do sight-in at 25 yards, then check point of impact at 50 - which is likely as far as I will attempt an open sight revolver shot on game except under very special conditions. Almost all of my hunting revolvers tend to shoot a little high with full-power hunting loads, even with the rear sight screwed all the way down. So I'm typically dead on at 50, and need a 6 o'clock hold at 25.

 

[Rclark]

I like shooting handguns out to at least 50 yards on smaller targets. I find that if I can hit reliably at 50+ ... it is much easier to hit at 25 and closer . Sharpens your focus which helps accuracy a bit.

 

[contender]

"Anything beyond that is pushing the envelope."

Well, I guess there are a LOT of people who've pushed the envelope for decades. Handgun hunters, silhouette shooters, and many others who have consistently made good shots at distances well beyond the "standard" you show.

My longest handgun kill, using a scoped T/C Contender,, with a 25-30 degree uphill angle,, at 156 yds,, dropped an elk in her tracks. That's well beyond your standards,, & I never felt I was pushing the envelope. I've taken quite a few whitetails beyond 100 yds,, with neck shots,, using the same Contender.

Sorry,, I respectfully disagree that shooting beyond 25 yds with a handgun is pushing the envelope.
A LOT depends upon the gun, the caliber, the load & especially the shooter.

If your standard is 25 yds,, that's perfectly fine,, for you. Others may feel quite differently.

 

[veeman]

Mine for handguns is 15 yards. If I can't get good groups at 15, no point in wasting bullets and primers any further. Same with rifle, start at 50 yard.

 

[Dan in MI]

I am there with Contender. My 3" defense guns get shot at 25 yards all day long. Most of my others are shot at 100 minimum for fun. That is almost exclusively iron sights. Always off hand. There is a ridge at my range that is 135 yards from the targets. I love standing there ringing the 6" with my MK-II.

When I verify sights for my deer gun (10" 357 max) I ring a 6" gong at 100.

Before anyone scoffs at this, I am International class standing in big bore and small bore IHMSA.

 

[woodperson]

"100 yards for centerfire rifle. Anything beyond that is pushing the envelope."

To me that is a simply ridiculous statement.

I do not know anything about shooting a handgun at 50 plus yards but I sure can shoot well beyond 100 with my rifles. Does anybody here think their 7 mm mag or 6.5 Creedmore is limited to 100 yards?

Any reason to buy a $3000 scope for a 100 yard shot?

 

[s4s4u]

Not with irons, but I routinely shoot 50 to 100 yards with my scoped Bisley in 45 Colt.

 

[Dan in MI]

"100 yards for centerfire rifle. Anything beyond that is pushing the envelope."

To me that is a simply ridiculous statement.

I do not know anything about shooting a handgun at 50 plus yards but I sure can shoot well beyond 100 with my rifles. Does anybody here think their 7 mm mag or 6.5 Creedmore is limited to 100 yards?

Any reason to buy a $3000 scope for a 100 yard shot?

Exactly.

Every year one Michigan club would hold a handgun match on the rifle silhouette course. Targets are at 200, 300, 350 and 500 yards (not positive about the 350) Again iron sighted, offhand, I was able to hit at least one of each target every time I shot the course. 10" Contender 7mm TCU.

 

[contender]

Well today,, I "pushed the envelope" again.

Using my Ruger .357 Maxi,, 10",, open sights,, (Garza & Wells) with the Bradshaw Bisley g/f,,, I took another whitetail. Neck shot at 40 yds.

 

[Medicmike3762]

Well today,, I "pushed the envelope" again.

Using my Ruger .357 Maxi,, 10",, open sights,, (Garza & Wells) with the Bradshaw Bisley g/f,,, I took another whitetail. Neck shot at 40 yds.

View attachment 88460

How awesome! Congrats!

 

[jmca]

about 14 inch by 14 inch at 100 yards with a 4 inch barrel Security Six with 38 Special Factory ammo!
some loads were so slow you could see the shadow of the tail in the Arc!
Is this "Pushing the Envelope"?

 

[mirglip]

"100 yards for centerfire rifle. Anything beyond that is pushing the envelope."

To me that is a simply ridiculous statement.

I do not know anything about shooting a handgun at 50 plus yards but I sure can shoot well beyond 100 with my rifles. Does anybody here think their 7 mm mag or 6.5 Creedmore is limited to 100 yards?

Any reason to buy a $3000 scope for a 100 yard shot?

"Pushing the Envelope" simply means "approaching the limits of what is possible". It doesn't imply that it's impossible.
We zero a handgun 25 yards at benchrest and most of us don't expect to hit a small or moving target at 50 yards offhand unless we are "approaching the limits of what is possible", and sometimes we try anyway. Some people are extremely talented and hit the target consistently under those conditions and they are "pushing the envelope".
We zero a 22 LR rifle at 50 yards but we realize that at 100 yards it has a rainbow trajectory.
Sure, lots of guys here approach the limits of what is possible.
But the standard ranges are 25 yards for handgun, 50 yards for rimfire rife, and 100 yards for centerfire rifle.

If you say " my single six groups 1" and you leave out the distance, it implies 1" at 25 yards because that is the standard.
If you say your 10-22 groups 1" and you leave out the distance, it implies at 50 yards because that is the standard.
If you say your 30-06 rifle groups 1" and you leave out the distance, it implies at 100 yards because that is the standard.