Can i shoot all competitions with a .45? - Newbie question

[dandean316]

Newbie to competition questions here. I have not shot competition yet, but will be starting in the spring. I am not sure which competitions I will shoot yet, but will for sure do bullseye and pins. But I do want to do that race gun thing also.

I have various Para Ordnance's in .45, a single and double action in .40 and a double action in 9mm.

Heres my question. Can I get by shooting only .45 in all competitions? I see a lot of 9mm or 38 super or 9x23 race guns, but seeing as how I can just load down the .45, could I just do that? I guess to say it better, what is the advantage ot shooting 9 or 38 super over .45 if the gun is exactly the same anyway?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Jim Watson]

Larger magazine capacity.
Do you want a real IPSC Open racegun with scope and muzzle brake compensator, etc.? A .45 would be at a 10-12 round disadvantage versus a .38 Super.

Or would you care to compete in Limited, iron sights and no comps, where the .40s would still hold more than your .45?

Better to do Limited-10 where everybody is restricted to 10 shots so affordable Klinton Klips are evenly matched.

How about IDPA, where a single action .45 is in CDP and is restricted to 8 for single stack competitiveness?

Load down? Well, yes, Major Power Factor for all USPSA/IPSC (except Production) and for IDPA CDP is 165 = 200 grains at 825+ fps or equivalent, which is substantially lower than hardball, but not as mild as 9mm, factory Super, or many common .40s.

 

[WESHOOT2]

ONLY MATTERS IF YOU GOTTA WIN

Just go shoot; gun will be determined by your skill.

Or some such zen-crap.
Go have fun.

 

[dandean316]

Thanks for all the replies.

Larger magazine capacity.

I will be using Para double stacks so my P14 can hold 14+1 rounds, and 1 to 4 rounds more depending on if I get extended mag wells or not.

If I use the P16 .40 cal, I get 16+1 and 1-4 extra depending on mag wells.

Won't either of these get the job done? I mean, will I really need a 22+1 9mm?

I guess I am wondering what the 23 rounds of 9mm will give me over 19 rounds of .45. I guess I am thinking if it takes all 23 rounds to do what i'm supposed to, won't my score pretty much suck anyway? Or is it if I'd use the 9mm I wouldn't have to do a mag change so often?

Any comments are apprecited!

 

[BigG]

The few times I shot IPSC, there were stages that required 22 shots to clear, IIRC. That's a lot of ammo, especially if you're shooting a 7 shot .45.

 

[eerw]

Your p16-40 will do fine in USPSA limited..with 140mm mags you should be able to get like 21+1 rounds...or load 10 and shoot limited 10 or shoot IDPA ESP class..

with you P14-45 16 should be ok..but still need to be smooth on reloads when they have their 18-20 round field courses..of couse there is Limited 10 and IDPA CDP class..

In the Limited and L10 divisions of USPSA..40 cal., is the minimum for Major power factor, so if you shot you 9mm in those divisions you would be handicapped in the scoring...If the 9mm para is an LDA you could shoot it in USPSA production division which is 10 rounds and all minor caliber scoring..

USPSA open division guns usually have 27+1 to 29+1 capacity..so whether that is a disadvantage will be up to your skill level..

anyway..as others have said..just get out and shoot and have fun...

 

[gobabygo]

I guess I am wondering what the 23 rounds of 9mm will give me over 19 rounds of .45. I guess I am thinking if it takes all 23 rounds to do what i'm supposed to, won't my score pretty much suck anyway? Or is it if I'd use the 9mm I wouldn't have to do a mag change so often?

dandean-

It doesn't sound like you've seen a USPSA match. Go to www.hosercam.com and you can watch video clips to get the feel of what it's like.

In the 6 USPSA matches that I've been too, at least 3 of the 6 stages at each match have been more than 25 rounds.

So yes, the higher capacity means that on SOME stages, you won't have to change mags.

Of course, that's also why there are different divisions. I shoot Limited 10 and carry 6 10-round mags + 1 in the gun.

 

[another okie]

The answer is to question is yes as far as IDPA and IPSC is concerned. Just make sure you read the description of each division carefully.
Of course, you can't compete in GSSF matches unless you have a glock.

 

[Captal_de_Buch]

Newbie to competition questions here. I have not shot competition yet, but will be starting in the spring. I am not sure which competitions I will shoot yet, but will for sure do bullseye and pins. But I do want to do that race gun thing also.

I have various Para Ordnance's in .45, a single and double action in .40 and a double action in 9mm.

Heres my question. Can I get by shooting only .45 in all competitions? I see a lot of 9mm or 38 super or 9x23 race guns, but seeing as how I can just load down the .45, could I just do that? I guess to say it better, what is the advantage ot shooting 9 or 38 super over .45 if the gun is exactly the same anyway?

Any help is appreciated..

Yep..
I shoot most of my IDPA and IPSC matches with a plain old Kimber Classic or an out of the box Auto Ord. 1911.

I use 8 round Wilsons for IDPA and 10 round Chip McCormics for IPSC..

 

[BillL223]

IDPA and USPSA (IPSC) Limited 10 and Production all have a capacity limit of 10 rounds or less depending on the division. USPSA Limited and Open have magazine length restrictions which limit capacity to say 18-20 in Limited and 28-29 in Open. If you want to play in Limited and Open, a high capacity can be an advantage in long field courses but is not as big a deal as you may think because ususally there is movement between shooting positions and you do the reoad then. Many short courses have manatory reloads so everybody has to reload. I think the biggest advantage to high capacity is that it can reduce the number of reloads required and thus minimize possibilities for mistakes. I suggest you visit www.uspsa.org and www.idpa.com and read the Division and Equipment Rules.

 

[dandean316]

Thanks for all the replies. It gives me some good info to go on. I ended up selling my 9's the other day anyway. If anything, I figure there are so many different competitions out there, I can find a fit with what I really like to shoot.