The subject of long-range handgunning comes up periodically. Those that have never experienced it will say that it just isn't possible to shoot a service-style handgun effectively at what most would consider carbine or even rifle distances.
We went out a few weeks ago and
pushed a G35 out to 500 yards. 500 yards?! Yeah and it's not really as
hard as one might think. No sandbags or machine rests, just leaning
over the toolbox of the truck, I was able to put 7 of 14 shots in 39",
on target. Which, if you figure that out, only boils down to less than
2" at 25 yards which is not bad in itself. Actually, it may be a little
better than that considering the breeze.
The pic below is the actual range. A measured 500 yds. The target is a 4x8 sheet of wafer board
The 7 hits with the heavy circles around them are the G35 hits. The 5
hits with the circles and the little arrows under them are, believe it
or not, a .22 rifle. We were relaying information by radio and when
Jason told me that I had 3 consecutive hits with the .22, I quit. The
other hits are from a .40 caliber Kel-Tec Sub 2000.
This video clip is a standing, unsupported shot with a different G35 at 200 yds.
And here's a G27 at 200 yards...
The point of all this is not to demonstrate MY shooting ability but
rather to show that extreme long distance accuracy with a service-style
handgun is attainable. The guns were nothing special and have stock
barrels in them. Damn inaccurate Glocks!
At Southwest Shooting Authority, we conduct Long-Range Handgun classes from time-to-time and
routinely have students making first-round hits at 200 yards by the second
day. No optics, no single-shots. Just the use of good shooting fundamentals.
Does a .40 S&W bullet still have any penetrating power left by the time it has
traveled 500 yards? I don't think I would care anything about trying to
catch one of them! All the bullets went through the wafer board and
went 7-9" deep into a loose sand bank behind the target. 2 of the .40's
went through the wafer board, the 2x4 frame and still buried themselves
5-7" into the sand.
The first time we tried this, we used 55-gallon drums for targets. The
.40 bullets went through both sides with no problem at all.
