Am I Ready to Move Beyond 7 Yards

[94045]

Am I ready to move to 15 yards?
5 Rounds - .45 Shield at 7 yards (Slow Fire)
FAE 230 FMJ (Shoots a little left of my usual S&B).

I tried 15 yards at a roughly 1.0 second pace and got a group I could cover with my palm. Not great but not to the point where I would worry about missing a silhouette or B3 target.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I haven’t shot 7 yds in years. My range has 15 yd handgun bays so that is what I use. I don’t consider myself too good of a shot for 7 yds either. Just prefer 15.

 

[Waveski]

My close range magic number is 13 yards. You've spent plenty of time at 7 , a range I would only recommend for short little compact or sub compacts. Try 10 , then 15. And you might want to drift your rear sight a bit to the right.

 

[Pat Riot]

Sure. Go for it. When I practice it is usually at 10 yards, but at some point I set a target at 20 yards and shoot it. Sometimes it’s a little humbling but it’s good to change things around for practice.
Nice job on that target, by the way.

 

[94045]

My close range magic number is 13 yards. You've spent plenty of time at 7 , a range I would only recommend for short little compact or sub compacts. Try 10 , then 15. And you might want to drift your rear sight a bit to the right.

It shoots the FAE at least an inch left of the S&B FMJ and Fed LE45T1 I usually use.

 

[Waveski]

1 inch+ left at 7 yards is a pretty big deviation. No idea why 1 ammo would go left.
Don't use that ammo in that gun (said Captain Obvious...)

 

[94045]

1 inch+ left at 7 yards is a pretty big deviation. No idea why 1 ammo would go left.
Don't use that ammo in that gun (said Captain Obvious...)

Me either but it's obvious the FAE is considerably weaker than my usual rounds. The S&B feels essentially the same as Fed 230 +P despite being a standard velocity load. I've seen that in a rifle from barrel harmonics but with a 3.3" barrel at 7 yards that is odd.

 

[Dibbs]

If nothing else, it provides sighting perspective. IMO, changing target ranges makes you a more accurate shooter.

 

[ATLDave]

Am I ready to move to 15 yards?

Absolutely. You'll learn things at 15 yards you won't learn at 7. (And the converse is true for people who only shoot at 15 or 25 yards).

At 7 yards, most people can shoot just about as accurately with their eyes focused on the target and looking "through" the sights as they can with the conventional "hard front sight focus." At 15 yards, most people need to accept a blurry target and focus their dominant eye on the front sight to maintain real accuracy. And at 15 yards, it may be a little easier to see the real pattern/bias to any misses.

IMO, the only reason not to shoot at a particular distance is if you cannot keep your hits on the paper and, therefore, aren't getting any information on where your misses are going. Or, at serious distances, if the mechanical accuracy of the gun/ammo is insufficient and you're getting more "noise" than "signal" in the feedback. Setting those considerations aside, there is valuable stuff to be learned at basically every distance. And if you're paying attention, there's even more from setting up 2 or more targets at different distances and shooting them consecutively.

 

[WVsig]

Get out of your comfort zone.

 

[huntsman]

What’s your group at 6’ ? That’s what I was told to practice accuracy drills. After that distance I see no purpose in “slow fire” groups.

 

[alfsauve]

Get out of your comfort zone. Try 20-25yds every range session.

I'm shooting for 10 shots @25yds in 15 seconds with under 8" grouping. (GSSF indoor league)
I can practice at 10, 15, & 20yds but 25yds is the goal.

Another goal, based on Bianci Cup, is 6 shots @ 25yds in 8" group in 9 seconds from draw. I'm not close, yet.

 

[bdickens]

At 7 yards, most people can shoot just about as accurately with their eyes focused on the target and looking "through" the sights as they can with the conventional "hard front sight focus." At 15 yards, most people need to accept a blurry target and focus their dominant eye on the front sight to maintain real accuracy. And at 15 yards, it may be a little easier to see the real pattern/bias to any misses.

When I shot my CHL (we call it an LTC now) qualification, I didn't even use my sights at all until the 15 yard mark & still got a perfect score.

 

[film495]

I like to put up 4 or 6 targets, paper plates with a 2" circle in the middle. Put out to 15 or 20 feet - whatever I feel like. Then try to shoot randomly putting one shot at a time on each target, not slow fire, but no as fast as possible. Real targets move, so - to me I'm practicing aim/fire in way that is a little less stationary than just having one target to shoot at. I find it keeps it interesting anyway. I've still never put a pistol target out past 20 feet. I might, just haven't done it - most real world use is close, so - I try to figure out ways to practice with that in mind. I only shoot slow fire - just to make sure I'm getting a good POA to POI, then try to mix it up and pick up my pace to shooting as quick as I pick up the target in the sights. get about 4" groups with a couple fliers here and there, but I'm not looking for perfection, just trying to be a decent shot.

Depends on what your goals are. Sounds to me like you are interested in trying it - why not?

 

[barnetmill]

Perhaps your group at 7 yards was not perfectly centered, but if it had been a bad guy, he would be in a world of hurt. i would say you ready for 20-25 yds and figure out why you are pulling your shots.

 

[WVsig]

View attachment 881052

Am I ready to move to 15 yards?
5 Rounds - .45 Shield at 7 yards (Slow Fire)
FAE 230 FMJ (Shoots a little left of my usual S&B).

I tried 15 yards at a roughly 1.0 second pace and got a group I could cover with my palm. Not great but not to the point where I would worry about missing a silhouette or B3 target.

In the end it really depends on what your goals for shooting are. Are you shooting for accuracy, self defense, plinking, gun games or a combination of those things? If you are looking for pure accuracy then no you are not ready to move back because your group is not centered. At 7 yards if you are shooting for accuracy should be one hole through the 10 ring. If that is a slow fire group something with your grip or trigger pull is causing you to move the sights as you shoot. Ammo at 7 yards is not the cause of that group IMHO. Now that group is going to open up as you move out to 15. It is not bad shooting by any means but you know that.

What is your shooting goals? Are you shooting on a timer? These IMHO are the things that you need to think about moving forward. Set goals for 2020 and work to meet those goals.Good Luck

 

[sparkyv]

Get out of your comfort zone. Try 20-25yds every range session.

I agree, and mix it up, be creative. You appear to be ready, but it also depends on this:

What is your shooting goals?

 

[94045]

I agree, and mix it up, be creative. You appear to be ready, but it also depends on this:

I guess that's the issue. I need to set a goal. After some rounds I tend to devolve to chasing bullet holes (ie trying to put a bullet through a previous hole). I really need to work more on drills that teach specific skills.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

View attachment 881052

Am I ready to move to 15 yards?
5 Rounds - .45 Shield at 7 yards (Slow Fire)
FAE 230 FMJ (Shoots a little left of my usual S&B).

I tried 15 yards at a roughly 1.0 second pace and got a group I could cover with my palm. Not great but not to the point where I would worry about missing a silhouette or B3 target.

I'm going to guess by the gun this is for SD. Since when do you need quarter size troops to defend yourself? Covering your group with a palm is more that adequate for SD. When all your shots hit center mass you are shooting well for SD. Don't forget to add movement into your practice. You are doing well, keep it up!

 

[murf]

at what are you aiming? in your picture, you should be aiming at the quarter. if you put that target out to 15 yards, you should still aim at the quarter. you shots will spread out at the longer distance, but that is not the point here, so don't worry about "group size". get used to aiming at something small so you don't think about it when you are doing all that other stuff (like pulling the trigger straight back and squeezing the grips the same every time). no matter how fast or how slow you shoot you should be aiming at that quarter.

I shoot golf balls to get my mind used to aiming at a specific small object. I center my front sight on the base of the ball. aim small, hit small.

luck,

murf

 

[sequins]

Try shooting faster and see what happens. I make a great group at 10 yards slow fire, plenty of learning left when I try to clear 17 rounds in 10 seconds.

 

[Ignition Override]

No idea.
Just curious about whether a possible true threat would reveal their intentions and weapon beyond about Ten Feet (and usually behind us)?

 

[Bongo Boy]

At training I took back in New Hampshire, they had new shooters firing at targets at 5 yards, of course, but they also had us use the same techniques at about 50 yard silhouette targets--really to demonstrate to the student that the same focus achieves the same objectives. I don't think there's a "ready to shoot at [x] distance". For the sheer experience and enjoyment, I think firing at all distances available is always a great idea. You will almost certainly surprise yourself at what's achievable--especially when the goal isn't to present the weapon and empty the magazine.

At the time, this was among my first formal handgun training classes, and I thought the exercise was a bit silly--I could hardly see much more than a black blob. "Do exactly what you did at 12 yards!!" was about the only command...and sure enough, hits where I didn't believe I could make them. And I recall the instructor telling me, "I've had guys here that couldn't do that with a rifle".

I'm always blown away when folks say they've done this or that at 25 yds with a handgun--it's just not real until you have your first successes. I don't consider the distance itself to be the practical aspect, since I'm not a hunter and I'm always shooting freestyle anyway (I never shoot from a rest). What's practical, I think, is all the physical and mental discipline required to even hit the target at all. It also very quickly demonstrates how fast your eyes go to crap holding a handgun out in front of your face...at least at my age.

 

[JR24]

Sure, if you feel you are ready for a new challenge absolutely go for it. Further distances will outline flaws in your grip and pull more significantly.

I mostly practice at 7 and 10 yards as the various drills I run are usually at that range, but also spend time at 3, 5, 15 20 and 25. Planning on doing some at 50 this summer too, now that my range has changed some of their bunkers.

Get out of your comfort zone.

Good drill. I enjoy most of the drills on the WC YouTube channel.

 

[WVsig]

Sure, if you feel you are ready for a new challenge absolutely go for it. Further distances will outline flaws in your grip and pull more significantly.

I mostly practice at 7 and 10 yards as the various drills I run are usually at that range, but also spend time at 3, 5, 15 20 and 25. Planning on doing some at 50 this summer too, now that my range has changed some of their bunkers.



Good drill. I enjoy most of the drills on the WC YouTube channel.

Here is another really good one as well. You can run it on paper or steel.