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Post by bigbore5 on Mar 6, 2023 19:11:27 GMT -5
The ONLY time I have tried 100 yards with a handgun was years ago when a shooting buddy brought a DE .357 to the range. We shot bowling pins at 80-100 yards that day. Nothing precise, but we had tons of fun. That DE made the distance seem like a cakewalk. Accuracy and precision at 100 yards? I'd love to and I'm trying to figure the right platform for that. Maybe a scoped X Frame 350 Legend or a Ruger SBH Hunter Bisley in 44 mag? Always dreaming up some new hobby... Buy a 357 maximum. That's what it does best.
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gnappi
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,408
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Post by gnappi on Mar 8, 2023 12:16:36 GMT -5
I got a BFR in 460 S&W. It wears a Leupold 2.5-8, is 18" long, weighs more than a miata and is still a handful to shoot after a few cylinders. Shooting a 12" steel plate at 100 yards with a >400 grain bullet from a revolver is very satisfying. I wouldn't call it "super-easy" or "a piece of cake", but it is a pretty straightforward process, and lots of hits follow. Fun! But, I wanted something a little more friendly to shoot with others, to make social trips to the range fun when I bring out the 12" gong. So, I'm building/tuning a smaller revolver for 100 yard steel shooting, specifically with irons. A 32 (327) single six bisley with 6.5" barrel to be exact. Suddenly it is NOT all that easy anymore! Heck, sometimes it can be downright tough to hit the paper! I'm getting the load and gun to just around 12" or so at 100, but it requires at minimum resting the front of the gun. Big difference from scoped and handheld artillery! I'd like some tips from those who pursue the same activity, 100 yard shooting. Any general practices you guys follow, from setup, tuning, sight choice, customization, grip/stance/position, anything. I'm not going to tiny groups from a ransom rest (or even off hand) here, I just wanna make a 12" gong ring a bunch. So! What's the approach you guys take with a new gun when polishing it for 100 yard shooting? When I wore a younger man's clothes a friend and I used to shoot "at" beer cans at 100 yards with my security six using a bit of Kentucky windage. We'd even hit them once in a while :-) Later on when the accuracy bug bit me I got an XP-100 in 7mm BR, hogged out and polished a stock and with a 4x LER Leupold scope those cans were a lot easier to touch... once in a while at least !
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Post by bigbrowndog on Mar 8, 2023 20:31:06 GMT -5
Spanked a 5x5” plate today at 167 yards, first shot and only shot with my JRH/414SM,….210gr. Swift AF. Also opened a beer can at 60 with my Bowen 500L.
Trapr
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Post by rjm52 on Mar 11, 2023 8:06:57 GMT -5
Trapr...what is the story with the .414?? Built on a Maximum?
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Post by LeverGunner on Mar 12, 2023 9:46:05 GMT -5
This is a really great discussion, thanks all for sharing. I don't generally shoot at 100 yards and further, though I have occasionally. For a good while I had a 6" plate hanging at my berm, and from my 75 yard line I could get it when I was on. I eventually broke the plate, which is a piece of railroad track plate that had a broken end. I could hit that about half the time, and once, with the single six I got it 6 for 6. I replaced that with a 4" round thinking I'd increase the challenge....and that's exactly what happened.
I have a 2/3 IPSC, and find it quite easy to hit that at 100, but that's a pretty large target.
I'll definitely have to get some practice and dial in my technique for some 100 yard groups. I think my biggest handicap so far will my revolver having a 4-3/4" barrel. Course living on coffee doesn't help either.
I'm reading the 100 yard with Irons thread currently. I expect to glean lots of info there.
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Post by boolitdesigner on Mar 12, 2023 10:09:07 GMT -5
Practicing for 100 or more yards is really simple. You guys keep using a 12" gong as a reference. What size is that gong at 7 yards. That would be 0.84" (a little over 3/4"). Simply have that size of target at 7 yards and shoot at it offhand. I've had people say that's easy, I can hit that. Try, I said with the trial being they never touched it. You can embarrass yourself with this procedure if you aren't careful. When you can do it every time, then try a longer distance or a smaller target. There are quite a few people who do this that will separate you from your money this way.
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Post by bigbrowndog on Mar 12, 2023 11:02:43 GMT -5
Trapr...what is the story with the .414?? Built on a Maximum? I believe there is a thread on it, and my loading data search for loads. Don’t recall which forum topic it’s in though. What specific questions do you have?? Feel free to message or start a new topic or we can hijack this thread. Trapr found it,……https://singleactions.proboards.com/thread/32504/414sm-load-development here are pics of it Black nitrided and Dall sheep gripped…..https://www.handgunhuntersinternational.com/hhi-forum/revolvers/maximum-hunters
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bman
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 9
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Post by bman on Mar 13, 2023 1:51:12 GMT -5
As a teen, I became fascinated with handguns and handgun hunting instead of the rifles and hunting that I was familiar with. I began reading Elmer Keith (and Bob Milek) in some of my Dad's old books and magazines. My first handgun, a Single six, and the greatest Christmas present ever, was fired daily with all the 22 ammo a 14 year old could afford on a mostly F's salary - fetching, farm work, firewood, fencing, feeding, fire ant control - no F's allowed in school. As my skill level with that little Ruger grew, longer and longer shots were attempted.
One hundred yard shots on old 5 gallon buckets became fairly easy and soon the distance was increasing to 150 and 200 yards which started to reveal some limitations of the little 22 or, more probably, the marksman. As long range shooting with handguns piqued my interest, I was determined to "step up" my game by saving my pennies to acquire the power of a 357 magnum. At age 16 and with a little help from my Dad, I got that first 357 - 4" SS Security Six - it looked enough like Mr. Keith's 4" 629's and Dad approved. The lessons learned from that 22 were quickly applied and my father was a bit impressed with my cross pasture shooting. He'd make a few bets on me with his friends and I'm proud to say that I never let him lose one.
From there came my ventures into reloading, bullet casting and pursuit of big bore handgun shooting. I made a sidestep into competition shooting in my post college days and even precision shooting with single shot scoped handguns. Silhouette shooting interested me but, by that time, ranges were few and far between. I went through a brief period of interest in long range precision rifle but that passed and I was back to my first love of revolvers.
I spend as much time as possible outdoors and always with one of my bigger bores on the hip. Shooting with friends is a a favorite pastime and the best places are the ones where we can stretch it out. I still spend a good deal of time developing loads - experimenting - and shooting paper for groups at 25, 50 and 100 yards. I don't take enough pictures of my groups but watching here encourages me to start. I always enjoyed Mr. Keith's stories of shooting the outhouse and other things at distance. My fun for now is shooting (at) milk jugs at 2-300 yards. A buddy and I connect enough to make it worthwhile. This thread just happened to be of particular interest to me and got me thinking about how it all started for me. This is a great site with tons of information and great stories. I'm glad I found it.
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Post by bigbrowndog on Mar 13, 2023 9:39:51 GMT -5
And welcome bman.
Trapr
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Post by LeverGunner on Mar 13, 2023 11:52:36 GMT -5
Howdy bman. Thanks for sharing your stories with us. It was very enjoyable.
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Post by crazyhorse on Mar 17, 2023 18:47:05 GMT -5
I probably could hit a car door that far. :.)
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HadesMN
.240 Incinerator
Southern MN
Posts: 37
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Post by HadesMN on Mar 18, 2023 2:27:57 GMT -5
The handful of times I've stepped back to 100 with my 44 mag vaquero it wasn't good. For a lot of years that was my only revolver and I shot alot of rounds at 20-30 yards. About 2 years ago I picked up my second single action, a black hawk 41 magnum. I thought to myself, man now that I've got some nice sights I'll be awesome at 50 and competent at 100! It is easier to shoot farther back for me and I still enjoy banging steel plates at 20 and 40, and 50 yards. I'm getting pretty good at 50 hitting the 12" and 10" and occasionally getting the 8" shooting offhand. Sometimes I'll sit and brace myself on knees. Stepped back to 100 and braced of a picnic table and... it wasn't good. Tried again about a week later and it wasn't a fluke because it still wasn't very good... I'll keep practicing at 50 and 75 and hopefully smooth out my trigger pull enough that I can start getting actual groups further back. This was the first time. 6 shot group... missed the plywood one shot... Now that I've got a grip frame from Ronnie on there I'm hoping it'll help shrink them down more having something my big hands can hold onto without getting my knuckle bit or my pinky totally handing off the bottom. If not....., at least I'll look good trying!
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Post by bradshaw on Mar 18, 2023 9:11:29 GMT -5
Hadesmn.... your target is too noisy.
Tip: cut a piece of plain brown cardboard, about 18” x 24”, and tack @ 100 yards. Vertical or horizontal, doesn’t matter. Many front sights have 1/8" blade (.125”). Depending on one's EYE RELIEF----distance between eye & front sight----the front sight looks about 12” wide @ 100 yards. Cardboard should be visible visible on both sides of the front sight.
A 6 o’clock hold should touch the target. Do not hold light between sight and target, as it is difficult to judge consistently.
Dry fire your setup before going live. Important to insure body alignment, squeeze & follow through.
The blank target helps focus on the front sight. To add a bullseye or other visual noise strains focus on the front sight at hammer fall. David Bradshaw
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HadesMN
.240 Incinerator
Southern MN
Posts: 37
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Post by HadesMN on Mar 18, 2023 11:18:11 GMT -5
Hadesmn.... your target is too noisy. Tip: cut a piece of plain brown cardboard, about 18” x 24”, and tack @ 100 yards. Vertical or horizontal, doesn’t matter. Many front sights have 1/8" blade (.125”). Depending on one's EYE RELIEF----distance between eye & front sight----the front sight looks about 12” wide @ 100 yards. Cardboard should be visible visible on both sides of the front sight. A 6 o’clock hold should touch the target. Do not hold light between sight and target, as it is difficult to judge consistently. Dry fire your setup before going live. Important to insure body alignment, squeeze & follow through. The blank target helps focus on the front sight. To add a bullseye or other visual noise strains focus on the front sight at hammer fall. David Bradshaw Sound advice Bradshaw I appreciate. I'll give that a try next time I'm out shooting. This was going to be the winter I didn't stop shooting for the cold and snow. Turns out the cold and snow and everything else got the best of me and between fixing and maintaining everything I haven't shot much at all. Its starting to melt and my 100 yard lane is losing the huge drifts that built up. I'm about going through withdrawals from not having shot nearly enough. I will practice with the suggested target and approach and see if I can't at least get them on the cardboard! I've bought two more single actions also since that 41 and one came with an ultra dot so naturally I'll give that a try as well. I have a 1911 10mm with a 2 moa red dot but for some reason I've always stopped at 50yds and never tried that at 100 either.
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Post by bradshaw on Mar 18, 2023 13:04:02 GMT -5
Hadesmn.... don’t worry about trajectory. Expect a .45 ACP sighted @ 25 yds to land 12” to 18” low @ 100 yds. Half the drop from a 10mm Auto. For your best chance to record trajectory, set the cardboard vertical. If you have a spotting scope or binocular, use it. Try to call each shot, and keep a notebook. David Bradshaw
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