Accuracy at 25 yards

[Nickle]

I'm wondering about barrel length and how much difference it makes in revolvers.  Not from a bench but shooting offhand.  Can be modern two handed Cooper style or duelist.  But shooting offhand at 25 yards what kind of accuracy can you get out of these old guns?

Yes I know cowboy action isn't Bullseye shooting but nobody really except you guys shoot these guns from this time period and I'm just curious about what they are capable of and how the barrel length effects the shoot ability of the old iron. 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

16 minutes ago, Nickle said:

I'm wondering about barrel length and how much difference it makes in revolvers.  Not from a bench but shooting offhand.  Can be modern two handed Cooper style or duelist.  But shooting offhand at 25 yards what kind of accuracy can you get out of these old guns?

Yes I know cowboy action isn't Bullseye shooting but nobody really except you guys shoot these guns from this time period and I'm just curious about what they are capable of and how the barrel length effects the shoot ability of the old iron. 

 

 

All depends on your abilities.  I've yet to see a person that was more capable than the firearm. In the few cases where it appeared so, better quality ammo solved the accuracy problem. 

[Boggus Deal #64218]

^^^^^^^ This! If the gun is on proper, working condition and fed good ammo, it’ll outshoot most all of us.

[Blackwater 53393]

On a good day with good ammunition, I can put five shots in a playing card if I take my time and breathe right.  
 

On an average day, I can put five shots on a 16 sq. in. steel plate, fairly reliably. 🙄🤣

[Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129]

These old guns are capable of very fine accuracy, with the right loads. At one shoot you need to hit and knock-down a one inch diameter steel rod 18 inches long at 50 yards, to save your Partner ( He is being hung) You have 10 shots to do so. Failure to do so counts as a miss, I shoot duelist and have never taken more than 4 rounds to do the job and that was the time, I was convinced to shoot it two handed, I missed it 3 times shooting it two handed, the next shot Knocked it down, shot Duelist.  I have shot this using one hand (duelist) every other time and never needed more than 2 shots (using 8 rounds to drop it 6 times ) shooting duelist using revolvers with barrel lenghts of 4 5/8 - 7 1/2 ...

 

Jabez Cowboy

[bgavin]

On a good day, I can get five rounds down range.

[July Smith]

I'm not a very good handgun shooter.  If I can keep a mag or cylinders worth of shots inside of 6" at 25 yards shooting freehand I'm pretty happy.  Most handguns if shot from a rest can do about 2.5-3" at 25 yards regardless of barrel length. 

 

Having shot SASS with revolvers from 3" barrels all the way to 9" I personally prefer 7.5" guns.  I always shoot either duelist or gunfighter style for those that are interested. 

[Stump Water]

2 hours ago, Nickle said:

these old guns

 

These old "style" guns.  Most don't actually shoot 125+ y/o guns.  Ruger Vaqueros aren't old guns.

 

Revolvers can be every bit as accurate as a semi-auto.  Whatever you shoot the two things that affect accuracy the most are lack of consistent sight picture and trigger control.   As said above, shooters that can out-shoot a gun are pretty rare.

 

if you really want to know how accurate a handgun is, use a Ransom Rest.  Once you've found out, then shoot it offhand to find out how accurate you are.

 

 

Edited January 22 by Stump Water

[Nickle]

I only have a minute here for a quick reply  but I'm currently shooting a new model 3 smith&wesson that was manufactured in 1880.

With new Canadian government and changes to federal handgun ban I plan on buying  newer gear.

The trouble with a rest is a rest can cover up things like bad triggers, the way the gun fits you, the balance of the gun,probably would cover up poor sights as well. My experience with rifles is bench rest doesn't tell the whole story about how shootable the gun is.

Now  with revolver tell me if I'm wrong but my theory is a 7" barrel will be easier for average shooter to shoot accurately than 4 and 5 eighth? 

I'm guessing at close range on big targets the shorter barrel has some type  of speed advantage because it seems like that's what most of you shoot. 

Years ago I've owned 1911s. I could never shoot them as accurately as I could longer barrel revolvers but to be honest my love was always in revolvers so I never put much time in the 1911s as I did revolvers.  Revolvers just feel better to me than 1911s. 

[Eyesa Horg]

And you don't have to chase the brass.

[Rip Snorter]

If I knew I absolutely had to make a shot and had a choice, it would be one of my revolvers.  That said, it is a 1911 every day.

[Rye Miles #13621]

I can hit a paper 8 X 11 target at 25 yds if I take my time. I'd be using my 5 1/2" Colts in .38. I may get a decent group like about 2-3 "

[bgavin]

I found a very used Ransom Rest with a bunch of grip attachments.
It is pretty rough but appears to work.

I'll take it to the range for my revolvers when time permits.

[Nickle]

About shoot ability

At the one match I was able to attend as a guest. Of all the revolvers that were there. There was a guy who had a 51 navy with a conversion cylinder.  To me this was such  a cool gun. His second gun was a 73 colt saa. He allowed me to hold both guns.

Now I'm the kind of guy who wouldn't care about a dual overhead cam latest and greatest from whoever.,but a flathead Ford or hit and miss I would find interesting. 

Well both his guns have the same grip and basically the same barrel length.  I still find the 51 conversion way more interesting than a common 73saa but when I held up both of those guns.  The 73 with its better front sight and top strap.  Well the 73saa I'm sure I could shoot better or faster than with the 51 open top. Big difference in them.  Way more than I thought. 

 

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

A "skilled" shooter will be skilled with whatever reasonable platform you hand them.

 

But generally, with the longer sighting plane of a 7" revolver; it is "easier" to create precise sight alignment than a 3" revolver.

But this sight alignment is only important to "people" with our frailties; grip, eyesight, breathe control, etc.

 

But comparing inherent accuracy i.e. out of a rest; they will be very comparable in potential.

 

So assuming comparable quality firearms (and comparable quality sights) - the accuracy at 25 yards is a lot more dependent upon the shooters skills and their bond with the firearm than it is upon grip design.

 

There are fantastic shooters within our game shooting standard SAA grips, old and new Vaqueros, Bisleys, Navies, Schofields,  Remingtons, Nagants and Merwin Hulberts.

Of every caliber and barrel length, every propellant and bullet weight.

 

We cowboys are a competitive bunch - If there were a DEFINITIVE best gun - best barrel length - best caliber; most would be shooting it. 

[Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129]

If ya All really wanted to Shoot the Best Ya would all be shooting Navy grip, Open-Tops in .44 spl. with 7 1/2  inch barrels, with full case loads of Goex 3F. under 240 gr. RNFP bullets, Or SAA's in .38-40, shooting 180 gr. RNFP Bullets over Full case loads of Goex 3F. with 5 1/2 barrels...

 

But No Ya ain't rushing ta Shoot da Best...😜😂

 

Jabez Cowboy

[Doc Shapiro]

I have a target in a box (we just moved) with 15 rounds in a sub 1" group, with 2 flyers making it 1 1/8".  Shot at 25 yards.  5 shots from 3 different revolvers.  All with 4 5/8 in barrels (Ruger).  Starting position for each shot was with gun holstered and wrists above shoulders.  At beep, draw, aim, fire.  Same guns, out of a ransom rest, group size was the size of the bullet.

 

It's ain't the gun.  It's the nut behind the trigger.

Edited January 23 by Doc Shapiro

[watab kid]

12 hours ago, bgavin said:

On a good day, I can get five rounds down range.

me too , sometimes i hit the target too 

[Nickle]

10 hours ago, Doc Shapiro said:

I have a target in a box (we just moved) with 15 rounds in a sub 1" group, with 2 flyers making it 1 1/8".  Shot at 25 yards.  5 shots from 3 different revolvers.  All with 4 5/8 in barrels (Ruger).  Starting position for each shot was with gun holstered and wrists above shoulders.  At beep, draw, aim, fire.  Same guns, out of a ransom rest, group size was the size of the bullet.

 

It's ain't the gun.  It's the nut behind the trigger.

That's really good. 

Feel free to share details about your loads and guns. Example caliber, exact load, type of ruger,etc.

[bgavin]

"sometimes i hit the target too "

I remember the first time I took my brand new Henry Frontier to a match during the COVID years when our Director allowed 22 to be shot.
I didn't have the magazine tube plunger locked correctly, and it went flying down range.

Fortunately, at my age I have lost all sense of vanity, so I just laughed long and hard while they stopped long enough to retrieve it.

[Doc Shapiro]

7 hours ago, Nickle said:

That's really good. 

Feel free to share details about your loads and guns. Example caliber, exact load, type of ruger,etc.

Ruger Vaquero's, 4 5/8 in barrels, caliber is .357.  .38 spl loads, 3gr of bullseye, 130gr bullet.  Velocity of 820fps.