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How Many Of You Practice With One Caliber.. But Carry Something Different?

FireStar M40

Regular Member
Joined
May 3, 2011
Messages
63
Location
U.S.A.
So I'll ask my question again..

"How Many Of You Practice With One Caliber.. But Carry Something Different?"

Am I the only one who does so? I have several different caliber handguns/sidearms.. two of which are my FireStar M40 and my wife's pre-1968 gun ban Beretta 70S in .22 LR. I'll usually practice with the 70S and run through a few hundred rounds before I switch over to my .40, which at that time I'll shoot a box of 50 or so just to tune myself back into the larger caliber.

Obviously the advantage to this is the cost of .22's (@ approx $20 per brick of 500 for training) against the more expensive .40's (@ approx $15 for a box of 50). For me, this scenario works great.. and saves me a lot of money $$$ to boot.

What say you?

FireStar M40
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
I shoot with all the guns I might carry. But I use a airsoft to practice point shooting. It is the only way to actually be able to see the projectile on it's way to the target. It doesn't hurt that it is cheap also.
 

jeeper1

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2008
Messages
692
Location
USA
I tend to shoot a variety of calibers when I go shooting. Of late though they have been 1 inch and larger calibers. That is where my interests are although I always shoot a bunch of ammo through my carry gun.
 

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
Does using a laser in dry-firing count? I use several different brands/trypes of laser devices depending on what sort of training I am doing. When I go to the range I try to go through my dry-fire routine before doing live-fire just to make sure I'm doing the same thing the same way.

I also have a .22 conversion kit for a few of my handguns, but not for my EDC (kinda hard to do with a revolver:D).

stay safe.
 

Gil223

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
1,392
Location
Weber County Utah
I tend to shoot a variety of calibers when I go shooting. Of late though they have been 1 inch and larger calibers.

1 inch and larger calibers? ;) What range allows RPG's? I shoot multiple calibers and my carry is one of them.
 
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jeeper1

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2008
Messages
692
Location
USA
I don't go to shooting ranges. I won't put up their chicken s**t rules.
 

Mark 1911

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Joined
May 3, 2012
Messages
94
Location
Munster, IN
I shoot several different handguns. I think you can hone your technique by practicing on any gun. I also practice with the two guns I carry the most, although I don't shoot them every time I go.
 
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gunns

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2011
Messages
270
Location
Minnesota
I don't go to shooting ranges. I won't put up their chicken s**t rules.

You mean those rules that won't allow you to shoot yourself in the foot practicing that fast draw? Or how about that spinning the revolver around your finger before holstering? Rules are on ranges for a reason, many times there are there because there are inexperienced shooters present or just because those so called experts shoot themselves too often.

I have a friend not sitting more then 12 feet from me now, whose best friend just got back from his third tour in action in Afghanistan and just shot himself through the leg practicing his fast draw. He is an expert and has fired to protect and kill. He now wishes he attended those fire ranges that had rules.
 

Yard Sale

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Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Messages
708
Location
Northern Nevada, ,
...yeah those ranges that won't let me draw from a holster and quickly fire multiple rounds on a target, but will let some mouth-breathing twits repeatedly sweep me with the muzzles of their loaded guns.
 

jeeper1

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2008
Messages
692
Location
USA
You mean those rules that won't allow you to shoot yourself in the foot practicing that fast draw? Or how about that spinning the revolver around your finger before holstering? Rules are on ranges for a reason, many times there are there because there are inexperienced shooters present or just because those so called experts shoot themselves too often.

I have a friend not sitting more then 12 feet from me now, whose best friend just got back from his third tour in action in Afghanistan and just shot himself through the leg practicing his fast draw. He is an expert and has fired to protect and kill. He now wishes he attended those fire ranges that had rules.

No. I mean things like
no silhouette targets
no bottle neck pistol cartridges on the pistol range
no pistol shooting on the rifle range even though I want to shoot 100 yards or farther
no more than than 1 shot every 2 seconds
no more than "x" number of rounds in a magazine at a time
no tracer ammo
no loaded open carry of my OC pistol
no shooting flare or non-flare rounds out of my flare guns (I understand why the no flare rule is there)
no shooting of my mortars or cannons (under 1 inch bore)
no tannerite or other exploding targets
and other similar rules to make things boring.

No I don't do things like fast draw or spinning a revolver, that's just Hollywood stupidity. Things like that are hard to do when you can't stand up.
I am not stupid or careless, I've been hit by ricocheting bullets before. I just mean something more than punching holes through the center (more or less) of a round black spot on a piece of paper.

Edited to add
I am 64 and must use a mobility scooter because I can't walk more than 50 feet.
 
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Gunslinger

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2008
Messages
3,853
Location
Free, Colorado, USA
I shoot .22s for fun at the range. I practice with 9mm and .45ACP and carry one of those. As I also have a .357 for home defense, I also practice with that, but not as frequently. The same applies to my M-4 and pump 12g. There is a distinct difference between .22 plinking and practice.
 

Beretta92FSLady

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Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
5,264
Location
In My Coffee
When I am practicing a lot (prefer to go to the range a few times a week if I can), I have a .22 conversion for my Beretta 92FS.
 

nonameisgood

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
1,008
Location
Big D
I practice and competitively shoot 9 mm, but carry 357 Sig in a different frame but same trigger type.

This may marginally reduce my speed and accuracy, but gunfights happen fast and I only need "combat accuracy". And I can do 8" groups at 10 yards with any just about handgun.
 

since9

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
6,964
Location
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
We had an expression in the military: Train as you would fight, and fight as you've trained.

In my mind, practicing with one firearm/load then carrying another is like training for the Indy 500 by driving NASCAR. Not only does it make no sense, it simply isn't done. Neither do 767 pilots train by flying the Airbus 320 simulator. A boxer doesn't train for a prize match by training as a sumo wrestler, and a karate champion doesn't train by studying aikido.

So, in short, no! I do not practice with one caliber while carrying something different!

I do, however, practice with 147 grain jacketed ball ammo (inexpensive) while carrying 147-grain jacketed hallow point. They both have very similar firing characteristics, but it allows me to practice more on my limited dime. :)
 

Gil223

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
1,392
Location
Weber County Utah
We had an expression in the military: Train as you would fight, and fight as you've trained.

In my mind, practicing with one firearm/load then carrying another is like training for the Indy 500 by driving NASCAR. Not only does it make no sense, it simply isn't done. Neither do 767 pilots train by flying the Airbus 320 simulator. A boxer doesn't train for a prize match by training as a sumo wrestler, and a karate champion doesn't train by studying aikido.

So, in short, no! I do not practice with one caliber while carrying something different!

I do, however, practice with 147 grain jacketed ball ammo (inexpensive) while carrying 147-grain jacketed hallow point. They both have very similar firing characteristics, but it allows me to practice more on my limited dime. :)

On the other hand, it's not a bad thing to be competent with several firearms of different calibers. Pax...
 
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