SO I thought I could shoot....

Guessing you shot B&R, I normally shoot that match but couldn't make it this time. That timer sure does change everything! Maybe I will see you at the next match.
 
Nerves just got the best of you...you'll do better next time.

I gotta get a double stack 9. .45 SS=too many mag changes. That's what kills me. I've been practicing mag changes too. Like I said, that damn timer....
 
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I gotta get a double stack 9. .45 SS=too many mag changes. That's what kills me. I've been practicing mag changes too. Like I said, that damn timer....

Nah, nah, nah! You need a double stack 40SW. You can start out with a Glock or M&P, but I'll wager you end up with an STI or custom limited gun!

Gratz on the first match!
 
I gotta get a double stack 9. .45 SS=too many mag changes. That's what kills me. I've been practicing mag changes too. Like I said, that damn timer....

This past year I "added" Single Stack to shooting Revolver Division. I actually liked having LESS reloads. I have not left shooting Revolver, but now I can choose which I want to shoot at a match given my mood.

I suggest not putting away the Single Stack yet, but most importantly shoot what you will enjoy most.
 
Don't go buy something until you've done several matches. And try a variety of action pistol match types. And look around at equipment for the different divisions. Don't just go buy something.

There is really no point at all in changing your gun until you can run through a match smoothly and competently, doing the basics (grip, trigger, sights, stance) at least somewhat automatically while you execute the plan you made for the stage. At that point you will know what is holding you back. Actually, the more you know, the more you realize that what is holding you back isn't equipment, it's (lack of) practice, and with dry fire, there's no excuse not to practice.

Not that I don't like to buy more guns - I really do. But that isn't the way to get better at matches. Yeah, you can save 2 seconds or so on each reload. Or you can just compete in a single stack division. When you are hitting almost all As (no penalties) and you can see that little bit extra will matter to where you place, then it starts to matter.

It's great that you are starting down the path - congrats on your first match. It does get better the more you do it. Unless you are short of magazines or something basic though, you can run what you brung and do just fine while you are learning the ropes.

My opinion is worth what you paid for it :)
 
One thing I should mention. I guess I've put ~500 through the gun I was using for the match. No issues, ever. So of course I had a malfunction on the last set of targets on the last stage!

Unrelated: I also locked my keys in the trunk of my car when I was getting ready to leave. Maybe it was just one of those days...
 
I've done 2 now and I'm not sure what's most important, speed or accuracy. I know it's a thin line. I 100% have to work on shooting one handed or dang sure need to slow it down.
 
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Totally different when there is some pressure added to the shooting. Under the clock, people watching and comparing your shoot to theirs, keeping up with rounds fired, sequence of targets, safety concerns. Multiply that times 100 if you are ever in an actual gunfight and think about how you'd do.

It amazes me how some people can critique someones performance in a real life or death gunfight based on their ability to shoot paper.
 
I've done 2 now and I'm not sure what's most important, speed or accuracy. I know it's a thin line. I 100% have to work on shooting one handed or dang sure need to slow it down.
Speed over accuracy... within limits. I've done studies when I was active and if you can consistently hit C's and hose the target you will out shoot an A hitter who takes a breath between every round. Keep in mind that you can't miss fast enough to win a match.
 
If you don’t know which is more important, try it. Set up some targets and shoot it both ways. And focus on the front sight for every shot, not the target.

I far from a master class shooter but I think you will find that the extra time to get a better sight picture is much less than the penalty for inaccuracy.

And the answer to the question is “you asked the wrong question” :) It isn’t an either/or question.

You need to shoot accurately _enough_ at the best speed you can. That means learning how good your sight picture needs to be to get a good hit at different ranges. Very different at 3,10,25 yards. And the trade off is different too. At 3 yards always try to get 100% A hits. It takes at most a couple extra tenths to make sure. At 25 yards you may find that “good enough” is 80% As and 20% Cs and that 100% As isn’t worth the extra time. That isn’t a recommendation. Try it at the range and find out.

And practice live and dry for accuracy. Sloppy practice will ensure misses when under pressure and things get sloppier under pressure.

Trigger control, sight picture, grip. Google “dot torture drill”.
 
If you don’t know which is more important, try it. Set up some targets and shoot it both ways. And focus on the front sight for every shot, not the target.

I far from a master class shooter but I think you will find that the extra time to get a better sight picture is much less than the penalty for inaccuracy.

And the answer to the question is “you asked the wrong question” :) It isn’t an either/or question.

You need to shoot accurately _enough_ at the best speed you can. That means learning how good your sight picture needs to be to get a good hit at different ranges. Very different at 3,10,25 yards. And the trade off is different too. At 3 yards always try to get 100% A hits. It takes at most a couple extra tenths to make sure. At 25 yards you may find that “good enough” is 80% As and 20% Cs and that 100% As isn’t worth the extra time. That isn’t a recommendation. Try it at the range and find out.

And practice live and dry for accuracy. Sloppy practice will ensure misses when under pressure and things get sloppier under pressure.

Trigger control, sight picture, grip. Google “dot torture drill”.

Gfreat drill,, can't get those targets today but I can t some sticky notes
 
If you don’t know which is more important, try it. Set up some targets and shoot it both ways. And focus on the front sight for every shot, not the target.

I far from a master class shooter but I think you will find that the extra time to get a better sight picture is much less than the penalty for inaccuracy.

And the answer to the question is “you asked the wrong question” :) It isn’t an either/or question.

You need to shoot accurately _enough_ at the best speed you can. That means learning how good your sight picture needs to be to get a good hit at different ranges. Very different at 3,10,25 yards. And the trade off is different too. At 3 yards always try to get 100% A hits. It takes at most a couple extra tenths to make sure. At 25 yards you may find that “good enough” is 80% As and 20% Cs and that 100% As isn’t worth the extra time. That isn’t a recommendation. Try it at the range and find out.

And practice live and dry for accuracy. Sloppy practice will ensure misses when under pressure and things get sloppier under pressure.

Trigger control, sight picture, grip. Google “dot torture drill”.

I did a version today at 5 yards,, humbling
 
RO told me a slow D is better than a fast miss.

Maybe

Depends on the the time difference is more than the penalty difference of course.

But more importantly, If you call the shot as you take it (meaning you know where the sights were and you know approx where the bullet went), and take another shot to make it up (and both misses and Ds should be in most cases) the slow D wasted more time than the fast miss.

It’s all about maximizing your results in the game.

If you are practicing for self defense then a slow D is better. Unless the other guy runs away from a fast miss. Or running for cover might be better than either :)

Trigger control, sight picture, grip. Learn how fast you can shoot good hits at different ranges, shoot matches that way, and practice to improve your speed while maintaining accuracy.
 
I've done 2 now and I'm not sure what's most important, speed or accuracy. I know it's a thin line. I 100% have to work on shooting one handed or dang sure need to slow it down.

Keep in mind that it depends on your game. If you're shooting USPSA, speed is more important a factor than say if you're shooting IDPA. In IDPA, accuracy is your friend. One miss will cost you 5 seconds, and even a D-zone shot costs you 3. Never go faster than down 2 in a stage. If you check out the top 5 shooters at H2O, they are not just fast, but generally some of the most accurate in the field.

And "speed" might even be the wrong term. Having gone from marksman to master in a little over a year, I never decided one day to "shoot faster." I first focussed on accuracy, then eliminated all the time-wasters one at a time by drilling them in dry fire. Time is important, but you can't miss fast enough! ;) Keep up the good work!
 
Keep in mind that it depends on your game. If you're shooting USPSA, speed is more important a factor than say if you're shooting IDPA. In IDPA, accuracy is your friend. One miss will cost you 5 seconds, and even a D-zone shot costs you 3. Never go faster than down 2 in a stage. If you check out the top 5 shooters at H2O, they are not just fast, but generally some of the most accurate in the field.

And "speed" might even be the wrong term. Having gone from marksman to master in a little over a year, I never decided one day to "shoot faster." I first focussed on accuracy, then eliminated all the time-wasters one at a time by drilling them in dry fire. Time is important, but you can't miss fast enough! ;) Keep up the good work!

I just have to think a little more. Like last week there was a target that I was one down so I decide to take a extra 2 shoots to get in the O area. I spent more time trying to keep it clean than it was worth. It also cost me a reload I would have nor needed. Lesson learned
 
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I just have to think a little more. Like last week there was a target that I was one down so I decide to take a extra 2 shoots to get in the O area. I spent more time trying to keep it clean than it was worth. It also cost me a reload I would have nor needed. Lesson learned
Yeah, just keep shooting and you'll figure out the balances. ;) Glad to have you shooting with us!
 
Are you doing idpa or the other one. Can't remember the letters

Ignore,, just seen your OP. I was thinking they won't let you use that holster in IDPA

USPSA. I don't know why they frown upon it. It pretty much forces your finger to be outside the trigger guard on the draw and the gun IS NOT going to fall out without pressing that lever. But whatever. I love it.
 
USPSA. I don't know why they frown upon it. It pretty much forces your finger to be outside the trigger guard on the draw and the gun IS NOT going to fall out without pressing that lever. But whatever. I love it.

Maybe someone can tell us why,, I look at it the same way you do. I've owned a bunch and never had a issue. I seen a guy using one this weekend but the finger lock was removed.
 
Maybe someone can tell us why,, I look at it the same way you do. I've owned a bunch and never had a issue. I seen a guy using one this weekend but the finger lock was removed.

I'd be interested to hear the theory behind it. Removing the finger lock sounds like a bad idea to me, but apparently someone knows better....
 
USPSA. I don't know why they frown upon it. It pretty much forces your finger to be outside the trigger guard on the draw and the gun IS NOT going to fall out without pressing that lever. But whatever. I love it.
You are pressing the release button on draw, and the next stop for that depressed trigger finger on the draw is the trigger.
 
When I draw the gu
You are pressing the release button on draw, and the next stop for that depressed trigger finger on the draw is the trigger.

When I draw the gun, my finger ends up on the slide release nub where it sticks out on the right side of the gun. 1911.
 
When I draw the gun, my finger ends up on the slide release nub where it sticks out on the right side of the gun. 1911.

This question comes up periodically about this holster. Here's my $.02.

I'm not saying they can't be shot safely, but for the average shooter you are setting up some trigger finger movements by the very design of the holster that are a recipe for potential trouble. Heck, a master class shooter shot himself in the leg (four holes) just practicing at one of my ranges a week ago, and it wasn't a Serpa.

In the shooting sports, IDPA and USPSA in particular, you have typically 30-100 shooters draw a hot gun from their holster, on the clock, under pressure, nervous (especially first time match shooters) typically six times in a match. For fifty shooters, that's 300 draws of a hot gun in a two hour period at one range.

FWIW, my first kydex holster was a Serpa, because they are so widely available. There are MUCH better shooters in this thread than me, but I have never met a trainer, safety officer, or match director who likes the function of that holster for a match, and many won't allow them at a match due to safety concerns.

Retention is important if you open carry a gun everyday (i.e. LEO), in and out of cars, dealing with perps, chasing perps, hands-on encounters. That said, I can't recall a time where we ran with a holstered gun at a match, and then you have that whole hot gun being drawn a whole bunch of times by a whole bunch of people at a match.

Your mileage may vary, but this is why they are not a popular choice at matches.
 
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Sounds logical. Maybe it's got more to do with the gun than the holster. I know I'm not dropping the safety on my 1911 until I'm almost on target. Less safe with a gun with the trigger safety? Probably. those seem inherently less safe to me anyway.
 
*Language alert in video*

This is some folks fear at matches


I actually used to talk to this guy on a Cobra forum 5-6 years ago, before I knew about this video.

Quite the forum "personality". Lol.
 
Sounds logical. Maybe it's got more to do with the gun than the holster. I know I'm not dropping the safety on my 1911 until I'm almost on target. Less safe with a gun with the trigger safety? Probably. those seem inherently less safe to me anyway.
I don't think it's a thumb safety versus non-thumb safety pistol question. That can turn into a whole other debate.

You are mashing your trigger finger in the general proximity of the trigger on a hot gun after the timer goes off, and we all know our collective IQ drops by about 40% when the timer goes off. :Do_O

Mine drops by at least 60%. People do some dumb crap when the timer goes off.
 
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