Practicing with minor PF competing with major?

[Ben-Sons]

I've always been told to "train like you fight"

Is it a problem to train with minor ammo and compete in major?

I shoot 230g .45 for major, but came across a lot of 185g

[Hi-Power Jack]

Is it a problem to train with minor ammo and compete in major?

I shoot 230g .45 for major, but came across a lot of 185g

Can you make major with 185's?

If the deal is real good, I'd grab them and practice with

them, even if I could get to only PF of 150 or 155. But,

then I'd fire 25 rounds of the 230's before a match:)

Good luck,

Jack

[anilson]

Your timing could be effected when shooting different power factors.

I would practice with a match load.

[Ben-Sons]

Factory loads, 185 @780? I haven't ran it thru a crono.

2k rounds I can't let go to waste. Just not sure if it's a good/bad idea.

[j0n]

I believe a lot of "better" production competitors practice with .22lr. If they can practice with .22lr and move up to 9 minor and do well, I don't see anything wrong with practicing using minor loads and bumping up to major for competition.

[dover0020]

I prefer to practice with the same ammo I compete with. I like to know exactly what the gun should feel like when I pull the trigger and it recoils.

[bbbean]

I prefer to practice with the same ammo I compete with. I like to know exactly what the gun should feel like when I pull the trigger and it recoils.

+1

[blaster113]

its better to practice with loads that are as close to your match loads as possible, however if the deal is too good to pass up then why not. if cheaper ammo gets one more trigger time...

[remoandiris]

What gets you out there to practice more often? Does the cost of match ammo hold you back at all?

Me and several friends have .22s built almost exactly like our Open guns. You can put in an awful lot of practice with $20 of .22. Run a few mags of match ammo after practicing with your non-match ammo/gun and you get the feel of your match gun with match ammo.

In other words, use the cheap ammo for the bulk of your practice, but pull the trigger with a bit of match ammo to end your practice session.

[Ben-Sons]

The idea of shooting 25+ match rounds at the end seems to make sence.

The minor rounds are free... You can't beat that (unless I was paid to shoot 'em)

[Seeker]

What gets you out there to practice more often? Does the cost of match ammo hold you back at all?

Me and several friends have .22s built almost exactly like our Open guns. You can put in an awful lot of practice with $20 of .22. Run a few mags of match ammo after practicing with your non-match ammo/gun and you get the feel of your match gun with match ammo.

In other words, use the cheap ammo for the bulk of your practice, but pull the trigger with a bit of match ammo to end your practice session.

Exactly!

[a matt]

Some trigger time is better than none.

[dsmw5142]

What gets you out there to practice more often? Does the cost of match ammo hold you back at all?

Me and several friends have .22s built almost exactly like our Open guns. You can put in an awful lot of practice with $20 of .22. Run a few mags of match ammo after practicing with your non-match ammo/gun and you get the feel of your match gun with match ammo.

In other words, use the cheap ammo for the bulk of your practice, but pull the trigger with a bit of match ammo to end your practice session.

I do the same thing, except I start with match gun/match ammo. For me personally, it screws with me more going the other way. After shootingi half a brick of .22 ammo, even a 9mm feels like a cannon for a little while.

I think .22's are great for practice. You just have to be careful what you practice with them. In my case for example, the gun doesn't weight nearly as much with a .22 conversion kit as my normal production gun, so practicing draws would be a bad idea.

[PKT1106]

IMHO, I would think practicing with major and competing with minor would be better out of the same gun. I would think that, everything being equal, your timing won't be too messed up, depending on your ability, and you would be used to a major load, so your grip would be more than ready for the recoil of the minor load.

I am currently shooting Limited and L10 major and my goal is to make B in each. After that, I want to switch over to Production. I am using an XDM40.

[calvary45]

I came across somewhat of the same thing you did. I shoot 200gr swc for SS in .45 and ran in to alot of zero 785gr JHP, loaded them up for practice rounds and they were alot snappier than the 200s. Dont have the load data anymore but if i remember right i was making major PF with them. So I would say load them up and send them downrange.

[waddo29]

I asked some friends this same question and most everyone seems to agree that you should practice with what you are going to shoot.

[Ben-Sons]

After a few matches and some range time I have found that there is merit to every answer...

Practicing minor and competing major increases muzzle flip (obvious point) in turn, slower splits.

Practicing minor is still practice, in turn aiding match performance.

Conclusion, if I have MANY minor rounds. I'll practice minor as much as I can. Then switch to major for the last session before the match to get back in the major groove.

Thanks,

Ben Sons

[jdphotoguy]

You could always use the minor loads to practice things like draw and shoot once. Since you are not doing a followup shot the less recoil won't screw you up. Also drills were you transition from one location to another would be helpful. Take one shot on a target then transition to a new location and take a shot. Plenty you can do.

Edited March 30, 2012 by jdphotoguy

[SERVED_USMC]

I prefer shooting the same PF that I compete with. I even made some whimpy .40 loads for multigun this year thinking they would be better than PF. It threw the timing of the gun off so much that it was almost like I was learning to shoot a different gun all together. I went back to the original recipe and have an easier time with it. The gun felt very sluggish and I didnt like it.

[pjb45]

I think it depends on where you are in your skills.

There are things you can learn from minor ammo. First, it takes recoil management out of the equation. Second, it may help with watching your sights lift and settle. Third, it may help in shooting on the move because with reduced muzzle flip your front sight may stay on the target.

If people recommend the use of a .22 for training for more than just cost savings, then those same benefits can be applicable to using minor ammo.

And yes, it will have an impact when you transition back to major. But this can be mitigated by having your last practice session before a match with major ammo.

[Yagi]

Practice what you are going to compete with. Timing would be a big issue here...POI and all will be different if you use a different caliber and weight...But then again i've seen top shooters shoot well above pf than they normally shoot...but not the other way around...

[flack jacket]

Good tips!

As it was stated in this thread, trigger time is trigger time..

Minor DOES feel different from Major but the timing issue is secondary to me IMO.

I see it this way, shooting is still visual input, regardless of load(minor, 22LR)/ gun, shooter must see what he/she needs to see to take the shot with the appropriate follow through. Yes, I know the dot/front sight may bounce different, that's what makes the shooter improvise and be dynamic in their shooting.

IE: Many shooters who do not have opportunity to shoot with real guns and ammunition for steel challenge, practice with airsoft. Watch them practice on youtube and watch their results in the match.

Agreed, mix in live/match ammo into the practice session.

[tunakilla]

Well said flack.....

[CocoBolo]

You may find the the variance of POI/POA with the different bullets and loads will cause issues. In my open gun a 140 pf load hits 3" lower than the same load at 170. The lower pf load also hits to the right about an inch. This testing was done at 12 yards off a rest, and repeated on 3 different guns.

Put the 185's up till they feel like the 230's or go with a bit slower powder to get the recoil up.

[redbird1976]

Unless the two different ammos have different points of impact on the target, you won't likely notice the difference in recoil at a match unless you shoot both kinds of ammo in the same day. That said, if I'm practicing for a match; I like to use the same ammo that I'll use in the match during the practice session right before the match. I like to use the .22 a lot for running my practice drills. Usually when I'm practicing I'm focusing on movement or positioning and other non-shooting skills so the type of ammo or caliber is irrelavent. I have to use the same skill set to clear the plate rack with the Ruger Mark II or my 1911.