TargetTalk

So maybe this is a dumb question, but other than caliber, firearm type, and length, how are the 10m AP events and 50m free pistol events different? It seems to me like they're both very similar (at least to a relatively inexperienced individual haha).

Looking at the world records and scores at World Cups, for the 60-shot qualification rounds Air Pistol scores are about 15 points higher than 50m scores.

Among other differences, air pistol is usually shot indoors, and free pistol is shot outdoors. That makes free pistol subject to wind, weather & widely varying lighting conditions. The last match I shot in, the sun was behind the targets at the beginning, and in front by the end. My last two targets were considerably better than the earlier ones, at least in part because the lighting worked better for my aging eyes.

Equipment wise, AP has a minimum trigger pull of 500g, and must fit in a 42 x 20 x 5cm box. 50m Pistol has none of those restrictions.

Airpistol is good training for Free pistol, but Free pistol will not help much for Air pistol.

David M wrote:Airpistol is good training for Free pistol, but Free pistol will not help much for Air pistol.

Oh, yes, it really helped me on this occasion. Free pistol match - getting my sight organized, gently take up first stage just like always with K2, BANG, hole outside of scoring rings, OOOOPS, TOZ35 doesn't have a first stage.

Air pistol is good training for free pistol, but always remember: You do what you practice.

We had one new shooter at a free pistol match who had shot air pistol quite successfully for several years. Unfortunately, he was in the habit of taking up the slack on his air pistol trigger ON THE BENCH. He put about 5 rounds into the dirt during the course of the match.

David M wrote:...t Free pistol will not help much for Air pistol.

Not at all? May I ask why?

Airpistol is a very good training pistol for any other match. It works well with all the basics, stance, trigger, grip, sight picture etc.... in a indoor controlled enviroment.
Free pistol is in a world of its own, very light trigger, wrap around grip, long sight radius, little or slight feedback, ammo selective, difficult to shoot well and outdoors with all the added variables, light, wind, rain etc.
You are better off starting out spending more time training Airpistol than Free.

David M wrote:Airpistol is a very good training pistol for any other match. It works well with all the basics, stance, trigger, grip, sight picture etc.... in a indoor controlled enviroment.
Free pistol is in a world of its own, very light trigger, wrap around grip, long sight radius, little or slight feedback, ammo selective, difficult to shoot well and outdoors with all the added variables, light, wind, rain etc.
You are better off starting out spending more time training Airpistol than Free.

What do you mean by "little or slight feedback?" Are you saying that because of the grip and long barrel it's difficult to call shots and the light trigger makes it hard to feel a consistent trigger squeeze and break?

lxvnrsw wrote: What do you mean by "little or slight feedback?" Are you saying that because of the grip and long barrel it's difficult to call shots and the light trigger makes it hard to feel a consistent trigger squeeze and break?

I am not quite sure what David means, but I would give negative answers to both your questions.

Calling shots: I am not a great free pistol shooter, my scores hover around 520, but even at that level I am able to call my shots most of the time.

Light trigger: remember that you do not have to set it too light, starting with something around 100 grams will actually give you much more confidence. The current world record of 581 was in fact set with a rather heavy trigger. Very quickly you will get used to your trigger so that 100 grams will not feel light. If you follow the same shot process in free pistol as you do in other disciplines, any cross-training will be beneficial for all disciplines. Of course if you belong to a "snatching" school of free pistol shooting, and wait for a good sight picture to rely on a light trigger to let off the shot at the right instant, free pistol shooting might not improve your air or standard pistols results. But I would question such approach to begin with.

For me, the difference is the level of humbling you experience. I find Air Pistol humbling. I am still shooting a 777 that my wife gave me as a wedding present 26 years ago. I find Free pistol, TRULY humbling. There is a level of exactness required that is mind boggling. I may suggest to those not shooting Free Pistol to try it. It will bring to life the old expression, You don't know what you don't know. I have learned SO much, and with every new lesson comes the realization of how much further I have to go ..... It's so cool......

Spektr, I've seen it in action. Several "Spray and Pray" guys came into one of our AP matches.

Their minds were TRULY boggled by the degree of accuracy we were attaining.

The origional poster was refering to " to a relatively inexperienced individual ".
For this level Airpistol is by far the better training. I think you will progress much faster by shooting a lot more Air than Free.
You have to learn how to read feedback and with the absence of recoil, wind, light change, ammo etc, the result is easier to read.
Airpistol feedback is a lot easier to read and more positive.

At the high end as a competition shooter you will spend a lot more time shooting Free as small score gains take a lot of work.
Usually your Free scores are lower than your Air scores, so more points are available for improvement.

10 meter air pistol is basic to 50 meter free pistol. Usually champion on 10 meter also good shooting in 50 meter. 50 meter free is more difficult than 10 meter. Although it has no trigger limit (500 gram) like 10 meter but look for 50 meter range. small movement on your pistol will make wide error shooting in 50 meter