Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns What accuracy do you expect?

From these compact and subcompact 9, 40 and 45 caliber pistols? I would expect that a 9mm Shield, or G43 should be capable of 4 inches at 10 yards with decent ammunition, anyone care to hazard a guess or a machine rest test statement

For a compact, an inch or two with any ammunition. Ten yards without a speed factor isn't much of a test. Four inches would get dumped.

Using a machine rest with a semi auto can be tricky, and depending on the procedure, I know a number of shooters that can outshoot a machine rest. Unless the pistol is resighted after each shot a machine rest includes a test of slide to frame fit, and if the pistol is resighted after each shot the test includes human error which can defeat the purpose of using a machine rest.

I fired a magazine offhand at 3-5-7-10-15-25 yards from my wife's Shield and they all stayed in a 4" circle. That's more accurate than my FS.

Small guns really show poor technique, but they're usually very accurate.

Significantly less than 4" at 10 yards.

The middle target is a 3" .45 RIA rested at 15 yards.

The bottom target is the same pistol standing off hand at 15 yards.



My Kahr CW-9 or my Springfield XDs .45acp will shoot easily as well.

I can't imagine a modern pistol that will shoot no better than 4" at 10 yards, or a shooter who'd post a photo of a 4" group at 10 yards as evidence of either the gun's accuracy or the shooter's ability.

So the inherent accuracy is pretty good then

First time out with the Shield, I was putting full mags of fast double taps into 4" @ 10 paces. The K9 has always been good for under 2" groups @ 15yds.

I used to shoot the little Beretta m21 a lot. I could bounce empty shot shells with it regularly at 10yds. Made a head shot on a small rattlesnake at about the same.

The PF9 hasn't been that accurate, but 4" at 10yds is still pretty easy. Then again, I've never shot it off a rest.

My 45 shield has been unusually accurate, with WW 230 grain ball I can hit 12 gauge shells at 10 yards. I was told that SW only specifies 4 inches at 10 yards by the factory..

Why does machine rest accuracy matter for a gun you carry ?

Odd question. If a gun will shoot 1 inch 10 shot groups at 25 yards from a machine rest, don't you think you might be able to shoot it better off hand than you would a gun that shot 10 inch groups at 25 yards. Assuming of course that every once and a while you had the sights aligned correctly when the firearm discharged.

I think you have something there . . . I have medium & large handguns that I shoot fairly well.
I also have a couple sub-compact pistols that I can't even find the target - at point-blank range!

LMAO!

I only expect to be able to hit a man-size target at up to 10 yards. That is the defensive mind set...if you ae going for absolute target shooting accuracy....then that's
a different kettle of fish.

Yea I was shooting for some humor here - although some might actually believe it.

Totally missed the writing on the target at first. Sarge's comment made me go back and look. Ha! Hilarious.

Good review, and I concur. The PF9 has it's legitimate place.

Anything better than hitting an entire person at 10 yards is "absolute target shooting accuracy"?

If so, you need a serious reality check.

I'm for minute of Coke can, I like to be able to nail a pop can every time with a handgun, hard for me to think of shooting a man size target, I'm either aiming for an eyeball between the two eyes or a shirt pocket in the center of the chest.

Personally, 1.5" per 10 yards, standing is a good gun for me.

That translates to about easily hitting a 4" plate at 25 yards. If a gun can't hit my 4" at 25 yards in my hands, I don't feel confident in it for defense or hunting.

This is not a very high bar to reach for. It is a practical bar for guns in MY hands however. It could be that a gun is extremely precise and accurate at some wierd distance or set up but just not sorted out properly for a load and sights to achieve hits on a 4" plate at 25 yards. No matter. The end result is still a gun that is useless to me until it is sorted out. There is precision and accuracy and then there is plain ol' hitting simple stuff with no fuss at real distances where I can see.

I recall reading from somewhere but dont't recall exactly where (Skeeter?) that 1" per 10 yards is very good field accuracy for handgun.

I bet that not 1 in 1000 pistol owners in America can shoot 1.5" groups at 10 yards. For 1" groups make it 1 in 5000.

At least this much accuracy