NWI Advice for Competition Beginners

[ChadwickR]

This is a request for all you experienced competition shooters out there. I am looking for anything from advice on breath control, to recommended parts and instructional videos. I've been wanting to get into handgun competitions for a while now, and am looking for a little guidance.

To be more specific, I'm looking at handgun competitions (.22lr), but we can keep this forum open to all types. I will never turn down seasoned advice, no matter what the topic.

P.S. I have a Ruger 22/45 that I am looking to upgrade for this task.

 

[gunbunnies]

Are you looking for help with a specific type of competition or are you looking for general handgun shooting skills ?

 

[ChadwickR]

Specifically, I am looking at Olympic Style Rapid Fire competition. But I know that may be hard to come by in NWI. So something along those lines. However, all general handgun shooting skill advice is welcome.

 

[cyprant]

Steel challenge looks like it will be your game with your 22/45. Its a super fun game and a great place for beginners to learn to shoot on a range with a Range Officer, or RO. You should get at least 5 magazines for your pistol. Safety glasses and Ear Protection are a must, referred to as "eyes and ears". You will either need a pistol rug that can zip all the way around your pistol or a holster made to fit a 22/45.

The closest place to shoot steel is NPCCC in Chesterton. They do not follow Steel Challenge rules, but hey its still fun!

When you go out your first time, shoot slow enough to make your hits. Speed will come... (hope it shows up soon for me) 90% of the people in shooting sports are awesome people and feel free ask tons of questions. Every one wants you to succeed and have fun. Safety is always the #1 priority. Dont buy a ton of equipment off the cut. People will share what they have (you are welcome to shoot my rig if you want to give uspsa a shot)

I'm not the guy to teach you how to win, but I can help you have fun!

 

[gunbunnies]

Well I'm not a instructor of any since of the word but I have been shooting everything from pistol/revolvers, carbines, shotguns, and precision rifle for like 30 something years. I have been meeting up with new shooters for quite a while more or less coaching them on how to use what they bought and getting them safe and on target for a long time. If you want to meet up on a range and have some one with some shooting experience to give you a helping hand then I would be open to doing so. It doesn't appear that you have enough posts yet to be able to PM me on here but if you are interested in my offer leave me a note on here and I will figure out a way to get in touch with you...

By the way welcome to INGO, I believe you have found a awesome place to hang out on the net... Lots of good advice on here...

 

[BillD]

Look at the Rimfire Madness that Gary Chaney puts on at ACC. Just about as much fun as you can have with a .22

 

[ChadwickR]

Steel challenge looks like it will be your game with your 22/45. Its a super fun game and a great place for beginners to learn to shoot on a range with a Range Officer, or RO. You should get at least 5 magazines for your pistol. Safety glasses and Ear Protection are a must, referred to as "eyes and ears". You will either need a pistol rug that can zip all the way around your pistol or a holster made to fit a 22/45.

The closest place to shoot steel is NPCCC in Chesterton. They do not follow Steel Challenge rules, but hey its still fun!

When you go out your first time, shoot slow enough to make your hits. Speed will come... (hope it shows up soon for me) 90% of the people in shooting sports are awesome people and feel free ask tons of questions. Every one wants you to succeed and have fun. Safety is always the #1 priority. Dont buy a ton of equipment off the cut. People will share what they have (you are welcome to shoot my rig if you want to give uspsa a shot)

I'm not the guy to teach you how to win, but I can help you have fun!

Thanks for the advice. I have been looking for somewhere to shoot steel, but all the ranges I frequent are paper only (Willow Slough and Winimac). Back when my brother and I were shooting trap, there was a range in every other town. Now good luck. Thanks for the heads up about the Chesterton range. Thats a way better drive than the slough.

 

[ChadwickR]

Well I'm not a instructor of any since of the word but I have been shooting everything from pistol/revolvers, carbines, shotguns, and precision rifle for like 30 something years. I have been meeting up with new shooters for quite a while more or less coaching them on how to use what they bought and getting them safe and on target for a long time. If you want to meet up on a range and have some one with some shooting experience to give you a helping hand then I would be open to doing so. It doesn't appear that you have enough posts yet to be able to PM me on here but if you are interested in my offer leave me a note on here and I will figure out a way to get in touch with you...

By the way welcome to INGO, I believe you have found a awesome place to hang out on the net... Lots of good advice on here...

I am always looking for new people to shoot with. What ranges do you use?
Oh and be gentle, for the past 5 years all I've shot is trap. Up until a year ago, handguns were as about as foreign to me as a whale to a desert.

 

[ChadwickR]

Look at the Rimfire Madness that Gary Chaney puts on at ACC. Just about as much fun as you can have with a .22

Will do! Thanks for the heads up. Sounds like a good time for all.

 

[gunbunnies]

Well in the cold, I frequent Blythes Valpo indoor and some other ranges both state and private in the area... I'm going to try to PM you with my email addy and other contact info, if you don't get it just repost in here...

I don't game very much anymore... but I have shot

IPSC, 3 Gun, Trap, IHMSA amoung other types of shooting... even done bullseye if anyone remembers that ...

 

[kevinsr98]

This is a request for all you experienced competition shooters out there. I am looking for anything from advice on breath control, to recommended parts and instructional videos. I've been wanting to get into handgun competitions for a while now, and am looking for a little guidance.

To be more specific, I'm looking at handgun competitions (.22lr), but we can keep this forum open to all types. I will never turn down seasoned advice, no matter what the topic.

P.S. I have a Ruger 22/45 that I am looking to upgrade for this task.

Check out rimfirecentral.com for any and all information on upgrading you Ruger...

 

[actaeon277]

You might want to go to the NWI general discussion thread. Go ahead and jump to the end. You might want to "suscribe" to it. It where a lot of us from NWI hang out.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break_room/253008-nwi_ingo_general_post_part_4_a.html

And, you might want to "join" this group. Then you can receive updates on local events.
INGunOwners - Northwest Indiana

 

[Litlratt]

Look at the Rimfire Madness that Gary Chaney puts on at ACC. Just about as much fun as you can have with a .22

That would be RCC, Bill.
Riley Conservation Club

 

[BillD]

That would be RCC, Bill.
Riley Conservation Club

Yeah my bad. I was under the influence...

At least I got your name right.

 

[RePete68]

Hey Chadwick & fellow Crown Point resident! Welcome. Deb's Gun Range in Hammond is about to start their bullseye league. Maybe something you might want to check out. You will be able to shoot your 22 in their league. Also if you want somewhere to shoot in the winter indoors for a very reasonable price is Isaac Walton in Merrillville behind Mike Anderson Chevy. It's open to members only & membership is only $90 a year. They have trap ranges & the indoor range has three lanes approximately 50ft long. I go there in the winter to practice since it's so close & convenient. This forum is also a great resource for shooting info & matches, as you probably already know. I have been shooting competitively for the past 6 years. If you are looking for some training or pointers I could help you out with the basic fundamentals. And as far as your Ruger goes I can help you in that area as well. I have built a bunch of Mark III & 22/45's for myself & others from mild to wild. I have 5 Ruger 22 pistols, all different in some way or another. They are really good guns in stock form & only need a little work to make them great. Lets just say those guns are kinda my specialty. Someone else mentioned www.rimfirecentral.com That is a great site for info which I frequent as well. I would be happy to help you get started. Let me know if I can help. RePete

 

[ChadwickR]

You might want to go to the NWI general discussion thread. Go ahead and jump to the end. You might want to "suscribe" to it. It where a lot of us from NWI hang out.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break_room/253008-nwi_ingo_general_post_part_4_a.html

And, you might want to "join" this group. Then you can receive updates on local events.
INGunOwners - Northwest Indiana

Done and Done. Thanks for the links.

 

[ChadwickR]

Hey Chadwick & fellow Crown Point resident! Welcome. Deb's Gun Range in Hammond is about to start their bullseye league. Maybe something you might want to check out. You will be able to shoot your 22 in their league. Also if you want somewhere to shoot in the winter indoors for a very reasonable price is Isaac Walton in Merrillville behind Mike Anderson Chevy. It's open to members only & membership is only $90 a year. They have trap ranges & the indoor range has three lanes approximately 50ft long. I go there in the winter to practice since it's so close & convenient. This forum is also a great resource for shooting info & matches, as you probably already know. I have been shooting competitively for the past 6 years. If you are looking for some training or pointers I could help you out with the basic fundamentals. And as far as your Ruger goes I can help you in that area as well. I have built a bunch of Mark III & 22/45's for myself & others from mild to wild. I have 5 Ruger 22 pistols, all different in some way or another. They are really good guns in stock form & only need a little work to make them great. Lets just say those guns are kinda my specialty. Someone else mentioned www.rimfirecentral.com That is a great site for info which I frequent as well. I would be happy to help you get started. Let me know if I can help. RePete

Not bad for $90 bucks a year. How busy does the indoor get on weekends?

And you better believe I am open for any tips you can give me on the 22/45. So far Ive gotten the Volquartsen Accurizing Kit, Hogue slip on (unfortunately I have the one with non removable grips), and the Mark II bushing to eliminate the annoying mag safety. I plan on getting at least 1000K rounds down the pipes before I decide if I want to get a Pac Lite Barrel (kind of pricey, and Im more of a "used" guy, aka cheap/paying student loans).
And now the questions (thanks in advance)
If I were to be doing steel plate competition or rapid fire competition and wanted a red dot, is there a specific brand you'd recommend?
If I were to be going in between a bullseye style and rapid fire style, do you think a fiber optic would be a better choice?
Do you know of any mag pouches that would work well with the 22/45 mag?
(I was contemplating making my own out of kydex)

Again thanks, and sorry for the onslaught of questions

 

[RePete68]

Isaac Walton never really gets busy. Most of the time I'm the only one there. Sounds like you already have the basics covered as far as the mods go on the Ruger. An aluminum barrel would definitely help out in speed shooting by allowing quicker target transitions.
For a red dot sight on the Ruger I would highly recommend the fullsize CMore. This is the best quality, most versatile red dot for a great value. Really you get what you pay for. The sight is about $210 & you can adjust the dot intensity(useful if shooting indoors & outdoors) Also you can purchase different size dots. I run a 2moa for bullseye & a 12moa for steel challenge. Allchin offers a slick mount for that CMore that keeps the sight really close to the barrel.
As far as fiber front sight vs. red dot, you will definitely be faster with the red dot on steel and probably more accurate in bullseye with a dot too. It really comes down to personal preference. I'm too biased for that discussion, as I've almost always shot in Open division & all my guns have dots. LOL
I have seen Kydex mag pouches for the 22/45 mags but don't know who makes em. You would not need them for competition. most people load from their pocket, as you are usually reloading while not on the clock. Most steel plate stages are only 5-6 shot strings & with 10-11 rounds in the gun(I can show you how to get 12 in the gun) thats usually plenty of rounds to complete the stage.
There is really very limited bullseye shooting in the area, but a bunch of opportunities to shoot Steel Challenge or steel plate matches around here once spring arrives.

 

[RePete68]

This is the gun is shoot the most in Steel Challenge / steel plates. The whole gun was built from parts. Meaning I didn't start with a donor gun. The whole gun is aluminum & very light. After I built this, Ruger came out with the Lite. I was pissed cuz now you can achieve the same result at half the price. LOL

 

[RePete68]

Some Ruger Lites I have built.