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45 ACP Accuracy?
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From a sandbag, what size groups can I expect from a .45acp. I just bought a Ruger P90. The bestust load I have tried was using Lee 230gr Truncated cone tumble lube bullets was 3.1" at 25 yards with 4.5grs of titegroup. Mv 815fps. Is 3.1" to be expected or is it good or bad??? This load outperformed Rem, Blazer, and Magtech factory 230fmj's for accuracy. This group looks bad to me but them again I am used to shooting a .357 6" barrel Blackhawk.
 
Posts: 23 | Location: Northeast Oregon | Registered: 23 January 2005Reply With Quote
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I talk to a lot of shooters at the range and hear their accuracy tales, but their targets don't back up the stories. They always seem to be having an off day when I'm there. 3" isn't bad from a service pistol that is fired from your hands. You might get lucky and buy a ringer, buy I would say that's about what you can expect from a stock DA type 45. In my experience, Sig P220's are the most accurate of the DA type 45s. I've seen more than one of these shoot very impressive groups. I have a couple of box stock 1911 Kimber Compacts that consistently shoot 2" from my hands (from the bench), and a STI Trojan that will do an inch when I'm having a good day. 45's can be exceptionally accurate, but this (like any caliber and especially semiauto handguns) will usually require an a substantial outlay of cash. When you get away from the bench and shoot unsupported, making use of that accuracy is another story altogether.
 
Posts: 75 | Location: North Alabama | Registered: 19 January 2005Reply With Quote
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Best group I ever shot using .45 ACP, pistol in my hands on a steady rest, was with a Glock Model 30. That's right, the dinky, chunky, block shaped mini-Glock. Under two inches and it wasn't even my pistol.


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AR, where the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history become the nattering nabobs of negativisim.
 
Posts: 7046 | Location: Rambouillet, France | Registered: 25 June 2004Reply With Quote
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Sounds like 3" is what to be expected. I was using new brass and may be able to improve that somewhat by trimming it. Didnt have a .45 collet for my trimmer so just banged them the way they came. Offhand I jumped it up to about 6". Not good but was just not used to the trigger on the auto yet.
 
Posts: 23 | Location: Northeast Oregon | Registered: 23 January 2005Reply With Quote
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3" at 25 meters has been the industry standard for a duty autoloader, for as long as I can remember (about 25 years).

1.5" has been the industry standard for a match grade autoloader.

There are a lot of .45's that fall in between, expecially custom models.
 
Posts: 2036 | Location: Roebling, NJ 08554 | Registered: 20 January 2002Reply With Quote
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for automatic hanguns I wouldn't be looking at their grouping in inches, but as if that was a person, would it hit them???? Before I started having problems with my 1911 offhanded I could get down to about 2-2.5" consistently, but honestly if you aren't using it for hunting(and you really shouldn't) if it would hit the human size target you are good
 
Posts: 22 | Registered: 07 April 2006Reply With Quote
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Hallo
I think Massad Ayoob{well known author shot 1 inch groups withs his Glock 30 @25 yards.The reason for this I think was that the barrel is short enough for the bullet to exit before the gun unlocks.
I have read of some custom 1911 that would shoot 1-1.5 inch groups ,but that will cost you a lot of money.
I think most of the Sigs,H&K and Kimbers(the match model has been the most accurate model or gun I have ever shot}will average 1.5 inches or better out of the box.I hope it helps.
Regards
Johan
 
Posts: 47 | Location: South Africa | Registered: 07 August 2005Reply With Quote
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Most stanard production autos 2-4 ins is avg. So any thing with in that range is ok.

Any over 4 I would say the design needs some work if your getting 2's you got a keeper. If you want under 2's better be ready to spend some bucks.

Revolvers normally shoot tighter groups the auto's.

Self defense anything under 4 is normally very usefull.

We would all like all are guns to shoot sub 2" but it is normally not advailable in a production auto unless one wants to spend the bucks.
 
Posts: 19741 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001Reply With Quote
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HK P7 easily gets less than 1" groups because , for one thing the barrel is fixed to the frame . The HK USP also does well.
 
Posts: 7636 | Registered: 10 October 2002Reply With Quote
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I've got way more than a couple .45ACP pistols, all of which i enjoy shooting tremendously. Of them, the H&K shoots the best imo, followed by sig sauer, glock, 1911 custom, and bringing up the rear in the ruger p97dc. while i think it is a very good gun, and it has some slight mag problems every now and then, it is not something i would consider "made for accuracy" when compared to a higher end pistol. you get what you pay for.
 
Posts: 93 | Registered: 18 April 2006Reply With Quote
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Fact-of-the-matter is the Riger is a duty gun, not a target gun. 3" groups are about as good as I would expect @ 25 yds. Yeah, there are target guns and your occasional "blind squirrel" that'll shoot alot better, but I ask: what is the practical utility? I shoot a lot of IDPA (with a Kimber Gold Cup), and believe me, all that accuracy is of little use in any practical/tactical pistol application.
I regularly get my ass handed to me by people shooting 3" @ 25yd sidearms.


Praise be to the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.
 
Posts: 427 | Location: Clarkston, MI | Registered: 06 February 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
all that accuracy is of little use in any practical/tactical pistol application.
I regularly get my ass handed to me by people shooting 3" @ 25yd sidearms.


Ain't that the truth. A couple weeks ago our club president and I met for some informal steel practice. He was packing a ruger M3 (very accurate .22lr) and I used mostly my 1911 .45acp. Now his gun will shoot twice as small of group as mine but when timed and moving my percentage of misses was much lower than his. Put us in a bull's eye match and I'd be toast.


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It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it
 
Posts: 741 | Location: NB Canada | Registered: 20 August 2002Reply With Quote
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QUOTE] HK P7 easily gets less than 1" groups because, for one thing the barrel is fixed to the frame .[/QUOTE]

I have tested a P7 and I agree it is pretty accurate, but sub 1" groups at 25 yards, day in and day out, with open sights, fired from your hands? I would like to see that.

Isn't the P7 only available in calibers other than 45 ACP?
 
Posts: 75 | Location: North Alabama | Registered: 19 January 2005Reply With Quote
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When Dan Wesson started making 1911's a few years back, they came out of the factory guaranteed to shoot around an inch and a quarter with Federal 230 gr.'s, if I'm not mistaken. Something over a year later (after I bought my Patriot), they dropped the group guarantee to some odd number like .804". These groups were of course shot from a rest. Your results may vary.
Since being bought by CZ, I don't even know if they guarantee a group size, but the price really increased.


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Posts: 82 | Location: Cody, Wyoming | Registered: 17 March 2006Reply With Quote
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