Air pistol match shooting

[Khornet]

pardon me if this has been beaten to death here already. I shoot a 10 meter air pistol match every Thursday in a friend's barn. It's great fun and very challenging. I shoot a Steyr LP10. Any air pistol match shooters here?

When I shot club matches with .22 and .45 in Ohio I asked one of the top shooters about air pistol. He said he'd had one once but had to get rid of it because "it gave me bad habits." I find that irequires me to concentrate more fully on the basics of pistol marksmanship, especially sight picture. The 10 meter X-ring is only 1 caliber in diameter.

Any other 10m pistol shooters here?

 

[Adam5]

10M Air Pistol

I haven't, but I'am training my 10 year old daughter to. She shows horses and wants to start "Tetrathlon" competition. The tetrathlon is a combination of stadium horse jumping, 500M run, 50M swim, and 10M air pistols.

 

[JohnKSa]

I'm not sure what he meant by "bad habits". The only thing I can figure is that the trigger is so much better on a match air pistol that it can spoil you.

 

[Khornet]

JohnSka,

I knew I'd raise you with that topic.

Adam5, check out Pilkington Competition www.pilkguns.com for all kinds of good stuff on technique and equipment. They usually have some very good used pistols for sale there as well.

I think the 'bad habits' meant that he developed a more relaxed grip than is appropriate for a .45, and probably got used to that easy trigger. Although I must say that towards the end of a 60-shot match that trigger gets to feeling pretty heavy.

 

[Justin]

I used to shoot 10m air pistol matches, and still have the Baikal that I used.
But I've been too busy to practice or attend the local matches for over a year now.

But back when I was practicing almost daily, I found that it was a serious help in improving my slow-fire .22 scores for Bullseye.

 

[bdutton]

I shoot air pistol occasionally and recently ran a very successful postal league this past summer.

I like it. It's a changeup from conventional pistol.

Not sure what 'bad habits' one can learn from AP.

 

[Sunray]

Air pistol shooting requires the same shooting techniques as any other handgun. Stance, breathing, trigger control, sight picture, etc. It does kind of depend on the quality of the air pistol though. A cheap, poorly made air pistol with a bad trigger and sights is just as bad as any cheap, poorly made handgun with a bad trigger and sights. Good ammo for either is important too.

 

[JohnKSa]

I knew I'd raise you with that topic.

I don't know about the relaxed hold. I've always found I shoot better the more relaxed I can make my hold. Within the limits of controlling the gun and avoiding limp-wrist malfunctions, I shoot even a .45 much better with a very loose grip.

Although I must say that towards the end of a 60-shot match that trigger gets to feeling pretty heavy.

Yup--I'm embarrassed to say that I've actually caught myself flinching when I get tired with a match air pistol. That takes some REAL talent.

 

[The Scandinavian]

Yep. I belong to a shooting club that does formal 10M air pistol indoors during the winter. I use a TAU-7.

 

[swordfish]

Air Pistol

Hi....just found this site and forum....have over 35 years shooting competitive experience of 10m Air Pistol. Returning after a 5 year break to the sport. It teaches almost everything you need to know to shoot any pistol, rifle event.

Even after all my years competing and coaching and teaching my kids. It's my favorite....although running very close to 50m .22 cal Free Pistol. That distance outdoors with light change and wind at a one inch x-ring is a real test. But if you can hold inside the 8 ring at 10m....you'll pretty much hold the 7 ring at 50m ISU targets.