Treat me like the newbie I am

[David S.]

For marksmanship and gun handling, You might want to pick up a copy of “Your Defensive Handgun Training Program” by Mike Seeklander. It might suggest a second drills book, I’m not sure. Do that.

Most of this will cover the Mindset side of the Combat Triad: I would also suggest you find any podcast or YouTube interview you can with guests that are popular here and applicable to your goals. I’d start with anything featuring Tom Givens, John Correia, Jared Reston, Massad Ayoob, Dr William Aprill and John Murphy. My personal favorite podcast interviewer is Paul at Safety Solutions Academy and Mike at American Warrior Show (skip 20-30 min in for main content) . Civilian Carry Radio and Ballistic Radio are pretty good too. I’d also suggest following Active Self Protection and Aprill Risk Consulting in your social media feeds.

[WilsonHines]

Welcome to pistol-forum; you have come across one of the higher signal to noise ratio firearms-centered web sites there is, I believe. Great for you for wanting to improve.

A few questions?

What are you trying to achieve?

The more specificly you can answer that question, the more the experts here (I am not one) can help you get focused and headed in the right direction.

So for example, do you want to enhance your first shot accuracy from a concealed draw at 7 yards? Are you wanting to improve at competition scores in IDPA or USPSA? Do you want to improve on skills related to .mil or .leo tasks?

As a self-diagnosis, absent other objective measurements of where you are, have you shot or can you shoot 10 rounds at a NRA B-8 target at 10 yards in 10 seconds and post a picture of the target? That is a drill called "The Test". I use it as a barometer of where my skills are. I shoot it cold most every range session and find it is a good overall metric on my skills (or lack thereof lol) and ability to improve.

Another drill I shoot regularly is "Finding Your Level":

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ing-Your-Level




I went to the range for the first time in 2014; I suck at shooting but have been hanging around here for a few years and picked up a few things along the way. There are a lot of good threads here on the forum but it kind of depends on what you are looking for.

Thanks for the reply, I've been busy and also sort of contemplating...

My main goal is to be utterly just as proficient as I possibly can be on about a box a week of ammo. That's it in one sentence.

I will take your advise on the "Finding Your Level." I don't mind gaining proficiency in shooting scores as you mentioned. If I have good scores, that will equate with the goal...I guess.

[WilsonHines]

I’m not an expert either, nor am I telling you what to do. You might consider choosing one trigger system or the other until you are satisfied with your performance, whatever that means to you. Both are good guns, but learning both systems simultaneously may be more challenging without focused training. Just throwing it out there, not saying you’re wrong or will “get kil’t inda streetz!!1!”

As Rich mentioned above, hit us up with some current metrics and some target metrics. Maybe even start a Training Journal.

Welcome to the forum.

I have been focused on the SP2022 for a while. I agree with you that the two trigger systems are absolutely incompatible. Then there's the issue of carrying cocked or uncocked on the SP2022. I'm not worried about it, but my father-in-law (former USAF Chief on Pavlows) is worried about it. I told him it's no different really than carrying a striker fire, in my opinion. The thing that bugs me about a DA/SA is if the hammer is lowered, the amount of trigger pull is flat out prohibitive for me to get a good first shot.

I'm considering selling both of them and buying a Sig P229 and putting a Trijicon RX on it.

[WilsonHines]

First off, welcome to PF. This is a good place to learn about shooting, but you have to understand that the people who post here are shooters above all else. Some collect guns and may buy them for reasons other than to shoot them, but we focus on shooting when we're here. Many of us shoot tens of thousands of rounds every year and we have a marked preference for gear and techniques that work at that level of use. Despite (usually) being polite, some folks find us too intense for their liking.

Now, on to your specific questions.

• You're not far from Ft. Bragg, one of the world's epicenters of shooting talent. A little bit of digging should find a good basic course for $100 or so. This will be an excellent investment.
• Avoid instructors kitted up in SWAT gear--find someone who can teach you the fundamentals: stance, grip, sight alignment, trigger control, and follow through.
• Beware of trying to learn too much too quickly. You can spend a lifetime mastering the fundamentals. There is a time and place to go farther but you're not there yet.
• AIWB can be problematic for a new shooter, so I respectfully suggest that you set that rig aside for a while. Again, time and place.
• I will not be the only one to tell you to pick one gun and focus on it exclusively. I'd say go with your 320 since you're already set up to carry it IWB at 4:00.
• Be very careful with YouTube. Much of what you find there is unqualified people teaching things that are administratively unsafe and tactically unsound. Also, some reputable trainers post videos of themselves shooting drills that look easy but aren't, and that can be unsafe for a new shooter who has not had solid coaching and is not on the right type of range for the drill in question. The turn at the start of El Presidente is a classic example of a place where you can make fatal mistakes if you try it before you're ready. What those videos leave out can be far more important than what they contain.
• You already own two solid handguns, so don't buy any more for a while. Not sure what holster/mag/carrier/belt you use, but you may need to upgrade them. After that, your next purchases should be a timer, a boatload of B-8 targets, five or six spare magazines, and a couple of cases of ammo. Ammo prices are at historic lows right now if that helps you prioritize.

Let us know if you have other questions.


Okie John

John, that is great. A big help.

Question, what is the best timer for the money in the middle of the market? Not a Cadillac, but not a Yugo.

On the two guns to choose from issue? Check my last reply, I think I answered it. But yes, the 320 runs like a scalded ape, quite frankly. I bought two at the same time and the other one had a lot of FTE issues and after Sig had it at the factory again for an adjustment, it still FTE'd, so I traded it for the SP2022. I love the feel of the SP2022, but I am considering selling both for a P229.

I agree with you on the advanced tactics. I'm ready for safe and learning.

[WilsonHines]

For marksmanship and gun handling, You might want to pick up a copy of “Your Defensive Handgun Training Program” by Mike Seeklander. It might suggest a second drills book, I’m not sure. Do that.

Most of this will cover the Mindset side of the Combat Triad: I would also suggest you find any podcast or YouTube interview you can with guests that are popular here and applicable to your goals. I’d start with anything featuring Tom Givens, John Correia, Jared Reston, Massad Ayoob, Dr William Aprill and John Murphy. My personal favorite podcast interviewer is Paul at Safety Solutions Academy and Mike at American Warrior Show (skip 20-30 min in for main content) . Civilian Carry Radio and Ballistic Radio are pretty good too. I’d also suggest following Active Self Protection and Aprill Risk Consulting in your social media feeds.

I just subscribed to both of those podcasts. I walk an hour to 1.5 hours a day, depending on what day it is, so I get to listen to a lot of podcasts...mainly true crime.

[David S.]

I’m just going to put these here.




ETA. Just a data point. Regarding marksmanship and “threat management perspective, there’s a bunch of us on this forum that consider the long, “heavy” DA pull is a feature not a bug.

[WilsonHines]

I’m just going to put these here...

I appreciate that. I don't fear it, but it is different. I've run striker fire for 25 years, Glock until four years ago. So, I am fully accustom to not having a safety.

[RJ]

Question, what is the best timer for the money in the middle of the market? Not a Cadillac, but not a Yugo.

The newly-introduced AMG Labs timer, at $149 pre-order, is well worth consideration. I love mine.

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....Lab-Shot-Timer

[WilsonHines]

The newly-introduced AMG Labs timer, at $149 pre-order, is well worth consideration. I love mine.

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....Lab-Shot-Timer

Do they charge your card immediately or upon shipment? What's the advantage over the $125~ competitors?

[David S.]

I appreciate that. I don't fear it, but it is different. I've run striker fire for 25 years, Glock until four years ago. So, I am fully accustom to not having a safety.

This comment seems to miss the point of the videos and why I posted them.

That said, if the DA isn’t your thing then I’d suggest you stick with striker fired guns. I know carrying a cocked DASA seems similar to striker gun, but the SIGPro isn’t designed to be carried that way. SIG Sauer would tell you this is a bad idea and everyone I’d consider worth listening to would tell you the same. Anyway, there’s likely threads discussing this in more detail.