150 yard hit with a 9mm pistol?

[rocinante]

Saw this in the paper this morning. Is it possible, just pure luck, or as usual the report is screwed up?

http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/gwinnett-cop-returns-fire-306993.html?imw=Y

 

[kanook]

Is it possible, just pure luck,

If the officer trains and know his sidearm, it is possible

 

[garyr]

Sounds like the shots were fired 150 yards from the car but it doesn't say how far the actual shot was.

 

[TCB in TN]

Yes it is quite possible, have shot plenty of pistol out to 100-150 yards, not going to hit exactly what you are aiming at, but you can get pretty close. Hitting a 2ft square at 150yds is pretty doable.

 

[rocinante]

Sounds like the shots were fired 150 yards from the car but it doesn't say how far the actual shot was.

That is a more plausible reading than my first take. There was a chase and the officer wasn't 150 yards away.

 

[Legionnaire]

Yes, very possible. At one of the handgun training courses I attended, the instructor had us shooting at IPSC targets at 100 yards. We were allowed to rest our forearms on the bench. I held over the head of my target with a Glock 23 and my spotter told me I missed high. I then aimed at the head and dropped the next four shots center of chest. The point of the exercise was not to train us to shoot at that distance, but simply to demonstate that if you use your sights properly, a short barreled, short sight-radius handgun is plenty accurate to hit at that distance.

 

[Yosemite**Sam]

Not that hard to do when no one is shooting at you. A 150 yard hit with a handgun while under stress and after pursuing a suspect is impressive.

 

[lions]

Sounds like the shots were fired 150 yards from the car but it doesn't say how far the actual shot was.

I agree with this. The article worded that pretty poorly IMO.

They also seem a little short on basic facts. How do they not know this information?

...hitting the man -- possibly in the head...

...probably with his department-issued 9mm Glock handgun.

 

[chibiker]

I don't think it was a "150 yard shot" at all.... the man ran, the cop chased him and when they were 150 yards away from the car the BG pulled a gun and the officer returned fire. More than likely the cop was almost on top of him. Why would a BG fire at a cop 150 yards away? For the most part he has already gotten away. Why would a cop shoot back at that distance? Spray and pray? Nope, no long range super marksman juju going on here.

 

[627PCFan]

No serious news reporter uses the term "probably" in their write up.

 

[Warhawk83]

The officer's shot wasn't 150 yards. The BG turned and shot when he was 150 yards from his car.

 

[wishin]

Yes it is quite possible, have shot plenty of pistol out to 100-150 yards, not going to hit exactly what you are aiming at, but you can get pretty close. Hitting a 2ft square at 150yds is pretty doable.

Unless you're aiming at the 2 foot square target!

 

[Wildyams]

I like how they say the shot hit him "possibly in the head" don't you usually just find out where the blood is coming from and that EXACTLY where you hit him?

or maybe the confused his head with his a.. well, you know what I'm getting at

 

[Texas Gun Person]

Very doable to hit something like a... man size target at that range.

 

[BCCL]

I agree that it's more likely they were "150 yards" from the car, and not that this shot was 150 yards, but it is possible to hit a human size target with a handgun at that range, although in a real life shooting situation it would be harder than a target shot on a range.

I've twice hit bowling pins at 100 yards on a rifle range with a 4" .357 magnum, but it took 3-4 shots each time, and there was a dirt pile behind them that was letting me know where my missed shots were hitting.

A human at 150...could be done, but wouldn't want to have to try it for "real"!!

 

[xXxplosive]

For what it's worth........some years ago, I was standing with a fella that took a shot at a full out running deer with a 12Ga. Against my advisement he was determined to make this shot. I told him to aim 3' over the deers shoulder......he flat out dropped this buck on a dead run broadside with a single shot from a 12ga Rem 870 and a Win. 12ga. Slug. I stood there in amazement and then paced off 232 yards to where the deer dropped. They were still talkin about it a week later in the local sports shop I visit.

The point is the round will get there......you just have to put it there.

 

[elrod]

Sure, the shot is possible, just not very probable. Makeable, just not very repeatable.

 

[JEB]

The officer chased him, and when the man got about 150 yards from the car, Kelly said, he drew a handgun from his waist and fired at the officer. The cop shot back, hitting the man --

the suspect was 150 yards from the car not 150 yards from the officer. they did not discuss the distance from the officer the the suspect at the time of the shooting so we have no idea how far the actual shot was.

 

[Jim K]

Regardless of the actual distances in this particular case, it is quite possible to hit a man at 150 yards with a pistol shot. I used to carry a 3" barrel Model 36 and practiced enough that I could keep all my shots in a silhouette target at 100 yards, firing double action two-hand hold. FWIW, you don't "aim over the target", you bring the front sight up until its base is even with the top of the rear notch. The front post is always on the target, not at some vague point in the air.

Jim

 

[lions]

Here is a pic of what Jim Keenan is telling us:
The basics anyway.
Take note of the second from the left.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Is it possible, just pure luck

Yes, it's possible and isn't even that hard.

Consider this, I'm 70+ with old eyes and somewhat shaky hands and this is what I do at 100 yards, standing, two hands, when using compact handguns.
Any reasonably decent shooter can keep all shots on a man size target at 100 yards.

100 yards.


CZ82 (9x18)








With the 2 inch S&W J Frame I do only get about 50 percent hits though.



Heck a couple weeks ago I introduce my friends to shooting a foot square steel target at 52 yards. The first time that they had ever shot past 15 yards. They seldom missed. (the target is the white square on the white post)
The steel rang.

 

[RobMoore]

http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/72c72579fd35.jpg

Stick that front sight post covering the bottom half of the red dot, THEN it will be proper sight picture for a combat/police gun. The one pictured is only good for one set, known distance.


While the shot in the story was most likely at 25 yards or closer, 150yds is very doable with a proper handgun.

There is an compressed air tank (about 10-12 inches wide, 4-5 feet tall) standing at the 200 yard line at one of the ranges I go to. I can hit it at-will with my P229 in .357SIG.

 

[Free2game]

If you look on youtube there's a video of a guy who hits a steel target at 230 yards with a glock 27.

 

[M2 Carbine]

FWIW, you don't "aim over the target", you bring the front sight up until its base is even with the top of the rear notch. The front post is always on the target, not at some vague point in the air.

Exactly.

Although, sometimes, depending on there the shots are hitting I'll do such as aim at the right shoulder, etc.

 

[JWF III]

The officer chased him, and when the man got about 150 yards from the car, Kelly said, he drew a handgun from his waist and fired at the officer.

Not a 150 yard shot, the way I'm reading it.

On that note, a 150 yard shot is possible with a 9mm pistol. All it takes is a steady hand and lots of practice at that kind of range.

I have 2 BHPs that both have tangent sights, graduated to 500 meters. I haven't tried it with the older Nazi stamped one. But with the newer "Capitan" model, at 120 yards, I can keep about 50% in a torso sized target. Only tried a few mags at that range, but I was impressed (or lucky) to say the least.

Wyman

addition-

No serious news reporter uses the term "probably" in their write up.

Isn't that what is called an oxymoron? (Especially at the AJC.)