Sidearms & Scatterguns Advice on advancing my pistol shooting22lr or reloader

[boomer81]

I want to up my game. Really breaking it down and pushing it forward.ive been reading the brian enos book and audiotape. So here is my dilemma im certified nra instructor through my job at a fed prison Always been a long gun guy. Im better than the average bear that i teach but pistol is my weak
point I would really like to shoot a ton this year. More for experimentation. And feedback before i ever shoot a comp. Do i buy a dillon for $700 right now for 9mm or do i buy 10k rounds of 22lr and use my 22/45 and shooting 1k rounds or more mong and getting the dillon nex year. Im really enjoying the rimfire training. I have a turret press that can do 3 rounds a min. To get me by for the 9mm stuf now.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

First, get one of the 'mods to move this thread into sidearms and K-Bars. You'll get 'better' responses there. Not as funny. But more useful.

Second, consider a good air pistol. I bought a first-rate air pistol this past spring and it has been fantastic on the fundamentals. Grip, stance, sight alignment. After that, .22 or large-bore will be better spent because you will have your muscle memory down.

If you look through the Sidearms and Kbars thread, you will find the air pistol thread I started and several folks added some excellent input on sources and options. I've now put about 2,000 rounds through my spring piston... at the cost of, I think $7 per 500. And I shoot in my living room.

Just a thought...

Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[Veer_G]

I'd go the route of the Ruger that you have, depending upon which Mk it is. You can wring a lot out of them with some reasonable upgrades.

 

[Alphatreedog]

I would shoot the pistol that you want to improve on . Muscle memory the weight , the trigger , the sight aquisition and follow ups . Don't just check out one trainer , check out everyone yo can find . Dry fire , dry fire , dry fire , dry fire , dry fire , dry fire and then dry fire . This is the most important part of trainig with a pistol bar none . Go to a local steel challenge , IDPA or USPSA competition . You will be floored at how much you improve after one competition. . It will show you your weak points and give perspective into what you should add to your dry and live fire regimen .
Check out Mike Seeklander for some incredible info on where to start . Get a range log and record your dry fire , live fire and competition . I can't emphasize enough to train with the pistol you want to improve with and dry fire . Don't just go shooting , train . Map out ahead of time what you intend to work on . You don't need to shoot more than 200 rounds a week to really up your game .
I am stoked for ya . Good luck . I know that you asked about reloading so yeah invest in a progressive . Two hundred rounds a week is just over ten thousand a year not counting competition . If you want to talk shooting PM me . I'm not Jerry Miculek but I'd be glad to help or just talk with a fellow enthusiast .

 

[308pirate]

You need better training on the fundamentals. Seriously. Do nothing else before that.

Then get setup with a progressive reloader to make shitloads of ammo to practice what you learned in training.

Blasting away when you don't know what you're doing, trying to figure it out on your own, is a stupid waste of time and money.

 

[Alphatreedog]

If your an NRA instructor and have half a brain you can learn via youtube and the internet . Trigger disciplne , grip , stance and sight picture can all be self taught .You don't need to spend a ton of cash on instruction . Dry fire. , live fire training and competition will absolutely get you there . Another thing to consider is that as you advance and compete you will converse with other shooters who can give you pointers and share info . . If you put in the time you will find what does and does not work for you but give things time . Don't dismiss anything , put in the time to prove things out . You will be all the more confident at having developed these skills by doing the work . You will hit plateus as is normal , keep at it .

 

[pmclaine]

Dry fire the gun you intend to be your primary......a lot!

When at the range double up your hearing protection plugs and muffs.

Buy some plastic dummy rounds. In every magazine or at least one revolver cylinder load one dummy round so that you will not be able to determine when it is under the firing pin.

Shoot lots.

When you can drop the hammer on a dummy round and not drop your muzzle you will be awesome.

 

[steve123]

First, get one of the 'mods to move this thread into sidearms and K-Bars. You'll get 'better' responses there. Not as funny. But more useful.

Second, consider a good air pistol. I bought a first-rate air pistol this past spring and it has been fantastic on the fundamentals. Grip, stance, sight alignment. After that, .22 or large-bore will be better spent because you will have your muscle memory down.

If you look through the Sidearms and Kbars thread, you will find the air pistol thread I started and several folks added some excellent input on sources and options. I've now put about 2,000 rounds through my spring piston... at the cost of, I think $7 per 500. And I shoot in my living room.

Just a thought...

Cheers,

Sirhr

This guy gets it! Looking back I bet he didn't think training with a air pistol was as productive as it actually is, especially as too how accurate one can get with a pistol.

I've always been a decent pistol shooter. Previous to practicing with airguns - I would win most often at our local combat matches and eventually advanced to mid A level at the old American Handgunner World Shootoff man against man steel competition. This is good time to make a point, that point is your ability level is directly related to correct practice with amount of rounds down range. You see the professional grand master shooters right? They have literally put hundreds of thousands of rounds downrange, some over a million, so it's no wonder they can do what they do. I stopped advancing for a few reasons, #1 the cost of ammo/components, the cost of travel, the huge amount of work and practice involved! I already had a job and didn't need two, lol.

About the time I got into other types of shooting I ran into a former Olympic pistol champion/Don Nygord, who was now a dealer. He let me shoot the one I was interested in at 10M on a official target. trying to show off I put down five in the 10/2x. I asked him to shoot, the result was 5x's about twice as fast but with one hand, lol, oh well I learned some humility that day! Made a deal right then on a Steyr LP5 Olympic match PCP pellet pistol repeater.

So with this Steyr, with who knows how many pellets sent downrange, the best I was able to get to was hitting 1.25" steels at 15 to 20Y most of the time, like 9/10, 10/10 in the offhand. Why did I bring this up? Because I sure wish I had the Steyr back when I was into the AHWS comps where a more accurate shooter at a certain ability, or speed I should say, will usually win.

Weekend before last I shot a USPSA pistol match, been a couple years since I shot one. I'm happy to report I kept all 84 shots in the A's and B's. Partly because I lost my double tap timing so I shot a tad slower. Next month I'll be 57, eyes not the greatest, not as fast either, but A zones next to hostages and head shots are cake.

So I'd say at your level it'd be a good idea to buy the 22 ammo.

 

[Mike_Honcho]

I want to up my game. Really breaking it down and pushing it forward..

You will never learn to pre-stage a major caliber trigger shooting a .22.

The answer to your question is that simple.

All the things you think you will learn with a .22 can be accomplished with well thought out dry fire.

Get the Dillon.