The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: General Handgun Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old July 5, 2018, 07:04 PM   #101
9mm
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 9, 2011
Location: Land of the Free
Posts: 2,834
The range I am a member at only goes to 35 feet or 10.5 yards.. I like to put my targets in the middle and testing my carry guns I max out the range. I have shot 15-25 yards at another range for testing my carry guns max range. Not all SD shootings can happen under 7 yards.. I like to know where the bullet drop and sights hit at longer ranges..
9mm is offline  
Old July 16, 2018, 08:37 PM   #102
mgulino
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 2, 2017
Posts: 198
I usually shoot the XD9 at distances from 7-15 yards. I stretch the distance out to 20-25 yards for the revolver.
mgulino is offline  
Old July 17, 2018, 06:33 AM   #103
craddleshooter
Junior member
 
Join Date: March 9, 2018
Location: NY
Posts: 90
If for personal defense start at 7 yds with a B-27 target. It's kinda a head, shoulders, torso type target. If your groups aren't that good move it to 3-5 yds until you are consistently shooting tight groups (don't worry about whee the groups are at this time. After you ar eshooting tight groups, move the target back to 7 yds or so. Onc you are getting tight groups then you work on shot placement which is sight alignment, grip, trigger pull, etc. If you know someone that is an experienced shooter, enlist their help as a coach to watch you as you shoot to see what you are doing correctly and incorrectly.
craddleshooter is offline  
Old July 20, 2018, 04:49 AM   #104
ROCK6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 6, 2004
Location: Georgia/Afghanistan
Posts: 314
I go from an arm's length out to 25 meters, to include weak-hand racking/shooting, numerous magazine changes, FTE/FTF drills, shooting from your back or side, multiple targets of varying distances, shoot-n-move drills, using barriers/cover, etc.. It's a tool for a job that will never be defined until it happens.

ROCK6
ROCK6 is offline  
Old July 20, 2018, 07:29 PM   #105
craddleshooter
Junior member
 
Join Date: March 9, 2018
Location: NY
Posts: 90
I train at these distances: 3 yds, 5 yds, 7 yds, 10 yds, 15 yds, and 25 yds. Note, these are in yards, not feet. The reason I train at these distances is because these are the distances I will be at when I do firearms qualifications.

However, what are you training for? Is it self-defense? If so, anything past 7 yards is more than likely overkill, and the way I would train is to try to get off rounds quickly and in center of mass. Target shooting so you can hit a one inch by one inch square SLOWLY is not good training for self-defense. You want to be quick, accurate (on Center of Mass), and be able to get many rounds off quickly. There are many other drills that I would recommend if interested, but you only asked about distances.

If you are trying to target shoot, then any distance would be an interesting challenge. If you have a competition you are going to join, find out from them where the targets will be and how large. This will give you the answer you are looking for.
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on
craddleshooter is offline  
Old July 22, 2018, 11:14 PM   #106
3Crows
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 24, 2017
Location: Wichita, Kansas
Posts: 220
I usually shoot at 10 to 15 yards. All calibers. I practice for head shots.
3Crows is offline  
Old July 23, 2018, 10:57 AM   #107
the possum
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 6, 2004
Location: Southern Illinois
Posts: 555
I haven't been to a shooting range in like 18 years. I just shoot in Dad's back yard or around the farm at targets of opportunity. Most of my practice is focused between 7 to 30 yards, but I also like to know where I'm hitting at 50 and 100, just in case I only have a pistol on me if a coyote shows up. When the fields are bare I even plink out to 900 yards or so. Needs to be pretty dry to see pistol bullets kick up dust at that distance.
the possum is offline  
Old August 8, 2018, 12:08 PM   #108
RaoulTheDuke
Junior Member
 
Join Date: August 8, 2018
Posts: 1
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scoits View Post
Tail gator,
IYO what is a good group at various distances, starting at25 feet?
I'd like to know this sort of thing as well. For instance, what's a good grouping a 7 yards for a glock 20?
RaoulTheDuke is offline  
Old August 8, 2018, 12:32 PM   #109
pblanc
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 23, 2008
Location: Indiana
Posts: 697
I now belong to a club that allows the use of target stands that can be set up at any distance up to 100 yards.

I used to shoot at a public range that only allowed shooting from the stand and did not allow one to use target stands. The shortest range had target back stops set up at 25 yards, so that was the shortest distance one could shoot at if one followed the rules.

I have shot at a number of private indoor ranges that have mechanical target followers that can be positioned anywhere up to 25 yards.

I am not a very good pistol shot at ranges of 25 yards or greater. I don't plan to hunt with a handgun, so 25 yards would seem to me to be about the maximum plausible range that I might be forced to shoot a handgun in self-defense. Most of my handgun shooting is geared toward self-defense so I typically shoot at ranges anywhere from 3 yards to 25 yards, but probably 75% of the time I am shooting at a 7-15 yard distance.

As for what is a good group size for a Glock 20 at 7 yards assuming good ammo, I would say one ragged hole would be very good. I certainly know shooters who could accomplish that in slow fire. Obviously, rapid fire would be different. For myself, I would probably be happy if I could keep all the shots within a 2 1/2-3" group shooting free hand.
pblanc is offline  
Old August 8, 2018, 11:25 PM   #110
COSteve
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 6, 2009
Posts: 1,344
All my shooting is at longer ranges in keeping with my motto of, "Aim small, miss small" so I shoot pistol at 25-50yds minimum and rifle at 200yds minimum.
COSteve is offline  
Old August 9, 2018, 12:29 AM   #111
Cirdan
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 2, 2013
Location: Tahoe
Posts: 360
The indoor range I go to only goes out to about 35 feet. I used to shoot at 21 feet (7 Yards), which some consider "self defense" range. In other words, most self-defense shootings are much closer than that.

Finally decided that was too easy (blowing out the x ring), and I wasn't improving. Now I shoot at the max.
Cirdan is offline  
Old August 21, 2018, 11:17 AM   #112
texgunner
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 3, 2006
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 247
On paper, 7 to 15 yards. On steel I'll shoot out to 50 yards.
texgunner is offline  
Old August 21, 2018, 12:02 PM   #113
LineStretcher
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 14, 2018
Posts: 619
If your handgun is your personal defense weapon then I suggest 5ft, 15ft and 21ft. You can and should know how you and the gun perform at greater distances so you'll learn your limitations but I would not be overly concerned with anything beyond 25 yards. Hunter guns like my Super Blackhawk can easily shoot accurately to 100 yards but it is not what I would consider a personal defense weapon. I also do not consider my 1911 Kimber a good carry weapon but I do think it's a good backup home defense gun so I practice with it at the same distances as my Sig P238 .380 which is my primary personal defense carry gun.
LineStretcher is offline  
Old August 21, 2018, 05:04 PM   #114
gwpercle
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 30, 2012
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Posts: 1,735
The older I get , the shorter the range has become.
Back in the day...25 and 50 yards !
Now that I'm old , blind in one eye and half blind in the other , the range is down to 7 , 15 and 25 FEET !!!!
Getting old is tough !
Gary
gwpercle is offline  
Old August 27, 2018, 10:28 PM   #115
warnerwh
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 11, 2009
Posts: 329
Almost always yards. I have spent time at 50 and 100 yards but very little. No defense shooting for me. I think I will have no problems at such close range in defense without sights even. I have spent quite a number of hours point shooting though and defense shooting is boring to me.
__________________
Portland, Or
warnerwh is offline  
Old August 28, 2018, 07:37 AM   #116
mrdaputer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 14, 2013
Posts: 493
I shoot at a outdoor range and use my metal targets at 25 yards or more to be on the safe side
mrdaputer is offline  
Old August 28, 2018, 10:46 AM   #117
LineStretcher
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 14, 2018
Posts: 619
My local indoor range has automated targets that can be set at any distance. The self defense class there uses 9, 15 and 21 ft. The class is taught by active and retired Reno PD and Sheriff's. I was there the other day and they were teaching 6 rounds slow fire at 9 ft then 12 rounds slow fire at 15 and finally rapid fire at 21 ft. Max rounds per mag was six to teach mag changes. They didnt teach timed sessions which I do to up the stress level a bit.
LineStretcher is offline  
Old August 30, 2018, 07:21 PM   #118
Ben Dover
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 11, 2013
Location: High up in the Rocky Moun
Posts: 665
I shoot at 5, 7, 10 and 15 yards. Mostly at 7.

Targets are large variety of "realisitc" Speedwell. These are pictures of actual people. Most that I use are "Hostage" targets requiring headshots.
__________________
The soldier's pack is not so heavy a burden as the prisoner's chains. Dwight Eisenhower

It is very important what a man stands for.
But it is far more important what a man refuses to stand for.
Ben Dover is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:16 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.07670 seconds with 10 queries