Shooting Steel And Ipsc

[GeneralChang]

I shot a local club steel match on Saturday with a 9mm 2011 with 135pf loads. I did fairly well and won limited division and placed 2nd overall.

I go to practice today and I setup a small practice stage with with some IPSC targets (two of which were partially covered with no shoots) and some square plates and a popper. I am shooting a .40 2011 with maybe a 170pf load for practice.

I couldn't hit a darn thing. I probably hit 3 no shoots. My hits were all over the place and I was slow. I just couldn't see my front sight or something. Any thoughts on this?

I would have guessed that shooting steel would help my IPSC performance but man oh man I am wondering. Any thoughts?

Thanks

[hopalong]

General Chang,

To answer your question....... YES they do help each other.....BUT

Not shooting the same gun, and different Powerfactors DOES not help you !!!!!!

The lighter gun(pf) has a different feel, and your timing will be way off.....

Shoot both with the same gun and load and then it will really help!!!!!!

We shoot a steel match every 4th Sunday at our range (USPSA style stages but steel only) you will very quickly learn how to shoot steel.....

You will get to where steel in a stage at a big match is kind of like a good warm up for the rest of the stage, and sometimes the rest of the match.

Hope that helps, keep them burning !!!!

Hop

[MikeFoley]

I agree with Hopalong, and I shoot both steel challenge and USPSA. I use my major power factor loads in sc and I am competitive with them. I think it gives you 25 draws or more, and lots of tough transitions. It reinforces accuracy more than anything else I have practiced.

[Jasonub]

different power factors will mess up your timing. choose 1 and shoot

[GeneralChang]

Thanks for all your responses. One Pf it's going to be.

[shred]

While one PF may help, it's not the entire answer..

I shot steel loads instead of IPSC loads and finished, well, one place above Gen Chang

Steel is so much about indexing and target acquisition that timing isn't quite as important. Steel has nice, well-defined targets, and mostly at one range of distance (10-15 yards), all shot while standing still.

IPSC has poorly-defined targets at random distances. Picking the exact part of the target you want to shoot and making sure you shoot there is much more critical with IPSC.

It's also very easy to throw extra shots downrange shooting steel (these would be misses in IPSC) and forget you took them them later. One-shot, one-plate is the rule for speed, but even the big boys throw extra shots on steel occasionally.

[GeneralChang]

I've been dry firing and tomorrow I'll head to the range for some live fire practice. Hopefully it'll work itself out soon considering the Space City Challenge is this weekend.

[Jasonub]

once a year we get a steel ipsc match in the philippines. its basically 4-5 cof. short medium and long courses. all targets are steel targets. movers, swingers, statics, etc. from 10-15 meters.

its a blast! though i lost it due to psy war on myself ended up at 90% or so

[ong45]

Shooting steel loads is no more harmful to you than occasionally practicing with a .22

James

[GeneralChang]

I just got back from the range and the resluts were much better today. I had consistent 1.25 first shot on the upper A zone at 50 yards...

Sorry, I was dreaming. Actually things fell back into place and I believe I have my rhythm back. We'll see how I fare at Space City this weekend.

[scottmilk9]

Shooting steel is going to make you faster, but dont forget to practice alot on paper too. I agree with all the posts above. They do help combining the two, but I shot a local steel match for a year without shooting a paper match and wow I was surprised how horrible I did. I have a problem with switching guns every few weeks too. Good luck.

[Kory]

I am having a hard time transitioning from steel to paper.

I have been shooting steel for a couple of years, doing OK.

I have shot maybe half a dozen USPSA matches, all in the last two months.

I pretty much suck at IPSC. Lots of poor hits mainly.

I think I am willing to accept a poor sight picture, knowing that if I miss I can get the makeup shot on steel. That hasn't worked so well on paper. I have been using the same gun / holster / mags for both.

[diehli]

I am having a hard time transitioning from steel to paper.

I have been shooting steel for a couple of years, doing OK.

I have shot maybe half a dozen USPSA matches, all in the last two months.

I pretty much suck at IPSC. Lots of poor hits mainly.

I think I am willing to accept a poor sight picture, knowing that if I miss I can get the makeup shot on steel. That hasn't worked so well on paper. I have been using the same gun / holster / mags for both.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Kory, I noticed the same thing when I first made the transition. There is a learning curve... paper does seem harder to shoot at first. It'll come, just keep shooting.

[Flexmoney]

Pay attention to what you are really seeing. It is as simple as we allow it to be.

[Wim]

I don't have the experience or skill - at all (yet! ) - to comment, so just a question in the form of an observation regarding the earlier replies.

Isn't it similar to arguing that shooting limited / standard gun and open in IPSC will mess up timing and that you need to shoot guns that feel the same (and those certainly don't)?

From everything I've read Flexmoney seems right on the money.

I suppose it's just that the guys who are at the top of their game know what they need to do / feel / see to be really good in all the disciplines (not meant as a criticism of anyone who has replied and who will make me look like the beginner that I am), but we see certain of the big names in various disciplines in the top 5 or 6 in all of them with enough regularity to make me think that it's got to do with more than just PF and timing...