Bart Solo Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 (edited) I have heard people say they only participate in one shooting sport. Some say they don't want to be confused by the variety of rules. Others say they find other sports boring or pretentious. Some say some sports are not as "realistic" as their own. Assuming you are not a factory professional paid to shoot everything that might sell a pistol, do you compete in more than one shooting sport and what training benefits do you think cross sport shooting provides. Edited January 27, 2015 by Bart Solo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aceinyerface Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Sure, I shoot sporting clays for fun, I shoot GSSF for fun, I shoot Appleseeds, and USPSA is my serious interest but still for fun. I'm not competitive on a serious level yet, but I don't see the harm in the others. Before I started shooting seriously, I did martial arts for many years and cross trained in Judo, Aikido, Iaido, Chi Gung, etc... and there was no conflict in that either. One is not required to be one dimensional in any way. For me, I choose one thing to be serious about and the others are for fun. I would not put aside my primary interest to go do one of the others, but to me, I am putting aside something like bowling to go shoot clays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thermobollocks Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) I shoot tons of stuff, and none of them are truly practice for other stuff. If I want to get better with my USPSA Production gun, I'll shoot it in Steel Challenge, but I do so because I also want to improve the skills in play in Steel Challenge. Same deal for 3-gun, if I've got a Heavy Metal match coming up I'll shoot my 1911 in USPSA. But I won't shoot it at Steel Challenge because the high ride + major isn't as competitive (and burning 200 rds of .45 kind of hurts). My 3 games are Steel Challenge, USPSA, and 3-gun. I shot IDPA but I don't anymore simply because I enjoy freestyle too much. I don't find the skills required super different, even if I might have to visualize the stages and targets a little differently. While cross-training isn't really a goal, it happens more in my eyes than in my hands. Steel challenge teaches me to see quickly and transition quickly, and it's very good at practicing those two skills very deeply. I think that helps me understand USPSA a little better, even though USPSA adds the element of recoil control (best two shots or more) per target and stage breakdown. USPSA, in turn, teaches me to call my shots accurately because I don't get to cheat and listen for the "ping" on a paper target. 3-gun has more complicated stage breakdowns where as I am now I cannot have as detailed a stage plan as I would for a USPSA stage, so getting better at stage planning helps me in both of those disciplines. Rocky Mountain 3-Gun specifically helps me think on my feet because I suck at cardio and get a little bit winded about 1/2 to 3/4 the way through most stages. If I can execute my fundamentals while I still feel like liquid ass, I'll do all right when I come back to USPSA and don't have to work as hard. But, in the end, I shoot all of them because I like them for what they are. Edited January 30, 2015 by thermobollocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Solo Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 (edited) I asked the question because something happened to me in my last cowboy match that seems to connect to my USPSA run and gun style practice. I am a better than average cowboy shooter--not a great cowboy shooter but above average. For those of you who haven't played CAS it uses 4 guns, two six shooters, an old style lever gun and a coach gun or old style pump. One of the rules is you can't run with a round under the hammer so you run to a position mount a gun, shoot the target array and move to the next position. The biggest difference between average and really good CAS shooters is transitioning between guns. When it comes to the shotgun, which is loaded on the clock, loading and unloading speed is critical. The tendancy is to practice loading and reloabing the shotgun from a stationary position. That is the way most shooters train. That is what most shooters do. I have been shooting USPSA. For me the hardest part has been learning to run and gun but my times have been dropping as the weeks have gone by. One of the tricks I have learned is to reload on the move. Another skill I have been working on is to keep the gun at the ready as I move to a target array. The last CAS match it occured to me as I was visualing a stage with 6 shotgun target from 3 separate positions was to move from position to position with the gun aimed down range but at my shoulder. While moving from position to position i pulled shells from my belt and positioned them to be loaded the instant I stopped to shoot. The plan worked like a charm and I shaved seconds off my time. Without the USPSA experience I would still be shooting the same static way I trained. Edited January 31, 2015 by Bart Solo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thermobollocks Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Most action disciplines will reward economy of motion and multitasking (particularly as it relates to movement). Fast reloads are good, but fast reloads when hauling butt are excellent, and that applies to any gun.Hauling butt is good, but quick mounts/dismounts while you're arriving and leaving your positions are better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redial Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I shoot everything that comes along except Cowboy (don't have the requisite wardrobe) and Black Powder Cartridge (no rifle for that!). Some I shoot very seriously, others just for practice and fun. I can only offer that shooting dissimilar disciplines on consecutive days has sometimes affected my performance, since it usually takes me at least one practice to "acclimate" to the new game. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fordfan485 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I compete in several and it probably explains why I am mediocre in all of them. I attribute it to ADD. In addition to mixing up disciplines I do not stay with same gun or divison for long. Here is a list of everything: IDPA - SS in SSP and SSR, MM in CDP and ESP USPSA - U production but am at 39% currently Bullseye - MM Highpower Rifle - SS 3 gun Bowling pins Jack of all trades master of none. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Tompkins Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Yes. IDPA and USPSA about equal plus a good sized portion of 3-gun. I consder it good to shoot differnt games, each calls on a similar but differnt skill set and opens your mind to differnt ways to do stuff. I'll admit some folks have a hard time process multipuls sets of rules, others not so much. Most non-crossover shooters I know only shoot one game becase that is what they like but some (often too many IMHO) are happy to tell you why their game is the best or even worse, why the other game is stupid and people who shoot it are #@!^%@$%^&$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 USPSA pistol and Steel Challenge ... SC requires great fundamentals to do well (fast draw, fast transitions, great trigger control & never miss) ... all qualities that are the fundamental building blocks of USPSA. I didn't see a lot of gains in being able to shoot accurate at speed in USPSA until I started working hard at SC ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pizzim Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Why wouldn't it? Trigger time is trigger time. Granted keeping the rules straight can be a challenge but I shoot 3gun, IDPA, USPSA and ICORE. To me trigger time is trigger time as the fundamentals are the same across the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maize Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) Besides uspsa and 3gun I spend about 4 months a year shooting a fly speck size target standing unsupported from 50 feet with my Anschutz rifle. I get it about half the time. It makes a sheet of paper look real big at 400 yards. Sight alignment, sight focus, see the shot, follow through, heart beat control. all that stuff Edited February 18, 2015 by Maize Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullMetalJacket Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I shoot whatever match my clubs running that weekend. Main focus is USPSA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Besides uspsa and 3gun I spend about 4 months a year shooting a fly speck size target standing unsupported from 50 feet with my Anschutz rifle. I get it about half the time. It makes a sheet of paper look real big at 400 yards. Sight alignment, sight focus, see the shot, follow through, heart beat control. all that stuff I've heard of breath control, but heartbeat control is hard core! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Shotgun: Trap, Sporting Clays, Upland birds, waterfowl, practical Shotgun, 3Gun Pistol: USPSA, Steel, Rimfire, 3Gun, used to shoot IDPA and silhouette Rifle: Precision matches, Carbine matches, Big game, small game, 3Gun. My problem is that if it has a trigger, I like it. I also shoot manually operated and auto with all three guns at various times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 depending on your specific goals there can be a 'down side' to competiing in more then one shooting sport, how much of a down side is a large debate though. If you ask the top instructors around like Stoeger, Seeklander, Anderson, they will tell you that you will likely progress faster if you just focus on one sport and one division. However, if your goals don't include being hell bent on galactic domination then there's probably not much down side. Besides, different shooting sports focus on different aspects so you might actually pick up on something new with the other sport ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maize Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 B1country I guess I'm not yet controlling my heart beat but making sure that it's rate has slowed as much as possible. Looking forward to a chance soon on working on control from a past Olympic smallbore shooter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Well it sounds cool. You should keep using that line. "Yeah, an Olympic shooter taught me to consciously control my heart rate. He was taught the technique in the KGB to fool lie detectors." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maize Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 (edited) Hard to get real focused on my small bore state match in Victoria when I have RM He Man 3g the week before and Double Tap the week after. Your connection with the KGB is pretty cool also. Edited February 19, 2015 by Maize Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebravo Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Similar to Maize, I shoot collegiate precision pistol for the better part of the year (ISSF and NRA), as well as SPP (basically SC) with the same team. USPSA/3 gun are by far my favorite, but like she said, if you want to know fundamentals, bullseye will teach them to you the hard way. I didn't notice a huge difference until I got home on a break and did a USPSA match with a one handed stage. Everyone was having fits, but for me it was incredibly easy, especially because I used to struggle a lot with those skills. Take it for what it's worth, but I'd recommend even just a little bit of the "boring stuff". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shws Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 IDPA and USPSA. USPSA taught me to shoot faster. It was a push that I hadn't gotten from IDPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tha1000 Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 I've noticed that since I started shooting pistol competitions, it has made me a better clays and wing shooter. I can get on the second bird faster. Could be purely coincidental, but for me, I feel like all trigger time translates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glock26Toter Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 Hell, I've noticed that since I started shooting pistol competitions I'm a better person. Not to mention my friends are a better class of people. hehehe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glock26Toter Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 No but really... you are seeing faster, moving faster... more in tune with your movements and gun handling. It is making you a better shooter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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