What do you practice with?????????

[Ghostrider_23]

I have often wondered why people would train with say a 9mm 115 grain parctice round and carry another round like a 9mm 124+P?????????

One could say to save money, but if you need to call on your skill to defend your life you may not find it as familiar as when you practiced.

I belief that you should use the gun, grain or round as what you carry.

I recently bought a G22 for this very reason. (All this after hating it for so long)

I practice with a 180 grain round and carry a 180 grain round as well as use it in IDPA. NOT A G34 LIKE MOST PEOPLE DO FOR POINTS!!!!!!!

To each is their own and these are just MY TWO CENTS IN THE MATTER. PLEASE NO ATTACKS

 

[gilfo]

I think most people including myself would rather train with the same load/round that we carry but cost prohibits it. It is much cheaper to buy 100 rd of wwb at Walmart than blow thru 1.00 per round carry hollow points.

 

[wanderinwalker]

Well, for the most part, it is to save money. I can burn up lots and lots of 115gr 9mm reloads for the cost of a box or two of Speer Gold Dots. Which is better, shooting 50 rounds of expensive ammo or 200 rounds of good-enough ammo? I'll take the increased trigger time.

Honestly, I think most shooters jump between so many different handguns or don't shoot enough (or well enough) to notice the difference between the hot stuff and the practice ammo. Unless it something notoriously underloaded (I'm thinking of Remington UMC stuff myself), it shouldn't present a problem.

The only time I practice with the same loads I use for "serious" work is in Highpower. But that's because at rifle-ranges the difference is much more noticeable.

As always, YMMV.

 

[Marcus L.]

I try to use practice loads that mimick my carry loads as much as possible. Unfortunately, Walmart only carries WWB in lighter grain weights and I prefer heavier grain weights. So, I often buy Canned Heat from Georgia Arms which comes pretty close to my carry load feel in all calibers.

 

[wally]

Since the only folks I know who have fired shots in anger say they never even heard the gun go off, I doubt the difference between brands of ammo will be noticed when the balloon goes up.

--wally.

 

[PzGren]

After well over 200,000 rounds expended in training (not counting full auto in the service) it does not matter to me anymore, least what grain bullet I use.

I practice accuracy with airpistols and it does not throw me off when I switch back to a Glock, S&W revolver, Ruger, or anything else.

This train as you fight stuff was invented by amateurs.

 

[Baneblade]

I carry a Glock 23 at work and used to carry a Glock 22. We use 180 grain Hydrashoks for our duty ammo and 180 speer lawman for training. As fas as recoil go they feel pretty close. However, when my department runs low on ammo I use my own 165 grain Rainier FP ammo. I load them pretty light and train heavily. I have never noticed a difference in my ability to shoot accuratly after switching rounds.

That said, I have also used an Advantage Arms conversion kit on my Glock 23 (which I love). After training with that for a couple of months I did notice a difference in my shooting when I switched back to regular ammo. Finishing a training session with a box of regular 180 grain training ammo helped solve that problem.

 

[chuck520]

Every other weekend I shoot 550 rounds of .22 caliber ammo out of my Ruger MKII. Then I follow it up with 50 to 100 rounds of .45acp ammo through my P90.

 

[Steve C]

It all shoots the same. If you think you can tell the difference its mostly in your head as its relatively insignificant other than the premium stuff shoots a little tighter groups IMO. If you have deep pockets go ahead and shoot that 75 cent a round stuff. Its not going to make you a better shot though.

The theory of using the same ammo you carry would be like shooting without hearing protection so you can duplicate the "real" circumstances under the idea that you'll probably not have time to put on the muffs or insert the plugs prior to the situation. Of course that would resolve itself soon as you go deaf.

In a self defense situation its unlikely you'll even remember the recoil, the sound of the gun or even how may times you shot as your attention will be focused elsewhere.

 

[Treo]

I don't think the basics of marksmanship change based on the round you're shooting.

 

[Surat]

If you want to get pedantic about it, as long as the round is the same weight/velocity, it doesn't matter what the nose looks like as it goes through the paper. Personally I glom a couple boxes of practice ammo from the department to keep familiar with the feel of my duty weapon and work on front sight/trigger squeeze with alot of .22LR

As Treo said, the mechanics don't change and as Baneblade said, if you finish with the "heavier" stuff it's good training value.

 

[jocko]

gilfo: hit the nail on the head. for paper punching wal-mart wwb 100 pack with wifes discount cost me $18 for 9mm.

My carry rounds are 124 grain golden sabre and corbon dpx.. justo costly for paper punching

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I carry an M1911 (in this case a Kimber Classic, MKI.) I practice with cast bullet loads matched to my carry load.

I also practice with my M1927 Argentine mounting a Colt Ace Conversion Kit.

 

[ojibweindian]

Point of impact differences between a standard pressure 115 grain 9mm bullet and a 124 grain 9mm +P isn't that significant at ranges under 20 yards. Recoil isn't that much of an issue, either.

 

[robctwo]

I have a .22 conversion for my CZs and my 1911s. Shooting a lot of .22 from the same frame with the same manual of arms and trigger gets me very familiar with the operation of the gun and builds accuracy. When I shoot the .45 or 9mm I look for the same sight picture as the .22 and have increased my accuracy with the center fire rounds. I shoot a lot of target reloads in 9mm and .45. When I go full charge carry loads I find that all the practice with the .22 and the light loads actually improves my shooting.

If all I shoot is heavy and expensive I don't shoot as much, and my accuracy goes to heck in a hurry.

 

[M2 Carbine]

I belief that you should use the gun, grain or round as what you carry.

Shooting is shooting.

If a shooter can't hit COM reliably (7-10 yards) with any bullet weight in most any gun then the problem is lack of practice or training, not the equipment.

 

[skinewmexico]

I don't think the basics of marksmanship change based on the round you're shooting.

+1. And at the distance of most defensive encounters, it's not like it's a difficult shot. I'd say muscle memory is more important.

 

[Butter]

I agree with M2. Also, others pointed out the money constraint. I budget to practice and I budget to go to classes. I shoot about 12-14,000 rounds a year and live in an apt that doesn't have space for a reloader. So I buy cheap. I also dry fire practice.

Shooting skill manifests itself in application, but to get there, I don't think I have to necessarily spend a buck or two on each round to familiarize myself with the SD cartridge I choose.

If we stretch the logic of the original post, then dry firing with snap caps wouldn't be necessarily good practice, or having a .22 conversion on a 1911 pistol. But I'd say that between range trips, dry firing and getting to know your trigger pull and reset will reap many rewards and that you don't have to go all out in subjecting yourself to the pain of expending large portions of your spare change to shooting your SD rounds all the time. Plus, consider the additional wear to your gun with +P cartridges all the time, every time.

 

[The Bushmaster]

I reload an equal round, but cheaper, that matches the ballistic of what I carry. And every time I replace my carry rounds I shoot the old ones to verify...

 

[frankd4]

90% of training is muscle memory draw, sight picture and trigger pull when you have mastered that the rest is mute.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

There is good training and bad training. Good training is when you do everything as close to perfectly as possible and get hits.

Bad training is when you're sloppy, and have no standard to meet.

That's why an essential part of every good training program includes shooting ammunition that is identical to your carry load, or as close as you can get.