TargetTalk

Is there any rule that you have to master air pistol before you get on to say standard pistol, rapid fire etc. I began in air pistol though I find rapid fire more exciting (all theory till now).
Is it that if I am just about average in air pistol, I won't be much better in rapid fire? What I have seen of the ISSF air pistol so far gives me an uneasy feeling that my theory may hold true. What do you gentlemen think?

Regards,

Dev

There is no rule of which you speak. Different folks excel at different aspects of the sport. A rare few, excel at many different disciplines (Dr. Darius Young comes to mind). Not doing so well in one discipline doesn't necessarily mean that one won't excel in others, as long as you have the physical capabilities, i.e. good eyesight, physical endurance, and no maladies. If you find one discipline more appealing, it may mean that you will train harder and develop to a higher level than in another.

Do what you like to do and have fun! If someone in a mentoring position (or heaven forbid a coach) tells you not to do anything until you've 'mastered' AP... get someone new to mentor you.

Rapid Fire and AP/Free have _very_ little in common. Just have FUN! And make sure you try out some silhouette as well!!!

Oz

Oz wrote:Do what you like to do and have fun! If someone in a mentoring position (or heaven forbid a coach) tells you not to do anything until you've 'mastered' AP... get someone new to mentor you.

Rapid Fire and AP/Free have _very_ little in common. Just have FUN! And make sure you try out some silhouette as well!!!

Oz

Thanks for the reminder, Oz. I haven't tried Silhouette yet.
Ben

I think that air pistol is the BEST and cheapest way to learn the basic elements of shooting because you don't have the distraction of blast and recoil.

But, OZ is right...have fun! It's like sex...you don't have to be good at it to enjoy it.

Thank you so much for your inputs gentlemen. I will try my hand at rapid fire, would love to try silhouettes but we don't have that sport in India. We have mainly ISSF disciplines for civilians. Had some fun with combat shooting when a mean para-commando became a friend.

Have fun,

Dev

Dev wrote:Is there any rule that you have to master air pistol before you get on to say standard pistol, rapid fire etc.

I shot Standard and Centre-Fire in two World Championships before I even owned an air pistol. In fact I only bought my first AP 17 years after I started shooting.

Rover wrote: But, OZ is right...have fun! It's like sex...you don't have to be good at it to enjoy it.

Both thumbs up ! :D

Dev wrote:Is there any rule that you have to master air pistol before you get on to say standard pistol, rapid fire etc. ...

1) No such rule, BUT...
Inherent to Air Pistol is the need for excellent trigger control and follow through - particularly for the likes of the old '65s where the pellet takes a while to exit the barrel.

2) No such rule BUT...
...there is definitely no rule that Air Pistol will harm your technique in any other event.

3) No such rule BUT...
A surprising number of the world's top pistol shooters (including Action/IPSC) shoot Air Pistol to hone their skills.

Okay my dear gurus,

I was waiting for Sunday because that is the day me and a friend go and shoot a friendly match. But as we were about to leave the monsoon clouds decided to ring our door bell. So we decided to push it to next week. But I decided that it was time for some extended live fire practice at home.
So I first plaster one zeroing card with ten pellets hmmmm not so good. Take another card and blast ten slowly thinking that i will begin scoring with it. But again the group begins with a ten and then starts to walk higher and higher till a few sevens are shot hmmmmm okay quickly designate card as second sighter. Ha ha score doesn't matter now.
I decide to shoot three cards with ten shots, changing the card after every shot like a real match. I don't have a pulley system and so its shoot, lower pistol to table, walk across and change target, walk back check position etc.
And no matter how much time I took I shoot 91 in the second card, 84 in the first and then an appalling 72 in the last.
I was now at my wits end, darker than a monsoon cloud and almost ready to drown Delhi in tears. I go to the wife who is napping and mumble about being really bad at this and all. But she is hardly sympathetic, like an ace coach she mumbles in her sleep,"u don't hold enough." I slam the door and rush out...the world was fine, now even the wife?%^^&8.
I pick up a target, shove it into the target trap. I pick up ten pellets. I load pistol point, reach white area below black and thwapppp. (Took the ear plugs out in anger). I actually snarl as I load another pellet and shoot again. I am actually stuffing pellets as fast as I can and thumping them downrange. Forget whether I was breathing in or out, forgot which part of the trigger finger I was using but like a fury I shoot ten shots...have nothing to loose anyway. Walk up to the target expecting a wide smiley face cut out of pellets but damn....five pellets are in the ten cutting each other, four more are in the nine and one rebel cuts a six. Ohhhh a 91, rush and show it to the wife. She doesn't even bat an eyelid and says go shoot another card. I am scared but I shoot with the same reckless speed again. And yet again 4 tens, 4 nines, one rebel 7 and another non conformist 8...jeez another 91. I am now blown by the result and put the pistol away, I am overcome with a strange delicious joy, I am beginning to score well again.
So what do you gents think of this strange phenomenon a fluke? Or anger over riding the conscious mind, naturally I will inspect this closely at the range to find the truth.

Regards,

Dev

I think in New Delhi, as in Arizona, when the monsoon comes in it blows smoke up our ass and agitates our karma.

We don't shoot here during the monsoon season.

मैं नई दिल्ली में लगता है, एरिज़ोना, के रूप में जब यह मानसून में आता है लड़ने को धूम्रपान हमारे गधा और हमारे कर्म विरोध नहीं.

हम यहाँ मानसून के मौसम के दौरान गोली मत चलाना.

Rover wrote:I think in New Delhi, as in Arizona, when the monsoon comes in it blows smoke up our ass and agitates our karma.

We don't shoot here during the monsoon season.

मैं नई दिल्ली में लगता है, एरिज़ोना, के रूप में जब यह मानसून में आता है लड़ने को धूम्रपान हमारे गधा और हमारे कर्म विरोध नहीं.

हम यहाँ मानसून के मौसम के दौरान गोली मत चलाना.

Really appreciate your attempt to answer in Hindi :-), normally a guru's words transcend linguistic barriers.
P.S. The babel fish says that you are stuck in Delhi and smoking, you come in the monsoon and your karma and your donkey have no competition.
:-) :-) :-)
Regards,

Dev

Exactly what I meant!

Oz wrote:
Rapid Fire and AP/Free have _very_ little in common.

Oz

Gotta say.... I disagree totally.

The process involved in shooting a 10 in rapid fire heavily relies upon trigger control.

What is the best tool for learning trigger control?... Air Pistol.

Air Pistol is the dictionary of Pistol Shooting. To some extent it utilizes every skill of the sport.

That being said there is no reason why you have to start shooting Air and not be able to move on until you have completely mastered it. Pistol Shooting is a hobby and you should do what you want to do.

Good luck