Pistol Group Shooting

Distance and shot count

Our printable target has one bullseye with rings sized to measure a group, and a second page on reading it. Its course is five slow, untimed shots at three to five yards, then ten, then twenty-five, each group marked before moving back. [1]

Group shooting has no single required course. Ben Stoeger discusses five-, six- and ten-shot groups, different targets and longer distances, including his own use of fifty yards. [2]

Consistency and equipment checks

Stoeger uses groups to examine consistency, test equipment and check sight settings. The exercise removes the time limit found in a timed drill. [2]

A group reflects both the firearm-and-ammunition combination and the shooter. The holes alone cannot isolate which caused a particular result. [2]

Group size and placement

Group size describes the spread of the hits. Placement describes the group’s position relative to the intended point. A tight group off-center and a wide group centered on the mark are different results. [2]

An offset may involve the equipment, the shooter or both. Repeated groups under the same conditions provide more information than one target. [2]

On our target, a group’s size is the smallest ring it fits inside. [1]

Comparing groups

Use the whole group when comparing sizes. The tightest two holes from a ten-shot group are not a measurement of that ten-shot group. Stoeger recommends keeping shot count consistent. [2]

Distance, ammunition, equipment and whether the gun was supported also affect the comparison. Record those conditions with the group. [2]