Know Your Handgun’s Range

Knowing your firearm’s “maximum projectile range” is critical to being a safe and responsible shooter. The maximum projectile range tells you at what distances your firearm’s projectile could cause injury or damage to persons, animals, or objects. When shooting, knowing the effective range of your handgun will allow you to accurately and effectively hit targets. The effective range of your handgun will always be less than the maximum projectile range. Also keep in mind that especially with a handgun, the farther a target is away from you, the harder it is to accurately hit due to the shorter distance between sights and the bullet drop rate. Practicing frequently at different distances will allow you to obtain an understanding of the best ranges for using your handgun, which are typically much shorter ranges than rifle ranges.