Practicing with a differnt gun?

[MiloSC]

Well I went out to the range this last weekend and shocked myself with my skills, and not really in a good way. I was shooting my xd 45 and my shot groupings were pretty atrocious. They say practice makes perfect, but a .45 isn't exactly a cheap to shoot. My thought was that maybe another gun is the answer. I was kind of thinking something along the lines of a ruger 22/45. I know that you can buy alot of ammo for the price of a new gun, but I kinda like the idea of getting another piece of hardware for the collection. .22 is a heck of a lot cheaper than .45. Do you guys think that practicing with a different gun would make a marked improvement on my shooting with my (some time in the future) carry gun? Or should i just take that money and dump it into ammo for the .45 and keep shooting that?

Thanks,
MiloSC

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Rmac58]

Well, different guns in different calibers will act differently.
Or do you need to justify another gun?
And you just may need that .22 sometime, so go ahead.
Have a good time, and report on your accuracy.

[AZ Husker]

I believe a .22 auto is invaluable for practice. While there is virtually no recoil, you gain practice with trigger pull, sight patterns, marksmanship, and flinching. If you go back and forth, your flinch will become very obvious and you can work on it.

[dukalmighty]

I bought my daughter two guns a M&P9c and a Sig mosquito,the sig to practice her skills with and the M&P for SD and to shoot just enough to stay proficient and put shots COM

[Wasabi]

Just bought a SS Buck Mark Camper URX myself.
Buck Mark Stainless Camper, pistol 22 rimfire auto loading, Browning Firearms Product

I'm sure practicing with what you carry is ultimately best but having the .22LR around for cheap, low recoil practice for the family will be great.

Plus it was a great excuse to buy a new gun!

[Hydrashok Glock]

I agree that a 22lr is a great trainer as well as teaches you proper shooting.

[SIXTO]

No matter the gun used, the basics remain the same.

[rocky]

Well worth it to own a .22 pistol IMO. You can shoot many more rounds cheaper, the gun will not wear you out as much and it's just plain fun to shoot.

[nosights]

I would definately get a .22LR. I purchased a Ruger Mark III and enjoy shooting it very much! WAY cheaper to shoot than my .45 and still WAY cheaper than my 9mm. As stated before, the basics are the same. Practice grip, stance, sight picture and breath control. You can also go a LONG WAY with dry fire practice. DO NOT do this with the .22 as a rimfire firing pin can be damaged with to much dryfire (or use a snapcap).

I would ask you these questions-
Are you gripping the pistol correctly?
Do cats shed?
Is your stance solid?
Are you pushing strong hand and pulling weak hand?
How far away are you shooting? (start around 5 yds and work out)
Are you anticipating the recoil of the .45 and pushing down?
Is your birthday on a Tuesday this year?
There are so many variables here that are needed to get a good grouping.

I find few things that bug me more than throwing a 3" grouping at 15 yards just to get the 17th shot 4" low due to any of the above issues. Practice with the .22 and get the basics down. Then dryfire practice every night for 1-2 weeks, go back to the range with the .45 and reap the benefits of practice.

I shoot 2-3 times a week and try to practice while concentrating on one of the basics each time.

[rottkeeper]

Make sure you are using the same type ammo each time as you will get different outcome every time if you don't. Even if you are using the same factory ammo every time you will get some 'fliers' but have a much better idea of your grouping.

Secondly a .22 is a great and inexpensive way to practice and have fun. I take my Ruger MK11 every time I go to the range just to have some fun and practice with it. With the exception of felt and anticipated recoil you will get the basics with the .22 and save money while doing so.

[rottkeeper]

Make sure you are using the same type ammo each time as you will get different outcome every time if you don't. Even if you are using the same factory ammo every time you will get some 'fliers' but have a much better idea of your grouping.

Secondly a .22 is a great and inexpensive way to practice and have fun. I take my Ruger MK11 every time I go to the range just to have some fun and practice with it. With the exception of felt and anticipated recoil you will get the basics with the .22 and save money while doing so.

[GreyGhost]

I always take my Ruger MK1 w/ me to the range. I usually shoot 100 or so rounds w/ it. Then I shoot 50 rounds through my carry gun. Its a great compliment to my Glock 26.

Shooting a 22 makes a lot of sense. Its way cheaper than any centerfire round. And you use all the same techniques. This allows me to shoot more often and fire more rounds than I could if I fired all 9mm.

[Wuchak]

The Ruger 22/45 is a good choice since the XD has the same 1911 grip angle as the 22/45.

Advantage Arms was supposed to release a .22 conversion kit for the XD a couple of years ago. It's still not out yet.

[JerryM]

I nearly always take a GI .45 with a .22 conversion unit. I find it great, and would not want to do without it.
Personally, I would recommend a .22 conversion unit over another .22 if there is a conversion unit made for your gun.

Best,
Jerry

[drs1457]

Yup +1 for me too. My Mark III is well used at the range. Very accurate even at 25 yards. For concealed carry and personal defense, bring your target much closer and practice with your 45. I bet I spend half of my range time shooting the Mark III.