What is the defacto standard distance for basing accuracy for a CCW?

[crispy]

I've always thought if you can hit a 4" circle at 7 yards that's good enough for my small carry gun.

After that it is really more about ergos and reliability than accuracy.

Should I be practicing at 10 yards? More?

What size grouping?

What is good enough?

 

[esrice]

You should be shooting as fast as you can make fist-sized groups, regardless of your shooting distance.

If your groups are tighter, shoot faster. If they are more spread out, shoot slower and work on getting faster.

Changing your distance from the target will simply change how fast you shoot.

 

[VERT]

Wow this is about the best answer I have seen for this question. I have always considered pistol distances to be 3 to 15 yards. Heck 3 yards might even be to far away.

You should be shooting as fast as you can make fist-sized groups, regardless of your shooting distance.

If your groups are tighter, shoot faster. If they are more spread out, shoot slower and work on getting faster.

Changing your distance from the target will simply change how fast you shoot.

 

[Shay]

Erice has it right. Fist-sized groups out to about 30 yards.

 

[VERT]

Erice has it right. Fist-sized groups out to about 30 yards.

That would be some good shooting. Especially with a snub nosed revolver or pocket pistol. I will have to practice some more.

 

[Shay]

That would be some good shooting. Especially with a snub nosed revolver or pocket pistol. I will have to practice some more.

I get your point about a snub nose or pocket pistol, but I don't think those guns should be primary carry guns anyway.

Some of the Seymour PD guys and I had a little "shoot off" after class one time. Three of us got first shot hits at about 120 yards on a steel silhouette. Big Dot sights and all. I used a stock Glock 19, but the SPD guys get bonus points because they did it with Sig DAK triggers.

 

[jeep911]

most shootings take place 10feet away

 

[Kutnupe14]

Erice has it right. Fist-sized groups out to about 30 yards.

30 yards with a pistol!!! Geez, I may have to put you on my Zombie Team....

 

[Shay]

I should add that fist-sized groups are what I strive to achieve. Doesn't always work out that way.

 

[seamusalaska]

+1 esrice. succint

 

[Coach]

Shooting a fist sized group is a fine standard. Shooting someone rushing me has never seemed like too much of a challenge. The shot that I try and practice for is the 12 yard hostage situation that needs to be resolved with one well placed shot. This stresses me out particulary if the hostage is someon I care about. Can you do this under pressure? Have you ever done force on force where this situation was practiced? It is an eye opening experience.

 

[45fan]

My CCW I work with out to 25 yards. I spend the majority of my time at the 7 yard line, sometimes even closer, working on presentation and controlled pairs. I also strive for fist size groups, but dont get too upset with myself if the magazine ends up in a group that takes an open hand to cover.

My wife tends to work more on the 5-7 yard lines, but she doesnt spend as much time on the trigger as I do, and hasnt been shooting nearly as long. she still looks for the fist size groups, and usually surpasses that and frequently will put double taps in one oblong hole. I am working on getting her to step back a bit, to continue to challenge her skills.