Longest Recorded Pistol Shot?

[CWL]

Folks,
I recall a story heard during a training session, the Trainer told me that the longest recorded pistol shot (kill) was at 88 yards. I'm assuming this was in WWII and probably done with a 1911 Govt. Model.

Does anyone know who it was and the circumstances? Links to the story would be appreciated.

 

[velojym]

I'd have to look it up, but I understand Elmer Keith used to kill game at over 500 yards with a revolver. Bigger target, but tougher than the average human.

 

[Desertscout]

I'd have to look it up, but I understand Elmer Keith used to kill game at over 500 yards with a revolver. Bigger target, but tougher than the average human.

No, he didn't "used to kill game at over 500 yards". There was one instance where he managed to hit a deer that was already wounded at 600 yards with either a hot loaded .44 spl or the then very new .44 magnum. There was a witness to the feat and I have no reason at all not to believe it.

88 yards is not really much of a shot. When you say recorded shot, what do you mean exactly? Target shooting, hunting, in combat or documented self-defense shootings?

 

[Eightball]

88 yards is not really much of a shot. When you say recorded shot, what do you mean exactly? Target shooting, hunting, in combat or documented self-defense shootings?

Let's think about this. Take your standard M1911, WWII vintage, and see how many 88 yard shots you can use on a reactive metal silhouette target to simulate a "kill".

Sounds like a crazy shot to me.

Though, I haver heard people semi-routinely landing 300ish yard shots with old 7.5" SAAs, but those were against paper.

 

[MrBorland]

Here's a link to Keith's famous 600 yard shot, told in his own words. He used a .44magnum, shooting from the prone position. It took a couple of shots, with his hunting bud calling the 1st shot in.

http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=34

 

[Desertscout]

Let's think about this. Take your standard M1911, WWII vintage, and see how many 88 yard shots you can use on a reactive metal silhouette target to simulate a "kill".

Sounds like a crazy shot to me.

Though, I haver heard people semi-routinely landing 300ish yard shots with old 7.5" SAAs, but those were against paper.

Unless the gun is completely wore out or faulty in some way, I would imagine that I could make that shot pretty much every time. As far as whether or not the target is paper, what difference would that make? Unless I misunderstood, you asked about longest SHOT, not longest KILL. Nor was bullet performance mentioned. If accuracy alone is the topic, 88 yards is really nothing to brag about. If a "one-shot kill" at 88 yards with a 1911 is the topic, that's more impressive.

I killed my deer this year with a G20 at a measured 112 yards.

 

[5Wire]

Let's think about this. Take your standard M1911, WWII vintage, and see how many 88 yard shots you can use on a reactive metal silhouette target to simulate a "kill".

I haven't tried it with a 1911 but I did snap of six at a wild boar silhouette with a S&W 625 4- in Bbl in .45 ACP. The first shot was a ranging shot and a buddy called the impact. The next five were double action clangs at 100 yards.

 

[.38 Special]

A few years back I went to the range with a couple of guys from the local action pistol club. Good shots, but not world class or anything. Just for yucks, they put some 4" clays on the 100 yard target and had at them with a stock Government model Colt. It took them three shots, trading the gun between each shot, before they had the dope, after which they broke four more targets with seven shots, again trading the gun between each shot. Unsupported, two-handed holds.

Eighty-eight yards may indeed have been the longest killing pistol shot recorded by the one guy who records such things, but that does not make it the longest killing pistol shot there has ever been...

I personally am sure that putting one's self in front of a trained gunman with a WWII vintage .45 is pure suicide at 100 yards, and nearly so at 200. Again to reference Keith, he wrote up an incident in Sixguns where he won a bet by pounding an entire magazine from a Government .45 into a man-sized target at 200 paces. I wouldn't give myself a 50/50 chance of walking away even at 300 yards or beyond

 

[eldon519]

Does it count when people shoot guns in the air on the Fourth of July and hit people a quarter mile away?

 

[Geno]

Record for accuracy still goes to T/C Arms' Contender: 1" X 3.5" @ 500 yards.

Doc2005

 

[Slugless]

This last summer I was bouncing beer cans on a hillside at 80 yards, stock Springfield 1911A1. It took a couple ranging shots & then I could bounce 'em 2 shots out of 3.

Under non-adrenaline conditions I could hit a man sized target. And I'm only a decent shot although I was shooting well that day.

 

[.38 Special]

BTW, believe the Hickok-Tutt affair was settled at something like 88 yards -- in 1865, with a .36 caliber blackpowder revolver.

 

[Ed Ames]

Does it count when people shoot guns in the air on the Fourth of July and hit people a quarter mile away?

Only when they know the people they hit.

I've personally hit "center of mass" sized gongs at 100yds with a 2" snubby revolver (S&W M37 airweight .38 special) an average of 4 shots out of 5. That was standing two-handed hold. Really bugged the guy shooting a ruger P89 next to me at the range -- he started aiming for the same gong and never did ring it.

 

[jcjacobvt]

S&W 617 8 inch revolver which is very consistent at 100 yards with PMC target 40 grain 22 LR hitting a 24 inch gong shooting bullseye stance, open sights.

 

[.38 Special]

One last note...

On the "How good a shot are you?" thread, a fellow put up a pic of a humanoid target full of holes. The target also reads "100 yards, standing two-hands, Kimber Tactical Ultra (that's a subcompact .45, BTW), 24 shots, two missed."

 

[stevereno1]

I saw bob mundon shoot a balloon at 600 yards with a 629. In the same show he popped a balloon at 400 yards with a s&w 2" anubbie at 400 yards. It may be on youtube, but alas, we in the country are slaves to the dial-up machine.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

I saw tom knapp shoot clay pigeons at 150 yards with a beretta 9mm. took him 4 or 5 ranging shots, then broke 5 with another 6 or 7 shots

 

[CWL]

Sorry guys,

I should have stated that I meant ask what was the longest recorded combat use of a pistol which resulted in the kill of an enemy combatant who had the means to kill you right back.

Shooting at animals or other things that don't shoot back doesn't count.

 

[Rexster]

I worked a murder scene, where the fatal shot was fired from a .40 S&W handgun at over 70 yards. The shooting followed an argument at a fast food joint; the suspect drove out of the parking lot, stopped at the nearest intersection behind the place, and fired when the victim walked toward the restrooms, which had entrances outside the rear of the building. Edited to add: Well, I just saw the last post; no, this was not combat, but since it immediatley followed an argument, and involved a live target, I will not delete it. It is certainly a lesson on how we should never assume a bad guy will only attack from close range.

 

[eldon519]

I have heard a story of a GI in one of the world wars who shot down an enemy fighter plane when the pilot tried to gun him down while he was parachuting to earth. I believe he allegedly shot him through the windshield with a 1911.

A) I have no idea if there is a hair of truth to that. B) I don't know the distance, but I would have to think it was significant considering the scale and speed of aeronautical maneuvers.

 

[trueblue1776]

I saw a Freedom Arms factory rep do a demo when the .454 was hot as the .500. IIRC the rep was busting cinder blocks with every shot at about 200-250yards.