15 to 100 yards........Why handicap yourself up close?
Most Advantageous 1911 practice distance?
- Thread starter Narragansett
- Start date
self defense: 3, 7, and 15 yards. If possible at arm's length also.
I feel that one is best off practicing at various distances. I agree with those who feel that learning to perform satisfactorily at 50yd does not handicap one at 15 or 25. I also believe that one should try 7yd, 10yd, and bad-breath distance occasionally. In fact, it is probably more important than the 50yd practice.
A Commander-length barrel should be no handicap whatsoever. My Commander has a Bar-Sto, and I had no problem keeping 7 out of 8 in the black on a humanoid target at 100yd.
In actual practice, I most commonly use a 50ft bullseye target at 50ft, with occasional use at closer distances just to make sure my mental picture is still correct.
A Commander-length barrel should be no handicap whatsoever. My Commander has a Bar-Sto, and I had no problem keeping 7 out of 8 in the black on a humanoid target at 100yd.
In actual practice, I most commonly use a 50ft bullseye target at 50ft, with occasional use at closer distances just to make sure my mental picture is still correct.
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
My primary range resource is an indoor facility near my home, private membership club to which I have 24/7 access via key-card. One limitation is the 50-foot backstop from the firing line. I do my regular drills at 25 feet (8.33 yards) using half-sized silhouette targets.
I also have access to an outdoor facility with ranges up to 400 meters so I will occasionally check my handgun performance at 50 and 100 yards during my trips to stay current on the rifles. Not great results, but a lot better after my cataract surgeries a few years ago!
I also have access to an outdoor facility with ranges up to 400 meters so I will occasionally check my handgun performance at 50 and 100 yards during my trips to stay current on the rifles. Not great results, but a lot better after my cataract surgeries a few years ago!
Jim Watson
Member
The range here runs GSSF Indoor so I practice at 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 25 yards.
At what ever range you can keep your shots in an 8" circle, +10 yards. When you can get all of your shots back in the 8" circle back up another 10 yards. If you want to waste ammo at 7 or 10 yards, it's your dime, but if I can consistently hit a 4" actvator on a swinging target at 40 yards on the draw, I'm not worried about the big targets at 10 yards.
IMHO, depends on what your goals are.
Most of the shooting I do is at 50ft, and it's more or less for proficiency for EDC. When I get something new that I could carry around, I don't do it until I can hit a 4" target at 50' every time and convince myself I'm proficient with it (and the P365X I have took me around 6 months to get to it.)
On the other end, I have my Model 41, Buck Mark's, and ancient Ruger Target. Where I shoot these things at 25ft or 10M, but at a 1.5"ish dot, and challenging myself, where I know some people who can shoot the guns I own but shoot them better than I can, and put a 22LR round through the same hole every time at 10M.
Most of the shooting I do is at 50ft, and it's more or less for proficiency for EDC. When I get something new that I could carry around, I don't do it until I can hit a 4" target at 50' every time and convince myself I'm proficient with it (and the P365X I have took me around 6 months to get to it.)
On the other end, I have my Model 41, Buck Mark's, and ancient Ruger Target. Where I shoot these things at 25ft or 10M, but at a 1.5"ish dot, and challenging myself, where I know some people who can shoot the guns I own but shoot them better than I can, and put a 22LR round through the same hole every time at 10M.
For defensive shooting practice, my emphasis is between 0 to 10 yards, occasionally reaching out to 15. NV’s CCW and LEOSA qual is at 3, 5 and 7 yards.
Not if he or she is shooting at me!I think that if you shoot someone at 50 yards, you are headed to jail.
I agree with that. I have vision trouble at longer distances. Some good days, some not so good. I spite of that, I practice at least some of the time at the longest range available - out to 50 yards. 50 yards is fair game with a Commander-length gun, especially if your gun has a steel frame (Combat Commander).
Am practicing from 5 yds out to 75 yds. My purpose for practicing at longer ranges is trigger control/sight alignment. At very close distances am just aligning sights over the slide and eye focus on target.
Imo, practicing at varying ranges is advantageous. Am not a target shooter, and most targets used are paper/steel silhouettes.
Imo, practicing at varying ranges is advantageous. Am not a target shooter, and most targets used are paper/steel silhouettes.
Bosquebass
Member
Blind
I can't hit the side of an F-150 at arm's length with my Commander but some of you fellas are shooting clean holes through bottle caps at 50 yards?
I think it's time for me to sell the old pistol and buy a shotgun.
I can't hit the side of an F-150 at arm's length with my Commander but some of you fellas are shooting clean holes through bottle caps at 50 yards?
I think it's time for me to sell the old pistol and buy a shotgun.
Depends on what you're practicing for. For general purposes, I generally shoot at distances from 3 to 50 yds. For strictly defensive practice I shoot 3 to 15 yards because those are the minimum and maximum distances that the police in Wyoming use on their current standard statewide qualification test. Personally, I think they're a little short but no one asked me! For fun, I often shoot in open country with miles and miles of distance available. Depending on what I'm shooting, I may stretch it to 600-700 yards on rocks and what not. With a 45 ACP we often shoot to 400 yds. That's just for fun but, at the same time, I know no better way to practice the fundamentals of good sight picture and trigger control than to shoot at long distance.
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Fishinfool
Member
My standard handgun distance is usually 25 yards when just practicing. Closer when practicing combat draw and multiple targets. 50 yards, sometimes more, when practicing with my hunting handguns.
A Commander length .45 acp 1911 is more than capable of good accuracy at 50 yards, and beyond. The Kimber 1911 Commander length pistol shown will print fist sized groups at 50 yards from the bench. I am probably the limiting factor..
Double & triple taps at 7 yards are easy peasy when you practice at longer ranges. A lot of folks look at handguns as one trick pony's - concealed SD at close range. Break that mindset, and it's amazing the myriad of opportunities and uses a handgun can be employed for.
Larry
A Commander length .45 acp 1911 is more than capable of good accuracy at 50 yards, and beyond. The Kimber 1911 Commander length pistol shown will print fist sized groups at 50 yards from the bench. I am probably the limiting factor..
Double & triple taps at 7 yards are easy peasy when you practice at longer ranges. A lot of folks look at handguns as one trick pony's - concealed SD at close range. Break that mindset, and it's amazing the myriad of opportunities and uses a handgun can be employed for.
Larry
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AJ
US Veteran
I can't hit the side of an F-150 at arm's length with my Commander but some of you fellas are shooting clean holes through bottle caps at 50 yards?
I think it's time for me to sell the old pistol and buy a shotgun.
Don't worry about your accuracy. You probably shoot as well as most of these folks. Everybody is an expert shot on the internet. Very few will post their targets.
A shotgun is a bit on the bulky side, but very effective! Below is mine.....
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10” target at 50’ with a commander length gun is not bad at all and if you practice at that distance your groups will improve and the personal defense distance of a few feel will be easy. I do most of my practice at 50’ and sometimes I go out to 25yds for fun. Good groups at 50’ shorter distance easy..
Doug M.
Member
In my academy we shot to the 50. The skill and confidence resulting were useful; remember that this was at a time (1989) when patrol rifles were not very common. We also shot with slugs to that distance.
In a subsequence FI class, we shot on movers out to 75 yards. I did ok, at least, but I'd be pretty uncomfortable doing that now, at least for real. Any service grade pistol should be capable of making those shots. I was 30 then, and in reply good shape. I am 65 now, and my eyes and body are ...not what they were.
In a subsequence FI class, we shot on movers out to 75 yards. I did ok, at least, but I'd be pretty uncomfortable doing that now, at least for real. Any service grade pistol should be capable of making those shots. I was 30 then, and in reply good shape. I am 65 now, and my eyes and body are ...not what they were.
imakmst
Member
aka "bad breath" range, or, "get off me" range
SuperMan
Member
Thinking about it, don't really have a set distance... It also depends on what I'm practicing "for". Self-defense practice is different than hunting than plate shooting...
One of the drills I like to do is with a silhouette target and starting at about 5 yards fire two very slow accurate shots at the head. Back up to 7, then 10, the 15 and 25. This checks both my hold ability and zero of the gun...
This one was 7-10-15..6-rounnds per distance.
Bob
One of the drills I like to do is with a silhouette target and starting at about 5 yards fire two very slow accurate shots at the head. Back up to 7, then 10, the 15 and 25. This checks both my hold ability and zero of the gun...
This one was 7-10-15..6-rounnds per distance.
Bob
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The proper distance for "Combat" practice is an unknown. My 1913 Small Arms Firing Manual has for dismounted 15 yards and 25 yards distances for slow fire, rapid fire, and quick fire. Mounted about the same.
I assume slow fire is one minute per shot, five shots. Rapid fire was five shots, pistol at ready, 20 seconds. Target for SF and RF was an "L" target, a 6 foot by 4 foot target with a 5 inch round bullseye. Quick fire sounds fun: pistol holstered, on command 3 seconds target exposure at 15 yards, 4 seconds at 25. The target is a bobbing E target, a human silhouette 29.5" high, 15.5 inches wide.
The horse cavalry got to shoot at those targets, at the gallop. That would be fun.
NRA 2700 Bullseye shot out to 25 yards till the 1950's, when shooters were obviously cleaning the slow fire targets and it became too difficult to determine the winner. So the slow fire targets were moved out to 50 yards, the timed fire (20 seconds, five rounds, fired twice) and rapid fire (10 second, five rounds, fired twice) became the course of fire. Fifty yards is a very long way with a handgun, and if someone is fifty yards away, maybe the smart thing to do is run away, instead of exchanging bullets.
Current combat games focus on super short distances with high volumes of fire, so we see spitting distances used in training.
Pick the distance you feel comfortable
I assume slow fire is one minute per shot, five shots. Rapid fire was five shots, pistol at ready, 20 seconds. Target for SF and RF was an "L" target, a 6 foot by 4 foot target with a 5 inch round bullseye. Quick fire sounds fun: pistol holstered, on command 3 seconds target exposure at 15 yards, 4 seconds at 25. The target is a bobbing E target, a human silhouette 29.5" high, 15.5 inches wide.
The horse cavalry got to shoot at those targets, at the gallop. That would be fun.
NRA 2700 Bullseye shot out to 25 yards till the 1950's, when shooters were obviously cleaning the slow fire targets and it became too difficult to determine the winner. So the slow fire targets were moved out to 50 yards, the timed fire (20 seconds, five rounds, fired twice) and rapid fire (10 second, five rounds, fired twice) became the course of fire. Fifty yards is a very long way with a handgun, and if someone is fifty yards away, maybe the smart thing to do is run away, instead of exchanging bullets.
Current combat games focus on super short distances with high volumes of fire, so we see spitting distances used in training.
Pick the distance you feel comfortable
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