What is the common/normal/practical shooting distance for a handgun?

[Danmc]

I was taught and still believe that the common/standard hunting rifle sight-in is 100 yds. Is there such a standard for practicing with a hand gun? I have been shooting at 10', 15', 21' and 30'. This also brings up a second question...now I am wondering if I shoot at 30', is it overkill or a waste of ammo to practice at a lesser distance?

EDIT: These distances are for self-defense, not for hunting purposes.

 

[gunnerbob]

Train at all of them...

 

[wizrd]

What are you defending yourself against? If it is a bad guy, how far away would you ask the bad guy to stand? What kind of accuracy is your firearm capable of? and at what ranges? More important, are you capable of making on target shots at those ranges, without fail? Under extreme duress? Practice & more practice, then buy more ammo & practice some more. Eventually you will have the answer to your question, but it will only be your own answer. Other shooters will have to answer theeir own questions.

 

[mappow]

I was taught and still believe that the common/standard hunting rifle sight-in is 100 yds. Is there such a standard for practicing with a hand gun? I have been shooting at 10', 15', 21' and 30'. This also brings up a second question...now I am wondering if I shoot at 30', is it overkill or a waste of ammo to practice at a lesser distance?

EDIT: These distances are for self-defense, not for hunting purposes.

3/5/7 yard line is acceptable for "Self Defense" any further and you could be deemed an aggressor. Most self defense courses will teach at these distances due to statistics of self defense shootings. Please research more to find something you're more comfortable with. IT'S YOUR TRAINING that will determine if you live or be slaughtered.

 

[DFuller]

Train at all of them...

+1

When I hit the range I start @ 21ft marker and then work my way out to the 40ft line.

If you are ever in a bad situation you aren't going to have a tape measure to see if they meet the 21ft rule I have heard some people quote. I prefer to just be as proficient as I can be with my weapon.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[jtg452]

I shoot pistols from contact ranges to 100 yards plus. Of all the handguns I own, the only 2 I won't shoot out to at least 100 yards are a Beretta Tomcat (which will reliably hit human torso sized targets at 50 yards if the shooter does their part) and a 2 shot .32 derringer that's pretty much limited to powder burn range.

Wanna perfect your trigger control? Shoot a handgun at a 24" target at 100 yards. Nothing yells flinch like a round aimed at the 100 yard target raising dust at 80.

 

[meatsandwich]

I shoot from point blank to 20 yards. I have practiced at 50 yards just to get a better sense of what my gun does at that distance.

 

[kelcarry]

3/5/7 yard line is acceptable for "Self Defense" any further and you could be deemed an aggressor. Most self defense courses will teach at these distances due to statistics of self defense shootings. Please research more to find something you're more comfortable with. IT'S YOUR TRAINING that will determine if you live or be slaughtered.

I liked this answer and it goes directly to what defense with a handgun is all about. Methinks you kind of know what you believe the answer to be based on the common sense of what the handgun is for--obviously you have to make your own determination and not just rely on member replies. In my case I practice at around 5-10 yards and try to do so with more of a point/shoot methodology in mind and am not concerned about 1 inch or 2 inch holes in the target as much as I am concerned with all the holes being in center mass ranging from below shoulders to below belly button.

 

[Warrior1256]

When I was a correctional officer we qualified out to 20yds. Now for self defense purposes I don't practice any farther than 12yds.

 

[S&W645]

3/5/7 yard line is acceptable for "Self Defense" any further and you could be deemed an aggressor. Most self defense courses will teach at these distances due to statistics of self defense shootings. Please research more to find something you're more comfortable with. IT'S YOUR TRAINING that will determine if you live or be slaughtered.

It doesn't hurt to train to 45' as you could find that as you tried to get out of a situation that you needed to keep firing as you retreat.