What is your "usual" distance for pistol shooting?
- Thread starter McHoss
- Start date
3 feet to 25 yards for me too (3 feet from retention) for those inclined to laugh - don't knock it until you've tried it, it's ... different, but quite instructive regards blast and distraction. Just for fun, run some drills like this: at 3 feet, draw to retention and while keeping the slide forward fire one (you may need to do some research on this to avoid owies), rack and fire again, then, while backing up, under a timer and getting good hits, continue shooting and keep backing to 3 yards while maintaining fire and extending your press out until empty. Easy, right? Should all be 10's. After all, you're only ten feet back at the end.
Excellent!
It's the type of drill that grows with you too. When you can shoot it clean at 3 yds, move back to 5 yds. Try it with different pistols too.
I've shot it clean at 3 yds with both my .22 and 9mm, but only the .22 at 5 yds.
You may also notice patterns. Dot 3 and 4: Draw on 3, second shot on 4. So dot 3 is DA with my guns and dot 4 is SA. My .22 DA pull is HEAVY, over 12lbs. My 4-shot group on dot 3 is lower than my 4-shot group on dot 4. It shows I'm allowing my sight picture to change pulling that HEAVY DA pull. I need to work on that.
Drills like this make some people laugh at the short distance, but the reality is these drills can offer a lot to people with open minds. Enjoy!
Still alive
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Rainy mosquito infested part of BC
8.5" x 11"
Dots should be 2". It's called Dot Torture for a reason.
If you want a worse torture, try the Haley Strategics target for the Venti drill. They are only 1" vs the 2" for Dot Torture.
My favourite range has a steel target stand at 10y that has 3 4" plates that swing side to side when hit. I find I spend most of my time on that rather than paper these days. I try different patterns, like top L bottom R bottom L middle L then R then top R then 2 on hanging steel at 15 yards, drop mag, repeat. Stuff like that. Not exactly bullseye stuff but I'm much more agile moving from target to target than I used to be. Burns up ammo though.
I generally practice defensive shooting. Nothing passed 15 feet unless I'm just ####in' around. From a holster, sub compact pistols, quick shots, reloads etc.
If I'm shooting my CZ or other pistols that I have just for the range then I'll stretch it out a bit.
If I need to use a gun at any kind of distance it'll be my AR.
Pistols are for carry and home defense. What's the longest distance in your house?
If I'm shooting my CZ or other pistols that I have just for the range then I'll stretch it out a bit.
If I need to use a gun at any kind of distance it'll be my AR.
Pistols are for carry and home defense. What's the longest distance in your house?
You shooting paper 200 yards away with a pistol regularly? I gotta try that.
That's why I said I mess around a bit with my CZs and other pistols I don't use for defense. I mainly wanted to present the opposing argument to the people scoffing at 3m distances. I'd rather be able to draw and defend myself than be a master at 50m.
15yds & 25yds with centerfire handguns and up to 50 with .22 target pistols. 15yds is my standard for sighting in, and testing different ammunition. Like a lot of the others said, a lot of my shooting is done moving, and from varying distances. Too bad you can't take handguns varmint hunting as hitting gophers with a .22 pistol is challenging at distances past 25yds.
I like to shoot at the middle to warm up, but I normally stay there but I will shoot at the gong {pie plate size)
at the hill side and normally hit it but I have yet to try paper at that distance. I am still green at this and do
not shoot a 5inch group but I am getting better every time I go out.
at the hill side and normally hit it but I have yet to try paper at that distance. I am still green at this and do
not shoot a 5inch group but I am getting better every time I go out.
Attachments
Depends on which pistol. Most people that have never shot handgun metallic silhouette tend to see handguns as short range shooters. When you start banging rams at 200 meters consistently, it opens your eyes up some. I don't shoot silhouette competitively anymore, but still have my 10" barreled Dan Wesson .44 Mag. and like to shoot our 12" 100 yard gong at the range which I can hit consistently shot after shot. I have even used my 9mm CZ SP-01 Phantom at 100 yards on the gong and can hit pretty consistently with it as well.
For normal paper punching, 15 to 25 yards is my norm.
For normal paper punching, 15 to 25 yards is my norm.
New Camper
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lurking in the woods near SFRC.
Distance depends on what I'm trying to accomplish and what I'm shooting. Short answer: 3-100yards. Service pistol practice will typically be from 3-35m depending on the exercise but occasionally shoot further. Pistols and revolvers fitted with appropriate sights 5-50: I've shot 22 target pistols (<6" barrel) at 100yards though the groups cover a standard piece of paper.
