Better to practice with Walther Pellet or snap caps...

[pcgunner]

As opposed to practicing with snap caps?

I don't get to the range that often and I can't live practice in my yard LOL

I have a Walther .177 pellet gun that's fairly heavy that I use to practice in my backyard and wondering which would be more efficient to practice with - my real guns and snap caps or the pellet which I can fire all over the yard?

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance as always

 

[Devonai]

I suppose it depends on how similar the trigger on your Walther is to your carry piece. If they're comparable, the Walther would be great. But even if they're radically different, a pellet pistol can help you train on other aspects of good shooting.

I'd say both, understanding the limitations of the pellet pistol.

 

[strambo]

Yes, both. Snap caps for the majority and the pellet pistol some times.

 

[Coyote3855]

I vote for the Walther. Snap caps give you very little feedback while the air pistol does. I have an old Daisy that gets a lot of range time in my basement. Doesn't resemble any of my carry or range guns, but I can work on grip, stance, aiming, follow through and see the results on a target.

 

[Matthew Temkin]

I have done a lot of practice with air and Airsoft guns and they are invaluable.
I also have a SIRT pistol which fires a laser when the trigger is pulled.
Dry firing works well but if the gun is like a Glock-- meaning you have to rack the slide for every shot-- that can instill bad muscle memory.

 

[susieqz]

most people don't share my opinion, but here it is.
i think it doesn't matter if your training gun is like your main gun.

i believe the more you shoot anything at all the better you will shoot.
just shoot, shoot n shoot again n you will improve.
an airgun will work.

 

[rudderusa]

My neighbor is US Marshal and he practices with a pellet gun so that convinced me. Moving a shooting pie plates at 21 feet and then shooting driller bees. They are hard.

 

[shafter]

Develop a smooth trigger pull with a double action revolver and everything else will seem easy after that.

 

[pcgunner]

Thx all for the responses...

The thing I am finding interesting is - using the pellet I can holster and practice drawing since it fits well in one of my holsters.

Also the weight of the Walther as mentioned is heavier than my 380 but lighter than my 45 - I'm going to create a few targets, spread them around the yard and give it a whirl.

I use snap caps in doors for exercise and quick aim practice but as mentioned without feedback I tend to think it's not much of a form check.

 

[strambo]

Pcgunner, the feedback with dry fire comes from you. You should know where each shot wold have impacted (calling your shots) based on both the sight picture when the shot broke combined with your kinesthetic awareness of your grip and trigger squeeze.

Professional shooters typically say they dryfire 100/1 vs. live and when sponsored they have access to free ammo so they don't dry fire to save money. Shooting projectiles be they pellet or live does no good if the bang or the focus externally on the shot masks poor shooting form.

 

[1911 guy]

^^THIS^^

Even when ammo is cheap, dry fire is still invaluable. It makes you concentrate on your own awareness of the shot. Every muscle movement, every wasted or conserved motion of the drawstroke, repeating grip and hand placement on the pistol, all of that.

 

[Plan2Live]

[QUOTEthen shooting driller bees][/QUOTE]I thought I was the only one that did that. They are hard to hit in flight but it is doable. The side benefit of this drill is always being aware of what lies beyond your target.

 

[pcgunner]

Pcgunner, the feedback with dry fire comes from you. You should know where each shot wold have impacted (calling your shots) based on both the sight picture when the shot broke combined with your kinesthetic awareness of your grip and trigger squeeze.

Professional shooters typically say they dryfire 100/1 vs. live and when sponsored they have access to free ammo so they don't dry fire to save money. Shooting projectiles be they pellet or live does no good if the bang or the focus externally on the shot masks poor shooting form.

Ah - good points

I just picked up a dry fire book and made a few target stands (this thread - thx rondog: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=797081)

Having trouble with terminology now - but I can see the dry fire practice benefit using a full gun. Going to load some blanks to keep the gun fully weighted

Thx for the info - much appreciated

 

[Vern Humphrey]

It depends on what you're shooting. For an automatic, you might try an old bullseye shooter's trick: Wrap an ordinary pencil with tape until it's an easy slide fit in the barrel, then put up a target on the wall -- the bullseye should be about the size of the pencil's eraser. Shot at it from about an inch or two away.

The firing pin will drive the pencil forward and it will mark the target. Try it and see how tight you can group your hits.

 

[9mmepiphany]

The one thing that an accurate pellet gun can do that dry fire can't is give you feedback on your follow through.

Because the pellet moves so relatively slowly down the barrel, it is great for pointing out errors in follow through after you have broken the shot.

For everything else, dry fire with your intended gun is superior

 

[tarosean]

Dry firing works well but if the gun is like a Glock-- meaning you have to rack the slide for every shot-- that can instill bad muscle memory.

You can stick a rubber band in between the slide/barrel lug,or just about anything to keep it slightly out of battery and it will still give you your press. (Same with just about all semi's)

 

[230RN]

I have two DAO autos and I found that on both, the slide only has to be retracted about 1/4" to 3/8" to get the trigger to reset.

Advantage is that the dummy round isn't ejected with the slide being racked only that far.

 

[Panzerschwein]

If you do it right (read: safely) you can in fact actually do target shooting with a pellet gun inside of the comforts of one's own home. Be sure to follow all local, municipal, state, and federal laws while doing this though. It may well be illegal in your area.