Question about accuracy

[Arthur Dent]

At the range tonight there were a few guys with their targets maybe 5 yards away from them and they managed something like 90% of their shots on the paper. That's on the paper, not necessarily in the rings, with the small 25 yard slow fire targets.

What's considered decent accuracy?

 

[indykid]

At minimum defense distant of 15 feet, the gentleman my daughter is dating can put every round from my M9 through a ragged hole in the center of the target. Granted he is an Air Force marksman, but my M9 that he was using was built up from spare parts of over 9 different donors.

Oh, and he emptied the 15 rounds almost as fast as he could pull the trigger.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Decent accuracy is hitting what you shoot at

I practice shooting at 50' with my .22lr, .40, 10mm, and .45.

Slow aimed fire my best is with my Buckmark and my G20 where I can maintain a 3" circle pretty reliably. 2" if I'm having a good day.

My Walther PPS .40, I have to work hard to keep a 6" circle. My G36 is between the two.

Double tap, timed, has my Buckmark and G20 opening up to about 6" and with my PPS I can usually put 5 out of 6 on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper.

 

[EPD1102]

With any good, modern firearm, I'd be disappointed if I couldn't cover all my shots with a silver dollar if I were doing slow-fire for accuracy at five yards. That includes the little Kel-Tec P3ATs on up to as big as you'd want to go. All the guns should be able to shoot that accurately at that distance if you do your job. Obviously, groups will probably open up as your shooting speed increases.

 

[Sylvain]

I guess it depends who you are and what you do.
What is concidered "decent accuracy" for a civilian in a self defense situation at very short range using a compact pistol will be different from what a sniper for a SWAT team will call "decent accuracy.
The needs for accurary will change depending on what you are doing and the range of your target.

 

[Osobuco]

At the range tonight there were a few guys with their targets maybe 5 yards away from them and they managed something like 90% of their shots on the paper. That's on the paper, not necessarily in the rings, with the small 25 yard slow fire targets.

What's considered decent accuracy?

I do not consider myself a great shot with a pistol by any means - I am OK - not great. but if I were only able to hit paper at 15 feet and not keep it in the rings on a 25 yard target I think I'd find myself a good optometrist

 

[IndianaGTI]

Some guy at the range I go to shoots pop cans at 25 yards. He usually hits at least 4 out of 6 shots from all 7 or 8 guns he brings to the range. The impressive thing is that no gun he owns has a barrel of more than 3". He shoots all sorts of snub nosed and pocket pistols.

 

[buford t justice]

an old friend of mine died last year at the age of 78 ,could out shoot most rifle shooters
at fifty yards with a ruger mark 2 pistol,he made one young man so disgusted that the guy
sold his rifle, and i have to add that he was never in the military or on a swat team
like thats some magic formula that makes a good shot out of you

 

[barrelmaker_2002]

At the range tonight there were a few guys with their targets maybe 5 yards away from them and they managed something like 90% of their shots on the paper. That's on the paper, not necessarily in the rings, with the small 25 yard slow fire targets.

What's considered decent accuracy?

Not that. Even using an 8.5X11 paper, putting only 90% of your shots on target means your group size is at least 13.9 inches. A 12 gauge would shoot a tighter pattern than that at the same distance.

That being said, these shooters likely were inexperienced, since that sort of performance (absent timely help from a good instructor or coach) is pretty typical for beginners.

 

[96firephoenix]

my uncle was a navy marksman, and he can take a 50 foot rifle target and shoot out the black at 100 feet with a pistol.

decent accuracy varies. As already stated, in a dark alley at 5 yards, a piece of paper is smaller than a torso, and I'd be elated if I got 90% of my shots in a paper sized area under those circumstances.

On a range, I'd be pretty miffed.

 

[barrelmaker_2002]

To more directly answer the question, decent accuracy with a defensive handgun of a typical caliber would 4-6 inches at that distance.

2-3 would be good.

An NRA high master* bullseye shooter would shoot no more than 5.54 inches. Except at 50 yards. One handed.

* a high master consistently shoots average scores of 97 or better (out of 100). The nine ring on a 50 yard slow fire target is 5.54 inches in diameter. Of course the shooter could shoot 9 tens and a 7 and that would be a 9 shot group no larger than 3.36 inches with a flier in the seven ring (which is 11 inches in diameter).

 

[SEIndSAM]

I always get a kick from some of the young guys at the range. We have all seen it, 3 or 4 young 20-something guys shooting their friends new Glock. Thinking the way to shoot is to point it at the target and blow through the clip as fast as you can pull the trigger. And getting 50% of the shots on target. The huge Bad Guy or Zombie targets.

I usually just smile at them and move to the opposite end of the range. I usually use the 5 dot targets and if I get anything outside the black I'm ticked off. And I've only been back into shooting since the first of the year.

 

[oneshotonekill]

Ummm....that's not that good. I had first time shooters 2 weekends ago that could keep them inside a paper plate with ease shooting a snubbie .38!!! A couple of them could keep them on a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper in a 5 shot string!!!

My mother in law held a half dollar group with a .22!!!

 

[paperboy]

I wonder what they were shooting? If it was a large caliber maybe they should've notched it down to maybe a 22, learn good techniques and move up.

 

[LuckyGunner]

With no proper instruction and the basics of marksmanship learned from first person shooters. I would say it was acceptable given the lack of training. Unfortunately not everyone had the opportunity to learn marksmanship from the military or their father, etc.

As to new shooters burning through magazines as fast as they can load them. That will typically change in time after seeing other shooters, shoot more slowly. It is fun to do sometimes though.

__________________
45 acp ammunition

 

[Yukon227]

Unacceptable to me....if I shot like that I'd look into a class.....I might anyway!

 

[rugertoter]

At the range tonight there were a few guys with their targets maybe 5 yards away from them and they managed something like 90% of their shots on the paper. That's on the paper, not necessarily in the rings, with the small 25 yard slow fire targets.

What's considered decent accuracy?

90% from five yards? Now thats braggin' rights! lol. If they are going to CC their weapons, then they better get a little better than that - at least if I am standing near them. I find that, especially with the handgun, trigger squeeze is paramount. They are probably "jerking" the trigger, throwing their shots off target. JMHO.

 

[hoosierdoc]

I posted my groupings on te tactics and training board. Good suggestions came forward but I haven't gotten back to the range to try them out.

I am very new but put 90% of my shots on the 8" target. Enough to hit a stationary bad guy in the head most times but need to do better.

Range officers are usually helpful in making suggestions if you ask. At least at atterbury.

 

[shooter1054]

With my rifle and muzzle loader and bow I am happy with "minute of deer" accuracy. Meaning if I can put 3-5 rounds in a baseball at 100 yards, I'm happy. Inside a tennis ball I'm thrilled. For handguns, I'm looking for "minute of man" at 10 yards. Meaning if I can put 19 of 20 rounds in a 6 inch square high center chest, I'm good with that. If I slowly and deliberately aim and fire each round, I had better hit 20 of 20.

 

[cedartop]

With my rifle and muzzle loader and bow I am happy with "minute of deer" accuracy. Meaning if I can put 3-5 rounds in a baseball at 100 yards, I'm happy. Inside a tennis ball I'm thrilled. For handguns, I'm looking for "minute of man" at 10 yards. Meaning if I can put 19 of 20 rounds in a 6 inch square high center chest, I'm good with that. If I slowly and deliberately aim and fire each round, I had better hit 20 of 20.

If you can put 3-5 rounds into a baseball sized target at 100 yards with a bow, you R DA MAN!