Revolver Accuracy

[texhookem]

I have a brand new smith and wesson 357 mag revolver with a 6 inch barrel and i was wondering what kind of accuracy at 25 and 50 yards should i be looking to shoot for. I know each individual gun is different i am just wondering what are considered accectable 25 and 50 yard groups with this type of firearm using quality ammo.

[Virginia7]

I'm happy if I can keep 'em in a 2-4" group at 25yds., and 4-6" at 50yds.
However, depending on the gun and ammo, and the type of rest used, far better accuracy can be had. I've seen some tuned revolvers that could put all five or six shots
into one hole at 25yds.
Most of my handgun experience comes from an LE background many years ago. With my Ruger Security-Six (stainless 4", 357mag.) or Ruger Police Service-Six (same, but with fixed sights), if I could draw and fire six rounds at 5yds. within three seconds, and keep 'em all in the head of a B27, I was happy. (And, no, I'm not recommending head shots for self defense scenarios.)
With my Sig239 (9mm), a clip full (8rds.), keeps a pop can bouncing at 15 to 20yds.
I like my Sig.

If you have a very nice pistol vise, expect 1"with the right load. By hand off the bench, maybe like virginia7 said. A pistol like that can produce 2" off sandbags at 25 yards. I can't shoot 50 yards with a pistol to save my life. Can't see. Open handed, depend on you.

Also, if you get bad groups, consider your cylinder. There's always one that seems to not want to shoot and give you flyers.

[rick_reno]

It depends on how good a pistol shot you are and then add into the mix how hot is the ammo you're shooting.

It depends on how good a pistol shot you are

So your saying I won't be accurate if I just drank a pot of coffee, and shaking?

[HighDesertWolf]

i have a ruger GP 100 in 357 mag 6 inch barrel, at 50 yards off a sand bag rest can keep my shots inside a 6 inch circle. good enough for a deer to 50 yards.

[James B]

Well I almost hate to say this but with sand bags or a good pistol rest, a good revolver with a six inch barrel is capable of 2 inches or less at 50 yards and three inches at 100 yards. I have owned two revolvers that would shoot three inch six shot groups at 100 yards. One was a 6 1/2 inch barreled 610 S&W 10 MM revolver I shot the groups however with 40 S&W ammo. The other was a Ruger GP 100 with a six inch barrel. It would group three inches at 100 yards. I have a Dan Wesson 41 Mag Pistol Pac. The Eight inch barrel with that revolver will shoot four inch groups at 100 yards.

At the time I shot these groups, I was shooting probably 700 rounds of pistol and revolver rounds per week. This shooting combat and handgun steel silhouettes. Strangely enough my 25 yard groups were usually not much better than my 50 yard groups. A good 6 inch or longer barreled revolver is capable of very good groups out to 100 yards. I could never even come close to duplicating these groups with any auto. The closest one would have been one Glock 22. That was a tack driver Auto.

[Virginia7]

Holy Crap! That's some pretty dang good shootin' there James B.

My only "pistol rest" was just my two hands using a firm grip, and resting on a rolled up
blanket, towel, or whatever was handy to place on the bench. 700 rounds in a week?
Given our dept. budget, and my own, I was lucky to shoot that much in 4mos. time.

Those Dan Wesson revolvers were sure accurate. I never owned one, but knew a couple of fellas that used 'em in 44mag. They'd shoot clay targets at 100yds., and did
pretty good at 200yds. too.
My hunting revolvers were a S&W model 57, 6" 41mag., and later a Ruger Redhawk,
5-1/2" 41mag. The Redhawk was pretty accurate. I managed to hit clays at 100yds. with it most of the time. Sad to say, those guns are gone, and I just use rifles now.
Eyes don't see well enough for much with a handgun beyond 50yds. or so. Still do pretty fair out to 25yds. though - good enough for "social" work.

[James B]

A lot of the shooting was practice but we were shooting combat matches and bowling pins and steel Silhouettes. I shot a 357 Herret for that but 45 auto for most of the others stuff. I got so sick of reloading that I finally gave it all up and didn't hardly shoot at all for several years. I could run that reloading press in my sleep. I went through a lot of powder and bullets. At that time I was casting my own bullets. Man that got old too. I stuck it out for about five years. We shot with the FBI and Federal Marshalls and city/ county police in Pierre SD. The overall best shooter of the whole group though worked for the post office in Pierre. I tested my loads and shot targets over sand bags.

I miss all that shooting but would probably burn out on reloading again if I went back to it. I had two progessive presses and a turret press going back then.

[HighDesertWolf]

ahaha the postal workers were better shots