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Shooting a schuetzen rifle for thirty-five years bullet casting is common around here.

I have an old RockChucker but don't think I've not thought about some sort of progressive loader, maybe even a turret press would speed things up.

Most of my shooting is on the more serious side so this nostalgic trip into wheel guns is fun, if I don't think about all the reloading.

A question for the more advanced pistol shooters among us. I've been looking at my targets and trying to set some goals for myself with this S&W 19 w/ 4" barrel.

How does consistently hit a 2" target at 50-feet from rest and 4" offhand, Is this reasonable?

IMO very reasonable, very achievable.

On your range outings I suggest a side-by-side comparison with a handgun of known performance, to better evaluate your own perfomance that day as well as that of the M19 and its ammo. A benchmark if you will.

For a comparison, my S&W Magna Classic would shoot into less than 1.75" at 50 yds from a rest, iron sights. I've had a number of common M29s that would shoot into 6" or less at 100 yds all day long. M41 S&Ws will do 2 MOA or less, all day long.

I seriously doubt you'll get that sort of accuracy from a non-fire-lapped M19 but IMO 6-8 MOA is a reasonable goal for you, from a rest. That translates into less than 2" groups at 50 ft from a rest.

Many, many gallery pistol shooters can achieve this level of accuracy from the offhand, it's not too difficult with a good 22LR.

FOCUS ON THE FRONT SIGHT ONLY! CONCENTRATE ON THE TRIGGER SQUEEZE! FRONT SIGHT, TRIGGER SQUEEZE!
Regards, Joe

Sounds reasonable.
I try for 2" at 25 yards but the target on the first page of this thread (I thought was pretty darn good!) has 10 in about 2 3/8" although 8 are in a 2" circle. (Truck hood rest, 6" barrel the 4" Combat Masterpiece should do as well I think).

4" at 50' is something to shoot for but more than 5 without a flyer would be might good, IMO. No question the thumbrest grips help offhand shooting. Are you going to get some for the Combat Magnum?

Personally, I don't care where the group is on the target if I've got adjustable sights as one day I just might adjust them.

It's those darn flyers that are hard to account for!!!

Alas, it's usually the loose nut on the trigger (grin).
Regards, Joe

J.D.,
I'd like to see that 1 3/4" 50 yard target, with any revolver!
Best,
Steve

I envy you gents who aren't hobbled by NYC's Sullivan Law. Notwithstanding (I will say it) my outstanding expertise in negotiating its intricacies for clients and myself, I have over a lifetime been able to own not more than twenty or so handguns. It is usually possible to get any pistol onto a "premises" license, but the process is laborious beyond description. There is a side benefit: you tend to get lots of practice with what you do own. I have worn out three barrels on my 1911. My principal revolver "accomplishment was a six shot six inch group at 100 yards with a 7.5" New Service Target, from a rest. The gun was still in its box when I bought it at Abercrombie & Fitch thirty years ago and the box was marked "Bright Blue". Alas it is long gone, too valuable to keep.

" No question the thumbrest grips help offhand shooting. Are you going to get some for the Combat Magnum?"

As a candidate for carry I'll stick to the grips on it and see how I progress.

I fired a lot the other day double action and was surprised how well it (we) did. I'm getting to like this pistol.

Steve, I'll see if I can find some of my old targets but IIRC I gave them to the new owner. (later) Success! Here are 2 of the best I've shot, one at 50 yds and the other at 100 yds.


The Magna Classic was a very limited-production M29 or M629, specially accurized and specially strengthened for shooting handgun silhouette with very heavy 44Mag loads. It came in a HUGE fancy mahogany case with a lot of extra front sight inserts for various ranges and sighting conditions. The full underlugged barrel and the round-butt grips made it too front-heavy for field use but it was QUITE accurate.

In 1990 it cost almost $1,000 (~ 2-3 X normal M29), I believe that was the only year they were made unless recently. I bought a stainless and my shooting buddy bought a blue one.

Both revolvers came with factory test targets fired from a rest at 50 yds, all six shots well under 2" using Federal 240-gr jacketed bullet factory loads. I remember feeling underprivileged because my buddy's test target was 1 5/8" while mine was only 1 3/4".

We loaded some Sierra 210-, 240- and 250-gr jacketed bullets with heavy loads of H-110 & 2400 and were both able to achieve less than 2" from a rest at 50 yds with all 3 bullets. Took practice and 110% TOTAL concentration but it can be done with the right handgun.
Regards, Joe

Steve, here's a more representative sample of my own shooting, with one of the most accurate Colt SAs I've ever owned. It's a 1st-gen, actually an 1894-vintage BP gun that someone reblued and I later rebuilt.

The flyers are present on almost all the targets shot with that revolver. I used mostly plain-base Keith SWCs (the coffee-can bullet) from a specially-sized Hensley & Gibbs mould that threw the old-style wheel weights to 0.454" as-cast, 265 grains with the lube. The first-gen 5 1/2" barrel grooves measured 0.454" and I substituted a 2nd-gen cylinder with throats measuring .455".

The early Colt dimensions are a mare's nest of conflicting & non-matching sizes, possibly the subject of a future thread. Let's just say that if you ever find an early Colt revolver that's REALLY accurate, IMO you better cherish it and hold it close, VERY close!
Regards, Joe