Gordian

Not only is the XDM legal for any USPSA division, but it's also just a fun gun to shoot. If you are like most gun people, you will probably have a whole safe full of guns at some point in your life. They are all great for one thing or another. The XDM is a great buy and you will enjoy it.

I'd recommend reading Brian's book. He talks about different types of vision for different distances/speeds. Armed with this knowledge you can then put together a practice plan for the different types of shots.

When I bought my Dillon beam scale at Dillon a few years back they actually talked me out of buying a digital scale. I've never regretted the decision and will never change. There's lots of threads on here on how to get the best measurements if accuracy is your concern. Personally, I like the averaging method that Brian recommends.

Reloading isn't difficult, but I agree with the other posters that you need total concentration. You also need to understand how your machine works and what to look for to make sure it's working correctly. You've got to keep in mind that you are the only quality assurance for your ammo and failure to QA can mean disaster.

That sounds like a real nice blaster. Please post a range report!

Great info - thanks for sharing!

I've gotten the same accuracy with my XD 9 tactical - 8 inch plate at 35 yards. I've heard that others have done better with an aftermarket barrel.

I'm planning on transitioning my 12 year old to 9mm as well. Something that someone else told me makes a lot of sense, so I'll pass it along for what it's worth. For my 12yo he's a little bit reluctant because he thinks that the recoil will be huge and knock him over. So to overcome this we've been starting out slowly. He's shot .22 a lot and has shot several rifles as well. This weekend I had him helping me with some home renovation - pounding in nails with a hammer. I told him that the recoil from a 9mm is not any stronger than hitting a nail really hard or hitting a board with the hammer. The only difference is the big flash and loud noise. That got him pretty excited! He's looking forward to it now - of course we'll double plug to help with the noise as well and see how it goes. Good luck!

I just posted a similar response on another thread. I have one of the SP, CC, and a trigger done by Springfield - sent it in to them. The CC and SP are very very nice, but the Springfield is by far the best. I may have been lucky but it's awesome!

+1 Change the springs and keep a striker and striker retainer handy just in case.

I have an SP, CC, and Springfield factory trigger job at 3#. The SF trigger is by far the best. I may have lucked out, but this is the best XD trigger I've ever felt. YMMV

Very nice "herd"! Super cool!

I'm going to go against the grain here and say why not try a deathgrip, but a more even one with grip pressure on both hands? I've heard TGO espouse a very, very firm grip. The only one who knows what is right for you is you. Experiment and keep good notes.

I used to shoot indoors quite a bit and I found a really valuable tool for targets - post it notes. I like the 4x4 for practicing transitions and the 4x6 for shooting groups at longer distances.

I got a copy of the lease and it mentions storage of flammable substances. Nothing about ammo, reloading components, or guns for that matter. It does have an attached garage that the addendum specifically states no explosives or fireworks. Guess I need to keep looking. Bummer - liked that place.

AZ Shooter - I'm not sure but I think we know other, if you are who I think you are. See you on thurs.

I'm moving into an apartment for the first time in many years. I've specifically been looking around for a 2 bedroom so I could use the the 2nd room for my reloading setup and office. It only just dawned on me that the property managers and/or owners might not be thrilled about this. Is a reloading setup something I would have to hide? Any insights or tips from apartment dwellers would be greatly appreciated. What are the in's and out's that I should know about finding an apartment and setting up my reloading equipment? Thanks!

If open appeals to you but the cost of an S_I doesn't, check out an XD or Glock that's been converted to open. You could get a great used one for about half the cost of an S_I and it will be a lot of fun. You have the choice of 9mm major, 357sig, or .40 and each has their pluses and minuses. If you can find someone at your club with one ask them if you can shoot theirs. Good luck.

Very generally speaking, a heavier projectile (like a 147) feels softer during recoil, some also say it feels sluggish. A lighter bullet feels snappier and can help you get the gun back on target quicker. It really comes down to finding one you like and then shooting a crapload of them. When you get the experience under your belt you'll more easily recognize what works better for you.

Yep. Concentrate most on what went right - because that's what you want to keep doing. Focusing on the negative tends to lead to more negatives. Of course, you shouldn't completely block out the bad - habit need to be corrected, and problem areas do deserve more attention. But that attention needs to always be on the right way of doing things, not thinking about how not to do something. Very good advice! And if you can't practice with a gun at all there are still a couple things you can do - here's some food for thought. First - exercise and stretch. Try to be as physically ready for the match as you can. For me this often goes out the window when I travel. Get yourself a hand exerciser and bring it with you. A stronger/firmer grip never hurt anybody. You can practice sight drills with a pencil. I think that Max mentions this on one of Saul's 3GM videos. If I remember right, hold a pencil pointed side up at arms length and practice snapping your vision between a distant "target" and the close "sight" of the pencil lead. Practice the mental game - concentration and/or meditation and practice visualization. You can also practice Burkett's movement drills with a plastic water bottle. Concentrate on moving in and out of position - not so much shooting on the move at this level of development... Hope you have a great match!

What a great topic - thank you for posting! Very interesting points on both sides. For me I'm very competitive and I love to win. But I think what drives me more and keeps me coming back is seeing progress. I've worked really hard for each small victory along the way and I have a lot more to go. For me this is what makes it fun. I know that if I work on a skill or a mental technique or whatever it will pay off and I'll see progress.

I tried tonight to put myself into the "zen" state during the first stage. Clear the mind, let the match/stage tension go, concentrate on being present in the moment and firing on all cylinders but relaxed. I made sure that completely visualized the stage and had each and every move burned into my conscious mind. When the buzzer went off, I didn't think - I just did. The stage went well and I used that as a mental reinforcement to keep it going for the next...

Most matches that I've shot the RO and the participants waiting their turn will let you know if you have a squib load. I had one this past year and I've seen half a dozen or so. I've never seen someone not try to correct the problem if nothing happens... Everyone is accustomed to TRB or just RB as the case may be...

Be careful crimping Berry's bullets - the more the crimp the greater chances you have of bullet tumbling. When I reload Berry's I usually put on just enough crimp to remove the bell from the case. You'll see that a lot of people have moved away from the plated bullets because of this and other issues. If you are looking for a great bullet at low cost, take a look at the Precision moly coated bullets (aka black bullet). They make a 170 and a 185 for .40 that is both cheaper than Berry's and IMO a better bullet.

I was in your same shoes about 5 years ago. I had purchased 2 XD's and was wanting to shoot more often and was looking for better deals on ammo. At the time the best price on ammo I could find was at the local gun shows so I'd buy 1-2k at a time to stock up. After lurking here for a while I ended up talking my wife into letting me buy a 550B from Dillon. I bought this particular model because it seemed to be the best quality for the $$ and something that I wouldn't end up regretting later down the road. What I found was this - I ended up spending about the same on ammo that I was before the purchase BUT I was shooting a lot more. I was able to experiment with loads which turned out to be great fun as well. My shooting skills improved just because I was shooting more and my knowledge of the sport increased because now I wasn't just the new guy at the range/match - I had something in common to talk about with the old timers. Over time reloading has become as important a hobby to me as the shooting itself. Sometimes it can be frustrating but it just makes it that much more worthwhile when you figure it out. As an avid DIY handyman type, I take great pride in anything I can do myself...