Loading for off-hand accuracy?

Monkeyleg · February 10, 2000, 06:15 PM

I've been experimenting with different loads for my .45 ACP (bullets, powder, charges) and getting different results off sandbag rests.
I'm also trying to shoot well offhand after not doing so for many years. A friend who's an _excellent_ offhand shooter said not to worry about fine-tuning loads for pistols. That's for rifles, he said. Now I figure if I can shoot a group offhand that's almost as good as my sandbag group, I'm doing well, and I should thus try to tweak the sandbag loads.
Who's right?

Dick

Bill in NM · February 10, 2000, 06:34 PM

I'm with you. IF you have the ability to bake a round more accurate, and have the patience to do it, why not make the most accurate round that you can? Might make the difference between hitting your target and a clean miss.
But then again, I'm told that I don't know anything.

Bill

johnnybravo · February 10, 2000, 06:34 PM

Dick, Your friend is pretty much correct. Once you find a load that funtions well in your pistol, it's fine for either sandbags or offhand. If you want to improve your offhand, practice, practice, practice. Practice at the range, practice at home. Dryfire at home, or if you're opposed to that, at least hold the pistol in a shooting postion to get use to holding a chunk of steel at arms length.
Also, your sight picture may change a bit when you go from sandbag to offhand.

------------------
johnnyb

Bill in NM · February 10, 2000, 06:36 PM

Bake a round???

Let's try "make a round"

**Mal H** · February 10, 2000, 07:18 PM

No! I honestly didn't think that was a mistake and it sounded pretty cool. I might start "baking rounds", that is making rounds from a recipe. "Bake me up 2 dozen .44's to go." I like it.

Ricciardelli · February 10, 2000, 11:05 PM

#1) Beg, borrow or steal a Ransom Rest;
#2) Work-up the most accurate load possible with your .45 off the rest;
#3) Practice...practice...practice...

Result? If the gun and the ammo are at their best, then you are the only variable factor. And if you do your practicing, you will reduce that variability.

Monkeyleg · February 11, 2000, 10:21 AM

Thanks, all. I have been practicing 2 to 4 times a week shooting offhand for the past several months, but I'm also tweaking loads for hardcast bullets. The benchmark I use is the 230gr Sierra FMJ Tournamentmaster with 5.3 gr's 231. Anything that shoots close to that is a good load.

This friend, though, is incredible. He can bring any gun to the range and, within minutes, he's blowing out the x-ring. He's 52 and been doing it since he was a kid. Practice, practice, practice.

Thanks,
Dick

**Bud Helms** · February 12, 2000, 10:26 PM

"A friend who's an _excellent_ offhand shooter said not to worry about fine-tuning loads for pistols. That's for rifles, he said. Now I figure if I can shoot a group offhand that's almost as good as my sandbag group, I'm doing well, and I should thus try to tweak the sandbag loads. Who's right?"

Your friend's right. Think about buying racing gasoline to put in your 4 cyl Ford ranger to drive to work in. Maybe not an EXACT analogy.

For most pistols, if you get the pistol tuned up, you'll probably notice the difference in accuracy with a "just okay" load. OTOH, with a pistol that needs, for example, trigger work, better sights and grips, you may not be able to tell that "best load" when you shoot it.

Anyway, shooting off-hand for accuracy is a plan for frustration. Shooting off bags at the bench and shooting off-hand are two different standards of accuracy.

If your friend is a rifle shooter he probably got a good chuckle at an attempt to work on accuracy loads for a .45 ACP. By rifle standards, 'ain't no such thing.

------------------
Sensop

"Get your mind right and the body will follow." - Shino Takazawa, sinsei, hachi dan, Keishinkan do.
Sensop's Corner

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February 10, 2000, 06:15 PM	#1
Monkeyleg Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2000 Posts: 4,625	I've been experimenting with different loads for my .45 ACP (bullets, powder, charges) and getting different results off sandbag rests. I'm also trying to shoot well offhand after not doing so for many years. A friend who's an _excellent_ offhand shooter said not to worry about fine-tuning loads for pistols. That's for rifles, he said. Now I figure if I can shoot a group offhand that's almost as good as my sandbag group, I'm doing well, and I should thus try to tweak the sandbag loads. Who's right? Dick

February 10, 2000, 06:34 PM	#2
Bill in NM Member Join Date: January 21, 2000 Posts: 95	I'm with you. IF you have the ability to bake a round more accurate, and have the patience to do it, why not make the most accurate round that you can? Might make the difference between hitting your target and a clean miss. But then again, I'm told that I don't know anything. Bill

February 10, 2000, 06:34 PM	#3
johnnybravo Senior Member Join Date: February 10, 2000 Posts: 100	Dick, Your friend is pretty much correct. Once you find a load that funtions well in your pistol, it's fine for either sandbags or offhand. If you want to improve your offhand, practice, practice, practice. Practice at the range, practice at home. Dryfire at home, or if you're opposed to that, at least hold the pistol in a shooting postion to get use to holding a chunk of steel at arms length. Also, your sight picture may change a bit when you go from sandbag to offhand. ------------------ johnnyb

February 10, 2000, 06:36 PM	#4
Bill in NM Member Join Date: January 21, 2000 Posts: 95	Bake a round??? Let's try "make a round"

February 10, 2000, 07:18 PM	#5
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,947	No! I honestly didn't think that was a mistake and it sounded pretty cool. I might start "baking rounds", that is making rounds from a recipe. "Bake me up 2 dozen .44's to go." I like it.

February 10, 2000, 11:05 PM	#6
Ricciardelli Member Join Date: January 26, 2000 Posts: 57	#1) Beg, borrow or steal a Ransom Rest; #2) Work-up the most accurate load possible with your .45 off the rest; #3) Practice...practice...practice... Result? If the gun and the ammo are at their best, then you are the only variable factor. And if you do your practicing, you will reduce that variability.

February 11, 2000, 10:21 AM	#7
Monkeyleg Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2000 Posts: 4,625	Thanks, all. I have been practicing 2 to 4 times a week shooting offhand for the past several months, but I'm also tweaking loads for hardcast bullets. The benchmark I use is the 230gr Sierra FMJ Tournamentmaster with 5.3 gr's 231. Anything that shoots close to that is a good load. This friend, though, is incredible. He can bring any gun to the range and, within minutes, he's blowing out the x-ring. He's 52 and been doing it since he was a kid. Practice, practice, practice. Thanks, Dick

February 12, 2000, 10:26 PM	#8
Bud Helms Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 1999 Location: Middle Georgia, USA Posts: 13,198	"A friend who's an _excellent_ offhand shooter said not to worry about fine-tuning loads for pistols. That's for rifles, he said. Now I figure if I can shoot a group offhand that's almost as good as my sandbag group, I'm doing well, and I should thus try to tweak the sandbag loads. Who's right?" Your friend's right. Think about buying racing gasoline to put in your 4 cyl Ford ranger to drive to work in. Maybe not an EXACT analogy. For most pistols, if you get the pistol tuned up, you'll probably notice the difference in accuracy with a "just okay" load. OTOH, with a pistol that needs, for example, trigger work, better sights and grips, you may not be able to tell that "best load" when you shoot it. Anyway, shooting off-hand for accuracy is a plan for frustration. Shooting off bags at the bench and shooting off-hand are two different standards of accuracy. If your friend is a rifle shooter he probably got a good chuckle at an attempt to work on accuracy loads for a .45 ACP. By rifle standards, 'ain't no such thing. ------------------ Sensop "Get your mind right and the body will follow." - Shino Takazawa, sinsei, hachi dan, Keishinkan do. Sensop's Corner