Competition / Practice for Snub Revolver Carriers

[Nick96]

Okay, maybe a a bit beyond the realm of this particular forum, but where do small frame, light weight, snub revolver carriers go for practical practice & competition?

Yes, I have a high cap auto feeder & spare mags. Problem is, I carry a light weight snub revolver most of the time. I'll not go into WHY in this particular discussion - but suffice it to say, the snub revolver is the weapon of choice for me regarding every day carry.

Most of the competition / pratical practice programs I've read about center on 9MM+ auto loaders or 6 shot "service type" revolvers. I have no interest in carrying either. Five shots, short barrel, fixed sights, pocket or other deep concealment carry, .38 or .357 compact revolvers is what I'm interested in.

So, what programs or groups out there caters to the practical limitations and applications of the snub revolver? Actually, I'm somewhat surprised that programs & courses are not readily available for such weapons - given that as a practical matter the "ol fashoned snub revolver" is probably the weapon of choice for most unimpassioned but concerned carriers of self defence handguns.

[ChristopherG]

IDPA has rules for 'back-up gun' matches, which are intended to be run as 'side-matches' at regular IDPA meets (i.e., not scored for classification or anything--just for fun and practice). I know they happen, 'cause I've heard folks talk about shooting them; but I've never seen one, to my regret. I'd love to shoot one, too--being in much the same spot as you and about a grillion other folks who shoot lots of different guns (for me, mainly n-frame revos) but carry little bitty j-frames.

Scenarios are supposed to be close ranged, and with a max of 5 shots required, I think (though I may be open to correction on the 5-shot thing. I know the guns can only load five rounds; don't know if there might be provision for reloads on the clock, and it's a bit late to check the LGB).

[bofe954]

You just have to hunt around, call gun clubs etc.

Here is a description of one near me-

On Saturday, January 3, 2004, we will begin our Winter Pistol League at High Noon. Semi-automatics and revolvers of all calibers are welcome. We will meet for 10 consecutive Saturdays. If you need to miss a week, you may shoot ahead or make up the missed day on a later Saturday. We will score the best nine of the ten weeks' scores.

If there is interest, we will continue to have the personal protection division, which includes any handgun with a barrel less than three inches long. There will be a separate division for five-round personal protection weapons.

[Archie]

Courses are designed for 'competition', which usually means "thirty round burst" in IPSC and "reload with retention" in IDPA.

What is required is some matches designed around eliminating a threat, not the limits of the firearms. Why can't someone do a match where the point is to neutralize a maximum of three adversaries, instead of firing twenty rounds?

By the way, in twenty-one years of law enforcement, I've never been in an actual or potential situation where I was mandated to do a "reload with retention". Go figure.

[Jim Watson]

Archie: "someone"???? No reason not to hold your own match, start your own club, set up your own sanctioning organization and run it your way.

Nick: There is no rule in IDPA or IPSC against you limiting yourself to any degree you like. Take your snubby and some speedloaders to the nearest shoot and cut loose. You will have to have a straight draw holster for safety's sake, but given that, you may excercise your chosen weapon all you want to.

As MD at my club, I am not going to change what I do for the people shooting 4-inch sixshooters and autos, but I will not get in your way or make fun of you.

If you are shooting for practice with a gun not optimized for match performance, it helps to mentally consider each of those long stages as a series of separate encounters. Just think of each target set past and future from what you are shooting at the moment as stressors to get your adrenaline up.

We have had BUG shoots, both to IDPA standard (which isn't much activity) and freestyle. We even had a several month tournament with trophy for aggregate score. Participation was small. Realistic exercises are more often talked about than shot.

[DDGator]

In my local IPSC club, you can shoot anything you like. You won't win with a 5 shot snubby, but you are welcome to do it -- and everyone will probably watch...

I have shot courses with a j-frame at times, for the same reason -- trigger time under stress with my carry gun.

In a friendly match, we will usually let someone with a 5-shot gun count a "ghost" sixth shot the same as the lowest score on the target. Again, you ain't gonna win, so it doesn't much matter.

[P95Carry]

No actual competition - but practice??

I try when I can to take 100 rounds of homeloads to practice with in a session .... and engage a target from different positions, including cover ..... using following approaches.

1] Draw, fire two

2] Draw fire all five and speedload... re- engage.

3] Draw and fire one .. repeat (often).

The latter usually proves the most demanding and useful .. because it establishes the muscle-memory aspect of not only the draw but, the correct grip feel so as to spend almost no time sighting. Close to point shooting but not quite.

[ChristopherG]

As Bill Jordan emphatically said, this is where the great bulk of practice should be spent, if it's really supposed to be about SD and not about 'sport-shooting':

3] Draw and fire one .. repeat (often).

But that doesn't make for very interesting competition. I'd find such a competition pretty tiresome pretty quickly, at any rate.

It surely is something to practice, though, and one more reason I ought to make a timer my next gun-junk purchase. Get that draw and first shot time down with both comp and carry guns. All competition is ultimately against ourselves, anyway.

[ted murphy]

My club does side matches and one IDPA match that is set up to be five shot neutral each year.

I shoot several IDPA matches each year with my j frame. Don't win, but I get some good trigger time in.

It's real critical to practice with the belly gun; it is a more perishable skill than the larger guns.

Practicing out beyond 25 yards is possible and a good idea as well.

Ted

[TonyB]

Me and a couple of other guys sometimes use or 5 shots at a regular IDPA practice..we don't win,but it is great practice....OUr club doesn't do a back up gun night,but we should.....it is challenging using the 5 shots when everyone else is using a high cap auto......real men shoot snubbies anyway:D
I often go to the range and practice just with my CCW(sp101)..I use IDPA targets and set up my own senarios.....:cool:

[Ktulu]

One of the local clubs around here holds a BUG match every September. I've been practicing with my J-frame and I can't wait. :D

[wheelgunner100]

At our local IDPA club we hold BUG shoots twice a year. They have been very popular. We usually shoot 8 strings of fire each of which can be completed with 5 rounds or less. We let people load as many rounds in the gun as they want. If the stage only takes 5 rounds and you shoot 10 rounds it just takes you extra time and hurts your score. We also have people show up at the regular matches with 5-shooters sometimes. They aren't interested in winning, just making sure their carry gun and ammo work under pressure. Good idea in my book.

[The Rabbi]

Hey Wheelgunner,
Which club do you go to? Out at Brush Creek where I go one member brought his SP101 just to see how he would do. I remember one stage that was very complicated with a lot of steel targets, swingers, longer shots etc etc. His comment later was that they didnt use a timer to score him but a calender.
I have to say it took guts to use that gun in a match like that and I am sure he learned a lot of valuable stuff as that is the gun he normally carries.

[wheelgunner100]

Hey Bill,
I go to the club that had a guy show up at our last BUG shoot with a top-break .32 S&W. Hope to see you the 26th.