Originally Posted by
Malamute
I shot a pistol at 600 yards (laser ranged) exactly once, 10 rounds, in an early G-19 with WWB ammo from walmart. I had a spotter with binoculars telling me where I was hitting so I could walk them in, the small caliber RN bullet hits are hard to see at that range even on dry ground. I hit the 24" plate once in 10 rds.
The background to that:
I read many of the popular gun magazines as a kid in the 70s then found a copy of Keiths book and studied the description of how to hold the sights, which makes a big difference in repeatable results on varuious locations. I dont recall if which writer mentioned it, but words to the effect of "its luck to hit things at longer distance with a pistol, but the more you do it the luckier you get".
As a kid I had about 100 yards to shoot max. I shot my first Super Blackhawk there with fair results, then when I moved to Az, I was able to indulge in longer range shooting. I did it a fair amount, out to around 300 yards, using the method of keeping the front sight and target relationship the same, and lowering the rear sight in relation to the front. It gives a better, easier to repeat sight picture than picking some imaginary point above the target to hold on with a tops even sight picture. That may work if you always shoot at the same location, but go forth into the world and every place has different background to use as reference points. Because of the sight picture method, the trajectory/drop figures mean little or nothing. Experience gives a workable starting point, as as our luck predictor suggest, the more you do it the luckier you seem to get. Similar velocity and buller shape play into it, but with some experience, you can get a close and workable estimate of hold to work with.
When I moved to the northern rockies, I ran into quite a few guys that shot longer distance regularly with pistols. First time I shot one of Mr Linebaughs 500 cal guns, his target was a 15" truck rim on a hillside at 300 yards. i didnt hit it, but I think i startled it with several hits. I think Mr Linebaugh commented something to the order of "youve done this before". Others I met had also been shooting one handed a lot. My experience with that previously had been "I may some day have to shoot one handed, i should practice it some now and then". I met Bob Edgar, he shot one handed on everything that I knew of, and did some exhibition style shooting, like cards etc held in peoples hands, he used to shoot cigarettes out of his wifes mouth, etc. He also hunted with his Colt SAA 45 quite a bit and I believe shot one handed for that, though I never hunted with him. The first time I shot with him, I was shooting my 4" 29 two handed at rocks @ 300 yards, Bob was shooting his 45 one handed and making better hits first shot and afterwards than i was two handed.
OK, one handed shooting is not the "modern way", and not as effective, but it had a certain intrigue. I started shooting more one handed, then started shooting almost all my pistol practice one handed. Oh, and where I shot much of the time, the best targets were the 18" plate @ 300 yards and rocks and clumps of sage near it, so yes, I was shooting almost entirely one handed @ 300 yards. Along comes the g-19, the ex didnt like it when i got it for her as a car gun for going to town, so i started shooting it, ammo was $11.88/100 of the WWB loads. I was startled that i was able to hit the 300 yard plate with it, even with the crappy spongy trigger release. Shooting it more over the next few years, it became common to make around 3-4/10 on the 300 yard plate one handed, and 6-7/10 two handed. First round hits became relatively common once o figured out the sight picture t use. in the case of my gun, it hit just above the top of the front sight @ 25 yards, which i prefer, and at 300, with the target plate split by the front sight, the top edge of the rear was about 2/3 down the dot of the front sight. When a friend get a g-20, she asked where I held on the 300 yard plate and she used the same hold, she hit it in the first magazine.
So, shooting s&w revolvers at distance is MUCH easier to do consistently than the g-19, and Id shot the smiths and Ruger SAs far more than the G. The G was what I had that day I decided to try the 600 yard plate, and I had someone to spot, so tried it. I have no doubts that if I shot that distance regularly with Smiths or the Rugers that it could be done with reasonable consistency.
Eyesight plays a huge part of being able to shoot distance well. Many mention they can barely see a 25 yard target well. OK, Im sorry thats how it is for them, but I also see many comments on the subject mentioning that someone tried it once or twice, couldnt do it, so anyone that claims to must be lying or making up stories etc. They may be able to breeze through a tax return or other paperwork, and I agonize through it for hours. y experience in that regard is hardly a usabel metric for whether anyone else can do it better than I can.
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