Now We Can All Go To Bed With Our Tail Between Our Legs

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I get frustrated shooting distance shots, I can shoot at a 10" steel plate @ 100y with my glock 19 that I shoot all the time and would say am most proficient with and miss 12 out of 15 times but pick up a buddy's commander size 1911 .45 and hit it 5 out of 7. I don't shoot 1911's often either because I don't own them anymore and haven't owned one in years. I don't get it. It confounds me.

I used to like to shoot my G20 10mm @ 100y and could hit pretty good with it. I don't think I have ever attempted to shoot any pistol beyond 100, but it'd be cool to become skilled at long distance handgunning.


I'll still take my Glock over a 1911 but this ain't that kind of thread :D
 
When I shoot a pistol at long range, I use a technique described by Elmer Keith. Hold half the front sight over the rear sight, and place the target on top of the blade. Using this technique, I put 7 out of eight in the black of an NRA 50yd target with a 9mm Walther P1…at 100yds.
 
A trick....
Use a sharp pencil to make a thin mark on your front sight.
Use the thin mark as your aiming reference.

Aim small, miss small...
I aim at pock marks on metal plates. Not the whole plate!
 
Ok, 220 yards is close to the 200 meter Ram target for IHMSA.

His target looked around 12" to 16" wide. I did not catch the gun, but a 10mm would have the potential for reaching out that far. Hitting hard enough to reliably knock down a Ram would be iffy, but he was just going for a clang, not a score on a Ram.

With my 7 TCU load (~3 MOA), and holding as steady as I can from a Creedmoor position, I do good at keeping 9 of 10 shots in a 12" circle in optimum conditions. When I shoot standing at 200 meters, some of my shots hit within 6" of the center. People shoot 357 Mag heavy bullet loads successfully in IHMSA. If there is a decent wind blowing in your face, getting a "ringer" instead of a knock down does occur.

If his gun is "good enough for IHMSA" for 200 meter accuracy, it might be able to keep 10 of 10 in a 6" circle (~3 MOA) from a rest with zero wind. So what we saw is plausible provided his gun was "good enough for IHMSA" and his aim for that one shot was "just right" (aim point within say 6 MOA of perfect).

What would be be truly impressive would be 3 consecutive "fast draw" hits. I do not plan to "hold my breath" waiting to see a follow up video with 3 straight.
 
At Hale Mountain in Shaftsbury Vermont back in the 90's we would have fun shoots with our Contender pistols 10 inch barrels and in our Unlimited 14 inch barrels at a chicken target at 500 meters. We shot Creedmoor style and I hit 2 out of 5 at that distance. 7MMTCU 140 grain 1905 Sierra. So we did it for fun and it wasn't that hard to do. Some guys hit three. We were in our prime and routinely shot 40x40, 60x60 scores at normal ranges. Not bragging, it just happened that way.
 
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I was at an informal steel shoot up in WY some years ago... we were all shooting levers or single-shots out to 1244yds. A lull in the action, I decided to pull out my 4" S&W 57 in .41MAG and take a poke at the 500yd target. Shooting seated, off my knees I was getting 6 for 6 hits on the roughly 4' x 4' target, once I figured out the range. Elmer had it right... just hold more front sight! I was putting the rear sight at the base of the front sight, and putting the top of the front sight at the left of the target. It seemed so easy... I was giggling like a schoolgirl.

Spend your life practicing any one thing and you will become very good at it.

That's true. And consider his guns and ammos are tuned, that probably helps, too. That is not discounting his mad skillz, however.
 
I was never an Elmer fan and read little of his writings. I just carried over what I learned about windage and elevation as a kid shooting a 22 rifle over to pistols when I started shooting them. Elevate the front sight and put it at the bottom or the middle of the target, your preference. Many a jackrabbit and prairie dog met it's demise using that method.
 
We have all had a day in the sun like that. Could I duplicate those shots as he did? Maybe one out of a hundred. Maybe.

My two one-off bests involved a bit of skill, mixed with a good dose of luck.

One time a couple years back I hit a small jar of Tannerite at about 120 yards with a 6.5” 629 shooting .44 Specials on my first shot. (Used the Elmer trick, too!) Sadly, the jar broke open and spilled the Tannerite because it didn’t have enough velocity to set it off. :(

Second one involved a group of guys I used to work with, one of which was slowly blasting away with his new AR at clays set on a bank about 45-50 yards away. He missed, and missed, and missed. Guys were breaking his chops as he kept missing the clays. After about 15 straight lemons I walked over to my truck bed and picked up my Garand, popped in an en bloc, and as he was still peppering away with the last of his 30 shots I fired my eight shots pretty quickly… scoring eight hits. :rofl:

I did not buy beers at the bar for quite a few rounds that night. :thumbup:

Again, we all have days where the bullets just go where we will them… but for me its not as often as I’d like. ;)

Stay safe.
 
We have all had a day in the sun like that. Could I duplicate those shots as he did? Maybe one out of a hundred. Maybe.

My two one-off bests involved a bit of skill, mixed with a good dose of luck.

One time a couple years back I hit a small jar of Tannerite at about 120 yards with a 6.5” 629 shooting .44 Specials on my first shot. (Used the Elmer trick, too!) Sadly, the jar broke open and spilled the Tannerite because it didn’t have enough velocity to set it off. :(

Second one involved a group of guys I used to work with, one of which was slowly blasting away with his new AR at clays set on a bank about 45-50 yards away. He missed, and missed, and missed. Guys were breaking his chops as he kept missing the clays. After about 15 straight lemons I walked over to my truck bed and picked up my Garand, popped in an en bloc, and as he was still peppering away with the last of his 30 shots I fired my eight shots pretty quickly… scoring eight hits. :rofl:

I did not buy beers at the bar for quite a few rounds that night. :thumbup:

Again, we all have days where the bullets just go where we will them… but for me its not as often as I’d like. ;)

Stay safe.
I agree. If you drill proper mechanics. You can pull off some unbelievable things on a good day. My best day was breaking 7 of 7 clays at 100 yards with a Nagant pistol. Going 9-10 with my 22 pistol won me some beers.
He is on a whole nother level. But that's why he is what he is.
Comparing me to him would be like comparing a highschool basketball player to Micheal Jordan.
 
What would be be truly impressive would be 3 consecutive "fast draw" hits. I do not plan to "hold my breath" waiting to see a follow up video with 3 straight.



He's already proven in the posted video he can't do that.

I like Tim just as much as any other shooter but one has to wonder if there were no out takes or previous tries. I'm not saying thats the case but it does make one wonder.

Consider most pro's get shots on target from the draw on the clock at distances say 15yds and in, in what like a half second give or take.

I'm no pro but my fastest draw ever (from concealment, I shoot IDPA) was 1.7 seconds at 12yds and I was just barely COM. And I could not back it up. I average 2 - 2.25 seconds on that same drill to be consistent.

I have no doubt Tim is actually doing it, it just seems crazy that he does it cold and then isn't able to back it up. Makes one wonder if either luck or warm ups weren't in play. Who's knows?

Still impressive.
 
WINDAGE AND ELEVATIONAGE

I was never an Elmer fan and read little of his writings. I just carried over what I learned about windage and elevation as a kid shooting a 22 rifle over to pistols when I started shooting them. Elevate the front sight and put it at the bottom or the middle of the target, your preference. Many a jackrabbit and prairie dog met its demise using that method.

I've been using the term "elevationage" for years, but someone corrected me and I started to use the semi-official word "hightage." However, I'm having an argument with a buddy, who feels the best term to parallel the side-to-side "windage" word would be the up-and-down term "gravitage." So, paralleling the phrase "Kentucky windage," would the correct usage for this technique be "Kentucky gravitage?"

He also uses the term "distanceage" for the range.

Help me here. Which is correct?

Terry, 230RN
 
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We had a rifle range, 100 yard target stands, 200 yard target stands, and the end bench had a 16' deer stand, with a 300 yard 8" gong,

I shot mostly from the deer stand on the gong. Shooting holes in paper gets boring.

I arrived at the range and a group of 4 was shooting pistols at an egg perched on top of the post for the gong.

Watched them, while I was unloading. $1 shot and 1st to hit the egg got the pot.
I walked over and asked if I could take a shot? They laughed, "1 shot?" I said, "yep"
One of them looked at the 1911 on my belt, "with that?"
"Yep"

"OK, pay up."

Laid my dollar down. Drew my 1911 and took aim. I'm thinking, "OK, stupid, now what?" I take a deep breath and squeeze.
Felt like it took 5 seconds from shot to egg disappearing, but less than 1 second.

Lots of cheering and astonishment.

$28 in the pot. I pick up and decide to leave.

The one doing all the talking says, "$100 to $1, you can't do it again."

Well, I know I can't. It was miracle the first time. So I look him square in the eye and say, "$200 to $1 and I shoot .38 Spl 2" barrel Double Action." Show him the S&W Chief Special.

I'm thinking, "**** Idiot, you used all your luck."

He calls my bet, lays the money down, as his buddy gets back from setting a small egg on the post.

I sit at the bench, sweating like crazy. Steady the little Chief on a sand bag and slowly squeeze. I had never shot it over 25 yards, but always double action. I had it staged at almost full cock and raised the sights. Holding steady, I decided to raise the muzzle some more.

The shot cracked and we all gasped in amazement. The pole rang, with strike of the bullet and egg shattered.

He called "miss". 1 of his buddies called, "hit" and got a glare. The other 2 remained quiet.

I loaded up left, $26 ahead.

NOW, I regularly shoot at 25 yards, no more.
 
May I but touch the hem of your robe?

I'd'a called that second one a hit if I didn't have a C-note riding on it. Hell, you got the lateral sighting right. Back in the day when 1" groups out of a hunting rifle was borderline miraculous, I won a handshake bet on hitting a dime-sized magic marking at 100 paces with my ancient Savage .223 Rem rifle with 14" twist (53 grain SX bullets) and a 12X scope.

Nowadays, with various improvements in riflery, getting only a 1" group means there's something wrong with the rifle.

Terry, 230RN

REF:
Luke 8: 43-48 KJV
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke 8:43-48&version=KJV
 
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I've generally considered myself an okay shooter. Some of the videos are pretty spectacular though we don't know how many takes and re-takes were involved. Don't get me wrong here, I know there are people who have the skills to do amazing things. Heck I have witnessed some in person that I would have made anyone blush telling the story (like going 7 straight hits with a 1911 on golf balls sitting on a 100 yard berm in rapid fire one-handed bulleyes style & another breaking 6 clays he hand threw in a stack with his Super Eagle :what:) that were straight up talent, not luck.

Me, I'll take the lucky one-off's and be quite happy knowing it worked even if I cannot likely repeat it.
 
When I shoot a pistol at long range, I use a technique described by Elmer Keith. Hold half the front sight over the rear sight, and place the target on top of the blade. Using this technique, I put 7 out of eight in the black of an NRA 50yd target with a 9mm Walther P1…at 100yds.
but all sites different height and trajectories are not the same
 
True, but you learn to judge how far above the rear sight you have to hold the front sight for a particular load / gun at a particular random distance. The real problem is judging how far away that rock is. I did a lot of that random-distance shooting while wandering around the Pawnee National Grasslands and Roosevelt National Forest. Now I ain't bragging about hits, but I sure scared the heck out of a lot of unaware rocks.

Good general practice, not focused on any particular tactical situation. Sort of like exercising with situps. What practical use is there in being able to do 60 situps in any realistic situation? Just general toning, like shooting rocks at random distances.

Terry, 230RN
 
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We have all had a day in the sun like that.

Yep.

My brother bought a discount Winchester pump shotgun some years ago... a kit with a rifled slug barrel. We were out at the 100yd outdoor range... I set one bowling pin out at 100yds. Guy next to me sees me pull out the shotgun and load a slug into it. He says 'There is NO WAY you are going to hit that!' Me, all full of myself, threw the shotgun to my shoulder, lined it up, and pulled the trigger. The slug blew the pin in half and drove it halfway up the berm. Now... I'd never fired this shotgun before, let alone sighted it in with slugs. In fact, that was probably the first slug I'd ever fired. This shotgun was an oddity, too... it would 'help' you cycle the action using recoil somehow, even though it was a pump. I fired that slug... and staggered under the recoil, and worse... that frikkin action came open like a semi-auto! I'm not sure which surprised me more... the recoil or the spontaneous cycle of that action, but it wasn't nearly as surprising as the guy next to me that stood there with his jaw on the ground.
 
This shotgun was an oddity, too... it would 'help' you cycle the action using recoil somehow, even though it was a pump.

My Mossberg does that. What happens is you are unconsciously holding the forearm with a toward-the-shoulder force. But when the gun recoils more rapidly than the backward-pushed forearm can follow, it sort of "stays in the same place" with respect to the rest of the world while the gun is moving backwards with respect to the rest of the world.

This unlocks the action.

But then, since you are still pushing backwards on the forend, the remaining backward force you're putting on it with your hand pushes the now-unlocked forend back, most of the time far enough to actually eject the shell. Surprised me, too, first time, with heavy recoil 3" loads.

"Señor, what the hey?" I asked.

It's sort of halfway like bump-firing a semiauto rifle, where recoil resets the disconnector, so it fires the next round in imitation of a full-auto firing.

Terry, 230RN
 
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