Model 10s At Three Hundred Yards

[bmcgilvray]

Spent the past weekend in the wilds of deep southwest Texas with my brother-in-law and nephew.

Part of the fun entailed shooting high powered rifles of all sorts down into a deep canyon at rocks at all distances out to 500 yards.

Leave it to me to press my ever faithful Model 10 Heavy Barrel from 1971 into service.

My B-I-L put his range finder on a pair of rocks to find that they were 325 yards out. A piece of cake with the rifles, they scorned the .38 Special. The wind was so high I could scarcely discern the puffs of dust kicked up by the 158 grain bullets but I saw a few ... nowhere near the target rocks.

A basketball sized rock at 125 yards was no trick though once it was determined how much to hold over. Dumping bullets right on it was easy from a sitting position, resting one's arms on his knees.

In the bottom photo the two torso-sized rocks may just be discerned to the left of the juniper bush above the rock face with the vertical fissure. The white splash seen on the rock face is from bullet strikes from several shooting sessions.

 

[bmcgilvray]

Spent the past weekend in the wilds of deep southwest Texas with my brother-in-law and nephew.

Part of the fun entailed shooting high powered rifles of all sorts down into a deep canyon at rocks at all distances out to 500 yards.

Leave it to me to press my ever faithful Model 10 Heavy Barrel from 1971 into service.

My B-I-L put his range finder on a pair of rocks to find that they were 325 yards out. A piece of cake with the rifles, they scorned the .38 Special. The wind was so high I could scarcely discern the puffs of dust kicked up by the 158 grain bullets but I saw a few ... nowhere near the target rocks.

A basketball sized rock at 125 yards was no trick though once it was determined how much to hold over. Dumping bullets right on it was easy from a sitting position, resting one's arms on his knees.

In the bottom photo the two torso-sized rocks may just be discerned to the left of the juniper bush above the rock face with the vertical fissure. The white splash seen on the rock face is from bullet strikes from several shooting sessions.

 

[rdrancher]

Looks like a ton of fun Bryan. Thanks for sharing!

rd

 

[j38]

Now, there's a man who knows his gun! I have enough problem seeing my hits at at 100 feet. My hat's off to you and that Model 10 HB.

Jerry

 

[Dale53]

Elmer Keith talked about long range shooting such as this. He also mentioned that the .44 and .45 slugs were much easier to see than the .38/.357's as they kicked up a lot more dust.

I have done some shooting at 200 yards but not beyond for "want of a place". It is interesting shooting.

Dale53

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

Congratulations! I love it when somebody else discovers the joys of long-range handgunning. A fellow member and I were recently out shooting .44s at 200 and 300 yards. We recently got shut out of the pit where we were able to shoot out to nearly 400 yards.

I never really got too good using the .38 loads, but a 5 inch Model 27 and a stout load with a 158 LSWC will fly well and still make a nice dirt splash.

 

[Old Corp]

You're blessed by geography to do this. It takes me back to the 70's, as a young fella, absolutely entranced by the writings of Elmer Keith and Skeeter Skelton. I took many metal 5 gal. buckets to the far side of a plowed tobacco field to ping away at with big bore handguns.

 

[Dale53]

When I was a young man, I had access to a abandoned gravel pit for shooting. It was actually a casual kind of gun club. There were a couple of serious NRA Bullseye shooters there. Their "side hobby" was shooting original Colt Single actions in .45 Colt at long range. They would put a gallon can across the gravel pit (100 yards+) and shooting NRA Bullseye style would regularly pound that gallon oil can. They had figured out where to hold and were accomplished shots. It inspired me to try the same things.

Years ago, in the thirties as I remember, a club in Kentucky had 300 yard turkey shoots with revolvers, with live turkeys. A lot of shooting was done before a turkey was scratched but it happened with regularity. Can you imagine that kind of match, these days?

The handgun can be a VERY versatile tool and is NOT restricted to 25 to 50 yards. Of course, our recent history of Pistol Silhouette allowed hundreds of competitors to show the world what could be accomplished. Elmer Keith and Ed McGivern blazed the trail...

Dale53

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

Here's a shot of member LazarusLong banging away at a chunk of concrete at roughly 150 yards.

 

[Andy Griffith]

If I remember correctly,

There was either a book or an article out on the "Long Valley Shooters" which took M&P target, .44 and .45 hand ejectors and took shots from 100 out to 300-400 yards for competition. I think this was in the 1910's to 1930's.

Perhaps someone will chime in with the exact book or article...because I don't have it.

 

[bmcgilvray]

I've been shooting the same revolver/load at ranges out to 165 yards on a regular basis at our old home place for over 30 years. Also used to compete regularly in hunter pistol silhouette matches, usually with a long barreled Model 29. Never really tried any Elmer Keith distance shooting though.

We also did some shooting at spinners, mostly at 25 yards. It's really amazing how precise the fixed sights are on a Smith & Wesson revolver so equipped. A six o'clock hold on an 8-inch spinner disc at 25 yards nets a solid hit all day long with a load that yields 860 with a 158 grain bullet. Back up to even 40 yards and the same sight picture still spins them more often than not unless I'm inattentive to shooting techniques. All my fixed sight Smith & Wesson revolvers, new and old, exhibit this precision with traditional standard loadings,and with no windage or elevation issues.

Almost makes a fellow wonder why he bothers with adjustable sights.

Y'all are right. A big bore revolver slinging heavy slugs might allow for better spotting.

 

[mesabi]

Andy Griffith: The article you're thinking of is "The Long Shooters of Peewee Valley" by Jim Foral in the 1997 edition of Gun Digest. It's a great article! The long range revolver matches caused quite a stir among some of the better-known firearms writers of the era (circa 1910).

 

[bluetopper]

Looks like a blast bmcgilvray. That part of the country sure grows on a man. All that's missing is buffaloes and Indians.

 

[photoman]

And now...for an encore...Mr. McGilvray will take out his trusty J frame...

 

[bmcgilvray]

Wasn't brave enough to use a J-Frame. Instead we spent a couple of days in the long distance rock crushing business with an assortment of rifles from .22 rimfire to .357 H&H Magnum.

More photos for amusement, beginning with each of us doing a turn on my Winchester Model 70 Super Express .375 H&H Magnum.

I'm sure these saguaro were imported. I think they only occur naturally in the Sonoran desert.

 

[69HEMI-R/T]

Great pictures of a great time, I am sure! Long distance shooting, rifle or handgun is such fun. I love the desert southwest and that part of my home state is wonderful.

Right now , I am in SE Texas where I grew up and also enjoy but, love the desert and the Hill Country of Texas.

Thanks for sharing what appears to be a great trip!

 

[catdad]

Man, that looks like all kinds of FUN.

 

[photoman]

What county is that? Sure looks nice!

Me being from west Texas and the wife from the piney woods of east Texas, well...she thinks I'm NUTS for liking that terrain.

 

[bmcgilvray]

Sorry for the late reply Photoman44. Been away for a week or so.

These photos were taken south of Sanderson, Texas in Terrell County. Not too far south mind you or it would have been in Mexico.

 

[Rigmover]

Hi thats pretty nice country love the pics kind of reminds me of here in Southern Alberta you can see for miles and yes we have cactus plants here too the prickly pear awsome thanks for sharing...Rick