# gun Dopers- how good a handgun shot are you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 27, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-dopers-how-good-a-handgun-shot-are-you/478847 "2008-12-27T15:32:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-dopers-how-good-a-handgun-shot-are-you/478847/41 "2008-12-29T17:20:04Z")
**Lumpy** , if you’ve reached a plateau and can’t seem to get better, it might be worthwhile to find an NRA pistol course (or something similar) in the vicinity. Sometimes a 2nd party (that’s not just some bubba at the range) looking over your shoulder can make a huge difference. Because sometime practice just reinforces bad habits. It’s happened to me more times than I can count… Well, no. More times than I can remember. Or maybe you’re just expecting too much from yourself. I’ve been shooting handgun for 20 years and still have bad days when I can’t hardly hit the target (just pack up and go home rather than practice bad technique), and I have guns that I can’t shoot so good. I’m pretty sure every gun I own can outshoot me so I try not to blame the hardware, but some of them just don’t fit me - I can’t shoot S&W revolvers worth a damn, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-dopers-how-good-a-handgun-shot-are-you/478847/42 "2008-12-29T17:52:41Z")
I’ve never missed anything I’ve shot at. That’s good enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-dopers-how-good-a-handgun-shot-are-you/478847/43 "2008-12-29T18:53:06Z")
Not very good, I need more practice. Somebody want to buy me a case of 9mm? ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-dopers-how-good-a-handgun-shot-are-you/478847/44 "2008-12-29T19:17:48Z")
With my Beretta 92 FS I can consistently shoot a 3" group out to 25 yards. That goes up to about 4" with my S&W 66. If I’m shooting for time, add an inch or so to each of the above groups. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-dopers-how-good-a-handgun-shot-are-you/478847/45 "2008-12-29T19:38:42Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Not very good, I need more practice. Somebody want to buy me a case of 9mm? I’d really like to have a 9mm if anyone was feeling extra generous. I ditched mine in favor of the .45, but .45 is just too damned expensive to put as much lead down range as I’d like. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-dopers-how-good-a-handgun-shot-are-you/478847/46 "2008-12-29T21:27:26Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > I’d really like to have a 9mm if anyone was feeling extra generous. I ditched mine in favor of the .45, but .45 is just too damned expensive to put as much lead down range as I’d like. That’s why I have a 9mm, but I do keep it loaded with hollow points. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-dopers-how-good-a-handgun-shot-are-you/478847/47 "2008-12-29T22:41:52Z")
If I am lucky my assailant will, in fact, be as large as the side of a barn. I’m trying to get better. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-dopers-how-good-a-handgun-shot-are-you/478847/48 "2008-12-30T01:18:06Z")
> [@ShelliBean](#): > > If I am lucky my assailant will, in fact, be as large as the side of a barn. … the flat-bellied, buff, 6-pack guys being ‘keepers’? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-dopers-how-good-a-handgun-shot-are-you/478847/49 "2008-12-30T15:06:18Z")
My accuracy seems very inversely proportional to caliber. With a Ruger Mark II .22 I can do amazing shooting. With my Ruger 9mm…not so well. My Ruger Super Redhawk does better with me, but that’s mainly because it has the 9.5-inch barrel, I think. My concealed carry handgun is a Glock 26, and I’m not nearly as accurate as I would like to be. I used to be Deadeye Doris with my old .22 rifle though. It used to infuriate friends I went shooting with (mostly boys) when I could do things like line up empty .22 casings on a fence and knock them off one at a time from about 30 feet away. With my .22 rifle, it pretty much was “if I can see it, I can hit it”, and the biggest limits I had were iron sights and poor eyesight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-dopers-how-good-a-handgun-shot-are-you/478847.md?page=2)