Am I a good shot?

[Chrome]

Here are two targets at 7 yards off-hand probably 2-3 seconds between each shot. Forty shots on both targets of .22LR from a First Gen Ruger 22/45. Also, the black circle is 3 inches.

I always thought I was a decent shot, but today I was told that I "needed improvement."

Later,
Chrome...

 

[RNB65]

Am I a good shot?

Not really. But then, few of us are. At 7 yards a good shooter would should a single ragged hole in the paper maybe an inch or two in diameter.

Practice, practice, practice. You'll get better with practice and experience, but we all have our physical limitations. Not everyone was born with the shooting skill to be a marksman.

 

[newfalguy101]

"Good" yes, very good or excellent??? nope, tho neither am I

I went with yes considering its a 40 round group, with both targets being very similiar in overall size.............to me that says consistent, which is half the battle of being very good.

that being said, there is ALWAYS room to improve

 

[W.E.G.]

Thats a > 40 MOA group.

What do YOU think?

I'm pretty sure I would not want you shooting at me at 7 yards.

 

[Walkalong]

Tough crowd eh Chrome, but I have to agree, you need improvement, like most of us.

Check out this thread.

I voted yes. It is pretty consistent like newfalguy101 said.

 

[Geno]

Chrome:

Let me explain why I say "yes". I suspect that you have a factory pistol. The chamber may or may not be tight. You may not have tested al ammos to see which is the "sweet" ammo for your chamber and barrel. Also, and most important...the trigger. That model Mark II or III is not known for the most freiendly "target" trigger. Get some snap caps and practice your trigger pull, only about 10 to 15 per day...but make the count! Also, after you get your trigger under control, buy 5 different brands of ammo and shoot off the bench.

Avoid the $8.00/box of 50 ammo! For me, Remington Thunderbolt is assume! So is Remington Blue tab target. The Thunderbolt is .99c/50 and the target is $1.99/50. But, do not yet compare yourself to others...compare yourself to your own self! Strive to improve, and we must all, physically and emotionally. Repost in a couple of weeks. I dare say you will cut your groups by 1/3!

 

[MrBorland]

Am I a good shot?

First, I think it's great that you asked and are open to opinions.

I vote "maybe". If you're a new shooter and haven't yet checked out which ammo your Ruger likes, then I'd say you're off to a decent start. If you have access to other .22 pistols, say rentals at a range, you might try them. If you're significantly more accurate with them, there might be a problem with your Ruger, such as trigger, chamber, etc. I tend to doubt it, tough. Try different ammo. At that range, with the right ammo, I'm guessing the group size would tighten up about half an inch. And keep practicing.

If you're an experienced shooter shooting your gun's preferred ammo, I think you ought to be getting sub-1" at that range. Keep practicing.

 

[Chrome]

I actually ordered dummy rounds today after hearing that. They don't make "snap caps" in .22LR that I've seen.

This was using Federal 36 Grain, the "Value Pack." I paid $9.00 for a box of 550. I know it isn't high quality by any stretch.

I'm not trying to be perfect with a .5" group every time. I'm trying to get my groups down to 2" groups. That would make every round in the 9 or 10 ring.

Thanks to everyone for your input. Keep the comments coming, I've got tough enough skin.

Later,
Chrome...

**EDIT**

Some more background info. I've been shooting this pistol off and on for 4 years. I only started to shoot on a consistant basis about 3 months ago. I've made it to the range 4 or 5 times, I try to go more but with work and my senior year in college it's difficult. I have access to a Bernadelli target pistol that is my dads. I've shot it a few times and the groups are pretty similar, maybe a bit smaller on the Bernadelli. My 22/45 is pretty ammo sensitive as far as feeding reliably. It does not like the Remington Golden Bullets or, Winchester Wildcats. I plan on purchasing a few different types in the next month or so to see what I can do.

Later,
Chrome...

 

[glockman19]

From a rest @ 100 yards I group CCI mini-mag 40 grain .22LR through my 10/22 and fixed 3X scope in 1-2". With a pistol at my indoor range the same @ 7 yards is common with a Ruger Mark III to get everything in the X-ring.

Practice, Practice, Practice.

 

[Geno]

They don't make ".22LR snap caps"? Actually they do:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=213850

 

[Alphazulu6]

I think its an ok target, nothing to hand on the fridge or anything, but I wouldnt get all concerned. I would just keep at it

 

[Phyphor]

Good enough for a fight, probably.

Who cares what someone else thinks, are you proud of your own skill?

 

[BamBam-31]

A good shot can shoot coin-sized groups at 7 yds. (and not quarters, either).

Strive to get better, always.

 

[GRIZ22]

You need some work. At 7 yds even with lousy ammo the group, including flyers should be about the size of a quarter or smaller. If that were a 25 yd target it wouldn't be bad. Follow some of the advice here and you'll be shooting that at 25 yds in no time.

 

[MrBorland]

Don't know if your finances will allow it, but if you're interested in becoming a better shot, yet are limited to only getting to the range every 2-3 weeks, consider buying an air pistol so you can practice at home. If you can't shoot outside, my preference for indoor shooting would be an airsoft pistol (shoot plastic, not lead, ammo). In many cases, you can find an air pistol or airsoft clone of the actual handgun you'd normally shoot. They are really fun to shoot, and are great to practice with. Do a little research before buying one, though.

 

[MikeRussell]

Decide for yourself. This is a photo of my (then brand new) SP01 in 9mm and my Witness Elite Match in .38super. Shooting was offhand at 20yrds, about 2 seconds between shots. It was either 20 or 25rnds per target. If I remember correctly, the coin is about 1.4in in diameter...can't remember for sure.

I've had MUCH more practice since then (to the tune of about 6000rnds through the CZ).

 

[Baba Louie]

I always thought I was a decent shot, but today I was told that I "needed improvement."

I've been shooting for 40+ years and I'll be the first to tell you "I need improvement." When someone else says that to me I've learned to nod my head in agreement, mutter "Yup, lessee yours."

It's amazing how often I see targets from guys who, as my dear old departed Dad used to say "Can shoot a little."

Some guys have better eyesight than I do. No surprise there. Bifocals suck on the line.

Some guys have better muscle control than I do. Arm and back strength is good.

Some guys have better equipment than I do. Life's like that sometimes.

But that ain't bad shootin Chrome.

But you could use a little "improvement."

 

[Double Naught Spy]

You are a competent shooter, a decent shot, but you need improvement.

It is at this point we all say, 'Hi Chrome!'

Then the next guy gets up to speak, in this case, me.

Hi, I am Double Naught Spy. It has been just over 4 hours since I shot my last bad target, missing 9 heads out of 30 at 25 yard with a full sized 1911 in .45 acp.

Y'all say...

 

[mavracer]

not yet.but your off to a good start

 

[cdrt]

From an outdoor NRA Conventional Pistol (Bullseye) match in Dallas last year. Timed fire at 25 yards (10 shots in two 5 shot strings, 20 seconds per string) with a Clark .38 Special 1911 conversion. Iron sights, no red dot. And I still need improvement, cause I don't do it every time.

 

[Chris Rhines]

Most shooters go through life thinking that they are "decent" shots, because they've never been exposed to really good shooting.

You groups would be pretty good at 25 yards. At 7 yards, freestyle, shooting slowfire, you should be shooting one inch groups.

There are resources available for those who want to improve their shooting on this board, and elsewhere.

- Chris

 

[full metal]

Good enuff for self defense, but not enuff for a pro.
Me well I like to be called a pro.

 

[trueblue1776]

I voted no, 7 yards should be touching before you post targets on the internet. If that was a 25 yard group I would consider it pretty good. Don't feel bad, just practice more.

 

[Hacker15]

I shoot an XD 40 service model, a S&W Sigma 40VE, and a Ruger P97DC in .45 ACP for qualification twice a year (two of these are duty, one is a BUG). Standard police course (150 rounds per course, minimum of 2 courses, everything from 3 yards out to 25 yards, strong hand, weak hand, two hands, standing, kneeling, sitting, prone, moving, cover, open, tactical reloads and all timed). Shoot a standard B21 target, with a minimum qualifying score of 70 each for two courses. Routinely score 98+, so I guess I'm a good shot. Can I get better? Sure - I'm always shooting for 100.

Went through the standard police simulator with a guy shooting paint pellets back at the shooter. Scored 85+ on three passes through and hit him a lot more than he got me! The shooters were only able to score hits on the vest (I took 2 of them) while I had three triples and several doubles, and took my shooters down fairly well, so I guess my reaction times are still pretty good. One of the simulators is set up as a series of rooms, with a single 'perp' somewhere inside. The other is an urban setting, with two or more 'perps' somewhere inside the area.

It's pretty easy to punch holes in paper when the paper isn't shooting back - try your skills in the simulator setting and you'll get a whole new perspective on 'shooting well'! I know I did!

​

 

[M1 Shooter]

I'd say you are about average for a fairly new shooter from what I've seen at the range. If you've been shooting for many years, then I apologize, but you definitely need to work on your fundamentals of sight picture, trigger control, and breathing. My groups at 7yds are usually just one ragged hole, sorry I don't have any pictures right now, but I've fired literally hundreds of thousands of rounds (maybe even a million?) from pistols over the last 20+ years I've been shooting handguns. Just keep up the practice! Good luck and good shooting!