Time to Hang it Up?

[edSky]

I have a few pistols and I go to the range about every other week and shoot offhand at 15 yards. They're all 5" 1911s and I can easily place over 95% of my shots within an 8" circle. I've never applied statistics to them all to see what my group sizes and deviations are, since I have been enjoying myself.

Here's the rub: Is that bad? Over the course of an hour or so shooting two pistols at two targets, is this pretty good (I know it's not great, I watch bullseye shooters) or is it time to hang it up? I've gotten some comments elsewhere that "modern firearms have no problem shooting 8" groups". I don't know how to take that. Am I fooling myself thinking that I'm semi-competent at punching paper?

 

[ChristopherG]

You live in the home territory of a very fun and very affordable type of handgun competition, IDPA. The only way to rate yourself as a shooter, or really know your capabilities, is to compete. And it's a WHOLE LOT more fun that punching paper (which, don't get me wrong, is fun!). I suggest you look up local opportunities to shoot in fun, friendly and safe competition.

Here is a listing of clubs in Arkansas:

http://idpa.com/clublist.asp?state=AR

And you can read more about the organization and competition there, too. Or, try USPSA or another organization. Just don't be too intimidated to get out there and get to shooting with other folks, which is where a great deal of the fun of shooting is to be found.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Am I fooling myself thinking that I'm semi-competent at punching paper?

No, not if these are your groups standing off-hand. That makes for a 4" group at 7.5 yards. Virtually all self-defense shootings happen under 7 yards, and 4" is plenty to stay in the kill zone (errmm, make that "incapacitation zone"), so you're good to go (if you can perform under pressure). Now if that's your *rested* group size, then it's not time to hang it up, but it's time to try a different technique, more practice or different gun!

 

[CapnMac]

As long as you have that combination in your head that "this pistol shoots [there]" then it really does not matter what the aggregate is for them all.

It's like a five-iron, it's not whether you slice or hook, it's whether you do that consistently. Changing which 5-iron is in your hand will change where the ball lands, but, if you are already consistent in hook-straight-slice, you are still ahead.

Said as a multiple 1911 owner.