Revolvers, Iron sights, and Paper Plates.

[MePlat]

How many on here can hit a 9 inch (I believe that is the standard size) paper plate 100 percent of the time at 100 yards offhand?
How many can hit a paper plate 100 percent of the time at 50 yards offhand?
Come on lets hear some honest answers.  Remember no one is a perfect shot.  Not Elmer Keith,  Bob Munden,  Ross Seyfried,  John Linebaugh,  Dustin Linebaugh.  With than in mind lets see the answers.

[Graybeard]

Even when I once thought I was "good" and was winning regularly in silhouette matches here in Bama and over in GA I wasn't good enough to do it every time at 100 yards. At 50 yeah pretty much every time back then I reckon. Wouldn't wanna say I'd never mess up and miss but it would have been rare at 50 in those days.

Now a days? Well I'll bet I could deal it misery most of the time at 25 yards.  But I'd miss some at 50 and I'd have to have an 8-3/8" barrel at least to get that front sight out far enough to see it.

[Hooker]

I don't do alot of offhand practice so I'm going to say 100yds on a good day maybe 25-30 percent.
My eyes ain't quite what they useta was, How the heck did I get this old?   

Pat

[Lloyd Smale]

probably at 50 yards. A 100 percent is hard to call. On a good day yes. But im sure if i shot at it enough times id miss once or twice. At a 100 yards probably 50 percent maybe a little better on a good day with a real good gun.

[Redhawk1]

I am with the others here. 100 yards and open sights and off hand is a long ways.  I know I could not do it 100% of the time. But put a scope and a shooting rest or shooting sticks, and I could hit it 100% of the time.   

[MS Hitman]

Come on Meplat,

What's with the fixation on the Linebaughs?  Besides, I'm sure Bob Munden even misses from time to time; even Carlos Hathcock had some bad days.  John will tell you quick there are others who can shoot better than he can; he's that honest. 

As for myself, these days the work schedule crimps my shooting time severely.  I probably would not take a shot at 100 yards offhand at a game animal until such time as I could get in some practice.

[Will_C]

I only starting shooting handguns last year, and am good on plates with my .357 out to 50 yards (6 out of 6). That's up from 3 out of 6 @ 15 yards when I started!!I am trying 60 yards this weekend.
Will

[jpsmith1]

When I'm shooting and practicing a lot, 50 yards isn't too far.  However, I shoot from a kneeling position, so my answer is not 100% valid.  I do little practice from the offhand position because taking a rest is so quick and easy that I'd be a fool not to.

As far as 100 yards, I don't shoot that far very often.  The best I've done is 4 of 6 on a plate from 100 using realistic shooting positions.

Offhand?  Forget it.

[MePlat]

MS Hitman:  who said there was a fixation on the Linebaughs .  I mentioned Elmer Keith and Bob Munden, and Ross Seyfried.  I picked people most know that are into revolver shooting.  I could of mentioned Dudley Doright at the local shooting range or Clod Hopper at the local range but would you have known them?  What if I mentioned someone that works at the local McDonalds would most have known them either?

I asked a question about paper plates not about deer, elk, bear, moose, hogs, buffalo, bison, ground hogs, rabbits, or anyother animal that we could name.  I am talking about shooting on paper which probably is what most shoot at in practice other than maybe walking the fields shooting at clods, rocks, coffee cans, stumps, clumps of grass, piles of cow dung, etc./ because many will shoot at these and even if it is close they say good enough.  On paper the holes don't lie.  We are either doing well, not so well, or we stink.
Most don't like to look at holes in paper because it can make us look good or rotten.

Now what can you do offhand at 100 yards with your favorite revolver using iron sights on paper?  No ethical answers about shooting at game at that distance just plain old everyday paper that as far as I know has no feelings, doesn't bleed, doesn't give a mornful cry when hit with a bad shot.

Oh yes,  You do know what the late Snake Fleenor said to do if you want to shoot  small groups with your handgun don't you?

[HHI 812]

Meplat,
Odd you brought this up? Haven't had much time to do much shooting lately, due to busy time at work, foster kids, and lately mother in law moving in law moving in with us(too old to stay by herself), but just had to get over the winter blues. Went out for a session with my old Norinco 1911 basically stock ccw, and couldn't see the sight clearly or the target!!!! Eyes ain't what they use to be?? Anyway, went to my optometrist, and he fixed me up with some stronger contacts, and went to the range for another quick session(a month later-busy again), and I could see the target at 25 yards better now, but then now the sights were even worse with these new contacts(tiny stock iron fixed sights), and I could barely read!!!! So called the doc, and he said I need to use reading glasses. Well, use to laugh at my dad at this, but tried the reading glasses to read, and it helped, but took my 1911 out just to see what it now looks like with them darn reading glasses, and it just don't work. Moved my head up and down to try and make the reading glasses work with seeing the distant target, and it just doesn't work. So went to my optometrist again, so he gives me a contact on my left eye, so I can see close, and the right so I can see distant. Went home and it sort of worked better, not having to bob my had up and down, and pulled out my 1911 for a look see, and darn sights still blurry!!!! Figuring my right eye being the master eye, I called my doc again, and asked if he could switch the reading leans to my right master eye, and left for distance? He said yes, but because he didn't have any in stock, it was another long wait to get it. Well finally the lenses arrived, but then again other things started going on again around here, and couldn't go shooting for a while, but 3 weeks ago, I got a chance to go to the range with my old Norinco and I think this is going to work, but with not shooting for a long time!!!! Only had a few rounds, so had to leave early. Anyway. last week, got a chance to go shooting, and brought along an old Ceiner .22lr conversion I just got for my 1911, along with my Norinco. I forgot to bring targets, but had a few 9" paper plates at the bottom of my back pack for my lunches at work.  Again, couldn't keep the shots on the plate at 25  yards with 45 ACP, so played with the .22 conversion, and actually started getting all the shots in the plate, so switched back to the 45, and got all the shots on the plate. Got brave, and moved the plate out to 50 yards, and of the 20 shots, only one didn't go on the plate! Sorry for the long post, but just wanted point out that shooting is not lost after the eyes get old!!!! And when one starts to blame bad loads(like I figured I had), the old .22 lr set things straight and it was the shooter who was messing up, not my loads. Again, sorry for the long post guys, but I'm going to start using them plates again, and will have to try past 50 yards next!!!!!!

[MePlat]

To all who have replied.  Thanks for the replies.  We learn alot about people and their shooting after we get a reply to a question like this.

[SingleShotShorty]

100% @ 100 yards without optics is really hard to do i would have to say I could hit it most of the time at that range and i would be really surprised if I missed it a 50 yards.

[Dusty Miller]

I'd be tickled pink to hit it 100% of the time at 50 yds. 

[Lloyd Smale]

hey pal heres my take on it. Theres very few people that really HONESTLY can shoot a handgun that well. Just like theres very few that can drive a stock car 200 mph or play professional sports. Shooting is an aquired skill sport and there are just people that do it better then others. Ive watched my buddy Al shoot and hes probably the finest off hand shot ive ever met. A few others like dustin Jerry halfrich and a few others im probabaly leaving out are excellent too but there the exception. Just like not everyone is going to be a pro foot ball player no matter how much they practice. I shoot ALOT. Probably shoot more handgun ammo in a month the any two people here do but im just not a natural. I get reminded of it everytime i shoot competition. I do allright but theres a group of about 5 guys that shoot with me that do just as well and the only time they pick up a handgun is to shoot competion. There just natural athletic when it comes to shooting. Practice helps. Im a much better shoooter then I was 5 years ago but have just faced the fact that no matter how much i shoot im not a natural and never will be able to shoot with the ones that are. Im starting to buck up and face that fact and its probably one of the best things for my shooting thats happened. I used to get so frustrated practiciing that it took the fun right out of shooting. My best advise to you is that if you cant hit a paper plate at 100 yards everytime go and buy a bigger target. Dont let the obsession ruin your fun like it did for me.

[Mikey]

Metplat:  Do you mean NOW, or 'in the day'?? (LOLOLOL).  Mikey. 

[fowler]

Well I agree with Lloyd that VERY few guys can do it consistently, everyday, 100% of the time, on demand. It takes a very special gun, a good day, good loads, good weather, some stars to align for me to get 5 in a row on a paper plate at that range consistently off hand. On most typical days I can get 65% to 80% on the paper after warming up a little. It is truly a hard won skill that few possess and fewer yet can maintain. And besides like Lloyd said this should be fun not brain damage.

Ross Seyfried has said many times that 1" of group for every 10 yards of distance is very good shooting, halve that and you get into extremely rarefied company. I feel good if I can get 2 or 3 groups in a row within the 1" rule. I can also tell you that a 1" group at 10 yards is a hell of a lot easier than a 10" group is at 100 yards or a 15" group at 150 yards, just real life.

The only thing I know is that at any range is to shoot AND EXPECT TO HIT WITH EVERY SHOT. If you doubt your skills and expect to miss by gum you will. If you expect success it is funny how it seems to follow through for you.... 

[superjay01]

Wow, I have never tried 100 yards off hand with my pistol, but I'm going to now. As for the 50 yard shooting I can't say that it's 100% of the time, but I'd say somewhere between 96-99%.

[HHI 812]

Now I recall my early IHMSA days shooting at longer ranges. I used a 1911 and a S&W 66 2-1/2". Llike I said , "EARLY" IHMSA days, when a T/C was a rare item in Hawaii. Easiest target for me to hit, was the pig at 100 yards. Not a 100% hits mind you, but the 2 1/2" really taught me trigger control and sight alignment importance, and when I started getting the hang of it, both guns did a good job of the pigs. When I did hit the ram at 200 yards, I rarely knocked it down(was full footed then), but oh what satisfaction it was. Standing category was the way I started out the game then, thinking thats how one "suppose" to shoot a handgun? To even hit a turkey at 150 yards, was a treat and rarity!!!