I do fairly often. Anyone else train at this distance regularly?
Okie John
If I have a target at that distance for some reason (e.g. getting a rifle on paper, target shooting the 10/22, some AR drills), I typically will fire 3-5 shots, but I don’t train for that distance.
I do once in a while. Typically only when I have the steel out. More often then not I just do it while at matches, as there’s often some steel at 50+ yards we have to hit with handgun.
I practice from 50 and 100 yards on a regular basis.
I do it a couple times a month on average out at the PD range. This was from last trip. 4 rounds of American Eagle 180 grn .40 out of my duty Glock 22.
As a civilian training for home or self defense I would have a hard time convincing a judge that I was defending myself and didn’t have the option to escape if I shot someone at 50 yards. Therefore why train at a range I will never likely use. That said once in a while I will try 50 yards just for fun or to diagnose a subtle zeroing problem.
Yes I do as our departmental qualification ranges from the 1 yard line out to the 50 yard line. A number of years ago a guy in the department had to engage an active shooter at 80 yards with his Glock 21C and dropped him. Since then, the department has insisted on maintaining some distance training in addition to the increased up close training.
I have shot steel out to 50 yards during classes but rarely train at those distances. When I do shoot at those distances it us usually a supported position; prone, bumper of a vehicle, tree etc.
ZGXtreme, Bravo on your colleague taking care of business. That is impressive!
Absolutely. As often as i am able.
Shooting at distance with a handgun requires PERFECT fundamentals.
Sight alignment and trigger press must be done absolutely perfectly in order to hit your target.
Shooting at distance will magnify any deficiencies in your fundamentals whereas shooting at 3 yards can very easily mask issues.
I do in field shooting in remote areas with the proper backstop and sometimes stretch the range to 100 yards.
I can completely understand where you are coming from, but practicing with 100 rounds at 50 yards will help your fundamentals infinitely more than 1000 rounds at 5 yards.
Also, I don’t ever see it happening. But if a guy is 50 yards away and is shooting at me, I don’t want to wait until then to figure out my kentucky windage.
My local range is only 25 yards but I usually put a few mags through at this distance for this very reason. The challenge is fun too. I’ll have to try 50 yards out in the desert to see how I do.
Great point. Realizing what a great diagnostic tool it is I suppose I should do it more often. Shooting from the supported position as I have been doing at that distance would aid in hiding any poor trigger habits I have formed.
As a civilian training for home or self defense I would have a hard time convincing a judge that I was defending myself and didn’t have the option to escape if I shot someone at 50 yards.
Have you consulted with an attorney on this or is this mis-guided gun forum bullshit?
What about defending others?
50yds isn’t as far away from things as people may think. While statistically unlikely to be an actual engagement distance, folks should have an ability to hit targets from that yard line.
I shoot at 35, 50yds, and beyond. Not as well as I’d like, but that’s the point.
Even as a plain old un-official CCW person, shooting at distance can happen.
Think active-shooter at your local mall. How far is one of the hallway commons in that building?
How far across is the parking lot?
Look up the train station pics of the Mumbai attack. There is one where one of the bad guys is in profile, AK in hand, like this one;
Anyone telling me they wouldn’t try and take that shot if it was given to them instead of the guy there that day with the camera?
I sure as hell would, and be glad I practiced at distance as I did so.
OK, so a lot of us train out to 50 yards.
What are your typical groups like at that range? I ask because I’m all over the paper (20"x21") with a G19, but I can hold 6-10 inches with a BHP, a 1911, or a Smith revolver from the Weaver stance.
It’s driving me nuts…
Okie John
Are you shooting stock trigger and sights?
I’m new to the forum and I was recommended from a friend. I shoot at 50 yrds when I know I want to miss lol. I am more accurate at 30 range but I believe that proficiency at 50 is a must so I continue to work on it. I have been favoring my Springfield XD Sub-Compact 40. I’m interested in any more pointers that you all that are more proficient at 50 are willing to give.
No, not necessarily. I was shown an exercise by a retired Navy SEAL where he demanded 5 rounds in one hole at 5 yards. Not holes touching, but one single hole. He gave 5 attempts to do so. Many students didn’t get it, and few more could only get holes to touch but no superimpose. Those who got it right had their enthusiasm curbed pretty fast when he proceeded to demand the same with strong and weak hands only.
One hell of a fundamentals builder, I use it quite often now.
At this distance, I don’t shoot for groups. I print an 8 inch circle on a regular 11 inch piece of paper (eats a lot of printer ink) and then count hit ratio. I get anywhere from 2/3 to 3/4 hit ratio with 1911 and high quality ammo, and about 50% with regular ammo, although sometimes I do as poorly as 1/3. Haven’t done this with G19, but I am sure my hit ratio will go down.