Handgun target distance.

mhmiller62 · January 7, 2012, 04:55 PM

Hello All,

I was wondering at what distance do you usually practice with your handguns at the range? For myself it depends on the type of pistol. With my
P3AT I've never fired it beyond 20 feet and that is with those big silouette targets. On the other hand with my Ruger 22/45 MkIII I'll practice at different distances anywhere between 20 feet and 25 yards and only use small slow fire targets or small paper plates. All my other handguns I rarely practice beyond 50 feet. One thing I've noticed is that practicing with smaller targets seems to improve marksmanship.

MLeake · January 7, 2012, 05:01 PM

Anywhere from 5 yards to 23 yards, currently, since that is the distance to the back wall at the LGS range.

However, once we close on the house (and acreage), it wil be from 5 to 50 yards.

I normally shoot my 442 at 5-10 yards, but once in a while will run it to the back wall.

My bigger carry guns see most use at 10 yards, but sometimes 7, and sometimes the back wall.

I typically use B-27 or IDPA silhouettes. I will often affix Shoot-N-C circular targets of varying size to the silhouettes, to aim at sharper, smaller targets when I want to check my grouping.

kraigwy · January 7, 2012, 05:08 PM

From the muzzle to about 200 yards. I'm not saying 200 yards is within self defence range but I don't just just for defence practice, I shoot for fun more then anything else.

TheGoldenState · January 7, 2012, 05:14 PM

10 ft to 25 yards via range limits.

MLeake · January 7, 2012, 05:18 PM

kraigwy, what are you shooting at 200 yards? Silhouette, with a magnum revolver? Contenders? What kinds of targets and handguns?

And, for that matter, what kinds of sights?

(Edit: I'm curious, not incredulous.)

Cheapshooter · January 7, 2012, 05:37 PM

Much the same as the OP. 10 Yds with my CCW firearms, and Walther P22 with some practice @ 25. Twenty Five yards for most of my other pistols. 50 yds with my Super Blackhawk 44 magnum, but I have shot reasonably accurately out to 100. Then there is my T/C Contender, but where I shoot mostly is now limited to 100 yds.

spacecoast · January 7, 2012, 05:40 PM

I had some fun using my S&W Model 10 snubby for Bullseye the other day. Scored an 84 in Rapid Fire (25 yards) using DA. Most guns are capable of far more than the shooter.

C0untZer0 · January 7, 2012, 05:50 PM

I can barely see the target at 50 feet. My distance glasses make 50' targets visible but then the front sight is a blur...

If I am putting 5 rounds into a sub 1" group at 25 feet I am doing OK as far as shooting fundamentals, holding the sight picture, trigger squeeze, follow-through.

Most of the ranges by me are 50 foot ranges anyway...

Maybe I should get some shooting glasses

spacecoast · January 7, 2012, 05:56 PM

Quote:

I can barely see the target at 50 feet. My distance glasses make 50' targets visible but then the front sight is a blur...

It's much more important to see the sights clearly than it is the target. If anything, get glasses that allow you to see clearly at 2 feet (but no closer), then the target will be as much in focus as possible. A red dot sight is another possibility, but I still use irons only.

kyle1886 · January 7, 2012, 06:09 PM

I practice at about the longest distance that I would encounter in my home, 35 feet and targets are colorful 3" Post Its taped to a 8 1/2'' sq sheet of scrap computer paper. I'm too cheap to buy targets.

Kyle

jhenry · January 7, 2012, 06:25 PM

We qualify from 3 to 25 yards. When shooting for fun I will shoot from near contact to whatever the range will allow. Often times ranges stop at 100 yards,sometimes I get to plink at greater ranges.

mhmiller62 · January 7, 2012, 06:46 PM

Thanks for all the quick replies.

I'd love to try shooting my 22/45 at 100 yards but the out door ranges that I know of won't allow it and my regular range is indoors with max distance of 45yards in the rifle bay.

Kyle, I hear ya. I usually just use cheap paper plates from the dollar store.

sigcurious · January 7, 2012, 06:48 PM

mostly at 7 and 11 yards. But sometimes 45-50ft. If i had easier access to a longer range, I'd go out further, but alas I haven't gotten the gumption to drive 2+ hours to get to an outdoor spot.

Mike38 · January 7, 2012, 07:12 PM

Indoors at 50 feet. Outdoors 25 and 50 yards. All one handed!

It's a handgun, not a handsgun.

Okay, when I'm shooting a SD pistol, I use two hands. But target pistols one handed.

Hook686 · January 7, 2012, 07:23 PM

J-Frame ... 10 yards
L & N-Frame 25 yards
Desert Eagle 75 yards

bbqbob51 · January 7, 2012, 10:03 PM

Self defense practice with either a snub nosed 38spl or the my 9m Stoeger Cougar: 3 yards-10 yards, the longest distance I would have to shoot in my house is not more than 20 feet so that is what I concentrate on. I try to place my shots into about an 8"x10" area, center mass.
For fun with my 9.5" bbl Ruger Single Six, S&W 22a, as well as the above self defense guns start at 7 yards but I go out to 25-30 yards or so. Much beyond that is beyond the effective range of most handguns. Not to say we don't shoot a bit out to 100 yards, we just don't hit much!

darkgael · January 7, 2012, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Indoors at 50 feet. Outdoors 25 and 50 yards. All one handed!

+1.
Pete

Willie Lowman · January 7, 2012, 11:30 PM

Between 10 and 25 yards. With 9mm, .40, .357 mag and, .45 ACP. I don't shoot my .44 mag much any more.

I have a great fondness for lobbing .45 ACPs at the 12" gong that sits at the 100 yard mark behind my friend's house. I need to take one of my magnums out and try a few long shots.

kraigwy · January 7, 2012, 11:57 PM

Quote:

kraigwy, what are you shooting at 200 yards? Silhouette, with a magnum revolver? Contenders? What kinds of targets and handguns?

All of the above with iron sights. Not saying I hit every time but I have a heck of a lot of fun.

I even shoot my 642 at 100. Again I don't hit all the time but I'm convinced I could discourage bad behavior if I had to.

You'd be surprised what shooting long distance does to your short range handgun shooting.

Buzzcook · January 8, 2012, 12:08 AM

25yards is default. Occasionally I back up to 15yds and occasionally I go out to 50 or 100yds.

If I'm trying a gun for the first time it's 10yds.

Doublea A · January 8, 2012, 02:17 AM

I first start with 25ft and move on to 50ft and then end at 75ft at the indoor range.

chadio · January 8, 2012, 06:46 AM

25 yds - that was the benchmark when I was in the Navy. Sticks with me to this day.

Sparks1957 · January 8, 2012, 06:52 AM

Our pistol range is 25 yards. I can shoot at less distance only if I'm the only one there. I will probably try and see if we can get another built at 10 or 15 yards, we have the room on the property.

9ballbilly · January 8, 2012, 09:41 AM

95% of the time it's seven to ten yards. Once in a while I move out to thirty or so just for fun.

arch308 · January 8, 2012, 09:47 AM

I like to practice @ 25 yrds. Then when I shoot @ closer ranges it seems easier.
I'm no expert by any means and consider any shot in the pie plate at 25 yds to be good enough. I practice for hunting & SD and don't care too much for bullseyes. With my old eyes bullseyes try my patience.

January 7, 2012, 04:55 PM	#1
mhmiller62 Member Join Date: December 31, 2011 Location: Minnesota Posts: 19	Handgun target distance. Hello All, I was wondering at what distance do you usually practice with your handguns at the range? For myself it depends on the type of pistol. With my P3AT I've never fired it beyond 20 feet and that is with those big silouette targets. On the other hand with my Ruger 22/45 MkIII I'll practice at different distances anywhere between 20 feet and 25 yards and only use small slow fire targets or small paper plates. All my other handguns I rarely practice beyond 50 feet. One thing I've noticed is that practicing with smaller targets seems to improve marksmanship.

January 7, 2012, 05:08 PM	#3
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	From the muzzle to about 200 yards. I'm not saying 200 yards is within self defence range but I don't just just for defence practice, I shoot for fun more then anything else. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

January 7, 2012, 05:14 PM	#4
TheGoldenState Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2010 Posts: 1,191	10 ft to 25 yards via range limits. __________________ The Day You Get Comfortable Is The Day You Get Careless...

January 7, 2012, 05:37 PM	#6
Cheapshooter Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 8,306	Much the same as the OP. 10 Yds with my CCW firearms, and Walther P22 with some practice @ 25. Twenty Five yards for most of my other pistols. 50 yds with my Super Blackhawk 44 magnum, but I have shot reasonably accurately out to 100. Then there is my T/C Contender, but where I shoot mostly is now limited to 100 yds. __________________ Cheapshooter's rules of gun ownership #1: NEVER SELL OR TRADE ANYTHING!

January 7, 2012, 06:25 PM	#11
jhenry Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2006 Location: Ozarks Posts: 1,840	We qualify from 3 to 25 yards. When shooting for fun I will shoot from near contact to whatever the range will allow. Often times ranges stop at 100 yards,sometimes I get to plink at greater ranges. __________________ "A Liberal is someone who doesn't care what you do, as long as it's mandatory". - Charles Krauthammer

January 7, 2012, 05:01 PM	#2
MLeake Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2007 Location: Outside KC, MO Posts: 10,128	Anywhere from 5 yards to 23 yards, currently, since that is the distance to the back wall at the LGS range. However, once we close on the house (and acreage), it wil be from 5 to 50 yards. I normally shoot my 442 at 5-10 yards, but once in a while will run it to the back wall. My bigger carry guns see most use at 10 yards, but sometimes 7, and sometimes the back wall. I typically use B-27 or IDPA silhouettes. I will often affix Shoot-N-C circular targets of varying size to the silhouettes, to aim at sharper, smaller targets when I want to check my grouping.

January 7, 2012, 05:18 PM	#5
MLeake Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2007 Location: Outside KC, MO Posts: 10,128	kraigwy, what are you shooting at 200 yards? Silhouette, with a magnum revolver? Contenders? What kinds of targets and handguns? And, for that matter, what kinds of sights? (Edit: I'm curious, not incredulous.)

January 7, 2012, 05:40 PM	#7
spacecoast Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Location: Sunshine and Keystone States Posts: 4,461	I had some fun using my S&W Model 10 snubby for Bullseye the other day. Scored an 84 in Rapid Fire (25 yards) using DA. Most guns are capable of far more than the shooter.

January 7, 2012, 05:50 PM	#8
C0untZer0 Junior member Join Date: April 21, 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,555	I can barely see the target at 50 feet. My distance glasses make 50' targets visible but then the front sight is a blur... If I am putting 5 rounds into a sub 1" group at 25 feet I am doing OK as far as shooting fundamentals, holding the sight picture, trigger squeeze, follow-through. Most of the ranges by me are 50 foot ranges anyway... Maybe I should get some shooting glasses

January 7, 2012, 06:09 PM	#10
kyle1886 Junior Member Join Date: December 16, 2009 Location: CA. Posts: 14	I practice at about the longest distance that I would encounter in my home, 35 feet and targets are colorful 3" Post Its taped to a 8 1/2'' sq sheet of scrap computer paper. I'm too cheap to buy targets. Kyle

January 7, 2012, 06:46 PM	#12
mhmiller62 Member Join Date: December 31, 2011 Location: Minnesota Posts: 19	Thanks for all the quick replies. I'd love to try shooting my 22/45 at 100 yards but the out door ranges that I know of won't allow it and my regular range is indoors with max distance of 45yards in the rifle bay. Kyle, I hear ya. I usually just use cheap paper plates from the dollar store.

January 7, 2012, 06:48 PM	#13
sigcurious Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 2011 Posts: 1,755	mostly at 7 and 11 yards. But sometimes 45-50ft. If i had easier access to a longer range, I'd go out further, but alas I haven't gotten the gumption to drive 2+ hours to get to an outdoor spot.

January 7, 2012, 07:12 PM	#14
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,710	Indoors at 50 feet. Outdoors 25 and 50 yards. All one handed! It's a handgun, not a handsgun. Okay, when I'm shooting a SD pistol, I use two hands. But target pistols one handed.

January 7, 2012, 07:23 PM	#15
Hook686 Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2005 Location: USA The Great State of California Posts: 2,090	J-Frame ... 10 yards L & N-Frame 25 yards Desert Eagle 75 yards __________________ Hook686 When the number of people in institutions reaches 51%, we change sides.

January 7, 2012, 10:03 PM	#16
bbqbob51 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2005 Posts: 775	Self defense practice with either a snub nosed 38spl or the my 9m Stoeger Cougar: 3 yards-10 yards, the longest distance I would have to shoot in my house is not more than 20 feet so that is what I concentrate on. I try to place my shots into about an 8"x10" area, center mass. For fun with my 9.5" bbl Ruger Single Six, S&W 22a, as well as the above self defense guns start at 7 yards but I go out to 25-30 yards or so. Much beyond that is beyond the effective range of most handguns. Not to say we don't shoot a bit out to 100 yards, we just don't hit much!

January 7, 2012, 11:30 PM	#18
Willie Lowman Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2009 Location: Uh-Hi-O Posts: 3,006	Between 10 and 25 yards. With 9mm, .40, .357 mag and, .45 ACP. I don't shoot my .44 mag much any more. I have a great fondness for lobbing .45 ACPs at the 12" gong that sits at the 100 yard mark behind my friend's house. I need to take one of my magnums out and try a few long shots.

January 8, 2012, 12:08 AM	#20
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	25yards is default. Occasionally I back up to 15yds and occasionally I go out to 50 or 100yds. If I'm trying a gun for the first time it's 10yds.

January 8, 2012, 02:17 AM	#21
Doublea A Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 2011 Location: Land of 10,000 Lakes. Posts: 132	I first start with 25ft and move on to 50ft and then end at 75ft at the indoor range. __________________ [B]Future additions: Barret MRAD .338 Lapua.[B] Acquisition 2 Gen 3 Glock 19, 1 Gen 4 Glock 19, Daniel Defense V3 LW M4, Ruger SR1911, a Mossberg 500 and Remington 700 SPS AAC-SD. A fear of weapons is a sign of sexual retardation and emotional inmaturity.” Sigmund Freud

January 8, 2012, 06:46 AM	#22
chadio Senior Member Join Date: June 29, 2011 Posts: 931	25 yds - that was the benchmark when I was in the Navy. Sticks with me to this day. __________________ Ex - Navy, Persian Gulf Veteran. Loved shooting the M14, 1911, M60, M2

January 8, 2012, 06:52 AM	#23
Sparks1957 Senior Member Join Date: September 4, 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,552	Our pistol range is 25 yards. I can shoot at less distance only if I'm the only one there. I will probably try and see if we can get another built at 10 or 15 yards, we have the room on the property.

January 8, 2012, 09:41 AM	#24
9ballbilly Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2008 Location: northeast Florida Posts: 611	95% of the time it's seven to ten yards. Once in a while I move out to thirty or so just for fun.

January 8, 2012, 09:47 AM	#25
arch308 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2011 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 876	I like to practice @ 25 yrds. Then when I shoot @ closer ranges it seems easier. I'm no expert by any means and consider any shot in the pie plate at 25 yds to be good enough. I practice for hunting & SD and don't care too much for bullseyes. With my old eyes bullseyes try my patience.

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