practice target distance?

[mustangjohn]

I am sure its in here somewhere but with so much good information I haven't been able to find it and end up reading other threads endlessly.

I was wondering what the best distance for target practice is? At Eagle Creek it seems like the targets are no further than maybe 15 feet. I am probably just wishful thinking but I feel like practicing further out than that. Say maybe 25-50? I realize it is a pistol but what is a realistic distance?

 

[Sylvain]

What are you practicing for?
Sport or self defense?

From 0 feet (contact shooting) to 15 feet is where most gun fights happen.

 

[Leo]

Rifle or pistol makes a difference. If you cannot get the target out farther, start using smaller and smaller targets. The more you challenge yourself, the better you will get.

 

[chezuki]

I am sure its in here somewhere but with so much good information I haven't been able to find it and end up reading other threads endlessly.

I was wondering what the best distance for target practice is? At Eagle Creek it seems like the targets are no further than maybe 15 feet. I am probably just wishful thinking but I feel like practicing further out than that. Say maybe 25-50? I realize it is a pistol but what is a realistic distance?

Do you mean yards? 15 feet is pretty close. I don't usually shoot less than 7 yards unless I'm practicing shooting from retention.

Depends on what you're practicing. As Pringles said, most gunfights happen at pretty close range. I can't think of many defensive situations where using a pistol more than 25 yards would be the best coarse of action.

 

[mustangjohn]

Well I figured self defense at close range would be a no brainer after a couple hundred rounds. The range uses a large center target and two smaller at the top. I can easily shot the centers out of the small ones and get bored without a challenge. I guess that means I am doing more for sport. I liked the video of the intermediate course where you run from scenario to scenario. That looks like a real challenge and fun. My pea shooter 380 is for carrying but my 40 is for fun.

 

[Bigtanker]

Practice at a distance you feel comfortable, then go 10 ft farther, out to 25 yards. I practice out to 50 yards. Mostly for fun but there is always a very small chance you might have to take a shot at that distance.

 

[Gabriel]

I practice out to 50 usually.

Once you get accustomed to shooting from 50 yards, 25 yards (which may have seemed far before) feels like you're right on top of the target.

 

[wolfman]

I am sure its in here somewhere but with so much good information I haven't been able to find it and end up reading other threads endlessly.

I was wondering what the best distance for target practice is? At Eagle Creek it seems like the targets are no further than maybe 15 feet. I am probably just wishful thinking but I feel like practicing further out than that. Say maybe 25-50? I realize it is a pistol but what is a realistic distance?

At Eagle Creek Pistol Rrange, the standard target distance is 7yds, the backstop/berm, is about 55yds, and a customer can move their target out as far as they wish during a cease fire, cold range condition.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I do the majority of my training between 7 yards and 25 yards, but will use maybe 15% of my rounds closer or further back. Keep in mind I tend to be moving and using 1-3 targets. If I'm just static shooting at one target and working on fundamentals, I'll move back to 35 to 50 yards.

This assumes handgun, of course.

 

[j706]

I practice out to 50 usually.

Once you get accustomed to shooting from 50 yards, 25 yards (which may have seemed far before) feels like you're right on top of the target.

Same here. I shoot at 90 yards often using a steel 3'× 8" wide target. It makes 50' and in a breeze. I always have our guys start at 90 yards at every handgun training session. I found that it is a huge confidence booster and forces the guys to concentrate on the basic fundamentals.

 

[mustangjohn]

Thanks guys I will have to move the target next time I go out there. Being new I wasn't sure if that was allowed. I always want to challenge myself to do better. I can't wait to attend some of the training classes where you can draw and move.

 

[rhino]

Well I figured self defense at close range would be a no brainer after a couple hundred rounds. The range uses a large center target and two smaller at the top. I can easily shot the centers out of the small ones and get bored without a challenge. I guess that means I am doing more for sport. I liked the video of the intermediate course where you run from scenario to scenario. That looks like a real challenge and fun. My pea shooter 380 is for carrying but my 40 is for fun.

That's potentially a bad assumption.

If you can shoot tiny groups, shooting at longer distances is a great idea for practice for all the obvious reasons. But you still need better practice at close ranges. When you're close, you have a lot less time to react and then take action. If you're shooting tiny groups, then you need to start doing pretty much everything other than the trigger press more quickly. And you also need to incorporate movement, both to gain time to react as well as shooting while you are moving.

If you're unable to draw and move at your range, then at least you can practice pressing out from your ready position and breaking the shot as soon as you have just enough visual information to make the shot. You can also put multiple smaller targets on your backer and practice transitioning from target to target, again breaking the shot as soon as you have enough visual information.

 

[bigerik]

Its a good idea to train at several ranges. Us army pistol range for score is 25 yards. I train from 5-50 yards with pistol. I think this is plenty good as other weapons like m4's come to play past that range.
Train as ud fight..battle focus training... standing knealing laying moving in and out behind object ect.

 

[SSGSAD]

Same here. I shoot at 90 yards often using a steel 3'× 8" wide target. It makes 50' and in a breeze. I always have our guys start at 90 yards at every handgun training session. I found that it is a huge confidence booster and forces the guys to concentrate on the basic fundamentals.

90 yards, really ?????

 

[mustangjohn]

That's potentially a bad assumption.

If you can shoot tiny groups, shooting at longer distances is a great idea for practice for all the obvious reasons. But you still need better practice at close ranges. When you're close, you have a lot less time to react and then take action. If you're shooting tiny groups, then you need to start doing pretty much everything other than the trigger press more quickly. And you also need to incorporate movement, both to gain time to react as well as shooting while you are moving.

If you're unable to draw and move at your range, then at least you can practice pressing out from your ready position and breaking the shot as soon as you have just enough visual information to make the shot. You can also put multiple smaller targets on your backer and practice transitioning from target to target, again breaking the shot as soon as you have enough visual information.

Tried your idea today and wow, I suck LOL. I do very well at point aim and shoot but when I started moving between targets rapidly I realized that will take some practice. I also tried 25 yards and again was humbled. Took two clips before I could get consistent patterns. I am really looking forward to trying some draw shooting. I am sure I will be equally humbled.

 

[buckshotJ]

I like to set up and shoot as far out as possible.......for target shooting.......gun fighting practice should be much closer as most "gun fights" are less than 15' from each other.