Should I stay or should I go?

[PGGUNS]

15 minutes ago, Joe4d said:

By S2 you talking a CZ Shadow 2 , yeh race that sucker. I went plastic fantastic XDM, cause it was cheap and fun , but just shooting pins, maybe an outlaw steel. No USPSA or IDPA in my area.

 

Yes CZ shadow 2. 

[PGGUNS]

16 minutes ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

I shoot OPEN, and love it, and it sounds like You will, also, but you asked for reasons to stay in CO:

 

1.  You'll learn to shoot better with your CO - get up to an A in CO and then you'll be on the right track for OPEN

      The comp, the Major - all mean you can shoot a little sloppy and still shoot well - not in CO

 

2.  You'll know when you feel comfortable spending the extra money (and your wife will also) - when you

      are ready, OPEN will still be waiting for you - no rush.

 

So funny you mention becoming an A and then move to open. That was pretty much my original plan. However shooting my buddies gun had the wow factor and while my best intentions are to move to A, it could be a while before I get there. I’m pissed at my buddy because he’s derailed that plan lol. As you said, my thought was to get my shooting good enough at A level to make it a n easier transition. I beat a fair amount of open shooter because they get so sloppy if going fast. 

 

I guess I should add my impatience is not helping. 

[zzt]

I think you should shoot whatever you have the most fun with.

 

I switched from Limited to Open when my eyes forced the switch.  There was no CO then.  There are a lot of older shooters who did the same.  Many of them shoot Open minor.  They don't care and that lets them keep shooting.  I have been shooting major, but that might change.  My elbows are shot and a long match means I'm really sore for days afterwards.

 

I build my own guns, so repairs are not an issue.  That being said, if I were starting out again today, with the rules as present and knowing what I know, I would shoot CO with an S2, milled slide, dot and 140 mags.  It is effectively Open minor.  23 in a mag is absolutely no disadvantage, as there is almost always a spot or three where you can reload without costing time.

 

Open major guns are definitely cooler than CO guns.  The downside is you have to reload for them.  Available new or reloaded major ammo doesn't cut it.   So if you shoot a lot, you will be spending a LOT of time on the loading bench.   I've just decided to buy all my minor ammo for steel matches because I have a hard time keeping up, not even counting the 40 and 45 I need.

 

If you want to tinker in Open, buy a good used Open gun and have at it.  BTW, a 40sw Open gun is a viable option.  It will shoot softer than a 9mm (I have both) and is waaaay easier to load for.  You would plan your stages just as you do now.

[sauza45]

I stated in limited and went to open, I only shoot open now. Haven't shoot anything but open in years.  If you want to go to open, then you should go

because if you don't that is all you will be thinking about.

[36873687]

4 hours ago, PGGUNS said:

Sure wish there was a “button” for all the good responses.  Pretty overwhelming responses and I think was I like best was almost to a person the “Fun” aspect was highlighted.  I don’t expect that I will get better instantly but I am a decent shooter, very competitive, and practice a lot.  I’m not getting any younger so the clock is certainly ticking.  Part of the hesitation is not only the money commitment with all the other stuff (already thought about a backup gun).  I guess this is my mid-life crisis.  I keep telling my wife that there are worse (more expensive) things I could be having a mid-life crises with.  Not sure she’s buying that, lol

That’s what I tell my wife also. 

[Explosiveo]

That’s what I tell my wife also. 

If you were really having a midlife crisis you would be telling your new girlfriend.

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[MikeBurgess]

Open is fun, but so is CO they are just different. if you are worried about how you place in the match overall you may like open because Major scoring helps your scores, on the other hand you will not be a "better" shooter with either gun and neither will help you more than the other. In open you will likely find the the HHF make it harder to move up the classification system as many of the HHF are crazy high. Open is a game of raw speed, while the fancy gun and major scoring may make it feel like you can go so fast you will find that everyone else is going faster too and some of them are crazy fast, and pretty darn accurate too.

 

It all comes down to what you like

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: I am shooting Carry Optics right now and having a great time doing it. I have shot open for years and also enjoy it. They are two different divisions and two different mindsets on how to shoot. Shooting major you can give up a couple of points but in minor you need all you can get. I would stick with Carry Optics since you have all the stuff right now. When you get better and can beat some of the better open shooters then you can decide if you want to go to open. In Open you will have to reload your ammo to get the most out of the pistol. You will also need to learn how to keep your open pistol running. People think that switching to Open will make you faster quicker. That is not the case for most. It takes time to get used to the high speed game of Open. Open classifiers are done crazy fast with no points down. Shoot a classifier with your CO pistol but use Open scores and see how you do. If you want to be at the top of your club matches shoot PCC and see how you do. I also like shooting PCC so this is not a hate on PCC. Hope this helps. Thanks, Eric

[PGGUNS]

5 hours ago, Explosiveo said:

If you were really having a midlife crisis you would be telling your new girlfriend.

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. Very good point. I might not want to mention that one to the wife.

[36873687]

9 hours ago, Explosiveo said:

If you were really having a midlife crisis you would be telling your new girlfriend.

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ya that would put me back in production for life

[pjb45]

Ha.

A friend asked me recently 'will CO replace Open'?  My answer is YES.  

 

It has all the benefits without the additional costs.  

[Explosiveo]

Ha.
A friend asked me recently 'will CO replace Open'?  My answer is YES.  
 
It has all the benefits without the additional costs.  

Nah. We have cookies and Co doesn't. They have to snack on granola bars or some stuff that's almost as good but not quite.

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[traingq]

I started in Open and love it.  Messed around with a few other divisions for fun, but Open is where its at

[drewbeck]

2 hours ago, pjb45 said:

Ha.

A friend asked me recently 'will CO replace Open'?  My answer is YES.  

 

It has all the benefits without the additional costs.  

 

Yup, just like the dragster hasnt been replaced by the electric version...

 

theres a reason people like both but just because you can drive it on the road doesn’t mean it’ll ever be faster... 

 

just because you push the limits of one vehicle doesnt mean it’ll replace a more specialized version of one.  

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: What I have seen here is that the numbers for Open have stayed about the same but Carry Optics has taken off. It has pulled people from Limited, Production and even PCC. Once they changed the magazine limited to the gauge it changed everything. 22-24 rounds with one mag change makes it easier for new shooters to learn the game. Whatever you choose to do I am sure you will love it. Thanks, Eric

[zzt]

I know a couple of M Open shooters who tried CO for a while, then switched back.  All of the newer shooters going into USPSA shoots seem to pick CO.

[B_RAD]

Y'all commenting on if CO will replace open,.... Wait and see how things go after HQ gets rid of major/minor/PF.  Then we'll see. 

[RJH]

13 minutes ago, B_RAD said:

Y'all commenting on if CO will replace open,.... Wait and see how things go after HQ gets rid of major/minor/PF.  Then we'll see. 

I really hope they never do that. It would obsolete the two biggest divisions, and the only supposed Advantage is picking up a few 3 gunners. Screw that, I think three Gunners should change to score major and minor to suit us

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: Changing to one scoring platform will never happen. That would make all the Limited major guns obsolete. They would go to 9mm and shoot minor loads. I thought 3-gun was almost dead anyways. 2-gun matches are more fun. Thanks, Eric

[Explosiveo]

That's just a thing CO shooters say to justify not switching to open. It comes right after "we got the *thumb rest [generic]*" and before "we will have magwells next year".

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[B_RAD]

43 minutes ago, Explosiveo said:

That's just a thing CO shooters say to justify not switching to open. It comes right after "we got the *thumb rest [generic]*" and before "we will have magwells next year".

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I smoke all the open shooters.  No need to spend $6k on an gun. My G34 does just fine. 

 

 

 

 

Ok... seriously..... I do want to go back to open. 

 

 

 

Though.....I'm having  a harder time caughing over the $$$ this time around. 

Edited August 20, 2019 by B_RAD

[B_RAD]

47 minutes ago, Aircooled6racer said:

Hello: Changing to one scoring platform will never happen. That would make all the Limited major guns obsolete. They would go to 9mm and shoot minor loads. I thought 3-gun was almost dead anyways. 2-gun matches are more fun. Thanks, Eric

You would think........

[jcc7x7]

1 hour ago, Explosiveo said:

That's just a thing CO shooters say to justify not switching to open. It comes right after "we got the *thumb rest [generic]*" and before "we will have magwells next year".

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Own two bedell open guns that flat out run.

Still shoot co most the time, just enjoy the simplicity of the platform.

Place about the same OA, so no draw there for me. Fwiw

[gianmarko]

i shoot ipsc so we now have production optics, and several open shooters have moved there

 

i have a love/hate relationship with open guns. they are heavy, expensive, finicky, unreliable, and i shoot  CM so i have it easy, no endless trips to the gunsmith to get the bloody thing to shoot two mags without jamming. 

 

then there is the PITA of reloading major ammo, which is also expensive and potentially dangerous.  when travelling abroad i need to carry my ammo as often i cant find major ammo onsite, and airlines only allow 5kg which is less than 400 rds. 

 

then there is the fact that it seems everybody and their uncle shoot better than me in this division... i am no pro but i went already through a fair amount of lead and until now i only managed a third place in a level 3 race

a guy in one of my clubs, relatively green, shot his first important match and got a third place. production optics. still not so much competition there. was i happy? not really... 

 

open is lots of fun, but requires time, money, dedication, and ultimately a strong stomach. a jam, or a single mistake  in a stage and your race has suddenly become just another training, and an expensive one at that. 

 

due to my crappy eyes i can only shoot optics. i have the equipment ready to transition to PO but i might stay in open just a little longer after all...  

 

[PGGUNS]

Well I’ve started my “purge” of guns sitting in my safe to fund my open purchase.  Once I sell my JP PCC I’ll be on my way to open with the purchase of a PT Honcho, I was leaning to the Atlas but I think I’m gonna give the honcho a try.  Hear really good things about it, anyone have experience with it?