Revolver at 200 yards

[Brad]

I decided to see how well I could shoot the 44 mag SRH at 200 yards. Rick assures me it is capable of fine groups. I just hope he realizes it may take me a bit of time to learn how to shoot that well myself!

I started by estimating the drop from 100 yard to 200 yard sightin. I used 2 targets at 100 yards with centers 13.75 inches apart. I aimed at the bottom bull while adjusting the scope based on impact on the top bull. This was to get me on paper and pretty well centered at 200 yards. It worked pretty well. After 10 rounds at 100 yards I was ready for 200 yards. Or so I hoped.....

The white center is about 5 inches across. The shooting created more of a pattern than a group. Much blame is to be placed on my poor shooting. I also think the addition of BLL as an undercoat to my normal lube had a detrimental effect too. I think the lube became overly slick and wet. The muzzle had a far more significant lube star than in the past. In the future I will be trying BLL by itself for this load to see how that lube handles some pressure in a revolver.

The crowning moment of the day was the two older guys who showed up to shoot. Both are 600 yard F class shooters. One pulled up first, saw what i was shooting and asked if i was hitting anything. He was concerned that I might not be hitting the berm at 100 yards. You shoulda seen his eyes when I mentioned I planned to be shooting at 200 yards shortly.

The other guy then pulled in and said something about a pistol on this range? Did I know it was a 300 meter range? I told him I was quite aware of that and was on paper at 200 yards. He walked away.

I was unhappy with the overall results. The gun and load are capable of far more. The first old guy thought I should be very happy, he couldn't believe I even hit the paper at all at 200 yards with a handgun.

I see lots of work on the 200 yard line in my future.

 

[Pistolero]

Pretty cool. I think 4" at 100 (with open sights) is the best I have ever
done. I have done that a few times with several handguns over the last 40 years or
so. Never tried handgun on paper at 200. Did hit a steel IPSC silhouette 4 times of
6 at 300 yds with a friend's .41 Mag S&W years ago, took two to get on the steel since
we had no idea where to hold, both elev and windage. We were just fooling around.

Once my eyes get back working, I may see what I can do with my scoped 629
at 100. Never have tried that one at 100, but it does 1.5-2" at 50 so I guess
4" at 100 is likely.

 

[Brad]

It is a bunch of fun Bill. I needed a challenge and now I have a new one shooting at 200.

I bet Rick has revolvers that he used to shoot 4 inch groups at 200 yards. The handgun silouhette guys do some amazing things with revolvers.

 

[KHornet]

Good start!

 

[Brandon]

Work on your load, and technique will follow, with practice.

I had a member from CB out here about a year ago, and we took our hoglegs out into the desert.

He had his trusty 44, and I with my 41.

Started shooting rocks at around 100 yards, and kept picking rocks farther out.

Got to where we were hitting a 12" rock with regularity at 330 yards.

Just plain old fun.

 

[Brad]

Fun it is. I know that with time and work I can keep them in 8 inches or better for 10 at 200 yards.

 

[JWFilips]

Brad,
I'm impressed ; especially since it was your first time out at that distance! I think that is good shooting.
At the range I shoot at there is seldom anyone on the 200yd line I'm thinking of trying a bunch of my guns there. I don't have any scoped pistols but who knows…
I may try my old S&W 27 from a rest to see if I can hit paper ( & I mean "big' paper))

 

[fiver]

I've shot some milsurp rifles that wouldn't do that well at 200 yds.
I remember one model 95 in 7 mauser in particular I got so frustrated with it I walked out to the berm and shot at the target at about 25 feet and still missed.
it was a nice looking rifle, I'll sure miss that one............not.

 

[Pistolero]

LOL! My first milsurp was a really wrecked old 7x57 Spanish 93. It threw the ammo I had,
139 gr spritzer FMJ Spanish ammo sideways at 20 ft! What a disaster, but I think I only
paid about $12, but that was pretty good money in those days. I was earning $0.75 per
hour at the local chicken farm, so that represented two full days of pay!
Lesson learned! Don't buy "NRA Fair" condition milsurps by mail order!

My father bought me a brand new Ruger std auto .22 pistol the year before for $39, full boat
retail. I have had many milsurps since that shoot well, and some that, indeed, Brad could
outshoot at 200 yds with his revolver. I used to practice on pop cans at 100 yds with
the 6" Ruger std auto. Got to where I could roll 5 cans with about 7 shots at 100 yds.,
sitting straddling my mom's clothesline pole and resting the side of my right hand on the
pole to steady it. Oh my goodness, how I would enjoy having those 17 year old eyes back.

Bill

 

[Dennis Eugene]

Thought I try and insert this video I shot last week on Sunday of my 11 year old Grandson shooting my .44 mag at 100 yrds.

 

[Dennis Eugene]

Here's one of me shooting the model 686 357 Mag revolver first at 100 yrds then again at 200. The steel gongs are 9 inches by 18 inches not a small target but one closely resembling the boiler room on a good sized deer. Hope you enjoy it.

 

[fiver]

80 clicks I make that 40" of drop from 100-200,,, that's not too bad.


I know it's 5 mil [15"] drop with my 308 from 100 to 200 and from 200 to 300 is another 5.
that's at close to 1900 fps using a 165gr silhouette boolit.
speeding things up to 2400 fps [with a different 165gr boolit] changes the drop to just over 16" from 100 to 300 yds.

 

[JWFilips]

I would like to try shooting my S&W mod 27 ( 357 mag) at 200 yds ...Now granted ; I do not have a scope but I have shot it at 50 yds pretty well with the "Pumkin on the post hold" I have always been facinanted with the old boy shoots at long range. How do you think I should work up from 50 yds for a 200yd open stock sight?

 

[Pistolero]

As long as hitting off the target is safe where you are shooting, just give it a try. IME,
holding the front sight above the rear is very good method. You will be surprised at how
little extra front sight is needed. For a .45 ACP, FAR slower than your .357, 200 yds hits
took about 3/4 - 7/8 of a Gold Cup front sight above the rear (IIRC). I'd suggest about 1/16"
or so of extra front sight for the .357 to start, although barrel length matters. Less
front sight for a 4" bbl than a 6" bbl.

We used to ring the 18" gong at 200yds regularly with 1911s, many years ago. From standing
I could hit about 4 or 5 of 7 shots in a mag, once the front sight pushup was figured out.

Bill

 

[freebullet]

Nice work Brad! Not many folks can say they've done that.

I'm setting up the gp100 with a scope to try extending my range with it.
I used to be able to hold 6" offhand at 50yards. More like 12-15" at 50 from a rest with open sights now but, improving after getting rid of cataracts. That won't do for deer so I haven't been able to use it on them for a few years.
I'm sure with the scope, some load tuning, and more practice I can get there.

 

[carpetman]

Dennis Eugene, good shooting, good video, great to see you getting your grandson involved. Now me, I'd have my grandson more involved. I'd have him in the background with a small hammer and a piece of metal he could hit on and then it would sound like all my shots were hits. All my shots would sound the same.

 

[KHornet]

Never been much of a handgunner, but have seen a couple of pretty good long range hand gun shooters. Many years ago in Lyons, Ka, I watched my brother lay on his back or side ala Kieth style with a 6" bbl 38S with fairly hot loads, and walk the third shot into a good size pdog. It was the longest shot I had ever seen with a hand gun at a paced 190 something yds over broken ground. Brad will practice, and become pretty decent at 200 yds I am sure.

 

[James W. Miner]

I am an old IHMSA shooter. Needed sight settings at 200 meters with my single shots so as a shoot wound down I set my cardboard chicken at 200 meters. Shot the Wichita 7R first and had 2 shots left for my .44 SBH. Shot them to find this.

Then a drop test at 200 yards with my boolit.
I can tell you how to make a .44 shoot. It is not your gun, it starts at the bench.

 

[Missionary]

Greetings
I am another old "steel Critter" shooter from the early 80"s. Most accurate revolver I have ever owned is a Dan Wesson 41 mag with the 8 inch heavy shroud /barrel mounted. Shot it weekly for 2 years back then and from the Creedmore position could hit the "50 yard chickens" set out at 200 meter bern half the time. Seeing a chicken at 200 meters is not easy. 5 inch groups were common at 200 meters on a well defined paper target. Best load was the 210 Sierra with a healthy dose of 296. 240 grain cast GC will almost shoot as well and really "wack" those 50 pound rams.
With the Dan Wessons you control cylinder gap and barrel tension. End result is a fine shooting revolver that is still one of the most accurate long range Magnum revolvers still being used by many shooters. First revolver I have owned that will compete with that DW is a BFR. But then that revolver cost 2X's what the DW was. But for a "no waiting line" common production revolver you will be hard pressed to find a more accurate revolver than a Dan Wesson.
Mike in Peru

 

[James W. Miner]

DW was one of the best until the time they changed hands. I bought the .357 Max and my barrel was pointing left and I seen a .44 at a shoot so bad the rear sight was full right and it could not get on chickens.
My cylinder was not faced right and if I set the gap, it would lock up on the back of the barrel when turned. Early guns, I think they were Monson or whatever were perfection.
They faced the cylinder for me but failed to replace the frame. There was a spring loaded pawl inside that was staked so tight it did nothing.
I wish I would have picked up one of the early packages.
Now my friend has a DW 1911 and is the only one I ever shot a 1/2" group with at 50 yards.
I will give you a tip if you can't get the barrel nut loose. Put a hose in the back of the barrel with a funnel and pour boiling water through the barrel. The nut will spin right out.
To replace the hammer, tie the hand off with thread, feed the thread through the hammer slot and once the hammer is in, cut the thread.