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Sticking With The Same Pistol For Competition


baa

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Hello all,

I am new to this forum and relatively new to competition shooting (shot my first match in Sept 05.) I have been rotating through different pistols in my collection, depending on my mood and the competition type (I shoot both IDPA and USPSA.)

My question is- How much does it hurt progress to switch between different pistols while learning the basics of action shooting? Should I just stick with one pistol during my initial learning phase or should I learn to apply the basics to all the pistols I intend to use as I get more into competition?

Any insights would be welcome.

Thanks!

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My question is- How much does it hurt progress to switch between different pistols while learning the basics of action shooting?

In the beginning it is best to stick with one gun and learn the fundementals of (action) shooting, it takes time, and goal oriented practice. Shooting diffrent platforms, while fun, can slow the learning curve in the beginning.

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My question is- How much does it hurt progress to switch between different pistols while learning the basics of action shooting?

In the beginning it is best to stick with one gun and learn the fundementals of (action) shooting, it takes time, and goal oriented practice. Shooting diffrent platforms, while fun, can slow the learning curve in the beginning.

+1

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It might be a bitch to try and change mags under pressure with your revolver ;) , but only you know what you are trying to accomplish in the games you play.

If you're looking for fun, and it's fun to shoot different guns, then you're good to go.

If you want to beat people and make them cry, then it would likely be better to pick the best gun for the sport and stick with it.

Once the fundamentals are ingrained, then I think it's helpful in a big way to change guns a bit. For instance, I never shoot a revolver. If I take my 686 to the range and shoot it enough so that the plate rack doesn't laugh at me, then I find my trigger control on my Limited gun is greatly improved. Kind of nice not to have to pick up brass for a change.

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+1 on the others', especially JFD's, comments above.

Another .02's worth:

When you're starting out and developing your basic technique, I think it helps not having to work through extra variables like the different recoil impulse of various calibers, different grip angles and sizes, different controls, differing reload techniques, varying tactics based on varying shooting equipment, etc.

Learn on one, then expand to the others a bit further down the line. B)

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I think we all forget at times that different people learn differently. Experiment and find out how you progress the fastest. If it's by picking one of your guns and sticking to it, great. If it's by shooting different guns, then go with it.

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Thank you for all the replies. To be more specific, I have been switching between a single stack 1911 and a Springfield XD-9. While the grip angle is similar, the sights, trigger, etc are fairly different between the pistols.

I think I will focus on the 1911 for a while as I can use it for both IDPA and USPSA single stack.

thanks again!

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The people I've seen make the quickest progress are those who stick with one gun (and one load) and really get to know it. They commit more to practice than the kind of gun or equipment they use. It's more boring, though.

I've also seen people make good progress when they set a goal for a division, meet that goal, and then change divisions. From my experience, jumping back and forth between divisions isn't helpful for beginners. That's just my observations watching a lot of shooters get better than me in a shorter time.

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Thank you for all the replies. To be more specific, I have been switching between a single stack 1911 and a Springfield XD-9. While the grip angle is similar, the sights, trigger, etc are fairly different between the pistols.

I think I will focus on the 1911 for a while as I can use it for both IDPA and USPSA single stack.

thanks again!

Then you don't have the right trigger on your XD ;) Mine is about the same as my 1911's and as for sights, the Dawson sights make nice sights if you black out the FO. Having the same trigger and sights make switching easier.

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Then you don't have the right trigger on your XD ;) Mine is about the same as my 1911's and as for sights, the Dawson sights make nice sights if you black out the FO. Having the same trigger and sights make switching easier.

http://www.canyon-creek.com/

Canyon Creek Firearms does pretty good work on XD's

LOL. Ironically, my XD is currently sitting in a box with a shipping label filled out to go to Canyon Creek. In said box is a set of Dawson Adjustable FO sights. I read rave reviews of Rich's work on the XD forum and had been planning to send it for a while.

Thanks again for the thoughts on this subject.

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