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Thread: What distance do you shoot from?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Sasquatch-1's Avatar
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    What distance do you shoot from?

    When I go to the range I constantly see the majority of people going to the 5 to 7 yard line to shoot their handguns. I believe this is a result of concealed carry courses. I normally try to do most of my handgun shooting form 15 yards or further.

    I am just curious of where the majority of the members here shoot from.
    A vote for anyone other then the conservative candidates is a vote for the liberal candidates.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    I think the further out you practice the better. You learn where your combination of pistol and ammo will group.
    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government..... When the people fear their government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people, there is liberty." Thomas Jefferson

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    15 yards is good for me too. I like to change it up some when practicing, 5 to 7, 15 and 25 yards all work for me.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy 35isit's Avatar
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    .22s normally 25 - 100 yards. Centerfire 50 - 200 meters. I don't get much time to shoot up close. I shoot a lot of silhouette. On July 31 I'm going to try .22s at 50, 100, 150 and 200. Centerfire at 200, 300, 385 and 500.
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  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    Heavy stuff, like that .44 Magnum, 25-50 yards, others , I change it up , like previously mentioned, 5,7,25,21. Keeps it interesting.
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  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    I’ve shot hundreds of thousands of handgun rounds over the last fifty years. I doubt that even one tenth of one percent were fired at less than 25 yards. Most of my shooting is at 50 yards and out. I personally can’t see any point of practicing with a handgun at 3, 5, or 7 yards. It seems like a waste of time and ammo. I spent years shooting silhouette and steel plate competition and my belief is that if you can hit the target accurately and fast at twenty-five yards you shouldn’t have any trouble hitting it fast and accurately at any closer distance.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master
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    For CCW work, I shoot 3-25 yards. For my hunting guns I shoot 50 to 100.
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  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    I think that a lot of folks limit themselves to SD distances - based on my observations - and I guess that's fine if all you practice is for .

    Im mainly a SA revolver shooter - 38s, 357 and 45 Colt. I have always mixed it up - lots of odd yards and with the 45 Colt, I often shoot at 50 yards and even beyond. It teaches you to "learn" your handgun - where it shoots with a particular load and how to adjust your sight picture - POA as opposed th POI - i.e. "Kentucky windage".

    Why? Because I never saw a woodchuck or other critter that would sit exactly 10, 25 or 50 yards away. The same with using a handgun - such as a 22, to hunt tree rats. When I was a kid, I used to hunt bunnies with a '51 Colt Navy revolver, and the distances were never the same.

    I see nothing wrong with someone shooting at set distances if that is what they like to do - if you are going to hunt though - it just seems natural that you practice at odd and varying distances and learn just how your gun and load perform.

  9. #9
    Depends on what I am shooting and why.

    Am I replicating defending myself or my family from 10 feet with a 40 S&W or am I shooting at "something" at a fast food restaurant, bank, mall etc.? Is it strictly defensive (short distance) or maybe a little offensive ( a little further away) but still in a defensive position? Has it turned into a firefight?

    So many questions, so little time.

    Best to keep current from the belly (point aiming) all the way out to 50 yards so you can learn your own limitations with what you are shooting.

    With my 44-40 revolver.....and shoot out to 100 yards...

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    I do most shooting for IDPA practice around 10yards to 15 yards and do some at 25 yards but when shooting .44 Mag I like 100 yards and some times 200 yards.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    My first serious center fire handgun was a 44mg SBH. At the time we shot mostly 50 to 100yds. It seemed a waste to shoot at short range. Mostly varmit hunted since Ohio had no handgun season for deer back then. 22s we shot out to 40yds.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy memtb's Avatar
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    We’re also guilty of shooting our carry guns at around 7 yards. For several years, I've had plans to put about 20 yards of road-base ( blend of sand, clay, and very small gravel) in front of our 300 yard backstop to facilitate easy brass recovery from the semi-autos!

    My hunting handguns get use at 100 yards, and the .223 Rem. Contender gets stretched out beyond 100 yards! memtb
    You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel

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  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master

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    When I was competing ( NRA High Power and Long Range) I would drive 45 mins to a range that had a 600 yd practice for the 1/2 hour on the line to test loads rifles and practice.I normally shoot center fire rifles at 200 yards rim fires at 50 but they do get stretched to 200 occasionally. I like tp shoot as far as possible as I think the feed back and gathered info is more accurate.

    Hand guns get shot from 7 yds to 50 yds again here are some excretions ( my contender gets worked out to 200 yds) depending on gun and caliber. A sub compact in 25 or 32 gets shot 7-15 yds mostly tho my little sig 380 gets worked to 25 its really an accurate little gun with very good sights.

    My BPCR rifles get worked at 200 yds but in matches they go out to 500 here.

    How far you shoot depends on whats available to you ( most 1000 yd ranges are military and only open to civilians during scheduled matches) How confident you are and the firearms themselves. Around here there arnt many clubs with ranges to 600 yds a few with 200 tds and most 100 for rifles, This limits what can be done. At the farm we could shoot catty corner and get 900 yds. A local deputy stopped one day and ask what I was shooting t i told him the target was back at the woods He asked have you even hit it yet grinning. I told him I had just finished a 10 round test string lets go see. We got back the Target scored a 98 7 x /100 10x He looked back at where I was firing from and mumbled If I hadnt seen it I wouldnt believe it. was shooting my nm m1a with iron sights

  14. #14
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
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    25 yard minimum for handguns for load development. After load development 50 to 200 yards with a proven load. Few things in this life are more satisfying than hitting a gallon jug or Tide pods container full of water at 200 yards with a .44 from the seated backrest position. Extra credit if there are black rifle shooters doing 50 yard mag dumps present.
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    Since I can no longer walk the hills to hunt and was never good enough with a handgun to hunt effectively, I practice for defense.
    The distance from my bedroom door to the front entrance door is 24 feet(8 yards). I practice at 10 yards because that makes an 8 yard shot seem easy.
    I make sure to work with all my handguns so I am instantly familiar with the controls on all of them.
    I will occasionally fire shots at 15-25 yards to make sure I can hit a man sized target at those distances if needed outside.

    I always start with small bullseye spots to train for accuracy and end the session with a silhouette. It shows just how practical my shooting is and gives me confidence in making the shot in my expected defensive situation.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master



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    usually 25 yds for 35 and 44 calibers. If I can consistently hit a tin pie plate at that range I'm happy. Sometimes I will try at 50 yds.
    usually 15-25 yds for .22 caliber
    Death to every foe and traitor and hurrah, my boys, for freedom !

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Hi...
    I shoot at two different gun clubs.
    Both have handgun ranges from 7-25yds plus rifle ranges from 50-200yds.

    I shoot steel plates at one club and paper at the other, because they won't allow steel plates. All my handguns get shot out to 25yds off the bench and unsupported out to 25yds.
    The big bores(.41Magnum, .44Spl and Magnum, .45Colt and .375Supermag, .357Maximum and my S&W 686 Silhouette Model.357Magnum get shot out to 200yds regularly.

    I am picking up a BlackHawk in .30Carbine this Saturday and plan to shoot it out to 200yds as well, if I can find a die set to use to reload for it.

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy
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    Looks like I'm in with the rest of the responses. If it's 3-4" bbl on a semi-auto, I'm usually in the 7-10 yd range with a SD mindset. When I get out the larger pistols I'm at 25-100 yds trying to get the accuracy for hunting. Practicing with a 7.5" SA 44mag at 7 yds seems kind of pointless, but it is my gun of choice on the nightstand. I don't shoot competition and realize that's a whole other mindset.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    My indoor range has a 50 foot handgun range, and an underground 100 meter rifle range. I used to sight in my hunting handguns in the rifle range at 25 and 50 yards. Then the AR "pistols" showed up. They can't be used in the pistol range because they shoot a rifle cartridge. So their owners showed up with AR pistols and red dot sights at the rifle range and hit everything but the targets. They broke target carriers, fluorescent lights, and even conduit. So, no more handguns at the rifle range.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master 243winxb's Avatar
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    Handguns 25 50 yds. 2" snub 25 yds. When younger, 44 mag 100 yards. All iron sights.

    Seen people shoot at 3 yards. DOT TORTURE.

    https://pistol-training.com/drills/dot-torture

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