Deteriation of skills

[conradin]

I have a question. I stopped shooting pistol for the last two months partially due to my LP10E electronic unit was sent to Buck for repair. During the meantime for the past two months, I have been shooting air rifle non stop 3 hours a day. I have never shoot one before, and barely know how to shoot a rifle two months before. I went from unable to reach the target paper to keeping it in the black, and within a 8 ring in grouping. Still working on it.
When I got the air pistol back the very first few days I found myself unable to even keep it on the black, my shooting arm is sore. It is not until the third day I begin to reach the black. The grouping is still poor. Consider I am a leftie but shoot pistol right handed, is it possible that a deterioration of skills happen when you switch from long to short arms, or vice-verso, and may take some time to get back to regular ability? Someone told me I should concentrate on either one or another, because mixing them is impossible and may hurt the performance of both. Someone else also told me that it is easy to pick up long arm from a pistol shooter, but the other way around is more difficult.
Any advice? Also being able to shoot almost as good in rifle in 2 months from beginner as opposed to 2 years in pistol makes no sense. PS. I have never picked up an arm until 2 years ago.

[pgmlml]

keep it simple! Do whatever you like the most and don't care much about results!
Let the sun shine in your heart! ;)

[shaky hands]

Just sell the rifle. Shooting any rifle at 10m is as silly as playing hockey on a lawn, both being Olympic sports notwithstanding.

[Lenny]

I shoot air rifle and air pistol in my basement. It takes me a few sessions to get back to the same level when switching from one to another.

[Rover]

Conradin will sell you a crossbow for a lot of money!

[TomAmlie]

I started shooting AR a bit more, and personally I think the AR helps my AP shooting. The area of movement is much smaller in AR, and somehow internalizing that idea of a smaller area of motion, and changing my expectations and confidence in the area of motion, seems to help me.

For me, it's strictly a psychological issue. For you, shooting AR hours per day, it may more likely be a physical issue. Or, perhaps, the greater area of motion on AP relative to what you're used to in AR is "freaking you out" and destroying your confidence?

[David Levene]

Also being able to shoot almost as good in rifle in 2 months from beginner as opposed to 2 years in pistol makes no sense.

What criteria are you using to compare your performances in rifle and pistol.

You would expect to shoot much smaller groups and higher scores with rifle than you would with pistol.

[Gwhite]

I shoot pistol most of the year, but in the spring my club competes in a highpower rifle league that shoots offhand at 200 yards. I also used to compete in air rifle and air pistols matches on alternate weekends.

I've never found any issues switching back & forth between pistol & rifle other than there are only so many hours in the day in which to practice...

[Pat McCoy]

Also being able to shoot almost as good in rifle in 2 months from beginner as opposed to 2 years in pistol makes no sense.

Sure it does. Think of everything you learned on the mental aspects of shooting pistol during those two years. You did not have to relearn that with rifle, just applied it right away.

[conradin]

OK, third day of shooting the pistol. Back to .800 already. I think it is a matter of both conscious and unconscious shooting adjustment. Still feel weak as grouping deteriorated after 20 shots, no more going through the same hole. Also, the soreness is gone, as after all my shooting hand is actually the supporting hand in rifle, so the entire limb needs to get used to doing all the work again.
Still working on it. Ironically I feel stronger on my right arm on certain places, like the elbow.

[Misny]

One of the biggest adjustments for me is the difference in area aiming for the pistol vs. rifle. The rifle is much more stable; the pistol not so much. The problem going back to pistol is my tendency to "frame" the shot and therefore pick off the shots.