Handgun Accuracy

[MikeMyers]

I think many years ago, I read an article on this website that was all about the contributing factors to handgun accuracy. I have been trying to find that article for a long time now, with no success.

The two things I remember most about it, were about a "cone of accuracy". A shooter's bullets might hit anywhere in that cone. There could be two holes opposite each other (looks bad) or two holes right next to each other (looks great), from the same shooter, with the same gun, and the bullets could hit anywhere within that "cone", at random.

Then there were all the other factors that contribute to accuracy.

Does anyone know where this discussion can be found?

(I remember being fascinated by that, along with the best article I could find anywhere on buying a gun safe. That second article helped me buy a better safe than I otherwise might have.)

Wonderful website - a LOT of great information here!!

 

[dcali]

Just as with rifles, pistol shots are are likely to hit the target in what's known as a "normal distribution" - also known as a bell curve. This is not exactly true, but it's close enough.

What this means is that the shot is most likely to land exactly in the center of the target, and the probability falls off quickly as you move away from center. So an extreme edge shot, what some might call a "flyer" is unlikely compared to shots clustered in the middle. How you define "in the middle" is what determines your group size. Obviously, if you only take two shots, your group is likely to be smaller than if you take 10. However you choose to define it, that's the "cone" - or it's intersection on your target. You might define it as the group size where 9 out of 10 shots hit inside the group, for example.

Better guns cluster in smaller groups at the center than poor shooters. The distribution pattern is the same, however.

The important concept is that the shots don't land anywhere in the cone with equal probability - they cluster towards the center. So the boundary of the cone is somewhat fuzzy.

Pragmatically, what this means is that if you miss but the hit is still within your gun's cone, you shouldn't assume that it was you - it could just be more due to random luck due to your gun's lack of perfection. If you are missing outside the cone consistently, it's you.

 

[Steve Ladino]

I think many years ago, I read an article on this website that was all about the contributing factors to handgun accuracy. I have been trying to find that article for a long time now, with no success.

The two things I remember most about it, were about a "cone of accuracy". A shooter's bullets might hit anywhere in that cone. There could be two holes opposite each other (looks bad) or two holes right next to each other (looks great), from the same shooter, with the same gun, and the bullets could hit anywhere within that "cone", at random.

Then there were all the other factors that contribute to accuracy.

Does anyone know where this discussion can be found?

(I remember being fascinated by that, along with the best article I could find anywhere on buying a gun safe. That second article helped me buy a better safe than I otherwise might have.)

Wonderful website - a LOT of great information here!!

Not exactly what you asked about but certainly worth its weight in gold.
It's on line I think ,,,,,,,,"Pistol Shooters Guide"...….U S Army Marksmanship Training Unit.....Fort Benning

 

[Rsadams]

Not exactly what you asked about but certainly worth its weight in gold.
It's on line I think ,,,,,,,,"Pistol Shooters Guide"...….U S Army Marksmanship Training Unit.....Fort Benning

Yes sir it is on there , I just read it the other day...

 

[MikeMyers]

..........Pragmatically, what this means is that if you miss but the hit is still within your gun's cone, you shouldn't assume that it was you - it could just be more due to random luck due to your gun's lack of perfection. If you are missing outside the cone consistently, it's you.

That also means that for most people: If your bullet hole is right in the middle of the bullseye. "you shouldn't assume that it was you - it could also just be more due to random luck due to your gun's lack of perfection."

I finally found the web page I was looking for:
http://accuracy.martinchick.com/handgun_rifle.html

Especially these two paragraphs:

"As an example the diameter of Fig(A)is three inches. This diameter is the accuracy of this gun based on this particular ammunition held in a ransom rest on a particular day with particular wind speeds and temperature. It is important to understand that the diameter of the accuracy circle is controlled entirely by the shooter. The gun , cartridge, components , powder, primer, case and manner of loading and the testing conditions determines the diameter of this circle. These can all be altered and therefore controlled by the shooter."

"What can not be controlled by the shooter is the groups that form within this circle. Once a circle has been established the location of any shot inside the circle is due to pure chance. The first three shots may be a one holer and the next three measure as a three inch group or any thing in between. Groups form at random and there is no rhyme or reason or scientific explanation as to what size group will appear next."


Unfortunately, someone can take two shots which go right through the bullseye. Then he takes a shot which is some distance away from the bullseye, so he thinks "yikes, what did I do wrong?". Actually, he might have done nothing wrong. This is the "random chance" that I have been trying to describe.