What distances do you target practice with handguns? How tight a pattern can you shoot? Where should a beginner be?
It depends mostly on the handgun.
My Kel-Tec PF-9 and Charter Arms Bulldog are short range self defense tools. I'll practice some snap shooting with them at 7 yds. and slower more deliberate shooting at 15 yds. and even 25 yds.
When I first began shooting the Kel-Tec, bullet impacts were a little left of POA. I figured out that more finger on the trigger corrected this.
Moving up to larger semi's, and DA revolvers, 25 yds. is the minimum distance, but I also shoot a little at 50 yds.
My SA revolvers are fired primarily at 50 and 75 yds, because I hunt with them.
All of the targets so far have been fired offhand. While I do plink offhand at my 12" 75 yd, gong, and hit it most of the time, shooting at that distance is mostly done seated with the revolver rested over my knees.
When I started shooting handguns I started at 25 yds., then graduated to 50, then 75 and am now working my way to 100. Every time the distance increased, good groups at closer ranges became much easier, and now 25 yds. is a piece of cake and 50 yds. is no big deal. Last year I shot a buck at 38 yds. with a Uberti SA revolver and it was a super easy shot.
OP if the picture above your name is of you firing a revolver, you need to work on how you hold a handgun. The barrel should for the most part line up with your forearm as much as it can that will still allow you to get a sufficient amount of finger on the trigger. Your weak, or left hand should cup under your right hand.
I don't think it's necessary to hire a shooting coach (I never had one), but when you encounter problems with your shooting, you need to experiment until you find the solution to the problem.
Just keep shooting!!
35W