Long range revolver shooting

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natedog

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Tried shooting my Colt Officers Model .38 Special at 100 yards today, on a 12" steel gong. The big 158gr. wadcutters only go about 800FPS, so there was a noticeble delay in the shot to impact. I just used trial and error to figure out the elevation, and once I got it down I could hit it pretty reguarly. Lots of fun!
 
Yep. :D :D

I love blasting pepper poppers at the back of the pistol range. It's just so...rewarding.
 
Nate ... many many moons ago ... I used to compete in UK in Long Range compo's .. at the Mecca of shooting there ... Bisley. Well, used to be!!!

I used a straight 7 1/2" bbl Redhawk .. and found that ''lobbing'' sub mag loads served me well .... 8.5 grns Red Dot shoving a 250 grn Keith SWC.

We shot at 100 and 300 yds .. the target at 300 was big . probably IIRC 6 feet high and maybe 4 feet wide but the bullseye was not over large!

VERY challenging and enjoyable .. and once you are ''dialed in'' for a distance you can indeed find it quite effective.

Bang ..... <pause for slurp of soda> ......... ''swop'' .... as the subsonic hunk of lead prescribes a graceful arc and impacts!:D
 
LOTS of guys think a handgun is done at 20 yards, they would freak out if they knew what could be done. No one tell them though, if times get tough we might need some 'weak' to prey upon.....

There is more than rumor and speculation of a car being hit with relative ease at 1580 YARDS with a handgun, a REVOLVER no less with cast bullets. Caliber was 45 and the load was Ruger capable.

We used to shoot Blackhawk 357's at 300+ yards because we just didn't know you can't shoot that far with a revolver. Good thing no one told us you can't shoot that far with those guns, we might not have done it with ease.

It isn't that hard once you forget what everyone else says and just shoot. PS, the 45 acp typical target loads only drop a foot and a half or so at 100 yards, odds are your load is flatter regardless of what it is. try some 100 yard shooting!!!!!!!
 
Nate, were yas out at 5 dogs? or just plinking in some field?



It's amazing how good a person can get with a tad bit of practice. My 38/44 Outdoorsman has claimed a couple ground squirrels out to distances of 50 yards, nearly hit one of the little fleabags at a good 100 yards distant on one shot. Out at 5 dogs I'll occasionally take out the 'ol girl to see if I can still shoot her well, on the rifle range I can usually "dink" that steel gong at the 200 yard hill within 1 cylinder. Just love that darn gun!


It's no wonder I love N-frames, the 38/44 got me trained right and now I know no better...
 
The best is the "shoot offs" at a IHMSA national match. Since most of the good guys shoot perfect scores during the regular part they stick the 50yard target out at 200. It is a chicken about 15 inches wide and 10 inches high. Nothing to see people go 10-20 of them without missing. This is open sites also. A good revo can be damn accurate.
 
We used to mosey on over to the rifle range with magnums and shoot at the 10" gongs at 300 yards. Talk about having a blast. We could judge our misses by the splash of dust on the berm and dial in. Wasn't real hard to get 1 or 2 hits out of every cylinder on good days. Of course some folks thought we had completely lost our minds as we were giggling like a bunch of little kids.
 
Back when my eye sight was a normal 20/20, I
use to shoot .357, .41, and .44 magnum wheel
guns over a distance that covered approximately
100 yard's; without any problems. We had one
target made of aircraft aluminum hanging from
two trees,that was halfway up the dirt hill that
we used for a back-stop; and that measured
distance was said to be 125 yards. You could
not missed it, cuz it had a bright red circle in
the dead center of the target; and when you
hit it, the whole target would sway back and
forth!:uhoh: :cool: :D

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
I like to shoot bowling pins at 50yds with my 357mag. On a good day, I'm 6 for 6. At 100yds, I'm about 2-3 out of 6, on a good day.

I've never had the chance to shoot at longer distances.

Chris
 
I am no Elmer Keith, but I love pretending. At my favorite range we have large sand berms. I love to plink at 200 yards with my 6" Python. I don't set up targets, I just shoot at plants or shadows or whatever I can see. When I'm on, it appears that I'm putting most rounds into about 15". About an eighth of an inch of front sight rise, the Keith method, does the trick at 200 yards with .357-180 grain loads. Lots 'o fun.
 
Man sized poppers are easy with a 357 maximum. The smaller plate targets, pigs, rams etc are harder to see that far off, but from a rest they are hittable.
 
Oh yes, take some eggs and a model 18 ( 22lr). Keep backing up...see how far you can go until you miss.

Steel targets ,paint buckets, balloons...doesn't matter what target or what caliber , just see whom can still hit as we keep backing up.

Then there is that dealie about snubbies in .38 spl ain't good past 5 yds...yeah right.

40 yds,...steel target...snubby... BANG....ding! :p
 
jeeper is right silhouette shoots are a ball! in 90 my friend ran the iowa state match at colfax ia. and i helped there for three days. it's always amazed me how good these guys do shooting targets that size at those ranges. i went to lots of meets and spotted for guys and it's really fun to see a bullet come streaking in from what looks like about 12 ft. up and knock a ram off the rail. if you get a chance go to an ihmsa shoot you will enjoy the experience.
 
There's such a feeling of accomplishment after hitting a target at some absurd range.

I once took out a bowling pin at 250 yards with a Ruger Bearcat. Took a cylinder and a half to dial into it....but it happened. It stuck in my mind and that shot still tickles me to this day. :D
 
Wait 'til you guys get serious with a S&W 500 and the right bullets, like a semi-pointed long-nose bore-rider 400 @ over 1900. You'll think you've died and gone to heaven.

JR
 
Doesn't anybody remember IHMSA Silhouette?

And those wonderful S&W Model 29's with the adjustable front sights? Or the big Dan Wessons? Steel rams at 200 meters? Anybody? :(
 
During the pre-hunting season at the range where I work part-time, I do have my fun hitting the 12" diameter and 4" x 12" plates at 110yd. I watch & help many a yuppie hunter, with their $1,000+ scope on their similarly priced rifles. They seldom hit those plates... then I show them what you can do off-hand with a revolver. I have done this with my 296, 696, &629 MG with Blazer .44 Specials, my 625 with .45ACP ball ammo, and even my Ruger SA's with .45 Colts. I have shocked myself, no less, by doing it with my 2" M10! It does take a few rounds to 'find' the drop...

Stainz
 
Wasn't it Col. Jeff Cooper who, when asked what the effective range of a handgun was, replied "If it isn't obscured by your front sight, it's in range." :cool:

Last trip to the rural range with my uncle, I just realized that I needed smaller front sights :D -- or maybe bigger targets :rolleyes:
 
I live in the desert and pretty much every shooting session involves taking a few shots at long range no matter what we are shooting. 2" barrel, .22s, whatever. If you do it a lot, you can actually become fairly proficient at it. By this I mean, you can hit the target within one or two shots rather than just walking fire into the target. I am certainly not any kind of a great pistol shot but I have as much luck at long range as I do at any other range because I do it a couple days a week. A couple years ago I was bird hunting when I saw a coyote stand up and check me out. I put my shotgun between my knees and drew my Ruger P89. My first shot went right through the shoulders. Range: 107 yards. This was simply the result of knowing where to hold at that range from doing it a lot.
By the way, the coyote soaked up two more rounds at closer range before it cashed in it's chips.
 
I love going to the rifle range and hitting the steel ram at 300 yards with my .44 magnum. Had a friend who did not believe this could be done. It took him a cylinder and half out of his RedHawk to hit the ram.
 
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