Does anybody shoot bulls eye pistol? What guns do you use and what optics do you use. Could I get away with using iron sights, as I really hate scopes on handguns? I am primarily interested in doing this for fun, not to be a national champion. I essentially just want to become a good pistol shooter.

Yeah buddy. I shoot a Smith and Wesson K Frame .38 with Slabside Barrel (Stainless BBL, and I teflon coated the frame blue), and I did the action myself.
I rarely shoot it anymore, but with the righy w-cutter loads, it'll print 1-holers.

Get a good set of Adj. sights.

PPC pistol is a friggin riot.
I wish it were more popular, but IPSC killed it.

I use a Benelli MP90 22 and a High Standard Victor as spare 22, A Springfield Armory 1911 Wadcutter gun Built by Ed Masaki, I use Ultra dot scopes. And an AFPG 1911A1 Hardball gun for Leg Matches. It's best to start out using adjustable iron sights .

I want to go the iron sight way to see if I even like it first. This guy at my range has been trying to get me to buy his ultra PIMP tricked out ruger mk-2. For some reason I think he is trying to rob me. With scope and tons of mods he is asking 500$ for it. But I Do not even want the scope.

Leg matches???

Thanks again

The Ruger Mk 2 is a very good starter gun, There all steel and will last forever and have good barrels and have okay adjustable sights. You should be able to find one for alot less than $ 500. 22's to avoid at all costs S&W 422, 622, 22A" POS".Mitchell High Standard clones.Browning Buckmarks and that Colt 22 sport POS they brought out 3 years ago.  
A leg " EIC" match is a National match course fired with 1911 45 ( or M9 Beretta ) with iron sights and Ball ammo.The top 10% earn points towards their distinguished badge

What the hell?!?!
BUCKMARKS?!?!
Dude, I shot the last Rimfire pistol match at the SJSSS using a Buckmark I borrowed from the Range Owner, Mr. Whit, and absolutley stomped the living shit out of everyone with it.
I think I scored 76, and the nearest person to me had 54.
I'm not claiming to be some great shot, and i'm sure some of the shooters weren't on thier top game. A lot of them were just goofin around (So was I for that matter) But the gun itself for DAMN SURE performed.Dudes shoot the Chevy Challange with Buckmarks all the time, and do well.

I have a Master Card for indoor and outdoor bullseye pistol.  I also run NRA Registered pistol matches.  If you're young and have good eyes you can get away with shooting iron sights.  I have seen a few high masters use iron sights.  However most shooters use dot sights (they're easier on the eyes).  Most of the competitive pistol shooters are getting on in age and would probably have given up if it wasn't for dot sights.  The most popular sight among bullseye shooters is the 1" UltraDot (www.larrysguns.com).  The most popular .22 on the line these days is the Hammerli 208s.  These are no longer in production and used ones bring a premimum price.  Model 41's and Hamden High Standards are popular.  So are the Pardini's. Rugers and Buckmarks are good guns, but they're beginner guns.  You will outgrow them in about a year or so if you get the bug and become competitive.  The hot .45's are Rock River, Les Baer and Clark.  Or have one built by a pistolsmith that specializes in bullseye pistol guns.  Check out www.bullseyepistol.com  [^]

Yes.  Dot sights provide an advantage, but it's not overwhelming.


For $500, it had better be a very, very nice Ruger.  


The Buckmarks aren't bad.  My first bullseye pistol was a Buckmark and it shot accurately and reliably for me.


Just to clarify things, I'd say the 208s is "most popular" in the sense of being "most sought after" but not in the sense of being "most common".  At $1500+, it's beyond the budget of many competitors.  

If you already own a 1911-style pistol, the Marvel .22 conversion is a good choice.  It's not as easy to shoot as a .22 target pistol but it will improve your .45 shooting.

I use a S&W model 52-2 for my bullseye matches. It shoots 38spl WC ONLY, no SWC, LRN, JHP, etc. etc.

Recoil is very mild & WC rds leave a nice nice cookie-cutter hole in the paper.

S&W no longer makes this model so I bought mine thru an ad in Gun List newspaper.

Hope this helps.

Re: BobCole's comments on the S&W 52-2...

Hey, I thought I'm the one who loves this pistol.  It gotta be my favorite by far.  The trigger is probably the best part of this great looking pistol.  BTW, I got it last year for about $700.  The last time I looked, Larry's gun got one on consignment.  If I have money, I'd pick up another one.

I used to have a Model 52.. still regret trading it off for something I don't even remember now... One of the best firearms EVER made...wish I had another one...

If you want to become a good pistol shooter, bullseye shooting is very good marksmanship practice. Do not buy someone else's handgun unless it fits you really well, it is cheap, and if you know the history of it. Buy your own new, and go from there. Buy a .22 first and get good before you start spending money on larger calibers. You will never shoot the barrel out of a .22 and you can shoot a lot of rounds for next to nothing compared to the centerfire calibers. After you get use to shooting the .22 and get really good, you probably will not want to shoot the centerfire calibers. The .22's are more accurate, last forever, no recoil with a heavy barrel, and much easier on the ears.
You need to decide first what grip angle is most natural for you. I prefer the more slanted grip that the Ruger MKII's and older High Standards have. Many people prefer a military grip angle like the 1911 has because it is more comfortable for them, and also allows them to shoot other centerfire handguns they own without having to transition back and forth between two different grip angles.
As I stated earlier I only have experience with the slanted grip angles for bullseye shooting. If you like this grip angle then I would recommend buying a Ruger MKII Government Target Model. I shoot one with the 6-7/8 inch barrel in Stainless. They are the most accurate .22 handgun on the market and especially for the money. They can shoot just as accurately as the high priced competition handguns. Let the flaming begin.
There are a lot of different target grips available and the triggers are easy to lighten up. My trigger is around 1-1/2 pounds with a 1/2 inch wide shoe. I shoot only iron sights. The factory Ruger sights have a higher profile and will suffice. But if you like the line of sight lower and closer to the barrel there are a few aftermarket iron sights with a lower profile and of higher quality.
I also have a Hamden made High Standard Supermatic with a factory compensated 7 inch barrel. I had to make my own competition grips for it because I am left handed. It came from the factory with a beautiful trigger pull (just under 2 pounds). My Dad bought it brand new in the 1950's and it also came with a 4 inch barrel for $50. It is my baby.
Both pistols are tackdrivers. The Rugers are a bit of a pain in the ass to strip down, but once you learn how to do it you can do it quite quickly. I had a speed strip conversion put in mine. It is a threaded bolt stop that will unscrew out the top of the receiver with an allen key in a matter of seconds.
If you decide to shoot a .22 do not waste your money on the expensive match ammo. You will never be able to outshoot the accuracy of your handgun freehand, and you will most certainly not be able to tell an accuracy difference in match ammo shooting freehand.
Good Luck.

When I was shooting bullseye competitively (2 practices a week plus a match), I shot a Ruger Mark II with iron sights and had a 268 average. That was about four years ago. Right now I'm about 245 with the same gun, little or no practice, and eyes that are four years older. I probably need to go to a red dot, your mileage may vary, but it can be done with iron sights.