How to maintain proficiency with all the different calibers you have?

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luckey

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With all the calibers in your collection, I wonder what's your routine like? Each trip with only one caliber, or mix different ones in each trip, but in sessions?
 
Grip, sight alignment, trigger control.

If you stick with those, the size of the round shouldn't really change a whole lot. Unless you flinch.

I take whichever guns suit me for the day. Sometimes they are the same calibre, sometimes not.
 
fenceline said:
Grip, sight alignment, trigger control.

If you stick with those, the size of the round shouldn't really change a whole lot. Unless you flinch.

I take whichever guns suit me for the day. Sometimes they are the same calibre, sometimes not.
Click to expand...

Grip isn't crucial but it helps, follow through needs to be on the list ;)

Tdc
 
It is not so much the calibre as the gun,each of my guns has its own personality and if I don't spend enough time with that gun I don't get to know it and as a result my groups totally suck.
I shoot quit a few different calibre's and generally have more than one firearm in that calibre, lately my choice has been based mainly on ammo/components availability, just bought a pound of smokeless pistol powder so 45ACP,45Colt are in my future just have to get out to the garage to cast some projectiles.
 
i usually take my go to 9mm out and then one of the others.
so 9mm and kimber 45
9mm and 357 wheel gun
9mm and a Ruger 22
just something to give myself as a treat after the 9
 
Try to do different things and different drills. I think alot of shooters "practice" the same way..just staple up a target and see how close to the middle you can get. Its a solitary sport for the most part so there is no coach, no one videotaping your swing, in short no real feedback on how or why you are having good or poor results.

As such the shooter just keeps firing at the same piece of paper and while its fun it doesnt really improve your skills..so I try to find new drills to keep it interesting, and to try to quantify if I am actually getting any better or faster.

Google and youtube have many different ideas to shake up shooting...
 
I think I will go with this approach. Pick a "main" gun(not caliber), and another fun gun to go with. :)
And thanks for everyone's reply, I agreed trigger control is the most important thing for me. I am ok with grip,sight and follow, but still lack on trigger control, especially with long trigger pulls. Will go more often and practice. Thanks again!

wayupnorth said:
i usually take my go to 9mm out and then one of the others.
so 9mm and kimber 45
9mm and 357 wheel gun
9mm and a Ruger 22
just something to give myself as a treat after the 9
Click to expand...
 
While I'm not one to follow it, I've always liked the quote...

"Beware the man who only has one gun. He knows how to use it."

Then again, there is Quigley Down Under...

"I said I never had much use for one. Never said I didn't know how to use it."
 
Seasonal:
-handguns in the warmer months, (mostly rimfire, revolver, cap&ball) quickly followed by any black powder firearm I find most interesting at the moment
-also spring prep' for an annual long range rifle meet
-the hottest months, mostly lots of handgun/black powder
-interspersed with varmint/deer rifle sight in and practice, maybe some gopher shooting too
-as summer wanes I try to get some trap/skeet practice before the fall
-pistol/rifle practice interrupted for the chosen hunting season
-the coldest months after deer season, usually rabbit hunting with shotgun maybe varmints too
-maybe about 6-7 weeks of brass prep/handloading before it's warm enough to shoot handguns once again

Finish and repeat.
 
I used to shoot competitively, but it got to be too much like a job, sucked the fun right out. Now I don't take it serious at all, just plinking these days.
 
fenceline said:
Grip is the foundation. It allows for consistent acquistion of sight alignment, and ensures speeding follow up. I find it very important.
Click to expand...

For rapid follow up shots and other tasks like reloading and clearing a stoppage it is important. To simply place rounds accurately is has near zero effect. Like you I'm a big fan of proper grip, it makes the other fundamentals much easier to apply.

TDC
 
I generally shoot .22LR and either .40S&W or .45ACP on a range trip. Originally I started doing it to avoid mixing up my brass [I try to save all my brass] but now I simply find it easier to organize my ammunition and magazines that way.

I can get out to the range pretty much any day I like, so I don't feel the need to take a bunch of guns along for one marathon day of shooting.
 
The only thing I have to add ( and I'm guilty of it) is there is a huge difference between semi autos and revolvers. Semi autos have the grip tang. As long as you engage the tang fully with your grip during the draw or shoot, you are generally sound. Revolvers are usually front heavy ( esp now that we don't have 2-4 inch models) and no tang to engage. Stock revolver grips ( unless you have Pachmayers or Hogues or something equivalent) are universal and made for no one. I find I'm not as accurate with stock revolvers as I am with semi autos. So the only thing I would say is the difference is not within calibers of semi autos but between revolvers and semis.
 
With 14 handguns of various calibers I just choose what I am in the mood for. It is getting difficult to be proficient with each one but I like the challenge. Sometimes I have to hide the awful grouped targets and hope nobody noticed them
 
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