Redicuolusly long range... for a handgun.

[Greenbug]

Anybody else out there try shooting at extreme ranges with their handgun?
I pretty regularly shoot at 100 to 150 yards with my handguns. The other day I was out shooting in the desert with some friends and decided to try some 200ish yard shots with my 6" 38 special revolver. I picked out a stick that looked like it was about maybe 2" diameter and about a foot long that was lying on a sand berm I ranged at 170 yards. I had a friend spotting with binoculars while I began to shoot at it. The first shot was not too far off, good left to right and only about a foot and a half low. By the third shot I broke the stick in two pieces, I think I'm hooked, it was really fun! My friends were shooting their AR's at a steel plate they had set up at 525 yards, so I gave that a few rounds with the 38, but we couldn't see the bullet impact well enough to compensate for the extreme range. I think I need more dry dirt/sand between me and the target to know where to hold.
After I got home I began to think more about it, so I decided to plug some bullet data into my ballistics software. With the load I am using in my 38 special: 125 grain plated flat point bullets .150 B.C. at 900 F.P.S. with about a 100 yard zero the software says I have a 627" drop at 500 yards..... Hmmm.... How much hold over would I need to make a hit at 500 yards? And how do I accomplish that hold with iron sights on my 6" model 14 S&W?

Any experience with this out there? If not you should really try it, it is really fun!

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[boogerhook]

I guess this guy does ;-)

 

[Gaucho Gringo]

Read Elmer Keith's book "Sixguns". It will tell you a lot about long range handgun shooting. And this guy is a joke in comparison to Keith.

 

[boogerhook]

Read Elmer Keith's book "Sixguns". It will tell you a lot about long range handgun shooting. And this guy is a joke in comparison to Keith.

He is a funny dude, but I would not call him a joke... S&W will not put his name on a revolver edition as a joke.

 

[Blackcobra]

He is a funny dude, but I would not call him a joke... S&W will not put his name on a revolver edition as a joke.

Far from a joke!

 

[Salps]

I do it from time to time with my GP100 SS 5 inch. Nice to take some clay birds out to about 100 yards.

 

[rick benjamin]

Our club has a group that shoots hanguns out to 220 yards
They meet the first Sunday of the month

 

[Member 34319]

I've hit steel with my Glock 17 at 500 yards.

I'm not going to tell you how many rounds went in that direction before I got a "ding"

 

[Greenbug]

How much holdover did you have to use?

I've hit steel with my Glock 17 at 500 yards.

I'm not going to tell you how many rounds went in that direction before I got a "ding"

 

[Member 34319]

How much holdover did you have to use?

Roughly 40 feet. Give or take. We plugged all the info into a ballistics calculator for poops and giggles. Then proceeded to waist ammo trying.

 

[Capn Jack]

Common.....Lets get real There's practical shooting Then there's "Lagging and Luck"

When I send one out there, if it isn't a hit, at least I know it came close enough to make the target flinch.

Otherwise I don't shoot.

 

[Greenbug]

Maybe it is a little unrealistic, but I'm kinda bored with the long range rifle thing. This seems like a new challenge to me. It's not about practicality, it's about entertainment! The whole idea of hitting a target at 10 times the intended outside range of a weapon is really interesting to me. No scope, bi-pod, super high ballistic coefficient bullets at break neck speeds.... Just a simple revolver, iron sights, steady hands and your determination to get it done.

 

[Capn Jack]

If you really want to lob some lead out there....One of the replica 45/70 trapdoors, or a replica High Wall ala Quiggly is the way to go. A good "Tang" mounted veiner sight and you're in business.

I'm sure my .458S will lob out the lead, but I try to keep it under 200yards.

.38Spl., 4 3/4" barrel, 145gr.HP and 3.5 gr. of BullsEye. 12-14" drop at 100Yards. Surprised more than one jackrabbit.

 

[Greenbug]

Just loaded up some 9mm 124gr plated round nose bullets in some 38 special cases. Maybe the slightly better ballistic profile will give me a little less drop to deal with....

 

[Capn Jack]

You might be a little disappointed in the results.
I had some 115gr. spire point 9mm I loaded into .38Spl. and it was like jabbing those big bunny's with a pencil.

If you didn't hit a bone, it took them a while to realize they were dead.

 

[Greenbug]

You might be a little disappointed in the results.
I had some 115gr. spire point 9mm I loaded into .38Spl. and it was like jabbing those big bunny's with a pencil.

If you didn't hit a bone, it took them a while to realize they were dead.

I don't think the steel gong is going to notice weather it is dead or not.... No bunnies will be harmed in this experiment... at least I don't think they will be.

How was the accuracy of the 9mm slugs out of your 38?

 

[Capn Jack]

They were minute of Jackrabbit at 50 yds. (Aim for the head) Never did put them on paper. Gave up on them after one time out and ordered a 145 gr. HP mold from Lyman. Use the same bullet in my 9mm.

 

[Greenbug]

Ok, I figured they wouldn't be as accurate as I need them to be, but I'll go shoot them and see if it is worth pursuing further...

 

[dwaineshort]

Jerry has a video of him hitting a target at 1000 yards with one of his revolver. But then again he a joke, he only has 5 world records.

 

[Greenbug]

Jerry has a video of him hitting a target at 1000 yards with one of his revolver. But then again he a joke, he only has 5 world records.

I saw that one... a baloon on a steel plate about the same size I am going to shoot at. I believe it was one of his new 9mm revolvers. Most likely bullet splash causing the baloon to pop, but a great shot none the less.