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Thread: What distance do you shoot from?

  1. #21
    Boolit Buddy


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    I shoot anywhere from 5 yds. to 100 yds. Usually 25 yards and under with CCW guns. Target shooting usually 25 yards and up depending on the sights. Occasionally at the club a few of us will shoot snub-nose 38's, off the bench, at 100 yards just for fun.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
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    There is a huge emphasis on self defense these days and scads of new gun owners. “Dot Torture” is more of a gun handling than marksmanship drill, there are lots of similar exercises out there on the Internet. They believe God smiles down on the shooter who accomplishes a 2 second “Bill Drill” with a $1,500 Roland Special.

    Shooters around here (Castboolits) tend to be older and most have probably stood in a classic bullseye stance and shot a B-21 target one handed at 50 yards in days of yore. Different strokes and all that…

    In my humble opinion, a well rounded shooter should be able to draw from concealment, shoot an IDPA target clean while moving at 5 yards with a serious carry gun AND hit a 200 yard ram from prone with a serious hunting handgun.

    Really, it’s what tickles your trigger finger.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master
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    These days it's 25 to 100 yards. Only time I ever burned up much ammo at spitting distances was as an LEO....43 years ago. When you can cover all 5 or 6 rounds with just the palm of your hand shooting fast DA, at 3-10 yards, without using the sights, it seems a waste to continue to burn up ammo at that distance.

    When we owned our farm and I was raising beef I had two ranges out to 500+ yards. One was 519 and the other 512 measured with a Bushnell laser range finder. We would set up my steel buffalo targets anywhere from 100 out to the full distance. After reading a lot of Elmer Keith and Ed McGivern and practicing it was surprising...and a heck of a lot of fun...to assume Elmer's sitting hold with the revolver braced between your knees and hit an 18 X 24 inch target at 300 and 400 yards until it got boring. I never got that good at the 500 yard mark but 3 out of 5 rounds from the cylinder, on target, was pretty regular. Open sights and cast bullets. Probably couldn't hit a barn door from the inside like that today. I still do pretty good at 100 and sorely miss those two 500+ yard ranges. I did learn if you're going to have consistent success at long distances you better practice a lot, at least I better. That's another of those learned skills that drops off fast.
    "In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'

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  4. #24
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    Handguns 25-100 yards…………rifles 100 yards and beyond!

  5. #25
    Boolit Master FISH4BUGS's Avatar
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    I shoot up to 200 yards with iron sights.
    Let me explain: we have a 24" steel plate set out at 200.
    Yes, i can hit it.
    One out of 6 with some regularity. 2 out of 6 on a good day.
    It really is a miracle with my old eyes but most of the shots are close anyway.
    You should try that sometime. It is not as difficult as you might think.
    Bench rest on folded a towel.
    I have a 3 screw Super Blackhawk 44 mag that is a tack driver with cast lead gas check bullets.
    Collector and shooter of guns and other items that require a tax stamp, Lead and brass scrounger. Never too much brass, lead or components in inventory! Always looking to win beauty contests with my reloads.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master 358429's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sharps4590 View Post

    assume Elmer's sitting hold with the revolver braced between your knees and hit an 18 X 24 inch target at 300 and 400 yards until it got boring. I never got that good at the 500 yard mark but 3 out of 5 rounds from the cylinder, on target, was pretty regular. Open sights and cast bullets. Probably couldn't hit a barn door from the inside like that today. I still do pretty good at 100 and sorely miss those two 500+ yard ranges. I did learn if you're going to have consistent success at long distances you better practice a lot, at least I better. That's another of those learned skills that drops off fast.
    Wow that's really awesome.

    Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

  7. #27
    Boolit Buddy
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    I practice at the distance the gun will most probably used at. Small carry guns 15yds out to 25. General field guns (revolvers mostly), whatever the distance is from my tractor seat down to the ground, guessing about 2 to 5 yds. Some of you may be laughing your heads off, but try hitting a target the size of a field mouse at a down angle without practicing. Windage is not the problem.
    Irons on hunting revolvers I limit myself to 60/70 yards on game but out to 150 for kicks. Scoped handguns are 100 yds which is the longest hunting distance I will encounter.
    The most fun we have is a walk-about with our field guns, see a likely target stop and shoot. Could be a bright yellow leaf, or a snake sized stick at many different angles or a pine cone, this type shooting will sharpen your skills. Do not discount the short shots as easy. Three to ten feet in front of you and a stick at 90 degrees is the most often missed. Not by much but still a miss.
    This thread has got me to wanting to go kill some pine cones.
    Tony

  8. #28
    Boolit Bub white cloud's Avatar
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    I shoot snub revolvers at 25 yards and larger pistols at 50. I used to shoot NRA Bullseye so anything less seems like wasting ammo.

    A visit to my local public range will clear up any misconceptions about the current state of marksmanship. I see people snickering when I pull out a 6" .357 revolver but it seems to stop when I start hitting the black at 50 yards. Many at the range need a bucket of bullets to hit one of those zombie targets at 15 yards.

  9. #29
    Boolit Master


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    Mobility is somewhat limited.

    I practice with handguns from contact distance back to 25 yards. Almost always from the holster, against a timer. My goal is 2 seconds for accurate shots on a 3x5 card.

    Out to 15 yards I can manage that 90% of the time. As I move back I either lose the accuracy or increase the time.

    At seven yards I can usually manage to draw and put two shots on that 3x5 in 2 seconds or under.

    I'll shoot my rimfire rifles at 25 yards if I'm managing the targets. 50 if I can find a gofer.
    NRA Benefactor.

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    There is an accuracy drill that I like, though you need wide open and empty space to do it safely. Toss or drop an fired shotshell a couple of yards in front of you, and shoot it without using the sights. Keep bouncing it around and driving it farther from you until you can't hit close enough to bounce it again. I could hit it out to about 25-30 yards with every pistol I owned.

    Used to do this when I lived in North Las Vegas, in the early 80's. The wide open spaces I used then are covered with houses now. Don't have any place like that here, now, either.

    Bill

  11. #31
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    I have never hunted with my handguns. If I wanted to I only have one handgun that is/was legal in Illinois, my 357 magnum. I do shoot from 25 yards with it sometimes. Other than that our handgun practice is for self defense and we stick to Illinois distances, 5, 7, and 10 yards going to 15 sometimes. I can shoot my pistols from further out but my wife has neck problems and she can't shoot for very long before it causes her to loose accuracy.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master
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    I tend to shoot the way I would in the field. With a pistol that usually means standing unsupported or supported (wall/tree). Distances 15 to 50yd, most at 15yd. Can I hit targets further? Yes. Just don't practice it much.

    I scratched the long range pistol itch when I had my Contender. No desire to do it again.

    90% of my shooting these days is rifle, 200-1000yd.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master

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    For handguns I practice from 15 yds to 100 yds depending on the handgun and the purpose.
    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  14. #34
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Now that I've developed Glaucoma , gone blind in my right eye and half blind in my left eye ...I've gone from 50 yards to 50 feet and the next range trip I'll have to shoot at 50 inches .
    Don't let anyone tell you how great getting old is ...they are Lying to you .
    Everything on you stops working and them danged pills don't work ! Trust me.
    Certified Cajun
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    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  15. #35
    Boolit Master
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    I like to start with handguns at 1000 inches. That lets me know that myself, the firearm and my ammo are working. Then I go to anything. That's the nice thing about being in the country.

  16. #36
    Boolit Grand Master



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    It depends what gun I am shooting. My Ruger LCP 380 is shot at 21 feet to 50 feet. My XP-100's are shot out to 500 yards. My bullseye guns are preferred at 50 yards but if 25 yard is all that is available that is what they are shot at.
    2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. - "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

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  17. #37
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    Texas by God's Avatar
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    The walking and plinking at odd natural targets at unpaced ranges is fun- and good exercise. And doable with all my handguns. On my range, I'll shoot magnum revolvers up to 100 yards, but mostly 40 yards or less for the rest. I don't have any hand rifles( the old nickname for XPs and Contenders).

    Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

  18. #38
    Boolit Master

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    Depends on the range I'm on at the time. At home my max distance is 35 yds in the backyard. When I was in Afghanistan for work (17-21', or few weeks ago) anywhere from 5m-300m with my Glock 17.

    CD
    De Oppresso Liber

    Irag: 91,03,04,05,06,08,09',15', 16',22-23'
    Afghanistan: 09,10,11',14',17'-21'

  19. #39
    Boolit Buddy
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    I shoot mostly Cowboy action so here we shoot mostly 7 yards for handguns with the emphasis on speed, some clubs have huge targets up close and personal and although i would take advantage of that if it was a competition like everyone else would, I wouldn't make it a habit at my home club at all as firmly believe the end result will be poor shooting on my behalf

  20. #40
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Texas by God View Post
    The walking and plinking at odd natural targets at unpaced ranges is fun- and good exercise. And doable with all my handguns. On my range, I'll shoot magnum revolvers up to 100 yards, but mostly 40 yards or less for the rest. I don't have any hand rifles( the old nickname for XPs and Contenders).

    Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk
    Well said and, it is fun!! Fortunately we have a trail through our place that's just short of a mile. Different sized rocks, something we have no shortage of, set on stumps make for fun and challenging targets and good field shooting practice. Field use constitutes 99% of my revolver use. The amount of time I spend in a city would be counted in hours per lustrum.
    "In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'

    The common virtue of capitalism is the sharing of equal opportunity. The common vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery

    NRA Benefactor 2008

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