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If you only had to choose one... Shooting sport dilemma


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* I am posting this here since it covers several topics and I don't want to get booted from one forum to another because of the breadth of topics *

 

A little background first - I started shooting USPSA production about 8 years ago after I turned 18, and fell in love. I shot as many matches as I could fit into a busy college schedule. I switched over to 3 gun during grad school, and had been enjoying that since graduation. However, last July, my apartment was broken into and my 3 gun rifle and shotgun were both stolen (luckily they didn't notice my 3 week old STI DVC Limited 9mm in the range bag they rifled through), and I have only replaced the AR so far. So since then, I haven't been able to shoot 3 gun since funds have been a little tight and I was down a shotgun.

Since late last year and all of this year, I have been shooting exclusively PCC in UML and falling steel matches, and have fallen in love with a gun with a red dot and only having to worry about hitting my targets, and not dealing with as much stage planning as typical 3 gun requires. I have really felt like my speeds and splits have improved dramatically, and I won my first overall match just a month ago shooting PCC.

So now I have a new itch (well, not new, but reinvigorated itch) to get into USPSA Open. So here in-lies the dilemma - I miss shooting 3 gun, but I am really enjoying the red dot and fast paced world of PCC and potentially Open...

So my question, and what I want to hear your opinions and thoughts on - Do I sell my DVC Limited to go towards a new 9mm Open gun, potentially the new Freedom Gunworks/CK Arms "Solution" and only shoot USPSA Open and UML PCC, or do I keep the DVC, and put a little money into a new shotgun to start shooting 3 gun again? I know the typical answer may be to do both, but that really isn't in the cards right now unfortunately, so I feel like I need help making a decision. I would love to hear any opinions, insight, or experiences you may have in this situation or something similar you have gone through. 

*I do reload my own ammo, so making major in Open won't be an issue. I am close to a range that has 3 gun, UML, USPSA, and steel matches once a month*

Edited by bulldog009
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5 minutes ago, sfinney said:

Sell the DVC and shoot PCC and Carry Optics. 

I agree to a point. Sell the DVC if you want a gun with a dot on it. Then buy an open gun or focus on PCC. Don't do Carry Optics. It's nothing like a true open gun and nothing like PCC either.

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Hey, he just said he liked shooting red dots. And CO use big mags too, less stage planning. Limited with a dot.  I thought we were just having fun. :) 

But if his goal is overall match wins agreed, yes he should invest one of his kidneys in a real open gun and learn to use it. and keep on with PCC. 

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31 minutes ago, tanks said:

What do you enjoy the most? Answer that question and your dilemma is over. ;) 


I enjoy aspects of both. That's part of the dilemma too! I'm the kind of person who obsesses over and researches these things for weeks before making a decision, so I'm just trying to get some different opinions on it.

 

13 minutes ago, sfinney said:

Sell the DVC and shoot PCC and Carry Optics. 

 

I have a Glock 17 MOS, but now that I've had a 2011 for a little over a year, I don't see going back to a Glock for competition purposes. I shoot the 2011 much better. 

 

5 minutes ago, Sarge said:

I agree to a point. Sell the DVC if you want a gun with a dot on it. Then buy an open gun or focus on PCC. Don't do Carry Optics. It's nothing like a true open gun and nothing like PCC either.

 

I agree, I don't have much interest in CO, UNLESS I stick with 3 gun, it could be a nice change of pace to get some taste of "poor man's open" every once in a while...
 

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Do you reload your ammo and want to dedicate your bench to 9 major?

 

If yes; keep deliberating.

If no; go 3 gun.

 

If 2 gun was more readily available that's all I'd do... not a big shotgun fan. That said, dots on pistols sure is fun, but I've come to find more enjoyment out of iron sights. Never competed in open for transparency sake.

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3 minutes ago, dkamps said:

Do you reload your ammo and want to dedicate your bench to 9 major?

 

If yes; keep deliberating.

If no; go 3 gun.

 

If 2 gun was more readily available that's all I'd do... not a big shotgun fan. That said, dots on pistols sure is fun, but I've come to find more enjoyment out of iron sights. Never competed in open for transparency sake.


Yeah, I've been loading the same load on my 550 for a few years now that is dialed in just where I like it for 9mm minor. That being said, to switch over to major will just be a new set of 9mm dies in the extra tool-head I already have. I have similar reservations about the shotgun, I enjoy it, but it is probably my least favorite of the 3 guns, which may be why I haven't been in a hurry to replace it... And you bring up an interesting point, UML (my club was an early adopter of UML) has a 2 gun division with just pistol and rifle, but they have to follow tac ops rules, so the open gun would be a no-go. But there is the 2x4 division where you have Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, and PCC, and you use 2 of the 4 on each stage, and everything goes, so the open pistol would be fair game, but I would still be down a shotgun... Decisions decisions 

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One other thing to consider is time and funds. Obviously, to be good at 3 gun you will need to focus more time on each of the disciplines and that will require more funds for ammo, gear etc.. 

 

Personally, if I wanted to shoot a gun with a dot I'd go for an open gun. Whether to go for 9mm or 38 Super  is a personal choice though, at least in matches I shoot, I see more guys having issues with 9mm open guns than the 38 super guys. But that is a limited sample ;) 

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19 minutes ago, tanks said:

One other thing to consider is time and funds. Obviously, to be good at 3 gun you will need to focus more time on each of the disciplines and that will require more funds for ammo, gear etc.. 

 

Personally, if I wanted to shoot a gun with a dot I'd go for an open gun. Whether to go for 9mm or 38 Super  is a personal choice though, at least in matches I shoot, I see more guys having issues with 9mm open guns than the 38 super guys. But that is a limited sample ;) 


That's the next step of decisions if I go the Open route... my brother in law has a custom built open gun in 38 that he would sell me for a good price with powder, mags, etc, but I'm hesitant on the 38 part... I have a good supply of 9mm brass, and a good source. I've done some research into the 38 super stuff and it doesn't seem like things are nearly as readily available for it as 9mm. Brass only has a couple of sources, and I don't know much about the projectile selections. I know it has its advantages over 9mm when you look at case capacity and that sort of stuff however.  

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14 minutes ago, usmc1974 said:

3 gun hands down. You get to shoot all your guns. No major/minor PF No a,b,or c point zone, 2 hits any where or 1 in the head and he is dead.

 

You nailed all of the points making me want to start 3 gun again. I have been wrestling with this decision for a while now, and one day I feel like I've decided one way, and the next day its the opposite. 

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42 minutes ago, bulldog009 said:

 

You nailed all of the points making me want to start 3 gun again. I have been wrestling with this decision for a while now, and one day I feel like I've decided one way, and the next day its the opposite. 

going to input one more thing here in favor of 3 gun. Boredom/Utility.

 

I like changing it up, it keeps me from getting any sort of gun type fatigue, and I get to improve myself across the board. Which also helps me train harder, and be better.

 

Gaming is fun, really fun. However, I shoot competitively to both have fun, compete.. and train. Which is why I like 2gun the best... (also why I don't focus nearly enough of shotgun; bird, breaching, and beanbags is what I see them for)

 

The reason I have never been that interested in open is the guns aren't very practical for any other use. Would it be ridiculous fun? Absolutely. Would I question its practicality? Absolutely. Which would be a turn off, for me.

 

I like the dynamic shooting of 2/3gun. The multidisciplinary nature of proficiency. Plus its training ability to translate into possible work environment competency for me.

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Not sure what the score is now but my vote is Open. I shot bullseye for a few years then picked up a Glock with good intentions of shooting production. After many triggers and a few thousand rounds I gave up. Then I dried fired an STI (older model). So, that’s what a good trigger feels like. Few months later I picked up an STI DVC. Great gun but my eyes are giving out and it’s no fun if you can’t see the front sight and the target. Few months later I pick up a used Open gun on this site. Even better gun with an even better trigger and a dot. It’s a keeper and Im hooked. By the way I’m shooting for fun and competing against me. Again, Open is my vote.

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Bulldog,

 

at at least you are staying in one organization.  You could do like I do and go with what your gut feeling is that morning....

 

1.  What ammo do I have loaded? 

2.  Which discipline is holding a match today?

3.  Which match do SWMBO and Jr want to shoot today?

 

We deal with NRA Silhouette (all), Cowboy Action, USPSA,  and 3-Gun, so you see the quandaries.

 

i would be looking towards 3-Gun myself in your situation, but the best advice that I can give is to follow your gut.

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9 hours ago, quiller said:

Not sure what the score is now but my vote is Open. I shot bullseye for a few years then picked up a Glock with good intentions of shooting production. After many triggers and a few thousand rounds I gave up. Then I dried fired an STI (older model). So, that’s what a good trigger feels like. Few months later I picked up an STI DVC. Great gun but my eyes are giving out and it’s no fun if you can’t see the front sight and the target. Few months later I pick up a used Open gun on this site. Even better gun with an even better trigger and a dot. It’s a keeper and Im hooked. By the way I’m shooting for fun and competing against me. Again, Open is my vote.

You do know, there is a class for open? Bring your open pistol open rifle and open shotgun to 3 gun and really rock out in open class.

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Thanks for everyone's responses so far. I still am pretty torn. Parts of me really want to get back into 3 gun for some of the points made here - less worry about scoring, more guns to play with in a stage, longer ranges, more technical with reloads and firearm manipulation. Then there are parts of me that really want to get into Open - faster, probably more intuitive, you really learn one platform and get in tune with it, its something I've never done before. 

What I've been thinking is that I might try to go out to my local club's USPSA match next month (I also haven't shot a USPSA match in about 5 years), shoot the match with my DVC in limited minor, then after the match, ask some of the open guys their opinions and maybe get to send a few down range from one of their open guns.  

The general consensus here though seems to be go with Open, so maybe there have been more USPSA folks than 3 gun folks on Enos lately!  And I really don't know what I enjoy the most, having never shot Open its hard to get a good read. I've only ever shot "open" pistol with a 22/45 with a red dot in some Steel Challenge matches a few years ago, and I was still fairly new to the sport, so it probably isn't a fair comparison to where I am now skill and knowledge wise. What I do know, is that I love the shooting sports, and that I'll probably enjoy whatever I pick, then regret not picking the other at the same time...

Edited by bulldog009
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4 hours ago, usmc1974 said:

You do know, there is a class for open? Bring your open pistol open rifle and open shotgun to 3 gun and really rock out in open class.

Yup, but now all I need is time! I feel great if I can make the rang once a week, but right now we are really busy at home. My better 1/2, 2 kids and a new dog....good job the dog is cute! also, we are getting our house ready for sale....downsizing.....so the madness in all of this is smaller house = less work = more play time for dad at the range!

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I'm in the same boat as you.  I left PRS to come back to 3gun a little while ago.  Love 3gun but the only downside for me was the iron sighted pistol in tac ops (not interested in open 3gun).  All of my carry and work guns have dots so I'm just into shooting irons much anymore.  

 

I started shooting some USPSA which is 1/3 the distance from my house and they have matches every weekend instead of 1-2 a month which was a huge factor for me.  Lastly, it's nice leaving my 1050 set up for 9major (open) or a simple adjustment for 9 minor (CO) and just crank out ammo.  I have tons of components for 9mm since I don't have to spend any money on .223 components and various types of shotgun ammo which makes life a little more simple.  

 

That being said, I'm not selling my 3gun stuff and may go back there every so often.  Good luck with your choice!

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1 hour ago, hitman_usmc said:

I'm in the same boat as you.  I left PRS to come back to 3gun a little while ago.  Love 3gun but the only downside for me was the iron sighted pistol in tac ops (not interested in open 3gun).  All of my carry and work guns have dots so I'm just into shooting irons much anymore.  

 

I started shooting some USPSA which is 1/3 the distance from my house and they have matches every weekend instead of 1-2 a month which was a huge factor for me.  Lastly, it's nice leaving my 1050 set up for 9major (open) or a simple adjustment for 9 minor (CO) and just crank out ammo.  I have tons of components for 9mm since I don't have to spend any money on .223 components and various types of shotgun ammo which makes life a little more simple.  

 

That being said, I'm not selling my 3gun stuff and may go back there every so often.  Good luck with your choice!


Feeding all 3 guns has been on the con side of the chart for 3 gun for me. It would be nice to have second set of dies set up for my 550 to load 9major, and my 9minor on another toolhead.
 

The club I shoot at does a UML match the first weekend, USPSA the second, falling steel the third, and "traditional" 3 gun the fourth weekend every month. So, in theory I could shoot just as many matches every month regardless of which direction I end up going. Can shoot PCC in UML, PCC or Open in USPSA, and PCC or Open in falling steel; or I could shoot PCC or 3 gun in UML, PCC in USPSA, PCC or pistol or shotgun in falling steel, and traditional 3 gun. So that doesn't really help make my decision any easier... If one option lead to more potential matches, it would weigh heavier in my decision process... but a one match difference isn't that large of a discrepancy.  

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42 minutes ago, bulldog009 said:


Feeding all 3 guns has been on the con side of the chart for 3 gun for me. It would be nice to have second set of dies set up for my 550 to load 9major, and my 9minor on another toolhead.
 

The club I shoot at does a UML match the first weekend, USPSA the second, falling steel the third, and "traditional" 3 gun the fourth weekend every month. So, in theory I could shoot just as many matches every month regardless of which direction I end up going. Can shoot PCC in UML, PCC or Open in USPSA, and PCC or Open in falling steel; or I could shoot PCC or 3 gun in UML, PCC in USPSA, PCC or pistol or shotgun in falling steel, and traditional 3 gun. So that doesn't really help make my decision any easier... If one option lead to more potential matches, it would weigh heavier in my decision process... but a one match difference isn't that large of a discrepancy.  

 

This is a main reason I'm switching to 40.

 

Minor 40 loads work well, and are just as soft shooting as 9 (IMO), with the right load accuracy loss is minimal at most. I get to use the same mags/gun in limited, plus its one gun for two disciplines. 40 can also be made to shoot a solid defense round.  

 

My glock 34 gets one more multigun match before it gets sold... and away from 9 I step in the competitive world.

Edited by dkamps
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