What's considered a good grouping?

[JAB]

I've also noticed that even with slow fire, my one-handed groups (either hand) tend to be better than two-handed groups. I can shoot faster two-handed, but the groups are larger than I'd like. I think I'm anticipating with my support hand. I'm sure that would get better if I could ever figure out how to practice regularly.

I have never practiced shooting from a rest/bench with either pistols or rifles and do the majority of my shooting from a standing position completely unsupported. I used to be able to hold either a handgun or a rifle rock-steady 100% of the time from that position but in the last five years or so that has begun to change. In the last, couple of years I have discovered that - as long as my arm is pretty 'steady' at the particular time - some of my best shooting is done one-handed (strong hand) standing sideways with the shooting arm outstretched straight, in something like the old 'bullseye' shooter stance. I think that this stance probably makes aiming the gun more like pointing a finger and I am also probably sort of increasing the sight radius by sighting along my arm as well as with the gun sights. It is fun for shooting paper but I'm not sure how good a stance it would be for a SD situation.

Jab, small guns like that point naturally, from what I have tried point shooting gets harder as the gun gets larger, at a rapid rate.

That makes sense. Again, I guess that point-shooting a small gun, because everything stays pretty close to the hand, is more like pointing a finger. I have only had my S&W 642 for a few months but I am finding that I can point-shoot it pretty well, too - sometimes.

[Guest Plainsman]

I think a lot of good points have already been made here, and the OP most likely has an answer to his original question, if there is such a thing. I'll put in my two cents though. Like many folks here, I too shoot most of my rounds in a defensive fashion, therefore I strive for "combat accuracy". Hits that will stop a threat as soon as possible. The three main areas for putting rounds are body (center mass), pelvis and the head. Accurate hits to these areas will "usually" fare you well in a fight. I feel that I get the most out of my practice and money when I train for defense. I have nothing but respect for the shooters who like to stand on the 25 yard line and try and hit a quarter, but its just not my cup of tea most of the time. I attended a defensive handgun course at Shootrite with Tiger McKee just a few days ago and this was the end result after 443 rounds from 1 to around 20 yards. Most was done from 3-7 yards while moving left, right and backward.

[graycrait]

For defense just use a or some 3X5 card(s) with a 1" circle in the middle. If you can keep your rounds in that 3x5 card at speed at SD distances (30 feet and in), both left and right hand one-handed then that may suffice, however, adrenalin, fear, situation, light availability, physical condition, position, secenario may be factors. 50 meter slow fire on a 70 degree no wind day is another game requiring different training and equipment. I have had good 50 meter slow fire shooters volunteer to teach me - but at what cost I think? Even a proper 50meter .22 pistol costs a couple of thousand, then there is training time (years) and ammo.

The range I typically go to has no steel nor does it allow movement. It is limited to 7, 15 and 25 yards for pistol. I use a variety of targets at the 7 yard line in my SD caliber and .22. Fortunately I have had the luxury of being criticized by and have practiced with a wide variety of true combat seasoned pistoleros from the LEO and military ranks. Even though I have been shot at in both civilian and military scenarios I have never had the opportunity or neccessity to return fire with a pistol. I am a lucky man.

Multiple center of mass hits with a centerfire handgun under stress will be a good thing is my thinking. Best would be a 12/20/16 gauge shotgun or centerfire rifle/carbine.

As said before by others, multiple hits in a 9" pie plate at speed either hand will do a lot of good. Multiple hits, lots of holes is key. If I can't get multiple shots on target(s) at speed off-hand weak-hand then I sell/trade or return the handgun. In some cases I have modified the handgun to pass the "test." I carry a Keltec .32 and Glock 9mm pretty much all the time. More experienced and better trained folks carry bigger, "better" firearms. I get "peace of mind" from a pairing of Glock 9mm and KT .32. I will be testing the Diamondback DB9 9mm to see if it is a suitable replacement for the KT .32.

[Jonnin]

A lot of folks shoot bullseye at a casual level with just ruger mark or buckmark or relatively inexpensive 1911/22 guns, probably $500 investment (includes a red dot sight and custom grips on many of them), using relatively inexpensive ammo (several use the 100 packs of CCI for example). Several of the shooters only do the .22 stage to save money on ammo and gear (and most of the 45 shooters reload the ammo). If you want to win the big, serious matches you probably need better gear, of course, but you can get started and work on the skill for a fairly low cost. Unfortunately the sport is tied to the 1911 so you gotta have one if you are serious, and that is where the big costs are; those guns need money thrown at them at an alarming rate, so it becomes quite costly if you become hooked on it and want to actually compete in serious events. Doing it for fun is much, much cheaper, but even an intro level 1911 that is accurate enough to do this is not "cheap", probably going to run $1000-1500 or so for gun + red dot + fitted bushing.