Multiple Classes?

[jgobbels]

Looking to see if there are any advantages/disadvantages to shooting multiple classes.

Is it better for a new shooter to focus on one class, rather than shoot both open and limited?

ANy information would be greatly apprectaied.

John~

[lynn jones]

hi jgobbels,

first i believe you're referring to "divisions"

limited division

open division

revolver division

limited 10 division

production division

shooters shoot in "classes"

grand master class

master class

a classs

b class

c class

d class

i concentrate on one division, open. i do play in other divisions.

lynn jones

[Ron Ankeny]

John:

There is an old saying that goes something like this, "Beware the man who owns one gun. He probably knows how to use it."

I suppose if a person wants to get really good he/she would concentrate on one division but I switch around like some people change socks. I would rather be an earned A or Master class shooter in all divisions than just concentrate in one. I say that because I shoot a variety of shooting sports with a variety of firearms. As my vision declines, I'll eventually concentrate on open because of the optical sight.

The disadvantage to shooting mulitple divisions is the expense and the fact that your practice time is fragmented across multiple divisions. The advantage is that a shooter who can do well with about anything they pick up has a lot of fun, lol. I also feel that a person who learns to shoot an iron sight really well will have an advantage when they start shooting an open blaster.

[AikiDale]

Ron;

If you wanted to get really good in one division before tackling the others would you go limited or limited-10 first? I've been shooting both and thinking about doing revolver later or as a change of pace. I shoot a Kimber single stack in l-10 and a Kimber wide body in limited.

[Patrick Sweeney]

Ah, the things we'd do differently had we known.

My advice would be to bear down and tear up the local matches in Lim10, learning how to reload fast, get hits (because you don't have a capacity margin) and plan your stages. Then add Limited. If you start in Open, learning how to use regular sights will be a lot of work.

Were I able to go back in time, I would have started my shotgunning with an Ithaca M-37. I learned on Mossbergs and 870s, and now I find I cannot shoot a 37 at speed, because I never learned to time my trigger finger to avoid doubles. (the Ithaca has no disconnector. If you hold the trigger down and pump, it will fire every time you close the action.)

[cpty1]

In the last couple of years, I've shot production, Lim-10, and limited. Now about to come full circle and will be shooting open again very soon. My goal was similar to Ron's in the respect that I wanted to make master in four divisions (except revolver). I think my experiences in each division either taught me, or reinforced concepts and ideas that I applied to my shooting in the other divisions.

Production definitely reinforces the fact that you need to shoot the majority of points available on a stage. This mindset is an advantage as you move into divisions with major scoring, because the same thing applies, just maybe not quite as obvious as it is in production.

Lim-10 (and production) requires a shooter to calculate and plan mag changes at the proper times. There is plenty of opportunity to perfect this skill since it takes place three or four times more often than when shooting limited or open. However, this is a necessary ability regardless of whether your gun holds 11 or 28 rounds.

Limited (and Lim-10 and production) requires proper shooting technique(s) and the ability to call your shots, or misses, with your sights, as the shot breaks. The fact that the gun holds more rounds, and draws and reloads are quicker, doesn't mean you still don't have to do what is necessary to shoot the targets as quickly and as accurately as possible.

[Ron Ankeny]

I started with my single stack and no regrets. I added the open gun later.