What distance to practice at range ?

[anot]

At what distance would most people practice shooting your CC handgun ? I usally shoot at the 10 yard range but have seen people shooting much farther. Why would you want to shoot much farther then that, unless it was just to see if you could.
Just wondering....

 

[josephthreedogs]

I practice at 7, 10, 15, 25, and 50 yards. Mainly because I like to shoot and shooting at one known distance gets boreing.

 

[Big Foot]

5,7, 10 yds...At times I use multiple silhouettes all depicting "mean dirt-bags" spread out in varying distances..
Good shooting to you...

 

[JamesArthur60]

10 feet, 20 feet and 30-50 feet. I also try up close double tap practice shooting from the hip area from 5-7 feet away. Think of life threatening scenarios you could be involved in for defensive purposes. Hopefully, the distance isn't going to be 75-100 feet away.

 

[safearm]

I rarely practice beyond 15 yards with my carry guns. When I was a LEO, we were required to qualify out to 25 yards, and occassionally would practice at 50 yards. At this point in my life, I want to be able to hit what I'm pointing at at fairly close ranges. Anything beyond that, I'm reaching for a long gun.

 

[Swissman]

50 yards I like the most. 25%
25 yards I shoot the most. 60%
15 yards is for sighting in a gun, for practice is to short/boring.
10 yards just for fun/plinking or empty the rest in the ammobox in fast series.

Swissman

 

[sniper47]

between 7-10 yards or a few more.

 

[Spike66]

7-8 yards
10 yards
17 yards (roughly 50')
25 yards

sometimes I will put a shoot-n-see out at 50 yards and try to hit it with the open sight guns.

 

[OKFC05]

For my competition guns, I zero them for 50 yds and check them at 100 yds mainly to be sure the bullets are still going straight. Marginal stability shows up better at longer range, but causes accuracy problems closer in.

For a fixed-sight carry gun, I still check zero out to 50 yds, but do most practice from contact distance out to 25 yd. I use IDPA scenarios to practice gun handling and use of cover.
In my experience, too many people practice standing flat-footed at medium distances with no time limit. Mixing up the distances and working against a timer introduces some simulated stress.
There are three types of shooting to practice: no sights(point shooting), front sight(still fairly close), and both sights(further out).
Practice using cover and one-handed, also. If it gets too easy and boring, speed up.

 

[chasmatic]

Isn't there a statistic based on FBI studies of LE firearms encounters, where most incidents occur between 0 - 7 yards?

I practice self defense scenarios within those parameters, and yes, using a timer and various "bad guy" silhouette targets.

10, 15, 25 yards to zero a weapon and improve my skills. I figure if I can hit pop cans at 20 yards I will be effective in most self defense situations.

 

[Boriqua]

Almost always 7 and 10 yards. I practice a few shots out at 25 or so because they usually tell you a good story about how you are handling your gun and trigger control but most of my practice is in the 7-10

Im not a LEO and it would be hard for me to explain to a jury why I shot a guy at 25 yds in self defense !!
Alex

 

[Pisgah]

By far most of my practice shooting is at arm's length to 10 yards. And, it will mostly be draw-and-shoot, which is very likely what it will be if the worst ever comes to pass -- not going for blinding speed, mind you, just training the muscles through the motions. A lesser amount I'll do at around 50 feet. But at every session, I will do some shots from distances out to 43 yards, which is the longest range I can attain on my side-yard range. A true self-defense situation requiring a shot that long would be rare, but I like to know it can be done, just in case.

 

[Cruiser RN]

I will start @ 21 feet,move to 30,40,and 50 feet.I just enjoy shooting and pray I never have to shoot anyone ....God Bless.....Mike

 

[Chuck Jones]

For concealed cary I actually think 4 to 7 yards is more realistic and more better. I also think shooting one handed with both strong and weak hand, moving to shoot, turning 90 and 180 degrees, shooting while seated, kneeling and prone, multiple targets, shooting while moving, barricade, reloading (speed and tactical), shooting from cover and concealment, and low light with and without a flashlight, are way more important than keeping all your shots in 3 inches at 10-25 yards. And all from the holster you carry in, of course.

Add scenarios and this is a pretty good defensive pistol curriculum. My sage advice is not to move back to 10 yards until you can do all this confidently from 4 to 7.

If anything ever does happen it's likely gonna be up close and fast, and very likely nothing will be standing still (including me), so be realistic in your training.

/c

 

[WR Moore]

The FBI average armed encounter distance generally moves about a wee bit but seems to stay around 7 yards. After all these years I'm beginning to suspect this is due to category sorting.

However, at this range the good guys win about 50% of the time. As the range decreases, so does the winning percentage. At arms length, the other dude/dudette wins 90% or better. I haven't read the UCR in quite awhile, but it'd be interesting if there was an additional category noting who fired first. Probably not gonna happen.

This isn't due so much to performance issues as it is to not knowing that a gunfight is about to break out. If you get behind the decision loop (OODA-observe, orient, decide and act) there's simply no way you're going to come out on top when you're too close. At around 7 yards, it appears that basic fundamentals start to become the deciding factor.

If you're really into stats, NYPDs shooting stats are available on a website courtesy of the ACLU. They really make interesting reading with respect to how many rounds per incident get fired. IIRC, one officer fires 4.7 rounds per incident, if the other guy shoots back it about doubles. Two officers and it's 6.? and almost double if the other guy shoots back. And you say you carry a 5 shot snub and no spare ammo?

Massad Ayoob has an article in the newest American Handgunner about an incident at 70 yards. Civilians might have issues justifying something like this, but in an active shooter incident, could happen.

Whatever range, please do practice gun hand and support hand only shooting.

 

[speedshooter]

Arms length out to 10 yards (or there abouts)

 

[Out West]

Lately I've been concentrating on the 20 yard line steel plate rack at our shooting club. It a challange and I like the clang of steel falling. Only downside is that I can't really tell how I am grouping. But, I figure a plate down at 20 yards is pretty good practice for anything I would encounter at a shorter range.

Out West

 

[ab4ka]

when practicing with my CCW gun it's between 5-10 yards. If the situation arises and I'm further away than that I'll be too busy running to shoot.

 

[ajpelz]

when practicing with my CCW gun it's between 5-10 yards. If the situation arises and I'm further away than that I'll be too busy running to shoot.

+1, that is what I was brought up on. If I take a shot longer than this, it will be one of the saddest day(s) of this country... However, I am guilty of occasionally seeing how many out of a magazine I can put on the gong at 100 yards... It is usually about 4/8 on a 10" plate....

I too hope that I never have to use my weapon (especially on a person), but it goes with me everywhere just in case.

 

[novalty]

Almost always 7 and 10 yards. I practice a few shots out at 25 or so because they usually tell you a good story about how you are handling your gun and trigger control but most of my practice is in the 7-10

Im not a LEO and it would be hard for me to explain to a jury why I shot a guy at 25 yds in self defense !!
Alex

+1 Couldn't have said it better myself.