TODAY'S GUN TIME

[JRobyn]

BIL wanted to try out a .308 he bought, so we set up the shooting bench and some paper at 50 yds. After 1 or 2 practice shots he did a decent pattern, but still 8". With a (crappy) 3-9x40 scope!

I still haven't really sighted in the Win 94 "Trapper" in .44 mag that I bought at a local auction, so I brought it along. With open buckhorn sights and 240 gr HP revolver ammo, I did about a 4" group. VERY pleased with this little cannon! A lot more accurate than I expected it would be. If I was really careful aiming off a solid rest, I expect I could do under 4" groups at 100 yds.

 

[the old grind]

BIL wanted to try out a .308 he bought, so we set up the shooting bench and some paper at 50 yds. After 1 or 2 practice shots he did a decent pattern, but still 8". With a (crappy) 3-9x40 scope! ...

Lots of variables, or bits missing. New or used gun? Bore clean/checked/'broke in'? Hunting, mil-surp, or hand-loaded ammo? Scope not worthy of the gun, just a beater, ring/base screws tight? Stock fit and/or screw torque ok? Barrel 'free floated' or pressure-pad contact like M700, others? Trigger pull <6-7lbs? Etc, etc? Just askin' ..

We 'armchair armorers' like to hear about that stuff. :confused3: ..

 

[Sigarms]

Lots of variables, or bits missing. New or used gun? Bore clean/checked/'broke in'? Hunting, mil-surp, or hand-loaded ammo? Scope not worthy of the gun, just a beater, ring/base screws tight? Stock fit and/or screw torque ok? Barrel 'free floated' or pressure-pad contact like M700, others? Trigger pull <6-7lbs? Etc, etc? Just askin' ..

We 'armchair armorers' like to hear about that stuff. :confused3: ..

Although a long shot (no pun intended LOL) the one variable you forgot to ask about is the shooting bench (since it was "set up", wondering how sturdy it was). I've got a pretty "redneck" shooting range out back, but the one thing I do use when sighting in a gun for the first time is sandbags (in the prone position). This way, I know the gun isn't moving. JR mentioned he thought he would of shot his Win 94 better with a solid rest, which made me think of this.

I'm not certain how cheap the scope or ammo would have to be, but 8" at 50 yards with a scoped rifle is kind of mind boggling.

 

[k0ua]

I can hold 8 inches at 50 yards with an iron sighted handgun.

 

[SirReal63]

James, you are a lot better shot than I am.

My best friend and I have been working on our range for a couple of years now. A couple weeks ago we put up a 7' tall backstop with railroad ties. We took the opportunity to test it out since we have not shot any in months. When we were done I had a partial mag of cheap .223 and at 35 yards shot as fast as I could aim and fire, about 1 second between shots while standing.


I am near sighted so it is complicated to shoot, either I can see the target by wearing glasses, but the sights are fuzzy or I can see the sights but the target is fuzzy. I had the wife's Bushmaster which I put a red dot on, and I did better than I expected. About half of these were with glasses and the other half without. I need to shoot more with the AR.

 

[sdef]

James, you are a lot better shot than I am.

My best friend and I have been working on our range for a couple of years now. A couple weeks ago we put up a 7' tall backstop with railroad ties. We took the opportunity to test it out since we have not shot any in months. When we were done I had a partial mag of cheap .223 and at 35 yards shot as fast as I could aim and fire, about 1 second between shots while standing.

+1. My old eyes won't even focus at 50 yards I think without a scope or at least red dot. Iron sights on a rifle work well from a rest

My 7' tall RR ties backstop built recently. 100 yards. But can't leave anything edible out (target, backer cardboard, 300 meter measuring tape roll) as cows eat it. The only things safe are the steels and target stands.

 

[k0ua]

The wife and I both used to do quite a bit of "long range" handgun shooting at silhouettes. Chickens, turkeys, pigs, and rams. At 25, 50, 75 and 100 yards. Pistol used was our .44 magnum Ruger Red hawk stainless. We didn't have any trouble hitting any of them. I was once challenged to a match at our place where we had 1 gallon milk jugs filled with water at 125 yards. Neither one of us had any trouble hitting them from 125 yards with a good rest with our .44 magnum handguns. The challenger used his Ruger Super blackhawk, and I used my Red hawk. Long range pistol shooting is doable, it just takes some skill and a lot of practice. And a lot of it is knowing it can be done. So many guys say "I can't hit anything with a pistol" Really? Have you really tried? Run a few thousand rounds down range and really try. You may be surprised. 125 yards is NOT too far for a good shooting handgun.

 

[SirReal63]

+1. My old eyes won't even focus at 50 yards I think without a scope or at least red dot. Iron sights on a rifle work well from a rest

My 7' tall RR ties backstop built recently. 100 yards. But can't leave anything edible out (target, backer cardboard, 300 meter measuring tape roll) as cows eat it. The only things safe are the steels and target stands.
View attachment 529845View attachment 529846

Very nice!

Interesting, that is the design we have planned once we find some more ties. Our backstop was a huge pile of dirt but over the past few years it has settled so we did the wall of RR ties with dirt behind it. Once we get the wall finished amd dead mans installed we will push the dirt behind it.

 

[JRobyn]

Sorry guys, I really don't know much about his .308 (not even maker). I just noticed that the edges of the scope were a bit distorted, so I assumed it was "inexpensive". Definitely no Leupold! It's definitely a used rifle (probably abused and likely not clean). This was really just a rough "function" test. Even considering all that, I really expected reasonably tight groups out of it, at least compared to the open-sighted Win 94 with a handgun cartridge.

The bench was a new Cabelas (Herter's) folding job that I expected to be a bit wobbly, but it was VERY solid once someone was sitting on it. But we just used a forestock rest and shouldered the stock butt, so it wasn't like a machine rest.

And then I am old and wobbly and could barely see the buckhorn without wearing my reading glasses!

 

[SirReal63]

The wife and I both used to do quite a bit of "long range" handgun shooting at silhouettes. Chickens, turkeys, pigs, and rams. At 25, 50, 75 and 100 yards. Pistol used was our .44 magnum Ruger Red hawk stainless. We didn't have any trouble hitting any of them. I was once challenged to a match at our place where we had 1 gallon milk jugs filled with water at 125 yards. Neither one of us had any trouble hitting them from 125 yards with a good rest with our .44 magnum handguns. The challenger used his Ruger Super blackhawk, and I used my Red hawk. Long range pistol shooting is doable, it just takes some skill and a lot of practice. And a lot of it is knowing it can be done. So many guys say "I can't hit anything with a pistol" Really? Have you really tried? Run a few thousand rounds down range and really try. You may be surprised. 125 yards is NOT too far for a good shooting handgun.

25 yards is my farthest comfort zone with a pistol, the eyes get in the way.