distance pistol shooting

Question
I have outgrown my 9mm sig as I cannot hit targets as far away as I can shoot (I have to raise the front of the gun to compensate for the drop and can no longer see the target). I inherited a s&w .44mag that seems a bit more flat in the trajectory department but here is where I need advice. I want to try to hit targets ( I do not hunt ) as far away as possible and wonder if a nice .357 or other gun would be better without too long a barrel. I do not relish the idea of a scope but will entertain the idea if you recommend so. Thanks,  john zunich

Answer
Hi John.

This seems similar to the last question that you asked me not long ago:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Guns-Firearms-Projectile-1501/smith-wesson-model-629....

It all depends on how far you want to shoot and what level of accuracy you need at that distance.  If you are shooting at targets up to 20" in the 50-75 yard range then a .357 should work well.  Smaller targets and/or greater distances may require a more powerful caliber like .41 or .44.  If your shooting skills are advanced enough that you can comfortably shoot the .44 special ammo accurately and consistently then by all means do so.  Personally I find those calibers to be a bit too heavy for frequent shooting and it is much harder to remain accurate for prolonged shooting periods but maybe you have mastered it.

Of course you can also consider the .40 S&W or .45 caliber for semi-auto pistols, or the Thomson/Center Contender handgun (http://www.tcarms.com/firearms/g2Contender.php) which can be obtained in many rifle calibers and even converted to a rifle if needed.

With almost any gun you can change the sights to make it easier for distance shooting.  For example you could install an adjustable-elevation rear sight on the Sig, and/or replace the front blades with shorter or taller blades, or even install a pistol scope to adjust the sight picture to visually line up with the point of impact so your hold-over would be reduced or eliminated.  The real issue is using a caliber which has enough accuracy and power to do what you need to do at the range and under the specific conditions which you will be shooting.

Hope this helps.

Bob