Range to zero a 3" revolver

[drifterdon]

Searched but didn't get what I was looking for so here goes.
Most of the ballistics table I have seen even the ones for short barrel ammunition seem to start at 25 yards and then usually go in 25 yard increments.

I enjoy shooting my M60-15 3" barrel and am looking for a good sight in distance that will be fun, challenging, yet still be good as a SD carry gun.

25 yards seems kind of out there for a 3" barrel but maybe not.

Does anyone else sight in past 10 yards or so?

 

[NYlakesider]

Searched but didn't get what I was looking for so here goes.
Most of the ballistics table I have seen even the ones for short barrel ammunition seem to start at 25 yards and then usually go in 25 yard increments.

I enjoy shooting my M60-15 3" barrel and am looking for a good sight in distance that will be fun, challenging, yet still be good as a SD carry gun.

25 yards seems kind of out there for a 3" barrel but maybe not.

Does anyone else sight in past 10 yards or so?

A short barrel .38 I want dead on at 21' (there is a reason for that number) Most encounters a CCW will be involved in is less that that. If your sighted in good and competent you can reach out much farther in distance.

Remember if your not a cop or soldier in combat longer distances are not the rule and you could be better off by making the distance between you and the problem longer and not shooting. Many legal reason in certain states to consider. A long distance no shoot, close in 21' or less open fire and shoot for center mass.

 

[joe44va]

I use a B-2 target and sight in at 50 feet with my 60-15.

 

[AJ]

Go ahead and sight it at 25 yards if that is to your liking. If you can hit the bull at 25 yards then the closer you are the easier it should be. But remember the closer the perp the less time to sight the gun....in fact no real time to do so. Pointing, sighting and shooting are all in one second if that. For a carry piece I only use the front sight. I have learned to aquire it fast and shoot. This use to take about 0.7 seconds from the draw to rounds down range. Now that I am older it takes a bit longer.

 

[KSDeputy]

We just did our yearly qualification for LEOSA permit. At 25 yards is where I most always seem to throw 2 or 3 off of the target area. Last year I threw 2 out, this year I threw 3 out, for a score of 94%. Our course is close up, then 5 yards, then 7 yards, then 10, finally 25 yards. We all do well at those distances. Were it me, I would sight it in at 10 yards, any closer and you usually point shoot. Off topic, but we took training at the 21' situation where the bad guy had a knife. Every deputy got stabbed with a rubber knife. So if you are carrying openly, such as in uniform, do not let anyone with a knife get closer to you than 21'. I am glad it was mentioned in a another post.

 

[AJ]

We just did our yearly qualification for LEOSA permit. At 25 yards is where I most always seem to throw 2 or 3 off of the target area. Last year I threw 2 out, this year I threw 3 out, for a score of 94%. Our course is close up, then 5 yards, then 7 yards, then 10, finally 25 yards. We all do well at those distances. Were it me, I would sight it in at 10 yards, any closer and you usually point shoot. Off topic, but we took training at the 21' situation where the bad guy had a knife. Every deputy got stabbed with a rubber knife. So if you are carrying openly, such as in uniform, do not let anyone with a knife get closer to you than 21'. I am glad it was mentioned in a another post.

On the FBI Qual Course for Rangemasters there is a 3 yard line. At that range you empty your gun. I was using a M1911A1 in a M1916 holster. I drew and fired all 8 rounds in 1.8 seconds. Now that was almost thirty years ago in my late 30's. Probably a bit slower now.

 

[Rpg]

My standard distance for sighting in center fire handguns is 25 yards.

Keep in mind that sighting in is different than practicing sd shooting: the former is calibrating your equipment, the latter is developing a skill.

 

[flintsghost]

My standard distance for sighting in center fire handguns is 25 yards.

Keep in mind that sighting in is different than practicing sd shooting: the former is calibrating your equipment, the latter is developing a skill.

I agree 100%. While qualification courses and practice manuevers will involve varying distances including close combat which is usually at arms length, the equipment needs to be capable of a precision hit at 25 yards and then checked at varying ranges out to 100 yards. That way you know the holdover for longer ranges. At closer distances, if using the sights, it's still a dead on hold.

 

[OKFC05]

Does anyone else sight in past 10 yards or so?

When sighting in handguns with adjustable metallic sights, I actually start at 10yds to make coarse adjustments easy no matter how far off they are initially. I set it a touch low at 10yds, check to see it is a touch high at 25yds, then check at 50 and 100 yards.

If you look at the ballistics tables, you will see that from 10 to 35yds , you're off only about a half inch from LOS, which is negligible with an iron sighted handgun.
Handloads.Com Ballistic Calculator
For IDPA, that gives me essentially "point blank range" out to 35yds. Just aim and shoot.

 

[InTheWoods]

Three inch revolvers are my favorite field carry guns. I sight them (including my 60-15) a touch high at 25 yards and then do a target check at 50. Not too tough to shoot 2 to 3 inch groups at 25 yards and to keep them in the black at 50 yards when shooting a regulation 25 yard bulls-eye target. I want them sighted at a distance that will make a 75 coyote mighty uncomfortable. This type of sight in will also work great at arms length, of course.

I usually sight in the guns using 125 grain Golden Saber .357s. This is a very light magnum load and easy to shoot out of the 60-15. The accuracy and shootability of three inch guns is surprising to many folks. FAR, FAR better than 2 inch guns.

 

[Tom S.]

Don, what makes you think that 25 yards is too far for a 3" gun? Unless there is something wrong with the gun, it should be capable of keeping them all in a 6 inch circle, and many will do half that or better, depending on the ammo. If you can hit a 3" circle at 25 yards, you'll certainly do OK at shorter distances.

 

[BAM-BAM]

My "Kit Gun" is a 3" 60-10........I don't envision taking shots past 20-25 yds.

Sometimes I have 158gr .357s but mostly .38+p's..........I'm not worried about taking squirrels for the pot.................

So 50ft or 20 yds... depending on the range.

 

[gnystrom]

I check all my snubbies at 30'. After I know they are relatively "on" at that distance I never look at the sights again.

 

[twodog max]

I sight all my revolvers at 15 yards. I do this because at nearly 63 anything past that with irons gets to fuzzy for precision. In my younger days it was 25. You got to make some adaptations as you get older.

 

[drifterdon]

Don, what makes you think that 25 yards is too far for a 3" gun? Unless there is something wrong with the gun, it should be capable of keeping them all in a 6 inch circle, and many will do half that or better, depending on the ammo. If you can hit a 3" circle at 25 yards, you'll certainly do OK at shorter distances.

I don't think it is too far, I just see a lot of talk here about 21 feet, 10 yards, etc. so I was trying to figure out what makes sense and if I should be even thinking about that distance. Actually 25 yards is where I think I should be zero'd at.

 

[AJ]

I don't think it is too far, I just see a lot of talk here about 21 feet, 10 yards, etc. so I was trying to figure out what makes sense and if I should be even thinking about that distance. Actually 25 yards is where I think I should be zero'd at.

Short range is for two things in my book. Training a novice shooter and them gaining confidence. Gun fighting range for self protection. Every once in a while I do shoot closer than 15 yards. I do shoot the 7 yard line with a 2" Model 342 just to practice quickly acquiring the target and shooting.

A 3" revolver should be able to hit accurately at 25 yards and beyond. Many moons ago I used to practice on 9" paper plates at 100 yards with a 4" Model 29. I could hit it every time.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

In the Army, we were always taught a handgun was to neutralize (human) threats from 0-10 yards. Beyond that distance, a long gun should be employed. Obviously, in a combat situation you use what is at hand. But my take on this was that a handgun was primarily for defensive, rather than offensive use, and to recognize the shortcomings of the handgun. As I recall, it wasn't much of a challenge to place hits on a human sized target up to 10 yards away, but beyond that could be a challenge.

I have 3 K-frames with 3.0 inch barrels, and the majority of my practice is up to 10 yds. and occasionally some at the 25 yd. range.

Regards,

Dave

 

[AJ]

In the Army, we were always taught a handgun was to neutralize (human) threats from 0-10 yards. Beyond that distance, a long gun should be employed. Obviously, in a combat situation you use what is at hand. But my take on this was that a handgun was primarily for defensive, rather than offensive use, and to recognize the shortcomings of the handgun. As I recall, it wasn't much of a challenge to place hits on a human sized target up to 10 yards away, but beyond that could be a challenge.

I have 3 K-frames with 3.0 inch barrels, and the majority of my practice is up to 10 yds. and occasionally some at the 25 yd. range.

Regards,

Dave

Different Services, different thoughts. A handgun can be either defensive or offensive. Depends in how you train with it. Not saying I prefer a handgun over a rifle at longer ranges. If it is all you have then know how to employ it.

 

[Groo01]

Groo here
All hunting length barrels at 100yds.
Magnum shorter [2/3 in] 100yds.
Non magnum guns long barrel at 50.
Non magnum full size at 50
Non magnum short barrel and snubs 25.
I want my hits to be at or above my sights as far as I might expect
to use the gun in the field.
For defense , any of these sightings will work at 0-15 yds
and I doubt anyone will know the difference shooting fast.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

My revolvers with barrels 3" or shorter have one of two functions (sometimes both):

1. They are personal defense weapons, therefore short range is the intended function. For instance, I'm interested in the point of aim/point of impact of my 2" model 60 at 20-25', no more. Same for my Charter Bulldog .44 (original 3" model).

2. They're woods-carry sidearms. A la my model 60-4 (3") or 3" SS Charter Pathfinder .22. I want to be able to shoot a snake, armadillo, or other varmint in the head at anywhere from point blank range to 25' or so; so again, that's about the maximum range I'm really interested in. Can I shoot farther than that with this class of gun? Yes, but it's not crucial to my intended function for them.