Alright, What Caliber Do You Shoot?

[Trogdor]

I have this problem. I reload 45 for bullseye and I want to try out IPSC. Based on the rules, it seems the best all around round is S&W 40. However, since I shoot hand loads and I can't take advantage of high cap mags (I'm in NJ), does it make a real different if I just shoot 45?

Any tips or feedback comes much appreciated...

[Merlin Orr]

Do you shoot a 1911 patern singlestack gun now? If it is a widebody 2011 style/type gun you should be good to go in Limited - Limited 10.. If it is a single stack add Provisional Single Stack to the mix.

Unless I am missing something....

[Trogdor]

Do you shoot a 1911 patern singlestack gun now? If it is a widebody 2011 style/type gun you should be good to go in Limited - Limited 10.. If it is a single stack add Provisional Single Stack to the mix.

Unless I am missing something....

Yeah, a bullseye wadcutter is not for action shooting!!!! I am used to 1911 style grip and really deciding on whether to go with an XD 40 or 45!

[dfwmiket]

Don't rule out the Smith & Wesson M&P line of guns, either.

[XD Niner]

The XD-40 is ideal for Limited 10 but could also be used in Production (downloaded to Minor) or in a pinch for Limited. However, it will be giving away a lot of magazine capacity to those guns designed for 20+ rounds in the latter division.

[ken hebert]

I'm guessing you already shoot and reload for a 1911, so why not just stick with it? The 1911 has it's own division, Single Stack which allows for a traditional gun with 8 round mags. Or use it in Limited 10 with some Ship McCormic 10 round power mags. Both are fun divisions which will let you utilise equiment you already posess and get your foot in the door of USPSA.

[ihatepickles]

Each division favors particular calibers.

Open favors a .355" bullet, the rules allow this size bullet to 'make major' so the smallest bullet means the most mag capacity. Making major is necessary to excel at the highest level of the sport but minor powerfactor can have fun at matches too.

Limited, Limited 10, Singlestack, and Revolver all require a bullet to be at least .400" to 'make major'. But, Limited 10, Singlestack, and Revo are all capacity limited divisions, so a .45 can be competitive at the highest levels since they're not giving up capacity. In Limited, .40 S&W rules the roost, as magazine capacity is important so shooter use the smallest round possible to allow for maximum rounds in the mag. It's possible to shoot minor powerfactor in all of these divisions too, but you give the scoring edge to major powerfactor shooters.

In Production, there is no major powerfactor and magazines are only loaded to 10 rounds. All shots are scored minor so the round you choose is largely up to you. The primary round used in Production is 9mm, it's cheap and accurate. Other calibers are fine too if you reload, but if you don't reload and want to shoot a .40 then you'll be using 180 PF ammo against 9mm with 130 PF ammo - not really a level playing field.

Last thought, you said IPSC - did you mean International IPSC? In the US we shoot USPSA matches, I see you're in NJ but you never know when folks will have the itch to drive to Canada. The IPSC rules differ from USPSA rules, so often gear advice for USPSA doesn't make as much sense for true IPSC shooters. All of the above advice I offered is based on USPSA rules.

[Joe4d]

Shoot what ya got, I shoot IPSC in Hawaii, same thing ten round max, Lots of guys shoot singlestack .45's here with ten round mags. Clubs here only shoot open and limited which ends up open 10 and limited ten. If your Bulleseye gun will run 100% on ball ammo I'd shoot that with either 8rd if your club has single stack division, or ten round Tripp mags. Supposedly there is a slight speed advantage in reloading a shorter double stack mag than a long double but you allready have experience reloading single stack mags so it'll be awhile before you get to the point where the minor difference matters. Secondly you dont know if you'll like it. Three possibilities exist. 1, It wont be for you + for shooting what you got, 2. You will love it and get real serious +for shooting what ya got because if you do get serious yournot gonna be happy with a lower priced standard gun like an XD and you'llwant a high end dedicated purpose built gamer. 3. You'lllike the game and have fun with it but not get carried away another + for shooting what ya got.

[Joe D]

There is nothing wrong with a 200 gr SWC for Single Stack.

[CDRODA396]

I was in the same boat, had a 1911, wanted to see what it was all about, so I picked up four 10 round mags and went. I I had not liked it, total investment would have been $72 for mags. I did liked it, so decided until I was a solid "C" shooter, I would not buy another gun.

By the time I made "C", I had asked and been allowed to shoot several Glocks, STI's, SVI's and a HiCap Caspian. I knew what I wanted, and generally what mods.

By setting this "goal" it forced me to practice before I could spend and worked out very well.

[R/T Performance]

Get a holster and mag pouches and shoot your single stack.

Or Buy an Xd and and add another mag pouch and a few more mags.

If you wan to play production and limited 10 get the xd 40 .

45 acp and minor are a bad combo.

Production is less gaming than l10 but if you get sloppy with follow up shots minor scoring will kill you

[Trogdor]

Get a holster and mag pouches and shoot your single stack.

Or Buy an Xd and and add another mag pouch and a few more mags.

If you wan to play production and limited 10 get the xd 40 .

45 acp and minor are a bad combo.

Production is less gaming than l10 but if you get sloppy with follow up shots minor scoring will kill you

Thanks for all the advice guys. Quick things:

1) Yes I'm used to shooting 1911

2) No, none of my 1911's are suitable for action (folks lookup what bullseye wadcutter looks like, it doesn't even have sights)

3) I started reloading 45 thats why I gravitated toward it. I really do want to shoot Production, Limited or Limited 10

4) Please be aware that in NJ, 15 rounds is the limit no matter what.

5) Yeah USPDA not IPSC

Anyway, that's the situation I'm in. I really did think about an XD-40 and some extra mags to start shooting. However, I normally prefer the a 45 over 40 and wanted to know how much of a disadvantage that is (especially with hand loads).

[LittlePistol]

FWIW, I shoot .45 in Limited 10.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: This what I would do. Buy a XD tactical 45 and shoot it in production and limited 10. You are reloading it now so you have all the stuff. You will need to do the trigger and get the gear for production so you can shoot both. Hope this helps. Thanks Eric

[R/T Performance]

Really no sights?

Got a pic?

I thought you where talking about wad cutter bullets

[Trogdor]

Really no sights?

Got a pic?

I thought you where talking about wad cutter bullets

http://www.rockriverarms.com/item-detail.c...;image=pbew.gif

Bullseye guns usually have red dots though a couple of folks (rare) shoot with a BoMar rib.

Looks like 45 is probably the way to go for now....

[Lee Bell]

1) Yes I'm used to shooting 1911

If that's what you like, that's what you should shoot. FWIW, I agree with you.

2) No, none of my 1911's are suitable for action (folks lookup what bullseye wadcutter looks like, it doesn't even have sights)

The term bullseye wadcutter, as a gun description, is not familiar to me, but the concept is. My Bullseye 1911 doesn't have sights either. I use a slide mounted red dot.

3) I started reloading 45 thats why I gravitated toward it.

So did I, but that's not quite as much of an issue as you might assume. For high volume shooting, like USPSA, you're normally less concerned with extreme precision and more concerned with power factors and volume. Most of us that reload, use progressive reloaders for this sport. Either way, you're going probably not going to want to change everything, every time you switch between your bullseye loads and your major power factor ones. Sticking to .45, will let you use the same primer pickup, but will require you to reset pretty much everything else. If you have to change everything, it's not much harder, or much more expensive, to load a different caliber, .40 for example.

I really do want to shoot Production, Limited or Limited 10.

You can shoot Limited 10 with a 1911 pistol. You can't shoot production with one and you'd be at a significant disadvantage in Limited. You might consider Single Stack, a division specifically set up for 1911 shooters. In my personal opinion, it's a more challanging division than Limited 10. It requires you to pay a lot more attention to planning how to shoot and move through the stage to minimize time lost to reloading. It's an interesting game that some of us really enjoy.

4) Please be aware that in NJ, 15 rounds is the limit no matter what.

Move. It snows in New Jersey. Come to Florida. All your neighbors already have.

5) Yeah USPDA not IPSC

Good choice.

I really did think about an XD-40 and some extra mags to start shooting. However, I normally prefer the a 45 over 40 and wanted to know how much of a disadvantage that is (especially with hand loads).

To start out, shoot whatever you want. Long term, though, .45 is a pretty big disadvantage, with or without hand loading. .40 is particularly attractive both because it allows you to load more rounds into the same space and because the brass is easier to come by.

Lee

[R/T Performance]

That is another factor depending who you get sqauded with you may lose a signifcant amout of brass.40 brass is much cheaper than 45.

[cracker]

Listen to what CDRODA396 says. Shoot the 45. I shot my bullseye gun for almost a year and a half in limited10 untill I graduated to the division I liked (production). You are not going to win any matches anyway in the beginning (there a lot of good shooters in this sport) so who cares if you are shooting open, production, or whatever.

Get a good holster, mag pouches, and at least 5 10 round chip mckormick or wilsons and just shoot.

[LPatterson]

I started this sport with 3 1911's back in '98 when the choices were open, limited & revolver. I bought a Glock 21 & 2Alpha basepads to shoot limited. Then limited 10 was started so it was back to 1911's with the 10 round mags I bought trying to be competitive in limited. The idea of optics sounded good so the G21 had a new barrel & comp & optics installed. Then the ban ended & mags were no longer $120 a piece & I wanted to try limited again so I found a Para 14-45 & Dawson pads for 18 rounds. Then the local club started a concealed carry match using 8-9 round arrays that were tough with an Officers model so it was on to an XD-45 service. The local club has a revolver shooter who is sometimes the only one in his division & doesn't get awarded trophies so it was on to a S&W 625 so he has someone to compete against.

The things that ties all this together is the .45 ACP, bigger holes are easier to score.

[Lee Bell]

That is another factor depending who you get sqauded with you may lose a signifcant amout of brass.40 brass is much cheaper than 45.

I want to shoot where you do. I lose all my brass, every time. That's exactly why I quit shooting my 10mm, started shooting .45 and then bought a .40.

Lee

[raz-0]

if you intend to keep on shooting bullseye, you may want to continue shooting .45 Switching up loads is a PITA.

IMO the biggest drawback is cost. Brass and bullets are pircey in .45, whcih is why i stopped shooting limited 10 with my 1911.

Dont spend money on gear if possible until you ahve had a chance to check out what other people are running. Realisticly, you aren't going to walk in and kick everyone's butt regardless of what you shoot, so show up with your RRA with a red dotted single stack with bullseye loads and shoot open minor while checking out people's gear.

Where are you planning on going to matches? One of the enosverse members cna probably bring some spare gear for you to make use of for the duration of the match.

[ken hebert]

raz-O beat me to the Open thing. Use your bullseye gun, you're already used to the red dot sight. Go with a pile of 10 round mags and a magwell such as a Smith/Alexander or the uber-pimp SVI gaping hole magwell. Like had already been said, your probalby not going to win any matches in the beginning, but you will be up on the curve as you will be using a gun that you are already intimately familiar with. You said your in NJ with the mag restrictions, no big deal. You're only givig up a few rounds to someone with a 15 rd mag. No big deal, practice your reloads, which you need to do anyway in this sport.

Dude, if I was in your shoes, I'd jump all over Open division. Work you up a new load to make major and roll with it.

[R/T Performance]

That is another factor depending who you get sqauded with you may lose a signifcant amout of brass.40 brass is much cheaper than 45.

I want to shoot where you do. I lose all my brass, every time. That's exactly why I quit shooting my 10mm, started shooting .45 and then bought a .40.

Lee

One of the two place I normally shoot the back 5 bays are pee gravel .

The other is grass well mashed down but 2 out of 6 visits I recoped 70% of my brass.

I normally help with scoring and end up squaded with a ton 9mm shooter firering either factory or major 9 and don't care where there brass goes but with compents going out the roof. I try to recoop all I can.I still haven't figured out 45 acp has been around allot longer than 40 and I get 4 brass nearly free less than 1/2 of 45.

Sorry for the thread drift.

I would go and borrow or rent both Xd's and see wich feels the best.Personally I shoot my 1911 better than any other gun so I am going to shoot single stack this year.

[Trogdor]

if you intend to keep on shooting bullseye, you may want to continue shooting .45 Switching up loads is a PITA.

IMO the biggest drawback is cost. Brass and bullets are pircey in .45, whcih is why i stopped shooting limited 10 with my 1911.

Dont spend money on gear if possible until you ahve had a chance to check out what other people are running. Realisticly, you aren't going to walk in and kick everyone's butt regardless of what you shoot, so show up with your RRA with a red dotted single stack with bullseye loads and shoot open minor while checking out people's gear.

Where are you planning on going to matches? One of the enosverse members cna probably bring some spare gear for you to make use of for the duration of the match.

Hey raz, I plan on going to OBRPC (obcats.com) sometime this month (probably indoor first since I've already seen the outdoor match). Yea, I might watch again and see what people are running - it would be awesome if someone could let me borrow some gear for just one match to get a feel for it. I totally interested in the sport...

I can't shoot my RRA or Wilson for USPDA - I won't abuse them. The Wilson I might one day but not now so i got an extra permit and getting an XD is no big deal (its so far my fav after feeling the XD, Glock, P226, and Beretta 90-2).

Man, it seems 40 is definitely the way to go based on whatever one is saying....got to check out more matches! Sorry for being such a n00b...