  PISTOL AND REVOLVER SHOOTING AT LONG RANGE. Pistol and revolver shooting has been almost wholly confined to short range, both in America and Europe. Occasional reports have reached this country of shooting in Austria to a distance of about 400 yards. This shooting was done with heavy single-shot pistols, weighing from three to five pounds, of about .40 calibre, fitted with sights capable of very fine adjustment, with set triggers and appliances to aid in securing good results. To learn the capabilities of an American-made single-shot pistol, the author ordered a pair of the Remingtons, with 12-inch barrels, .32 calibre, and chambered for the cartridge made by the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. for the .32-calibre repeating rifle; the charge being 20 grains of powder and 115 grains of lead. The sights fitted to these pistols were very crude, and not suitable for the work attempted. With better sights, doubtless much finer results would be chronicled. The first attempt at long-range shooting with these pistols was made by Mr. W. W. Bennett, at Walnut Hill. He shot on the 50-yard Standard
Mr. W. W. Bennett, Expert Pistol and Revolver Shot.
Nineteen of the twenty shots being in a circle of 1968/100 inches. He then proceeded to the 200-yard firing-point, where military marksmen were practising, and several times scored in ten shots 36 points out of 50. Considerable difficulty was experienced in sighting on the eight-inch bull’s eye at a distance of 200 yards, and a trial was given on the second-class target, which has the following dimensions:—
The first trial was at a distance of 150 yards, where the following scores were made:— Six shots, possible 30.
200 yards.
Mr. B. J. Robertson, Expert Revolver Shot. 250 yards.
300 yards.
350 yards.
All of the above shooting was done off-hand, with the right arm fully extended. It was generally believed among the expert pistol-shots the author has met, that the modern American revolver could not be depended on much beyond 75 yards, and it was thought useless to try to accomplish good work beyond. On Oct. 27, 1887, Chevalier Paine devoted the entire day, in company with a representative of The Rifle, in experimenting with the revolver at Walnut Hill. Among the numerous experiments tried was shooting with Smith & Wesson revolvers, at long range. It was decided to shoot on the second-class target, commencing at 125 yards and falling back until it was thought the limit of accuracy with the revolver was found. It was agreed that each one should take sighting-shots at the several distances until the target was hit, the first shot striking the target and the following five to count. Mr. Walter Winans, Expert Revolver Shot. The result was as follows:—
In some cases the first sighting-shot struck the target. At 300 yards it took three shots from one party to find the target; at all other times one or two shots were sufficient. The scores given above are not intended to show excellence in marksmanship, but to record the results obtained at the first trial by persons unacquainted with the range of the revolver and the sights. The ammunition used was a condemned lot sent to the range by mistake, but which, doubtless, was better than supposed to be. It had been loaded several years, and the lubricant was hard, and in many cases partially detached from the bullet. After the first score had been secured at the several distances, Chevalier Paine shot at 200 yards, and secured 29 out of a possible 30, making five bull’s-eyes and one centre. Two weeks later Mr. F. E. Bennett, with a .44-calibre Russian-model Smith & Wesson revolver, 2d class target.—150 yards.
200 yards.
250 yards.
300 yards.
If the revolver is properly sighted, there is little doubt that good shooting with this arm can be done up to about 300 yards, under favorable weather conditions. With a single-shot pistol it has been shown that good work can be done at 400 yards. The revolver being a more practical weapon than the pistol, it is likely that the single-shot pistol will in future be confined almost wholly to indoor target practice, and the revolver will be used exclusively in many clubs who shoot their matches out of doors. It has been proven that the revolver is a powerful and accurate weapon from 10 to 250 yards. The results of experiments which have been recorded in this chapter were made with the object of showing that a marksman, or soldier with ordinary skill, ought to hit every time, with a shot from an army revolver, a standing object the size of a mounted cavalryman, from 50 to 250 yards off. Standard American Target, reduced from 50-yard target, one-sixteenth; from 30-yard, one-eighth. Designed by Major C. W. Hinman. Adopted and used by American Pistol and Revolver Clubs. |
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