At the range what distance do you practice most at?

sharkey · Sep 18, 2018

SloppyShooter said:
1-2 feet. After a few beers, I back away from the urinal slightly.

That is how you got your name.

Me, usually 15 yards and in using the cardboard from a case of soda as the target. With my braced AR pistol, 50yrds.

SWAT Mag. just sent a low round count drill that is pretty neat. I will try to post link later. 5 rounds shooting an index card with timed courses of fire

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Darqhelmet · Sep 19, 2018

7-10 yards for pistol.
50- 200 for rifle.

Both will be pushed further when give the chance. Engaging with a pistol past 50 yards to me is a wing and a prayer. Plus i don’t see how you are going to get a “good shoot” lobbing pistol rounds at someone that far away and I am not comfortable accounting for those shots not hitting something else.

Rifle past 200 same thing for two legged critters.

Hunting depends on the round and the shot i have open to me.

Kar98 · Sep 19, 2018

Darqhelmet said:
Both will be pushed further when give the chance. Engaging with a pistol past 50 yards to me is a wing and a prayer. Plus i don’t see how you are going to get a “good shoot” lobbing pistol rounds at someone that far away and I am not comfortable accounting for those shots not hitting something else.

Not all target practice is for self-defense reasons. Some is just for shits and giggles. Like shooting skeet with a Makarov.

benenglish · Sep 19, 2018

Kar98 said:
Like shooting skeet with a Makarov.

Hand-thrown clays shot with a T/C Contender pistol with a .44 bbl with the add-on choke - that's some fun right there. I would have never thought to use a Makarov, though.

Kar98 · Sep 19, 2018

benenglish said:
Hand-thrown clays shot with a T/C Contender pistol with a .44 bbl with the add-on choke - that's some fun right there. I would have never thought to use a Makarov, though.

Guy at the waaaaaay out in the mountains range, in the middle of nowhere, Colorado, brought one of those spring-loaded clay flingers and his brand-new 870 and kept missing them. I went, say, do you mind if I take a shot at the clays you're missing, would be a shame to waste them. So it was, pull! wait a moment to see if he hits or misses, than I take my shot. Missed two altogether, clipped two, dusted the rest (eight round mag).

Bozz10mm · Sep 19, 2018

Reminds me of an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies.

cb51 · Sep 19, 2018

Almost all is at 5-7 yards. With a pocket pistol like Beretta .25 and NAA mini .22 revolvers it's 5 yards, and with S&W J frame snubbie it's 5 -7.

At that close range I use the Applegate point shooting and it seems a bit faster on target than with two hands. Put front sight on target and shoot. Target I use is the half size B-29 silhouette.

I only use two hand holds when plinking at soda cans at 15 to 20 yards.

Darqhelmet · Sep 19, 2018

Kar98 said:
Not all target practice is for self-defense reasons. Some is just for shits and giggles. Like shooting skeet with a Makarov.

No shit!? I had no idea which is why I didn’t explain anything in my post...

sharkey · Sep 19, 2018

Fun drill -
https://www.swatmag.com/video/seven-yard-countdown-015663/?utm_source=newsletter

jimbo · Sep 19, 2018

I use the 21 ft most of the time. I feel like if I can get tight groups at this range it will benefit me in the long run.

MarkB462 · Oct 27, 2018

Typically 5-7 yards with my carry pistol. If I’m shooting my Beretta M9A3 I’ll go out to 25 for grins. If I’m feeling cheeky I’ll try and ring steel at 100.

OLDVET · Oct 29, 2018

I practice at seven yards as well. I have been told that Texas Law considers seven yards the maximum range for legally using lethal force. If a threat is past seven yards a person should be able to flee.

When I practice, I do not "target shoot". By that, I mean I do not take time to make sure the sights are correctly lined up with the target. I prefer an instinctive approach. I raise the firearm, while concentrating on the target. When the sights appear in my line of sight, I fire. This way I can focus on the target and not the sights. The sights appear as a slight blur using this method since your eyes can't focus in two places at once. The Army taught us this method so you never lose sight of the enemy, especially in a jungle warfare setting.
I realize this is not the way beginners are taught today. It works very well for me.

I was at Elm Fork yesterday morning. I shot a couple of hundred rounds through a pair of new CZ pistols I recently purchased. I use a standard rifle sight-in target from the range. I place twelve 3" Shoot-n-See stick on targets on the sight-in target (3 across x 4 down). I then shoot two 5 round groups into each 3" target. Yesterday was a good day. Probably 95% of the total rounds I shot were inside the 3" target I shot at.
One of the range officers is a friend of mine. He walked by and jokingly commented, you shoot pretty good for an old guy. I am 70 years old. We both laughed.

Charlie · Oct 29, 2018

OLDVET said:
I practice at seven yards as well. I have been told that Texas Law considers seven yards the maximum range for legally using lethal force. If a threat is past seven yards a person should be able to flee.

When I practice, I do not "target shoot". By that, I mean I do not take time to make sure the sights are correctly lined up with the target. I prefer an instinctive approach. I raise the firearm, while concentrating on the target. When the sights appear in my line of sight, I fire. This way I can focus on the target and not the sights. The sights appear as a slight blur using this method since your eyes can't focus in two places at once. The Army taught us this method so you never lose sight of the enemy, especially in a jungle warfare setting.
I realize this is not the way beginners are taught today. It works very well for me.

I was at Elm Fork yesterday morning. I shot a couple of hundred rounds through a pair of new CZ pistols I recently purchased. I use a standard rifle sight-in target from the range. I place twelve 3" Shoot-n-See stick on targets on the sight-in target (3 across x 4 down). I then shoot two 5 round groups into each 3" target. Yesterday was a good day. Probably 95% of the total rounds I shot were inside the 3" target I shot at.
One of the range officers is a friend of mine. He walked by and jokingly commented, you shoot pretty good for an old guy. I am 70 years old. We both laughed.

Good shooting! I'm a little older than you but I could never shoot that good! Explain a little about the seven yard maximum for shooting in a self-defense situation, please. Is that a "written" law somewhere (anywhere?)? If it is, it's bullchit! It's well known a person can cover that ground pretty damn fast! I'd just be curious where you got that information. Link, please?

bigwheel · Oct 29, 2018

Here lately the course seems to involve a string at 25 yards..then progressively closer till the 7 yard line..and fifty rounds have been expended. Back in the good old days we often started at fifty yards on certain courses but that seems to no longer be popular.

Bozz10mm · Oct 29, 2018

OLDVET said:
When I practice, I do not "target shoot". By that, I mean I do not take time to make sure the sights are correctly lined up with the target. I prefer an instinctive approach. I raise the firearm, while concentrating on the target. When the sights appear in my line of sight, I fire. This way I can focus on the target and not the sights. The sights appear as a slight blur using this method since your eyes can't focus in two places at once. The Army taught us this method so you never lose sight of the enemy, especially in a jungle warfare setting.
I realize this is not the way beginners are taught today. It works very well for me.

Same here. Usually @ 7 yards or so.

cb51 · Oct 29, 2018

OLDVET said:
I practice at seven yards as well. I have been told that Texas Law considers seven yards the maximum range for legally using lethal force. If a threat is past seven yards a person should be able to flee.

When I practice, I do not "target shoot". By that, I mean I do not take time to make sure the sights are correctly lined up with the target. I prefer an instinctive approach. I raise the firearm, while concentrating on the target. When the sights appear in my line of sight, I fire. This way I can focus on the target and not the sights. The sights appear as a slight blur using this method since your eyes can't focus in two places at once. The Army taught us this method so you never lose sight of the enemy, especially in a jungle warfare setting.
I realize this is not the way beginners are taught today. It works very well for me.

I was at Elm Fork yesterday morning. I shot a couple of hundred rounds through a pair of new CZ pistols I recently purchased. I use a standard rifle sight-in target from the range. I place twelve 3" Shoot-n-See stick on targets on the sight-in target (3 across x 4 down). I then shoot two 5 round groups into each 3" target. Yesterday was a good day. Probably 95% of the total rounds I shot were inside the 3" target I shot at.
One of the range officers is a friend of mine. He walked by and jokingly commented, you shoot pretty good for an old guy. I am 70 years old. We both laughed.

I've found that as I got "older" and my eyes were not as good as when I was young stud, this shooting techigue has been a good one. Since the sights are a problem and the front sight hard to focus on, using a more pointing method does seem to work better.

I find painting the front sight a bright white and using it as a shotgun bead in my line of sight on the target works well out to 7 to 10 yards with no problem. I think Col. Rex Applegate taught this way with a pointing crouch type stance.

OLDVET · Oct 29, 2018

I have two friends who are retired police officers.
One was a Fort Worth Police detective and the other was a Dallas Police officer. Both have recommended the 7 to 10 yard maximum distance for using lethal force.
We all know if you use lethal force, you will be arrested. Charges will go before the Grand Jury. If you acted within the limits of the law the charges should be dropped. Of course you will probably have to face a wrongful death civil law suit.
A shrewd lawyer could come onto this web sight and read these texts about how we practice and the rounds we shoot. He could then potentially use it in a trial to show premeditation.
"Your honor this man practiced shooting several times a month. He practiced to become a better shot. Your Honor, this shows intent to use lethal force at his first encounter.
Your Honor, the victim never had a chance!".
Thankfully, the laws in Texas concerning lethal force have become clearer and more lenient since the inception of CCL or LTC.
I hope I never have to use lethal force against someone, but if the time comes, I will have no qualms in protecting my family or myself.

Charlie · Oct 29, 2018

I have no problem with the seven to ten yard practice, I just have never heard of a legal precedent of 7 yds! (Written as a law!).

avvidclif · Oct 29, 2018

For pistols, 21 yds. That's the distance to the falling plates on one of the pistol ranges and I haven't found anything more fun for practice. If you can go 6 for 6 in under 6 seconds you're doing alright. For rifle, 200 yds.

On the 7 yd thing; years ago we were taught if a guy knows what to do with a knife and is under 21' you can't draw and fire before he kills you. And the way he carries the knife you won't know he has it. Food for thought.

OLDVET · Oct 29, 2018

Charlie.
Relax. Did I state there was a passage in the law? I stated this was a recommendation from two retired police officers. Both had over 20 years of service. If it is good enough for them, it is good enough for me.
(42,386 posts in 10 years - 4,238 per year. Man are you retired?)

At the range what distance do you practice most at?

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