Revolver Accuracy - Short & Long Range

[Blackhawk]

I have a buddy at work that keeps telling me that he'd find it hard to believe that I can ever get good enough to hit a concrete block at 100yds, with repeated success with a revolver. We've got lucnh bet on it, but I have yet to even shoot my pistol, so he's in the lead, for the moment. I have a Ruger Blackhawk Hunter but in 45 Colt so a scope could be added if need be but I don't have the funds at the moment. I did pick up a box of Buffalo Bore 260gr JHP's this past weekend so I hope to do some shooting soon.

So what kind of accuarcy can yall shoot, on a pretty much regular basis? And at what distances do you normally shoot from, hunting ranges included? Anyone shoot at 100yds much?

Johnny

[horsesoldier03]

I would sight in on paper at 25 yards starting out. Then check where my bullet lands when shooting at 50 yards. Then check again at 100. Once you know your trajectory, I would think it would be relatively simple to walk the bullets onto the target at 100 yards within a 6 shot cylinder. Concentrate on a good shot group first and foremost, then adjust your shot group where point of aim and point of impact are the same. You may want to adjust to where your shooting 3" high at 25 yrds or so.

[JReed]

The farthest I have shot targets at with my 7 1/2" Ruger Vaq in .45colt was 50 yards off a rest. Took me a few rounds to find the hold over with the fixed sights but once I had it sighted I produced 5 shot groups in the 5-6 1/2" range mind you this was off of a rest. Your Blackhawk should do a bit better because of the adjustable sights. I see no reason why you couldnt hit a cinder block @100 with a bit of practice and a good rest.

[Blackhawk]

My general practice distance is about 25yds with a 5½ Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt. But for nothing more than wanting to get familiar with it I want to use the Hunter with the 7½ barrel. My targets look more like patterns than a nice group.

Here are some printable targets if anyone is looking.

http://www.targetz.com/index.htm

Johnny

[Blackhawk]

I forgot to add, no rest can be used. Must be standing on my hindlegs. Still think I can do it w/a little practice.

Anyone else try something like this?

Johnny

[JimT]

Paco and I set up targets at 150 and 200 yards, shooting with our backs resting against the front wheel of my truck, resting our arms on our upraised knees.

My best group at 150 yards was just under 4". I don't remember at this late date what the best was at 200. I think somewhere around 8". That's for 5 shots.

I do recall that there was about 2 feet of drop difference between 150 and 200 yards with the way my gun was sighted.

We used 4 x 8 sheets of plywood with a black aiming point at the top of each sheet. That way we could measure the groups and see what the difference in drop was between various loads.

A cinder block is not too hard a target at 100 yards .. IF YOU PRACTICE. If you only run a 50 or 100 rounds through the gun now and then ... well ... good luck.

[AmBraCol]

I forgot to add, no rest can be used. Must be standing on my hindlegs. Still think I can do it w/a little practice.

Anyone else try something like this?

Johnny

Last year in Raton, NM I saw several guys whangin' away at a rock that was laser ranged at about 585 yards - standin' on their hindlegs and "shootin' like a man".

I'd suggest you back off and practice with a bit lower powered ammo than Buffalo Bore while you get used to the pistol. You WON'T hit it with a horrid flinch. It will take some time and practice, but it's definitely doable.

Find a load your gun likes and practice with it. I shot 192 out of 200 on a 25 meter slowfire target with my pellet pistol last month. If I could get that level of accuracy out of a centerfire handgun then I've no doubt that I could smack a cinderblock at 100 yards.

Come to think about it a bit, I was shooting a softball sized rock at 100 yards with my Taurus 431 in 44 special last year, once I had the sights figured out. A cinderblock would have been toast.

[JimT]

I forgot to add, no rest can be used. Must be standing on my hindlegs. Still think I can do it w/a little practice.

Anyone else try something like this?

Johnny

Johnny - there's a lot of "riflemen" that couldn't hit that block while standing up... unsupported.

As I said above, it can be done .. and a lot more .. IF you put the time in. I watched my dad on more than one occasion take down the 200 meter rams, standing, offhand, double action. Rarely missed one. In front of a crowd of witnesses.

He regularly put 30,000 or more rounds a year through his sixgun.


Dad with Coues Deer - 1989

[cutter]

My wife and I enjoy shooting at 50 yard gongs, but will ocasionally shoot at clay pigeons at one hundred yards.

She shoots either a commander sized 1911, or a CZ-75. I usually use a fullsize 1911 or a SAA. We both can score three out of ten hits.

The most fun we have is when we use our 'his and hers' Walther P22's!

It's really fun , and challenging, shooting clay pigeosn from the hip at that distance, some times one of us will hit one!

[S.B.]

My 629-4 Smith & Wesson classic will hit bowling pins 8 out of 10 times at 100 yards? Your Ruger will probably do just as good?

[JReed]

Blackhawk
Levergunner


Joined: 07 Sep 2007
Posts: 24

Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:56 pm Post subject:

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I forgot to add, no rest can be used. Must be standing on my hindlegs. Still think I can do it w/a little practice.

Anyone else try something like this?

Johnny

The reason I usualy use some sort of rest is I have an over active caffine addiction. Anything can be done with time and effort Practice Practice Practice.

See now I am gonna have to lay off the coffee and start working on this myself.

[dgr416]

I sold my Dan Wesson 32 Mag ISHA pistol last year.It shot 1" groups at 100 yards.This year I bought a pair of Dan Wesson 32 mags.One has a stainless muzzle breaked 8 " barrel .It will shoot around an inch all day long at 100 yards.I want to try to shoot it further out.They are consuctive # and one is a pistol pack .

[AmBraCol]

I sold my Dan Wesson 32 Mag ISHA pistol last year.It shot 1" groups at 100 yards.This year I bought a pair of Dan Wesson 32 mags.One has a stainless muzzle breaked 8 " barrel .It will shoot around an inch all day long at 100 yards.I want to try to shoot it further out.They are consuctive # and one is a pistol pack .

Dan Wessons, good guns. Back in the mid 80's a friend of mine sold guns. He'd let me take the trade ins out and shoot them because he knew I'd bring them in clean, looking much better than when they left. He took in a 6" DW in 357 mag. I don't know what size groups it would shoot, but it'd stay on an antifreeze bottle at around 100 yards. I always wished I'd bought that gun, never have found another like it.

[Terry Murbach]

READ SIXGUNS BY KEITH FOR THE PRIMER ON LONG RANGE PISTOL SHOOTING.
WE ROUTINELY SHOOT OUR PISTOLS AT FROM 60 TO 250 YARDS. ONCE YOU LEARN THE SIGHT SETTINGS IT IS FAIRLY EASY TO DO AND IMPRESSES THE RIFLE BOYS TO NO END. I HAVE HIT POPCANS AT 250 YARDS; MISSED A BUNCH OF 'EM TOO.

[86er]

I shoot a RSBHH, 7 1/2" 45 Colt. I am using 300gr Cast Performance at around 1290 fps. Off the bench with the scope, I regularly get 2 1/2" groups at 100 yards. I can keep them in 5" off the bench using shooting sticks or a makeshift rest. With the open sights I can keep an 8" group at 100 yards off the bench. I don't shoot past 75 yards on game with open sights on this gun. The scope is sighted in dead on at 100 yds and the iron sights are sighted in dead on at 50 yards.

[Old Savage]

This is the best I have done at 50 ft. offhand with a K22. Best 6 shot group according to my notes at 25 yds was 1 1/2"" with a Model 24 44 Spl. with 12.6 gr of 2400 and a Nosler JHP. Best 5 shots at 50 yds was 2 13/16" with 3.9 gr of WSL and a 240 SWC. That last group was like shooting a 22 in the Model 24 6 1/2". I was shooting up to 1200 rds. per week back then.

[Slick]

I shoot a Ruger Super Blackhawk Bisley Hunter in .44 mag with a 2-6x scope and would not have any problem at all hitting a concrete block at 100yards (from a rest).

I'd say to be sure and stand the cinder block up vertical and make sure you've practiced (and sighted the gun) at 100yards, so you can go out and make the shot cold. You didn't mention if using a rest was permitted or not - but using one will definitely improve your odds. A scope would also help since the open sights might be a bit coarse for the shot.

[Old Savage]

I also had New Frontiers in 7 1/2" in 44 Spl and 45 Colt and a 25-5 S&W in 6" that were about as accurate. Notes on groups are very similar. With the 25-5 I used a 200 gr SWC with 6.0 of Red Dot

Now why did I go and get rid of those guns? Oh yeah , to buy rifles.

[Borregos]

Revolvers can be very accurate out to pretty long ranges with the right loads. First gun I used standing in IHMSA silhouette was a 7 1/2" Ruger SBH in 44mag, once I found the load it liked and I got used to it I could get a fair number of the rams at 200m. Loaded right down to around 900fps with a 205gr cast bullet it still groups well at 100m. Good luck, you can win that bet

[Sixgun]

Like Terry says, long range shootin' with a sixgun is no big deal. Like Elmer Keith said, its the true test of ammo and revolver. I regularly shoot out to 200 meters and it takes little effort to hit a 10" gong 4 out of 6 times with regular production Colt SAA's, Ruger SA's, Smith DA or any quality sixgun. This is of course using the Keith method, (sitting down with gun drawn up between the knees) or using a bag off the bench.

When you get out to 300 meters and beyond, hitting regularly requires a cartridge with 1200 fps or better, good set of sights along with quality ammo. Yes, slower velocity bullets will get out there but consistency leaves much to be desired due to rainbow trajectories and other variables.

At our club we have a silhouette course out to 500 meters. (547 yards) Chickens at 200, pigs at 300, turkeys at 385, and the rams at 500. There are stationary steel silhouettes at each distance. My favorite for 300 meters and beyond is a 10 and 5/8ths Smith 44 mag. with 260 gr. Keith SWC's, and a 10" Ruger 357 Maximun with 180-200 grain jacketed silhouette bullets, with both guns loaded to 1300-1400. Once you get to know your gun, you can lob 'em in like artillary rounds with amazing accuracy and consistency. No 2 legged enemy would be safe . It helps a bunch to have a spotter at these long ranges as you usually loose the sight picture of your target in the recoil.

And no, I would not even think of shooting at a deer longer than 75 yards away, maybe 100 if everything was perfect while not being rushed. Predators are exceptions---any range goes.

Try it sometime--its a blast, and a fun way to kill an afternoon and 3-400 rounds. Rocks are my favorite, with steel coming in second. Find an area that is safe and you can see the dust come up from your misses. In one afternoon of practice, you will be hooked and can't wait 'till your next outing. Bring a couple of leverguns with 'ya also--you will really be amazed how accurately a 1000 fps 400 grain bullet out of a 45-70 will do out to 500 meters and beyond---------Sixgun

[Dave]

I think you should be able to do it especially if you turn the block so it is long side up and down. The first person I ever saw shoot a pistol at 100 yards had iron sights and a Super Blackhawk. He put five out of six shots into an 8" bullseye at 100.
If you just use the fundamentals of marksmanship and have your gun zeroed, you should hit.

[Marlin .35]

I shot IMSA with a Ruger SBH in .44 Mag. Besides being a gang of fun, I got pretty good at it. I then got a Ruger SBH stainless, with a 10 and 1/2 barrel and that was the cat's meow!!! You can do this with a little practice. Your friend will be buying dinner!!! Good Luck!! Art

[Grizz]

I forgot to add, no rest can be used. Must be standing on my hindlegs. Still think I can do it w/a little practice.

Anyone else try something like this?

Johnny

You absolutely can do it. Start out however close you want to, 10 yards, 30, whatever you're really comfortable with, and gradually, over weeks of shooting, open the range to 100. It's about sight picture + muscle memory. It's about knowing where the bullet is going to go at the exact instant the sear releases. That's just a lot of shooting OVER TIME so that it becomes part of your system, your muscle system, your vision system, your nervous system. It gets organic when you've done enough of it.

Grizz

[Ysabel Kid]

As stated, all it takes is time and money (time for the practice and money for the ammo!). The gun is certainly capable of consistently hitting a cinder block at that distance!

[JerryB]

Blackhawk, I have no doubt that with some good practice time you can hit the 100 yard block easy. You don't need a heavy load to do it either.I load 7.8 grains of Unique with a 255gr semi-wadcutter and I can hit at 100 yards consistently. My .45 is a plain Colt SAA I bought in 1959 and just started long shooting with it back then and kept it up.It is really something that most folks at the range think a handgun is for up close.Just spend your time in practice and it will come to you. Good luck.

[Fungus Sam]

Blackhawk, I have to jump in here. Several years ago, as a novice pistol shooter, I was amazed to watch Jim Taylor and other friends shoot their single actions at 100 and 200 yards. I didn't think it possible to be accurate at those ranges. However, with lots of practice and thousands of rounds later, I can tell you it became easier and easier. I primarily shoot Ruger BH .45LC with bullets I cast. The key is good mentoring from someone who knows how and LOTS of practice. Jim and have stood on the pistol range at the Whittington Center and picked out rocks slightly bigger than a concrete block, but at 320-350 yards on the mountain side and walked bullets in. We could get to the point where we would connect with 2 out of 6. Keep practicing and you'll get that lunch from your friend. Tom

[Comal Forge]

Furthest I every fired a handgun was with a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Mag (iron sights) across my knees while seated and leaning back against a pickup truck - this was 300 yds shooting at 55 gallon drums. I could usually put 4 or 5 rounds into one but I'm not sure I'd call it a "group".

I had a 1911 Colt Series 70 .45 that I could consistenty hit soda or beer cans with at 50 yds and slightly beyond using Jeff Cooper's stance with a two handed hold. I could often beat guys with .22 rifles if we were all shooting offhand - a two handed pistol hold is pretty stable in certain situations.

Cinder blocks at 100 yds would not be a stretch with some practice.

[Andrew]

I put 12 shots inside of 7" w/a Ruger Single Six in .22LR at 50yds from the bench. That doesn't really actually say much because that is the only instance that I have ever sighted a pistol, ever. I don't have enough pistol/sixgun/handgun experiance to make any conclusions.

But I beleive your friend will be paying up though, after some practice w/ your sixgun.

[Blackhawk]

I can see that I need to get my reloading closet cleaned out and setup a day to do nothing but reload. I've got plenty of cases, bullets & powder now I need to come up with the time to do it.

This bet has been on the table for quite some time now but both have kinda forgotten about it. I realized yesterday when someone mentioned their Ruger Blackhawk Hunter that I had one that was bought new and stashed away until I could get back into reloading. I think now is the time to rekindle that fire.

On a side note, what kind of holster do most of yall use for a 7½ barrel? With or w/o a scope?

Johnny

[AmBraCol]

On a side note, what kind of holster do most of yall use for a 7½ barrel? With or w/o a scope?
Johnny

Johnny, check out http://www.simplyrugged.com for your holster needs. It depends on if you want a concealment type or something else. Contact rob@simplyrugged.com and he can put you in touch with the folks at Grizzly Tough (or something like that) for a non-leather type hunter oriented holster.

As for your bet, I'd suggest you lay in a supply of 250 grain slugs and some Unique. Load 'em up and have at it. Once you get confident with that level of power, step on up to the same slug over a dose of 2400. I've never had time to work past 2400 under a 300 grain slug, but some folks move on up into the magnum range with H110 or 296. Still, with practice, the 250 over Unique will put you on that cinderblock at 100 - and do some impressive damage to it too.

[Hobie]

The very first time I tried to shoot the military "E" silhouette at 100 yards with a repro cap-n-ball revolver I was able to do so with 5 of 6 rounds. The first round hit just in front and I adjusted my hold.

Once upon a time, when I was much better practiced and had some spare time and issue ammo with which to play while awaiting trainee arrival, I did a neat trick. I used a issue .45 M1911A1 to make a full mag of hits on a 200 meter silhouette at the auto-rifle range I was running. Some 100 witnesses. I'd just finished getting the range with that gun and they filed into the bleachers and I did my little demo by way of telling them they ought to be able to do as well with the rifle... Never ever tried to repeat that!

Yes, I was inspired by Elmer Keith!

[ceb]

I regularly hit 4" steel plates at 50yds with my 4 5/8 Ruger SBH 44mag. That leaning against a tree with the gun over my knees. Back in my younger days with better eyes I used to be able to keep 3 or 4 rounds out of five from a 2" J-frame Smith .38 on a IPSC target at 100yds. Ain't tried that in a while. You can do it with a bit of practice.

[cubrock]

A cinder block is not too hard a target at 100 yards .. IF YOU PRACTICE. If you only run a 50 or 100 rounds through the gun now and then ... well ... good luck.

+1. Listen to JimT. There are few pistoleros more experienced than he is and he won't steer you wrong.

[Blackhawk]

I can hit a milk jug at 25yds with my Blackhawk that has a 5½ barrel. Though I don't recall ever stretching the distance out any further than that. Might get the job done with that pistol, but might as well throw the other into the mix as well.

IIRC 7 or 8 grs of Unique was what I was shooting with my last reloads, using 255SWC's.

I'm gonna take a picture of where I reload, or I should say where my press is to give yall an idea of what "tight space" is. I have a Fender Twin Reverb amp, 2 guitars, a duffle bag full, etc, etc all in my closet where I reload. Should be more effort to move the junk than to reload cartridges!

[Old Ironsights]

I have a buddy at work that keeps telling me that he'd find it hard to believe that I can ever get good enough to hit a concrete block at 100yds, with repeated success with a revolver. We've got lucnh bet on it, but I have yet to even shoot my pistol, so he's in the lead, for the moment. I have a Ruger Blackhawk Hunter but in 45 Colt so a scope could be added if need be but I don't have the funds at the moment. I did pick up a box of Buffalo Bore 260gr JHP's this past weekend so I hope to do some shooting soon.

So what kind of accuarcy can yall shoot, on a pretty much regular basis? And at what distances do you normally shoot from, hunting ranges included? Anyone shoot at 100yds much?

Johnny

Depends on a lot of depends on.

When I had my 6" Casull with the .45 ACP cylinder installed I could CONSISTANTLY (4+ out of 5) hit an 18" gong at 185yds offhand.

Of course, in that gun there was almost no recoil and the flight time could be measured with a sweep-hand stop watch, but still...

[AJMD429]

With my 4x scoped 14" Contender .223, a 2" group is easy at 100 yards, but that's not really a "handgun" - just a very compact light rifle.

With a 8" barrel .357 and light loads - maybe 4" from a rest, twice that offhand.

With a 3" barrel .357 and hot loads - maybe 30" offhand.

So - depends on the gun and load. If you want to win the bet, use a low-recoil load and practice a bunch. I see guys with .700 Behemoth Magnum revolvers who could surely kill an elephant, but likely not actually hit one beyond ten yards.

It doesn't take EXTREME practice though, my 13 year old son has probably fired less than 300 rounds through a .45 1911, but he can hit a 10" gong 5 of 7 times with it at 75 yards standing. Unfortunately for my ego, I think he's just inherently a better shot than I am.