Practical or Target Accuracy?

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello All,

I'm wondering how you select a firearm.

My Taurus started out as a pistol that felt good in my hands. It had some problems however, and once those were ironed out it shot 1.5" at 25yds. However, my practical accuracy is about the size of a pop bottle at 7yds: One practice method I use is replacing bowling pins with pop or water bottles and shooting them off their stand as quickly as possible.

My Carpati (PPK clone) has never been tested for accuracy potential. I fired a couple hundred rounds through it to break it in, my target being a fairly thick (about 6") tree that will be coming down anyway. It hit almost every time - the misses were my fault - at 7yds and the disconnector is not very sensitive, letting me fire with it in an attacker's belly should that be needed. It will shoot to my needs, IOW.

The .22 revolver has been benched and will shoot about 2" at 15yds. However, it's likely the most "pointable" of my pistols and I can dance a golf ball around from 15 yds all day by hip shooting.

My squirrel rifle, the Romanian trainer, likely will never be a target rifle. I doubt I'll ever even 'scope it. I really can't shoot it well off the bench; it will hold about 3/4" at 25yds. The best I've ever done was a vertical string at that distance. But, it's just not a target rifle.

None of these are target firearms.

I can call my shots with any of these at their intended max distance and perhaps further. After I got back into practice I was able to begin snap shooting with extreme accuracy out to 50 yds. With open sights I can call head or heart shots on squirrel. This is all done without the use of the flip up leaves (50 and 100 meters), using only the 25m leaf (fixed) and flat shooting ammo.

Same goes for targets of opportunity with the Taurus, shotgun (with buck), or revolver, and to an extent, the Carpati.

I would have to say I pick up a firearm, heft it, fire it if I can, and if it feels good, take it home. Any issues are fixed there.

There are some who aren't happy unless they can benchrest sub-MOA groups with rifles or sub-2" groups with pistols, from the store.

How do you select your firearms?

Josh <><

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[rocky]

Both. it depends on the intended purpose. My '06 is a deer gun, and capable of sub MOA at 200 yrds+ . My NAA .22 mini is capable of hitting a door at 15 yrds. CCw guns are somewhere in between, but I like em to be capable of 2" or less at 15 yrds.

[ccw9mm]

I'm wondering how you select a firearm.

Practical results.

In the end, if I can achieve a better result in a different package, then that different package is the better choice for me. Doesn't matter what the factory indicates the thing should be able to do. Now, in advance of knowing what my performance is going to be on one of a dozen different competing guns, I'll certainly go by the factory figures. But practical results matter a whole lot, to me.

Data point: Browning BDM 9mm pistol. Nobody's heard of the dang thing, and fewer have shot it. Those that have roundly criticize its accuracy. Though, inside of 20yds, I find them very accurate. I'm certain it's due to how the gun works in my hand during firing, based on the bore axis in relation to hand placement, how thin it is, the manner of recoil mgmt in the pistol as compared to others (ie, push vs. flip). The numbers say it shouldn't be as good as some, while in practice I find it far better than most alternatives. Go figure.

[artz]

I have chosen most of mine, except the 4" GP100 , 7.5" superblackhawk .44 mag. and a couple of .22's, for carry conceal.
A few were purchased in California, where I didn't have many choices available (the revolvers), and the semi's were bought in Georgia.
The more I shoot and carry each one, the more each one is like an old friend. A good example is the para. I slowly refine it and the more 230 grainers that go thru her, the more she feels like an extension of my hand as a tool.
It has to be that way with everyone, its not magic.

[RSSZ]

Intended use of weapon means everything. My hunting handguns,2-3 MOH* or MOD* is great. CC weapons 4" at 10-12 yds.is great. (fast counts alot also)

Big game rifles,everybody strives for the very best, but in reality,2-3 MOA is great.

My varmint rifles,1/2 to 1 MOA is......just ok.--------

* minute of hog & minute of deer

[P95Carry]

RSSZ about nails that - chosen use is everything.

Re defensive handgun - it would be no use for me if some platform was stellar at 25 yard grouping, if in the hand it felt ''wrong'' and could not be controlled well enough at combat ranges, where absolutes in accuracy are down to the shooter way more than the gun's potential. Reliability too trounces shere accuracy here IMO.

For other guns - again - purpose determines requirements. If my AK at 100 manages at best minute of pie plate - that'll do because of the weapon type. OTOH my FAL generally manages - if I do my bit - probably about 2 MOA at 200 - again adequate for an MBR category.

[hsuCowboy98]

If I cant take it out and be comfortable shooting it, or cant hit anything with it, then the numbers put out by some factory technician or some magazine mean nothing to me. It has to be able to perform in MY hands, or it is worthless to me.

[RSSZ]

P95 & hsu, come on guys,we're gettin' way too practical here. :)

I know a guy that actually tried to get me to worry about BC.......at CC ranges(10yds.) -------

[P95Carry]

I know a guy that actually tried to get me to worry about BC.......at CC ranges

BC - hmmm - that'd be ''bang comparison'' huh! Still relevant LOL!

[sgtD]

As others have stated, intended purpose is what sets the bar that the other critereon must meet.

Feel is usually first and foremost, becuase I usually don't get to test drive a gun before I buy it.
Feel tells me a lot about fit, which leads to accuracy.

Being able to hit with it is on the same level IMO as reliability. I would not rate one higher than the other, becuase I must have both.

If a gun won't properly function, I get rid of it and buy one that will. When I need it for whatever purpose, I want to be 99.99% certain that it will function.

accuracy is also important, both inherant and as it applies to fit. I have gotten rid of some nice shotguns over the years, becuase they didn't fit right, and therefore didn't shoot where I was looking.

I can't think of any handguns that I have gotten rid of due to accuracy problems, but I would if I needed to and won't buy one if it doesn't feel good in my hand.

In rifels, I expect at least 3 moa accuracy, I have considered getting rid of my Norinco Mak-90 and my Mini 14, becuase I don't think they are very acurrate rifles, but I won't turn them loose until I can fund an AR-15 purchase.

So, I guess I'm finicky, I want feel and accuracy.

[pgrass101]

Most of my long guns are more accurate than I am. I guess this is what I look for is the gun capable of doing what I ask of it. Not its limits but in the use I have for it, will the gun preform better than me. If the answer is yes, then I buy it.

[raevan]

I only need enough accuracy to get the job done, therefore it would be determined for what purpose the firearm was purchased.

[retsupt99]

is somewhat dependent upon the 'comfort level' of the shooter...wouldn't you agree?
I have paid good money for quality firearms...and they have all been 'good shooters' right out of the box.
Can a particuar gun make me a better shooter...out of the box?
Can a great gun give me the skills I haven't attained yet?

ret

[AutoFan]

I would say feel first, then accuracy. I only have a couple of guns where I'm not the limiting factor in accuracy.

[threefeathers]

Josh, great to see you here. Practical accuracy and great feel is what I look for in a carry, but I also love really accurate weapons.
So my Sig 229 is very accurate but feels as if it is part of me. My custom 1911 from a gunsmith friend with a ftted Ed Brown barrel is 1/4 inch accrurate at 25 meters.