Hi everyone.

What is considered "good" accuracy for shooting 25 yds, iron sights, no rest, with a pistol? This is with a .22 Buckmark, and I seem to be (for the most part) in a 6 inch diameter. The grouping is also left of center by about 3-4 inches.

You hear talk of 1-2" groupings on center, how are these results achieved? Is it just a matter of practice, practice, practice? Which isn't too much of a problem, as it seems that there is just something relaxing about punching holes in paper!

Thanks!
Jeff

 

Hi Jeff you said.

You hear talk of 1-2" groupings on center, how are these results achieved?

I hear talk of shooting a clean with 5 Xs @ 25 yards a $2,500 1911 .45 ACP. What is "good" accuracy for him or her? Also offhand with Iron sights hundreds of hours & rounds of ammo.

I would find a Ramson rest & find out what the handgun will do. If it shoots 3/4" inch groups with it's favorite .22s I would ask myself how good do I want to shoot.

My first M1A had a new Military National Match barrel & I started as a Marksman then in 1 year I was a Sharpshooter. For 2.5 years I was a Sharpshooter What was wrong? I tried so hard but shot no better.

I was on the verge of going to the Georgia State Rifle Championships when I ordered a new heavy Dogulas match barrel. I just had time at my home range to break it in at 200 yards & off we went for a 3 day shoot.

To make a long story short I won, not in my class but in the expert class 1 up from SS. WOW! how did that happen? I was outshooting my barrel thats how, now I had a gun that with it's big fat barrel would out shoot me all day. It was 6 Months & I was a Master jumped right over expert.

In order to become your best you must shoot a gun that will out shoot you, if not you can't trust the hits & become better.

Jeff with a sit in, not a clamp in handgun rest, I have a Hunting load using the 44 cal 200 grain XTP bullet that with the Ruger hunting sights for the Redhawk. At 50 yards I can keep them all inside of 2 to 3 inches & that's more than good enough for a Deer or Bear.

It all boils down to you and your gun.

 

If you groups are 3-4 inches off center, you need to adjust the sights. As to group size, .22 pistols are more sensitive to ammunition brand than most other calibers. Buy a box of several different brands and shoot a few groups off a sandbag to see which groups the best.

As for shooting 1-2 inch groups, the key is practice, practice, practice (some coaching helps too). I don't own one, but I believe the Buckmark is inherently accurate enough to shoot such groups.I've been an NRA bullseye competitor for nearly 20 years and can shoot a 1 inch group if I'm having a good day.

 

As for me, there are several components of that kind of accuracy. First is the gun - and a Buckmark should do it. Second, is the trigger. Heavy pull? Not good. A light, crisp trigger is needed unless you have a TON of trigger time. Third, ammunition. With a .22, it's crucial. Eley Tenex has been, hands down, the best ammo my pistols shoot but it's pricey. Try every brand you can.

Lastly, practice. Focus VERY hard on the front sight staying still and on target, then while you begin to "squeeze" and not "pull" the trigger, lock your mind on keeping that front sight on target. It's a question of will, you have to focus every time on this, every shot.

In a few short years, my group sizes have shrunk from 3" and 4" down to 1" to 1.5" at 25 yards with .22 pistols, and that's been entirely practice and technique.

 

Thanks for the replies. Haven't done any shooting with the Buckmark lately, need to wait for warmer weather!

It sounds like practice is the main thing here. One thing I have noticed is that the shots that almost come as a surprise to me seem to be a bit closer to where I'm aiming at. The gun seems to prefer CCI mini-mags, but I've not tried out any more-expensive ammo yet.

Thanks!

 

Good observation. The idea is to control the trigger so that you do not know exactly when the gun will go off (the shot will be a surprise). That way you can't anticipate it and unconciously flinch, shut your eyes, or do anything else that would disturb your aim.

 

Hi NotMrWizard.

It looks as if you are getting some very good info, let's hope Spring is ontime this year I could not get up the icy road for my RSO Duty this

Your right on in your observation of, the less you dwell on anything but the mechanics of the shot, the better the shot will be. Many Students have asked me. How can I shoot in the 160s in slow fire prone, but shoot a 92 in rapid fire prone? I have 20 minutes for 20 shots they would say, how can they not be all be great shots.

Easy answer, however it takes years to fully understand why. I have learned 2 things that helped me in slow fire Prone & Off hand. First why do we tend to do better in rapid fire & that is a silly way to describe a controled sustained fire with 1 Magazine change. Self trust is why. We go through our ready aim fire & we take the shot right away. It makes sense because we trust our body to do what it sees & feels. Rapid fire Silly? Because we have plenty of time to shoot & it takes some shooters years to slow down & stop thinking they are running out of time.

We are defaulting to our Training/Self practice in a way that each shot is fired as if it were the first shot or the last shot of the string. Natural point of aim, breathing normaly, sights, breath out fully 7 hold, focus, squeze the trigger, then boom. Where did that come from?

Whe we trust ourselfs, we become part of the gun then we fuction as a team. I have thrown shots away by wasting time in slow fire. I can get it better I just know it, I think to myself as my 7 second window of opertunity flies past & my heart starts speeding up again. I have learned from many years of Matches & practice to breath in, take my finger off the trigger, dismount my Weapon and stare @ the green grass our just shut my eyes.

Start from scratch roll back into my task & fire a 10 or an X. That if nothing else makes me sure that's it. Why not an 8 or a 7 why almost allways a 10 or an X? Self trust comes from, if the shot looks good take it, you are right it is good. When you felt you missed bigtime what did the target say? You did miss just as your mind said you did.

Guns are as good as you want to pay for them to be, I have a popular Ruger Mark II 10 shot semiauto 22LR pistol. I can hit and kill a squrrel or Rabbit at 15 feet, but I would not take it to a 2700 tournament. I would buy a S&W Model 41 & then never take it out in the rain & mud like I do the Ruger.

I took a pistol course from a High Master in Bullseye & yes even teachers can learn new tricks. The whole workshop was well worth it & my off hand scores jumped up from just one tip. Imagine a tooth pick he said between your trigger finger & the fat part of your hand under your thumb. Now try and pull that finger back so straight that the toothpick goes straight into your hand. I needed that right understanding right then & realized I was not thinking my trigger my finger straight back & that caused me fliers in the off hand Match.


Good luck to you NotMrWizard, I think you are off to a very good start.