Your best shot with a handgun intentional or not

I took a 1951 S&W K22 Masterpiece to the indoor range for the first time. Sent the target down 10 yards and stood and shot one cylinder of 6 shots freehand. The first 5 shots were in a perfect star pattern in the bulls-eye and the 6th shot hit right in the center. The guy in the lane next to me had been watching and said it was the best shooting he had ever seen. Me too. I just thanked him for the compliment. I have never done it before or since with that gun or any other. Never even close. A complete fluke.

Only other case. I had bought a Colt 1911 in 1980. The first time I ever shot it (or ANY 1911) I was at my grandmother's ranch in Colorado and hit a prairie dog at about 50 yards with my first shot.

Was shooting at a buddies that had farm land behind his house. Seen a running pheasant that was 125yards behind the spinners we were shooting at with my 22/45, and took a pop at it, well....

Posted the story here before I think. Shot a doe at 140 yards offhand with a Ruger SRH 44 Mag, red dot sight. The bullet went through her chest and through the head of another doe behind her. Half skill and half luck?
Same gun I shot a buck through the heart at 180 yards and a doe a week or two after at 230-240 yards breaking both front legs then killing her soon after.
A 240gr XTP over 24 gr H110 was the load for all.

Not really with a hand gun, per say, but I had a handful of rocks in my hand once when I was in high school. A mean blue jay that lived in the tree next to my house was flying over. I threw the handful of rocks at it and shot it out of the air. It used to attack my dogs, for some reason. I kind of felt bad, but was also kind of impressed with myself.

My buddy rang steel at 200 yards in the Arizona desert outside Gilbert with my 7.5" ruger redhawk shooting 240gn magtech SJSP loads, aimed with a Williams firesight fiber optic front & rear regulated for 25 meters.

We were both very impressed, he neglected to take a follow up show and I couldn't beat him and so I had to buy the beers lol

I've watched this thread since it started and hesitated to mention my personal best handgun shot (been a LE firearms instructor for a while, try to keep my ego in check, just 'cause they pay me to go to the range, it doesn't make me special, indeed, we've got lotsa officers can outshoot me easily on my best day now). One day, we put up our bad guy silhouette targets, quals were out of the way early, I was trying to find a fun drill to kill time, and I told the class we were going to do a "Can you make the shot drill?" and try headshots -- one shot -- from 50 yards (with our 9mm and .40 pistols) -- after running from the 100 yard line to the 50 to get the adrenaline pumping. A couple of the guys actually got hits on the head area (barely) but then demanded I show them how it was done. With a S&W M&P, I nailed a head shot -- after the 50-yard dash -- almost dead-center between the eyes. Absolute, pure, sheer luck, a once in a lifetime shot for me, but I've been living off that shot for the past twelve years or so ...

So my instructor days are drawing to a close, but I'll never demo anything again, ever.

@SC45-70

Shooting brass with a .22 is my jam. 25 or so paces is my optimum range. One of my best shots was splitting a .22 case, miraculously I found both halves. I probably have 500 shot cases. My local desert shooting spot is BLM land and even the "local" brassers knew when they had found a case I lost.

My best shot ever was 216.4 meters. Camel snus can. I put 4 clay pidgeons around it so I could see it. Took me 33 shots, and I busted 3 putts 4 clays but I got the sumbetch.

:edit: shots were done with a 3 screw ruger single 6 two handed, freehand, standing and cci ammo.

I hit a old cooler with a lorcin 25 from 25 pace's. Probably couldn't do it again. But hey I was impressed that one I hit the thing and the gun actually cycled.

I once knocked over a steel plate at 50 yards with my detective special in front of about 5 witnesses. It probably was just luck but the witnesses were impressed

Have two…years ago…pretty sure I wasn’t driving yet. Long story, but in a nutshell I hit a 2 liter bottle at 100yds offhand with a Ruger Blackhawk 44mag on a bet…twice on the first shot…father won $100. Second one, while working as an RSO…the range just closed, a buddy of mine had been shooting and bet me a drink I couldn’t hit a 12x18 silhouette at 250yds offhand…second shot made solid contact, the first shot actually hit the post.

I once made a 150 yard shot on a 7" gong with my glock 23. I was shooting with my girlfriend and after doing that I packed up

I killed a Turkey with a Colt Python with iron sites at a little over 100 yards measured. It was an intentional shot but I'll admit Luck played a big part.

I don't have any lucky long range shots to talk about. Best shot on game was a head shot on a raccoon in the top of a big Iowa barn when I was standing on the ground floor and my hunting partner had a maglight focused on that coon. Done with my trusty Single Six. Had other similar but that one stands out in the memory bank.

Milk jugs at 100 yards.

Not particularly special or amazing, but memorable to me.

Back when I was still learning my fundimentals of pistol shooting I was having a poor day at the range, was kinda all over the place with my 1911 and, I believe at the time, my SR9c.

So I decided to set a new target, at 10 yards, grab my 220 and really bear down on sight picture and trigger.

First shot was the exact center of the x, perfect.

Decided to just call it a day at that point.

My best shot was really more of a best group than best shot. It has been several years ago but a member of another forum I frequent posted a challenge. The challenge offered options. The options were to shoot 5 shots on a playing card from a field position. 25 yards centerfire pistol, standing off hand, 50 yards rimfire rifle standing or kneeling, 100 yards centerfire rifle standing or kneeling. The object was to get people to shoot without a rest & see what they could do. I tried it with all my handguns but was unsuccessful. However I have an old Dan Wesson model 15-2 that I bought from a pawn shop in the 90's for a whole $100. I slowed down focused & shot my 5 shot group at 25 yards. When I went to check my target I had one shot perfect center on the card. The other 4 were all touching just below the bottom edge of the card. I may be wrong but I think the centered shot was my first shot. I believe after the first round of .357 spanked my hand I flinched a little on the other 4 shots. I am impressed not by my ability but by that old Dan Wesson. I find myself wondering just what kind of accuracy it is capable of. I don't believe I do it justice. I didn't try it again with that revolver. It is really difficult for me to slow down that much.

I have a couple. The first was the very first round I fired out of a Kimber ultra carry at 25 yards dead center. The other happened while working at an indoor range. One of our customers had managed to shoot a ceiling light. The florescent bulb had fell on two of the target lines and rested about 20-24 yards down range. I bet a coworker that $5 that he couldn't shoot the bulb off the lines. He took aim and sent 8 rounds of 10mm from his S&W 1006 down range. No effect. He then challenged me to make the shot. I was wearing the Ultra Carry from above. I lined up my sights pressed the trigger. The bulb broke in half and came off the line. I was thinking of sending it back to Kimber to have the top end replaced because it had an external extractor and I prefer internal extractors for 1911s. (Its a cosmetic thing for me.) Well after hitting the side of a fluorescent bulb over 20 yards away I scraped the idea of changing anything on that firearm.

I'm with Armored farmer's thought that if you shoot enough you are bound to get lucky at some point. There have been several shots that I'll not forget in my lifetime, below are 2.

- 4 of us had just gotten started walking the sage for bedded deer. A coyote ran down a draw and up the other side, moving pretty good. My first shot hit just in front of its nose and it did a 180, hauling butt back for where it had come. Upon the second shot it somersaulted and lay still. My friend ranged where it lay, 192 yards. FA in 454, 260 gr @ +/- 1,725.

- A friend and I had parked and were walking the 1/2 mile or so to a new rabbit spot that he had found. About halfway there, he realized he had forgotten his ammo and had to go back to the truck. I sat at the top of a swale where I could see some area. Nothing was moving, but after a while I saw something sitting in the angled sunlight across the swale that looked rabbit like. I held over a foot or so (didn't know about raising the front sight yet) and let one go. To my surprise it fell over and that pop of a good hit came back. This was before rangefinders and pacing would have meant some down and up, so I don't know how far it was but am thinking around 150 yards. 3 screw Blackhawk in 357, 125 gr @ +/- 1,625.

I was sitting on the back porch drinking coffee one morning when I lived in New Mexico. A coyote came to the fence and was bothering my two labs (both female). I whistled to the dogs and they came running over. The coyote moved off a bit and started howling (at 9:30 am mind you). I drew my Wilson Combat CQB and put a 230 grain Black Talon through both shoulders of the coyote, at 53 yards, without spilling my coffee.

Did a 50 point 5x 5 shot group unsupported at 25 yards on a B27 with a BFR in 480 Ruger launching 415gr LFN @ 1200+ FPS when we took daughters newish boyfriend shooting for the first time. Does that count?

Many years I had a Colt 1911 Gold Cup 45ACP. Some friends had stopped by. I had put an apple on top of a small box about 50yds away from us out in a corn field for us to shoot at. Did a fast draw from a holster thumbed off the safety and fired a shot and the apple exploded. Re holster my gun and really enjoyed all the compliments on my good shooting. I was impressed also as I couldn't shoot all that well with that gun. Factory ball ammo as I remember. Only time I can say I got lucky with a hand gun. No if we talk rifle's I've got some stories for you.

Deleted. Not handgun shot. Sorry.

I've read every post....

No spectacular handgun shots that I can think of...

BUT... I hope ever shot is intentional!!!