Long Range Pistol Shooting

[CaptainVane]

I just read a nice article in Guns Magazine about long range pistol shooting. And while it was focused on cartridge guns, it was all revolvers.
Which got me thinking, when i am at our local range and always the only BP shooter, I set my splatter burst target at 50 yards. All the semi auto guys are shooting at 20’. I guess they practice for potential street threats.
I am practicing for those dam rebels across the field.
So lets talk long range BP pistol shooting, how accurate is your goto BP pistol? We all/most have multiple but usually grab one consistently for the range.
Mine is my Uberti Colt 51 Navy .36 and so dam accurate that the semi automatic guys are amazed. No bullseye all the time but will place shots on a man size target consistently to cause serious damage.
https://gunsmagazine.com/guns/handguns/long-range-sixguns/

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Once upon a time I shot metallic silhouette competition with an unmentionable revolver. Chickens, Turkeys, Javelina and Rams out to 200 meters and I favored the reclining creedmore position for this. While I have not tried that range with a C+B gun I have done the Dave Tutt shot on a target with a 2nd model dragoon with no problem. I enjoy the challenge of long range shooting.

 

[M. De Land]

I just read a nice article in Guns Magazine about long range pistol shooting. And while it was focused on cartridge guns, it was all revolvers.
Which got me thinking, when i am at our local range and always the only BP shooter, I set my splatter burst target at 60 yards. All the semi auto guys are shooting at 20’. I guess they practice for potential street threats.
I am practicing for those dam rebels across the field.
So lets talk long range BP pistol shooting, how accurate is your goto BP pistol? We all/most have multiple but usually grab one consistently for the range.
Mine is my Uberti Colt 51 Navy .36 and so dam accurate that the semi automatic guys are amazed. No bullseye all the time but will place shots on a man size target consistently to cause serious damage.
https://gunsmagazine.com/guns/handguns/long-range-sixguns/

Now that is an interesting idea as I have no clue how well any of my percussion revolvers or single shot hand guns shoot past 50 yards ! I've done some 3-400 yard shooting with my 44 magnum from between my knees, sitting on my butt with my back against a rock "Elmer Keith style" but never a percussion gun shooting a ball.
I would imagine at 3-400 yards there wouldn't be much speed or energy left on a revolver round ball from what I can see from my round ball rifles shooting even 200 yards but it sure would be fun to find out !

 

[appalichian hunter]

58 Remy, 50yards is the most I ever shot, it did well.

 

[springfield art]

I just read a nice article in Guns Magazine about long range pistol shooting. And while it was focused on cartridge guns, it was all revolvers.
Which got me thinking, when i am at our local range and always the only BP shooter, I set my splatter burst target at 60 yards. All the semi auto guys are shooting at 20’. I guess they practice for potential street threats.
I am practicing for those dam rebels across the field.
So lets talk long range BP pistol shooting, how accurate is your goto BP pistol? We all/most have multiple but usually grab one consistently for the range.
Mine is my Uberti Colt 51 Navy .36 and so dam accurate that the semi automatic guys are amazed. No bullseye all the time but will place shots on a man size target consistently to cause serious damage.
https://gunsmagazine.com/guns/handguns/long-range-sixguns/

Great to read that!

 

[ROA457]

I have shot my Old Army out to 100yds in Silhouette, effective?? I wouldn't want to stand there and have me take a pot shot. It did knock the pig over, just. The issue is speed, you just can't get it fast enough for a straight shot, banana trajectory, but was it fun? you bet. Turkeys and rams were a distant hope, but it will get out to 150. One of the matches we shoot down here is a target match at 50 yds, those that can can hold the black, around 8" single handed.

 

[Gtrubicon]

I have a 16”x 24” steel plate hanging at my range at 75 yards. With my 58 Remington and 30g charge I can smack it every time. I can’t do the same with my 1860 army though.

 

[Pete453]

I've shot my Pietta 58 Remington to 200 yds. I was having an easier time getting close to and hitting my target, a helium cylinder. Guy with a modern semiauto fad thingies couldn't keep up, and I know he can shoot Handguns. Shot my last deer at 75-80 paces with my old army, one and done.

 

[Bill Bryan]

I shoot my .50 cal Kentucky flintlock at 25 yards and can keep it on the target. I need to have a lucky day to hit a 50 yard target. Bill

 

[Malamute]

Theres a fair number of people of questionable intelligence that shoot longer distances with back loading guns. 300 yards is a common distance. I did some before moving to the N Rockies, then found more people regularly doing it there, and I pursued it further. There was also a guy I was privileged to know that was an exhibition class shooter that used to shoot one handed all the time, and out to even further distances than i did. The result is my doing most pistol shooting over the past 15-20 years at 200-300 yards and mostly one handed. Theres nothing all that complicated about it, it just hones the basics down to a finer edge, mistakes show with much greater clarity. Learning how to use the sights correctly for distance seems to be the biggest handicap for most people, and most can hit @ 300 in a few minutes with correct instruction and willingness to focus.

With an 18" plate @ 300 yards, 6-7/10 isnt unusual two handed, and 3-5/10 is possible one handed with a 40 year old pistol composed of composite material and only moderate grouping capability on 25 yard targets. Good revolvers are easier to shoot, that example is just what I happened to shoot the most for a while when loads were cheap and it was of some interest.

I havent tried it with my percussion guns, but will when i get back to my regular home base again full time.

The 600 yard plate is 24". Ive only tried it once with a spotter with glass and managed to make 1/10

 

[Barry Strickland]

The NMLRA has a bench Rest Aggregate that is a fun set of targets to shoot. There are three targets to shoot
with five shots on each target. They are, a standard six bull rifle target at 25 yards, a standard 50 yard Pistol target at 50 yards
and a 200 yard rifle target at 100 yards.
The rules are pretty much wide open. You can use a forward rest anywhere forward of the trigger guard. The butt has to be held
by a hand. The projectile can be either a round ball or bullet (no "modern projectiles" allowed).
Any sight, open, red dot or scope.
The most difficult target for me to get a good score on is the 25 yard six bull. That tiny little ten ring is very elusive.
The easiest target is the 50 yard target.
The one that will make me talk to myself is the 100 yard. Watch the wind, watch the wind and again watch the wind!
I suggest anyone give these three targets a try at your home range. I think you might surprise yourself as to how
accurate you can shoot these with a little practice.
By the way, it can become obsessive!
Barry

 

[CaptainVane]

Obsessive is the word! Last week was first week I couldn’t make it to range since March. I was Jonsen like a junkie needing a fix. Going tomorrow. I can feel my hands shaking already.

 

[CaptainVane]

I hope i am allowed to post this, if not, i guess ill get spanked.
Yall ought to check out gunsmagazine.com. Excellent article out there about the development of the Winchester 1886 rifle. Winchester paid John Browning the equivalent of $1.5million for the exclusive rights to his design. You will like it.

 

[Relic shooter]

Excellent RB long range accuracy is doable out to 150-200 yds with a quality well tuned flint or percussion single shot pistol with deep fast twist rifling.
Some 55 years ago a couple of friends were getting consistent 200 yd hits on an 18" metal plate with percussion pistols they built with approx. 8" barrels made from an old 45/70 Springfield rifle. Both pistols were made from the lower frames from Crossman air pistols.
Relic shooter
My .70 cal French officer's pistol with it's fast twist multi-groove rifling shoots very tight groups @ 50yds, would likely require considerable elevation @ 200 yds.

 

[nick_1]

I pretty routinely hit the steel pig at 100yrds with my trapper pistol at my old range. I dont remember trying with the remingtons? they were new and i was busy getting them grouping at 25 and 50.

 

[Relic shooter]

I pretty routinely hit the steel pig at 100yrds with my trapper pistol at my old range. I dont remember trying with the remingtons? they were new and i was busy getting them grouping at 25 and 50.

It's much easier to get excellent long range accuracy with a single shot flint or percussion pistols with fast twist rifling.
The rate of twist recommendation is not my opinion.
My past competition & hunting successes were due to over 50 years of collecting & competing with mostly original English & European rifles & pistols.
The old world master gun builders developed the finest technology in quality & accuracy that we're trying to replicate today.
Relic shooter

 

[M. De Land]

I just read a nice article in Guns Magazine about long range pistol shooting. And while it was focused on cartridge guns, it was all revolvers.
Which got me thinking, when i am at our local range and always the only BP shooter, I set my splatter burst target at 50 yards. All the semi auto guys are shooting at 20’. I guess they practice for potential street threats.
I am practicing for those dam rebels across the field.
So lets talk long range BP pistol shooting, how accurate is your goto BP pistol? We all/most have multiple but usually grab one consistently for the range.
Mine is my Uberti Colt 51 Navy .36 and so dam accurate that the semi automatic guys are amazed. No bullseye all the time but will place shots on a man size target consistently to cause serious damage.
https://gunsmagazine.com/guns/handguns/long-range-sixguns/

While looking up a good starting load for my 51 Navy tonight I happen to take a gander at the BC of the .36 cal .375 diameter ball. It's a pitiful .049 according to Lyman. No wonder they slow down so fast ! Ought to be able to catch it in a ball glove at 400 yards and melt her down again ! Course it's still probably trucking along at 3-400fps so one would probably need a (really big) Kevlar ball glove !

 

[alcessapiens]

Once upon a time I shot metallic silhouette competition with an unmentionable revolver. Chickens, Turkeys, Javelina and Rams out to 200 meters and I favored the reclining creedmore position for this. While I have not tried that range with a C+B gun I have done the Dave Tutt shot on a target with a 2nd model dragoon with no problem. I enjoy the challenge of long range shooting.

I did silhouette back in the early 80s. I liked the creedmore position as well. I had a couple of good single shots and bolt action pistols but really learned something about cylinder gap when trying out a revolver with very hot loads ( these 200m rams needed some walloping). Burned a nice hole in my pants (the actually lit on fire a bit) and burned a good deep spot into my leg. went and bought some heavy buffalo hide and some buckles and made a leg shield. Eventually, just for fun, I used my walker ( silver soldered a long sight bar atop the barrel to get a 10” spread and mounted a very good set of sights. It would drop the ram so long as I hit it high enough but the trajectory was like an old lady throwing a leather football.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I did silhouette back in the early 80s. I liked the creedmore position as well. I had a couple of good single shots and bolt action pistols but really learned something about cylinder gap when trying out a revolver with very hot loads ( these 200m rams needed some walloping). Burned a nice hole in my pants (the actually lit on fire a bit) and burned a good deep spot into my leg. went and bought some heavy buffalo hide and some buckles and made a leg shield. Eventually, just for fun, I used my walker ( silver soldered a long sight bar atop the barrel to get a 10” spread and mounted a very good set of sights. It would drop the ram so long as I hit it high enough but the trajectory was like an old lady throwing a leather football.

Yes, I smoked the knees on a few jeans myself.

 

[nick_1]

I recall that it hurt pretty good with my.357. I suspect that with real BP you could catch your pants on fire