Do you guys mind sharing how well I can expect to shoot with open sights. Right now I have the .45 blackhawk with 5.5" barrel. I have been shooting at cardboard deer silhouettes at 50 yards. The best I can get, not that I am anybody, is 5 3/4" groups. I would love to get it down to 3". I am a step away from marking the cylinder to check each chamber. Yesterday I shot 4 rounds in a horizontal line fully within 3" but I had two vertical fliers open it up to 5 3/4". It could very well be me. Just wondering what your experiences have been. Thanks for any advice and experience you can lend. Yesterday I was shooting while sitting against a stump braced on my knees. Trying to simulate field conditions.

Ross Seyfried wrote an article for G&A one time called Practical handgun accuracy. He had a saying for iron sighted revolvers called "minute of handgun". It was basicly 1" for every ten yards of range. I think he said that was good shooting if you could do that, and anything better was great.

Toby

That at least gives me something to go on. I have this complex after seeing my buddy shoot a cylinder full out of his redhawk w/2x burris at 50 yards that you could cover with a $.50 piece. Is that impossible w/out a scope? Opinions? Still have to sell some hardware before I can p/u that sbhh.

I'm not going to say that its not possible, but its going to be a lot tougher. You have to really pick your target well as some are easier to shoot at than others. For longer ranges with iron sights I like a black square. I make the squares bigger the farther I'm shooting. I use a 4"x4" black square at 50 yards. I use an 8"x8" at 100 yards.

Toby

Depends a lot on the gun’s capabilities. Is that possible… Yes! My 44 SRH will shoot 1.5 in at 100, if, a big if, I am doing my part. Iron sighs do have their disadvantages. But practice makes up for a lot of things. I would say find a good 22LR with iron sight and start plinking. I have shot countless squirrels with a Ruger MKII out to 50 yards, and a few at 75. Just start setting goals.

There is nothing wrong with a 5 1/2 inch group at 50 yards with a 5.5" barrel from a field shooting position. Deer are bigger than that and if you have the patience to wait until they are broadside then you shouldn't have much trouble connecting with a deer. You're doing one thing right and that's using a simulated deer for a target. Your sight picture will be very familiar when you head to the woods this fall. I think a lot of people make a mistake when they only shoot at paper targets with dots on them. I often shoot at a blank piece of cardboard that's about 2/3 the size of a deer's chest.

I look at it alot like Gary.An average sized deer has a 12"x12"x12" vital area.I use alot of different ways to practice for groups.I use cardboard some and a paper pie plate.They are usually 6".If I can keep them in the plate...a deer if I do my part is in trouble.I would also bet if you shoot 3 cylinders full,once a week for 4 weeks you will be able to tell a difference in your group sizes.Practice all you can.Good luck!

Thanks a lot guys. Up to this point I have been shooting about 50-100 rounds a month. I usually make it out at least once a month. I really like the idea of 3 cyl full a week. Probably wont fatigue the eyes as much after a box or so. I love to shoot, just have to keep up with the rest of life before I'm free to go. I don't think I would shoot at a deer at 50, at least not yet. I just like to practice at longer distances to make the up close shots seem easier. First deer with this gun I took at 15 yards or so, and last year took one at about 35 which I thought was a very long way, but the sights settled rock steady, and he just stood there looking at me broadside. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and experience, this site is the best. I enjoy shooting the silhouettes. They are surprisingly realistic, and they give an honest indicator of how you did, like it or not.

Thanks again, guys.

Silly goose ---

I encourage you to use your hunting handgun for varmits or pests in the off season. While my eyes are old enough to make it difficult for me to efficiently use open sights, in the past I hunted jackrabbits with a FA M97 5 1/2" 45 Colt and a Ruger Bisley in 45 Colt with open sights. Pushing yourself to try the longer shots at these animals develops skill and confidence. While I had modified the sights on both revolvers to better suit me, I found that after shooting at them for a while, a sitting jackrabbit at 75-80 paces was likely a dead rabbit. If you can consistently hit a rabbit (or similar sized animal), the boiler-room on a deer is relatively easy.

Good luck.

I will second that.When you can hit a chuck a deer will seem easy.Where are the chucks at?I need some practice too.

Goose, as Gary stated, your shot groups are not bad at that distance with that gun and field shooting positions. I would suggest, if you haven't already, shoot from a good bench rest to see what the gun is doing. You may be shooting better than you think but, you gun is not. This will give you the info you need; Do I need tuned up or does my gun? Well, just my 2 cent...hope it helps a little.

I'll take that as a compliment. I think I'm blushing. I don't have access to a rest right at the moment, I'll have to look around or maybe make one. Thank you all for your advice. Do any of you guys go the open sight route with your revolvers or do most of you scope. I've got such an itch for that sbhh, but I also like using what I have and would always struggle over what to bring. I always have to make things harder than they are.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to stir the pot, but I think a lot of firearms out there will shoot better than we give them credit. Yes a 5-6 in group at 50 yards will bring down a deer, but if I was grouping with my firearm like that I would limit myself to a 20-25 yard shot at deer. I know there are people here that disagree with my mindset but I am also expect my TC’s to shoot ½ groups, or better, at 100 yards. Is it overkill, yes it is. But is also raising my standards. I don’t have a single revolver that will not shoot just one ragged hole at 25 yards, it just took a little work to the gun and some time at the range with different rounds.

Sorry for disagreeing.

I can’t agree more with the off season target practice on varmints… I think that is the best practice ever. Rabbits, squirrels, raccoons or whatever.

I find that with the scoped guns its not as hard to shoot good groups at extended ranges (50-100) yards. However I have also done quite a bit of shooting at those ranges with open sights. My groups open up considerably at 100 when I go to open sights. (from the 2-3" range to the 12" range) I find that the big change for me when I go to open sights is barrel length. Using my 8-3/8" S&W 29 I have shot several 2" groups at 50 yards and some very good 5-6" groups at 100. I do not stand a chance doing the same with one of the 4" guns. The other key thing for me is assuring that the sight picture is as consistant as I can make it. The final thing is when shooting open sights make sure you make the target the right size. I like shooting at a 2-3" dot at 50 and a 4"+ dot at 100 when using open sights. With a 2X scope I will cut that in half and over 4X I will half it again.

Open sight guns have their place. I find that the people that shoot more and shoot more often are the better open sight shooters.

IMO iron sights are easier to pick up while hunting.I have little experience with a scope,and depending upon style of hunting for me as to carry the scope gun v/s the open sights.

Try spreading out your shots over a 5 minute period. Resting or puttering around between shots.

Head to the range and shoot IHMSA "Field Pistol" for a couple of months and I bet you'll be very surprized with the results! We shoot 25, 50, 75 and 100 yds, 40 targets, all in the shape of something you might like to eat. Field Pistol is for straight walled cartridges. I use a 44 mag (bit I don't shoot this division as often as a should). IMSA is a sport made for hunters and shooters. The local IHMSA guys will welcome you with open arms and usually the first timers get to shoot for free.

Bill in OR

I am picking up something from each of you. Thanks.

Well there is alot of good info here. I practice all summer on charlies with my open sighted revolvers. A charlies is the size or a little smaller than the vitals of a deer. Usually I can peg a charlie at 75 yards, so 100 yards is about my limit on deer with open sights.

One thing that really helped my open sighted shooting was to go with a patridge front sight. The color inserts seem to be distracting and blurry for me. The patridge sight is clear and black and helps the eye center the post in the notch with equal distance on both sides. This really shrinks the groups.

Another thing that helped alot at first was not getting hung up on the target/sight picture per say. Pick a square, circle, triangle, or steel silly wet to aim at. Concentrate more on the two sights being alligned with each other and secondary on the object to shoot at. Slowly squeeze the trigger keeping the sights perfectly alligned. This helped shrink my groups also. In time the muscle eye coridnation was like a reflex. That made more consistant groups and easier to put a hole in what I was shooting at. Most of this practice was done with a Ruger MKII and literally thousnads of rounds. I would guess that the MKII has over 10,000 rounds down the pipe. It's still my favorite practice gun.

X2...

I cut my teeth on a that shortgun. It is the reason I am the pistol shot I am today.