Group sizes at 100 yards

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Thumbcocker

Blackhawk
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Messages
696
Location
Sounthern Illinois
When I lived in Nevada I did a lot of handgun shooting, mostly with the 357 Mag. at first then the .44 Mag. My hunting partner and I would shoot jackrabbits all year round with our handguns, trying for head shots only on the ones that would stand still. We got so a running jack, even as far out as 100 or so yards was in serious trouble. One night as we were spotlighting jacks, we caught one in the headlights standing broadside, his eye glowing like a diamond. I told my buddy I was gonna hit him right i the eye. My buddy say $20 says you don't. I squeezed the sho of and the rabbit did the classic flip flopping of a head shot jack so we went over and sure and God made little green apples, my bullet had hit that rabbit right in the eye. Pure luck? You tell me.

A few years back my bud and I were invited to do an elk hunt in Washington state that would be based in the little town of Humptulips. One of the people involved with the hunt was a retired judge who aboslutely hated handguns. I mean thos dude was rabidly against them. We were standing at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Humptulips River and that judge started in on me again. He said you can't hit anything farther out than ten feet. I was tempted to ask him if he felt safe as 11 feet if I were to shoot at him. Anyway, looking down on the river, I'll bet I can hit that log sticking out into the water. ait had branch that stuck out very nicely so I said $100 says I can hit that branch with one of the six shots in my gun or at least come close enough to prove a hit is potentially possible. He said my would not shoot that far so no bet. I said put up or shut up. If you're right and my gun won't shoot that far, it's just an easy Benjamin in your pocket. He says OK so I take aim and hold where I think I'll come close to the branch and shoot. I wish I could have seen the look on that old judge's face when sure as hell, I'd clipped the branch. I turn and face him and ask, "Do you want to try double or nothing?" He declined. At least he didn't welch out on the bet.

One other incident educating scoffers. I was at the range trying out a new snub nosed revolver, an S&W M49 to be exact. There was a guy shooting one of those very expensive single shot pistols used in .22 cal. silhouette games. He made a snide comment about "Saturday Night Specials" so I waited for the cease fire.I then put up a silhouette target that has the shape of a man and an it out to 100 yards. He said something to the effect that I wasn't thinking about shoot at that target with the M49 was I? I said I was and $100 says I can hit it at least once with one of the five rounds in the cylinder. He thought I was joking. I wasn't. Taking a good solid rest on a nearby pole I slowly let off five rounds. One hit the paper and four were in the torso of the target. It wasn't the first time I shut sown some would be expert.

I haven't done much handgun shooting since my knees went out and honestly, haven't shot anything, rifle, pistol or shotgun in almost four years. It's all health related and doctor's orders. I'll be making some changes regarding that situation in about 8 weeks, the Good Lord awillin'. Probably shoot .22 LR and .38 Spl. for a wile Might try the .357 Mag. next and finally the .44 Mag. Biggest problem is casting up a supply of bullets and getting them loaded up. Should be interesting.
Paul B.
In my experience people who shoot all year round have a lot more "lucky shots" than the folks who do 7 yard mag dumps a few times a year. Wonder why that is?
 

daveag.

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Messages
447
So I recently had a troll-boy attack me for a comment I made on a YT video, where I mentioned I have 44 Magnum handloads with both 200 grain and 300 grain Hornady XTPs that shoot into 2" five-shot groups at 100 yards from a 7 1/2" Super Redhawk with a 2-7 scope off a good rest. After calling me a liar, he tried claiming physics, mechanical engineering, twist rates, ballistics, and yada yada yada prove that it is impossible. With all due respect, I know it IS possible since I've done it on numerous occasions. I've even shot a 1 5/8 inch group by firing all five from one chamber, which demonstrated that some chambers weren't as well aligned with the bore as others. I also recall, gun writer Ross Seyfried shot a group under an inch at 100 yards with a big bore revolver at one point (using all five chambers), but disremember if that was using open sights. August '94 Guns & Ammo, if anyone has a copy that's not packed away.

Have any of you dabbled in 100 yard revolver shooting, and what kind of groups have you seen? I am aware 2" is good, but refuse to believe it is unprecedented.


View attachment 13914
I have a .45 BH, 7.5", scoped that shoots like that. AA#9 powder. I have tagged several deer with this combo. And I practice at 100 plus regularly.
 
Joined
Nov 30, 2022
Messages
4,435
Location
Maryland
This man harvested game at six hundred yards with a 44 magnum. With witnesses. Any questions?

The 300 gr jacketed bullet is my favorite in the Super Redhawk. Noticeably more accurate than lighter bullets, flatter trajectory over 100 yards. Using Alliant 300MP, I can run it faster than the factory 240 with industry standard pressure.
300gr moving 1,650fps. Not exactly stubby. I was shocked how well they shot from the Pac Nor barrel. I was so settled with Douglas Barrels and cast bullets. 40x magnification makes 1,000yds look like 25yds. Getting the reticle absolutely plumb which took almost a week was probably the key to pulling this off. Good data and absolute precision in every part made it almost easy. A solid fully adjustable rest meant that all I had to do was not screw up the several oz Single Action trigger pull.
 

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noahmercy

Blackhawk
Joined
Jun 13, 2015
Messages
741
Location
Sheridan, WY
When I lived in Nevada I did a lot of handgun shooting, mostly with the 357 Mag. at first then the .44 Mag. My hunting partner and I would shoot jackrabbits all year round with our handguns, trying for head shots only on the ones that would stand still. We got so a running jack, even as far out as 100 or so yards was in serious trouble. One night as we were spotlighting jacks, we caught one in the headlights standing broadside, his eye glowing like a diamond. I told my buddy I was gonna hit him right i the eye. My buddy say $20 says you don't. I squeezed the sho of and the rabbit did the classic flip flopping of a head shot jack so we went over and sure and God made little green apples, my bullet had hit that rabbit right in the eye. Pure luck? You tell me.

A few years back my bud and I were invited to do an elk hunt in Washington state that would be based in the little town of Humptulips. One of the people involved with the hunt was a retired judge who aboslutely hated handguns. I mean thos dude was rabidly against them. We were standing at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Humptulips River and that judge started in on me again. He said you can't hit anything farther out than ten feet. I was tempted to ask him if he felt safe as 11 feet if I were to shoot at him. Anyway, looking down on the river, I'll bet I can hit that log sticking out into the water. ait had branch that stuck out very nicely so I said $100 says I can hit that branch with one of the six shots in my gun or at least come close enough to prove a hit is potentially possible. He said my would not shoot that far so no bet. I said put up or shut up. If you're right and my gun won't shoot that far, it's just an easy Benjamin in your pocket. He says OK so I take aim and hold where I think I'll come close to the branch and shoot. I wish I could have seen the look on that old judge's face when sure as hell, I'd clipped the branch. I turn and face him and ask, "Do you want to try double or nothing?" He declined. At least he didn't welch out on the bet.

One other incident educating scoffers. I was at the range trying out a new snub nosed revolver, an S&W M49 to be exact. There was a guy shooting one of those very expensive single shot pistols used in .22 cal. silhouette games. He made a snide comment about "Saturday Night Specials" so I waited for the cease fire.I then put up a silhouette target that has the shape of a man and an it out to 100 yards. He said something to the effect that I wasn't thinking about shoot at that target with the M49 was I? I said I was and $100 says I can hit it at least once with one of the five rounds in the cylinder. He thought I was joking. I wasn't. Taking a good solid rest on a nearby pole I slowly let off five rounds. One hit the paper and four were in the torso of the target. It wasn't the first time I shut sown some would be expert.

I haven't done much handgun shooting since my knees went out and honestly, haven't shot anything, rifle, pistol or shotgun in almost four years. It's all health related and doctor's orders. I'll be making some changes regarding that situation in about 8 weeks, the Good Lord awillin'. Probably shoot .22 LR and .38 Spl. for a wile Might try the .357 Mag. next and finally the .44 Mag. Biggest problem is casting up a supply of bullets and getting them loaded up. Should be interesting.
Paul B.
I've shut down a few folks who laughed at long range shooting with snubbies as well. Had my great grandpa's 2" Model 10 at the range and was seeing how much drop my wadcutter target loads had at different range by shooting at a basketball-size dirt clod on the berm behind the 200 yard line. A guy next to me saw my bullet impacts and thought I was missing a 25 yard target that I had been using for group and POI evaluation, and said something to me about how "that belly gun's no good at 25 yards" and I should move the target up to five yards. I told him, "Oh, I was aiming at that dirt clod at 205 yards between the third and fourth backers." He laughed, and I proceeded to nuke it with the next shot, and put the other four into what was left. Wish I had a camera to capture his expression. Of course I didn't tell him I was aiming at the 300 yard berm and about six feet to the left! 😆 As with all shooting, once you've doped the drop and drift of an accurate combo, hitting at distance comes down to a consistent sight picture and trigger squeeze.

Prayers up for improvement in your health, partner! Hoping the range time will help with your recovery.
 

Jayhawkhuntclub

Buckeye
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
Messages
1,229
Location
Kansas
So I recently had a troll-boy attack me for a comment I made on a YT video, where I mentioned I have 44 Magnum handloads with both 200 grain and 300 grain Hornady XTPs that shoot into 2" five-shot groups at 100 yards from a 7 1/2" Super Redhawk with a 2-7 scope off a good rest. After calling me a liar, he tried claiming physics, mechanical engineering, twist rates, ballistics, and yada yada yada prove that it is impossible. With all due respect, I know it IS possible since I've done it on numerous occasions. I've even shot a 1 5/8 inch group by firing all five from one chamber, which demonstrated that some chambers weren't as well aligned with the bore as others. I also recall, gun writer Ross Seyfried shot a group under an inch at 100 yards with a big bore revolver at one point (using all five chambers), but disremember if that was using open sights. August '94 Guns & Ammo, if anyone has a copy that's not packed away.

Have any of you dabbled in 100 yard revolver shooting, and what kind of groups have you seen? I am aware 2" is good, but refuse to believe it is unprecedented.


View attachment 13914
Back when I shot groups with my SBH Hunter in 45 Colt it averaged 2.57" (best was 2.14") at 100 yards - but these were 3 shot groups.

With my old 22LR single six hunter, I once shot a 0.521" 5 shot group at 50 yards (all with same chamber).
 
Joined
Nov 30, 2022
Messages
4,435
Location
Maryland
Back when I shot groups with my SBH Hunter in 45 Colt it averaged 2.57" (best was 2.14") at 100 yards - but these were 3 shot groups.

With my old 22LR single six hunter, I once shot a 0.521" 5 shot group at 50 yards (all with same chamber).
Something tells me that custom barrels, 40x optics and artillery testing computers weren't involved.
 

Dan in MI

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Aug 9, 2003
Messages
3,487
Location
Davisburg, MI. USA
Of course I didn't tell him I was aiming at the 300 yard berm and about six feet to the left! 😆 As with all shooting, once you've doped the drop and drift of an accurate combo, hitting at distance comes down to a consistent sight picture and trigger squeeze.

That reminds of shooting the rifle silhouette course with my Contender (off hand) for those that don't know, the targets are 200m, 300, 385? and 500m. There was no Kentucky windage and eleveation on the rams, It was more like South America! I found a tree top for elevation. Lined up for windage and raised until the front sight was at that tree top. Shot a 7 that day. 2C, 2P, 1T, 2R. Not bad for standing class.
 

harley08

Blackhawk
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
575
I went over a friend's house to shoot, a friend of his was. A guy I never met before. He used my .45 auto and had me throw a golf ball high into the air and he hit with the first round! I still have the golf ball!
 

Have gun-will travel

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 9, 2013
Messages
157
Location
Townsville,NC@ Kerr Lake,near Va.border
My uncle taught his son and me to shoot . We used his 7 1/2 super Blackhawk with 240 gr Keith cast bullets over 22 GR of 2400 powder. We could keep6 shots in the 8 ring of a B27 target offhand with no support. We thought we were something when we started shooting the same revolver at 200 yards keeping all 6 rounds in the black on the B27 target . We were 12 to 14 years old then. My uncle always said "when you master this (. A few explicit words used) you can shoot anything that I put in your( blank blank) hands. We loaded ammo all week on a RCBS Rockchucker and shot all day on Saturday and half the day on Sunday. Those we're days that I cherish and will remember them for ever. Thank you Uncle Bill
 

GunnyGene

Hawkeye
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
9,285
Location
Monroe County, MS
There's a multitude of variables in shooting; in the weapon system (including the ammo), the shooter, and externally. Some you can control, compensate for, or avoid. Some you can't. Some variables change from shot to shot or during the fractions of a second between the trigger squeeze and the bullet strike on the target. Some variables interact with other variables. Being able to sort out all these variables, and knowing what to do about them (and being able to) is the difference between a good shooter and a not so good shooter. :)
 
Joined
Nov 30, 2022
Messages
4,435
Location
Maryland
Quality time. Can't wait for the
My uncle taught his son and me to shoot . We used his 7 1/2 super Blackhawk with 240 gr Keith cast bullets over 22 GR of 2400 powder. We could keep6 shots in the 8 ring of a B27 target offhand with no support. We thought we were something when we started shooting the same revolver at 200 yards keeping all 6 rounds in the black on the B27 target . We were 12 to 14 years old then. My uncle always said "when you master this (. A few explicit words used) you can shoot anything that I put in your( blank blank) hands. We loaded ammo all week on a RCBS Rockchucker and shot all day on Saturday and half the day on Sunday. Those we're days that I cherish and will remember them for ever. Thank you Uncle Bill
Quality time. I can't wait to do that with my grandkids.
 
Joined
Nov 30, 2022
Messages
4,435
Location
Maryland


Offhand with a 9mm. Well over 200' of drop with a 147 gr unless of course they weren't 9x19 and were closer to 350 legend which would still drop considerably.
 

sgt 127

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Messages
8
Location
Nevada
I'm not a hunter. I don't own a scoped revolver.

At 100 yards, standing, unsupported, I can hit a standard IDPA target 14 out of 15 rounds With a Wilson .45. It's a pattern, not a group.

So. Yeah. I could see 2-3 inches with a good revolver. Shooting a flat shooting round. With good optics. More power to you!!

902A87B3-31F8-415C-BE5D-95492487F1F9.jpeg
 
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