Why do you shoot one caliber better than the other?

Dashunde · August 13, 2012, 08:30 AM

We all routinely encounter posts like the quote below scattered throughout this forum and others, but I cant figure it out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lots of people

I shoot this caliber better than that caliber.

For me it’s the gun and its sights, trigger and overall feel along with how much practice I've had with the package as a whole.

Many say they shoot 45 better than 9mm, so I cant really buy into the recoil and follow up shootability argument either.

So what does ammo have to do with your aim?
If I handed you 3 otherwise identical 1911's in 9mm, 40 and 45 would you really shoot one better than the other two? If so, why?
(1911 used for the example because it really is available in everything north of .380... but you get the point)

Marquezj16 · August 13, 2012, 08:51 AM

Accuracy fo me has nothing to do with the caliber. It's the gun and shooter.

I shoot terrible no matter what the caliber.

Walt Sherrill · August 13, 2012, 08:59 AM

All other things being equal, in terms of accuracy in handguns, caliber only matters if you think it does.

Sparks1957 · August 13, 2012, 09:12 AM

Poor technique will show up no matter what caliber you're shooting. I think what some people mean when they say that is that they manage the recoil of one round better than another, and can get back on target faster, etc.

MP9 · August 13, 2012, 09:30 AM

I think it is not just the caliber, but the pistol model. you can have several pistols in .40 and all of them shoot differently...

many people have been shooting for years the same caliber, then try another one, and of course probably they wont shoot it well.. but at the end with practice you should shot those very decently...

the handguns basics at the end are the same...

I recall one day a friend told me he shoot .40 better than 9( he is a very good shooter), and then told me that with the 9mm the shots go a little low because he is used to .40... of course.. you need some time to get use to and dont try to fight the recoil/muzzle flip... or at least learn to put less pressure with 9s..

TailGator · August 13, 2012, 09:50 AM

With slow aimed fire, I agree that there should theoretically be no difference between calibers as long as the shooter handles the trigger correctly to get the "surprise" break.

Any time you pick up the rate so that recoil affects the timing and accuracy of the next shot, though, all the things that affect recoil, including but not limited to caliber choice, can reasonably be expected to have an effect. I am pretty sure that is what people are referring to.

Denezin · August 13, 2012, 09:56 AM

It comes down to practice. You practice with a .357 magnum 3 times a week at 100-200 rounds a day for months or years it becomes second nature to be able to shoot fast or well. But not everyone can just start there. Just takes time and practice.

5RWill · August 13, 2012, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denezin

For me it’s the gun and its sights, trigger and overall feel along with how much practice I've had with the package as a whole.

This. It's all about fit and as you said how often you shoot with that said caliber. My Glock 21 doesn't fit me, my M&P 40 does and i run uspsa with the M&P 40. You can guess which one i shoot better.

SRH78 · August 13, 2012, 10:50 AM

IMO, all else being equal, the larger caliber with more recoil should result in slightly slower slower follow up shots. Otherwise it shouldn't make much difference.

The exception, of course, is that once you exceed what someone is comfortable with in terms recoil and muzzle blast, their accuracy will decline rapidly.

booker_t · August 13, 2012, 11:02 AM

It's all about the shooter and their marksmanship fundamentals.

tahunua001 · August 13, 2012, 11:07 AM

familiarity and recoil.

heavier recoil means that it takes longer to line the sights back up on the target and during timed drills this can cause the shooter to rush his shots and fire before he has that perfect sight picture. that is why a number of people claim that they shoot smaller calibers better than larger calibers. I have never heard anyone say that they shoot 45 better than 9mm but I would assume that that is purely because they shoot 45 a great deal and switching to a smaller caliber may catch them off guard because they are expecting more recoil and a louder report.

TunnelRat · August 13, 2012, 11:11 AM

I don't.

Dashunde · August 13, 2012, 11:41 AM

I'll reiterate guys - I've come across several posts that say they shoot 45 better than 9mm, apparently recoil isnt much of an issue for them.
Perhaps they're indirectly saying that 45 and the 1911 are one-in-the-same, I dont know. Either way, its always puzzled me.

Tactical Jackalope · August 13, 2012, 11:49 AM

Quote:

It comes down to practice. You practice with a .357 magnum 3 times a week at 100-200 rounds a day for months or years it becomes second nature to be able to shoot fast or well. But not everyone can just start there. Just takes time and practice.

Bingo..I love 9mm and .45ACP

Though at one time (because of practice, lots of it) I was very accurate with .40S&W. It was like second nature. We as humans adapt to what we're given. However, we have a choice. Caliber, gun, trigger type, etc

so I moved to 9mm and .45 and now I'm used to them greatly. I'm sure I can jump back into .40S&W if you gave me a few hundred rounds. Won't be like second nature that fact but I'll get used to it's recoil. I have before

evilleprichaun · August 13, 2012, 02:31 PM

i think when people are comparing calibers they dont take in consideration how much of each theyve shot. if you own a .45 1911 and you shoot a thousand rounds a week through it and one day your friend lets you shoot his 10mm glock and you dont do as good you cant really compare as much.

also this might sound stupid but i honestly think it has to do with what caliber your comfortible with. if you have a great fondness for a .40 then your gana do better with it (for the most part) . i have a g32 and a g17. and i shoot way better with the g32. it doesnt really make sense considering how much more recoil it has but i love .357

so when i go shoot it i just am in a good mood and do better, i think mood really can effect how you shoot, thats just me though

drail · August 13, 2012, 02:40 PM

Because they are still learning. Different calibers do not affect the accuracy of someone who has mastered the basic priciples of marksmanship. Unless you hand them a defective gun.

loose_holster_dan · August 13, 2012, 02:56 PM

i concur with the opinions offered above.

slow fire should have no affect.

muzzle flip will have the greatest affect on follow up shots, so on average, the 40 will be the worst (of 9, 40, 45) for follow up speed, but each platform differs greatly.

Brian48 · August 13, 2012, 04:07 PM

I've never noticed me shooting one caliber better than the other. How well I shoot has really been more dependent on the quality or ergonomics of the gun itself.

Denezin · August 13, 2012, 05:15 PM

To be honest my SA ultra compact v10 felt no worse in recoil than a taurus pt92 but then again it had a built in comp. But i could dump all 7 rounds into a chest sized target at 10 yards in 2.5 seconds to 3 seconds.

August 13, 2012, 10:50 AM	#9
SRH78 Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 517	IMO, all else being equal, the larger caliber with more recoil should result in slightly slower slower follow up shots. Otherwise it shouldn't make much difference. The exception, of course, is that once you exceed what someone is comfortable with in terms recoil and muzzle blast, their accuracy will decline rapidly. Last edited by SRH78; August 13, 2012 at 09:34 PM.

August 13, 2012, 11:07 AM	#11
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	familiarity and recoil. heavier recoil means that it takes longer to line the sights back up on the target and during timed drills this can cause the shooter to rush his shots and fire before he has that perfect sight picture. that is why a number of people claim that they shoot smaller calibers better than larger calibers. I have never heard anyone say that they shoot 45 better than 9mm but I would assume that that is purely because they shoot 45 a great deal and switching to a smaller caliber may catch them off guard because they are expecting more recoil and a louder report. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

August 13, 2012, 11:11 AM	#12
TunnelRat Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 12,212	I don't. __________________ Know the status of your weapon Keep your muzzle oriented so that no one will be hurt if the firearm discharges Keep your finger off the trigger until you have an adequate sight picture Maintain situational awareness

August 13, 2012, 02:56 PM	#17
loose_holster_dan Senior Member Join Date: April 5, 2011 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 2,461	i concur with the opinions offered above. slow fire should have no affect. muzzle flip will have the greatest affect on follow up shots, so on average, the 40 will be the worst (of 9, 40, 45) for follow up speed, but each platform differs greatly. __________________ Favorite range gun for the money - CZ 75B or STI Spartan V 9mm Go-to carry setup - Walther PPS or PPQ in FIST kydex holster 1AK Favorite semi-auto design - HK P7 "A Sig is like a lightsaber - not as clumsy or random as a Glock."

August 13, 2012, 04:07 PM	#18
Brian48 Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2001 Location: Boston, People's Republic of MA Posts: 1,616	I've never noticed me shooting one caliber better than the other. How well I shoot has really been more dependent on the quality or ergonomics of the gun itself. __________________ Proud to have served.

August 13, 2012, 08:51 AM	#2
Marquezj16 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 2,088	Accuracy fo me has nothing to do with the caliber. It's the gun and shooter. I shoot terrible no matter what the caliber.

August 13, 2012, 08:59 AM	#3
Walt Sherrill Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 1999 Location: Winston-Salem, NC USA Posts: 6,348	All other things being equal, in terms of accuracy in handguns, caliber only matters if you think it does.

August 13, 2012, 09:12 AM	#4
Sparks1957 Senior Member Join Date: September 4, 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,552	Poor technique will show up no matter what caliber you're shooting. I think what some people mean when they say that is that they manage the recoil of one round better than another, and can get back on target faster, etc.

August 13, 2012, 09:30 AM	#5
MP9 Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2010 Posts: 116	I think it is not just the caliber, but the pistol model. you can have several pistols in .40 and all of them shoot differently... many people have been shooting for years the same caliber, then try another one, and of course probably they wont shoot it well.. but at the end with practice you should shot those very decently... the handguns basics at the end are the same... I recall one day a friend told me he shoot .40 better than 9( he is a very good shooter), and then told me that with the 9mm the shots go a little low because he is used to .40... of course.. you need some time to get use to and dont try to fight the recoil/muzzle flip... or at least learn to put less pressure with 9s..

August 13, 2012, 09:50 AM	#6
TailGator Senior Member Join Date: May 8, 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,787	With slow aimed fire, I agree that there should theoretically be no difference between calibers as long as the shooter handles the trigger correctly to get the "surprise" break. Any time you pick up the rate so that recoil affects the timing and accuracy of the next shot, though, all the things that affect recoil, including but not limited to caliber choice, can reasonably be expected to have an effect. I am pretty sure that is what people are referring to.

August 13, 2012, 09:56 AM	#7
Denezin Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 209	It comes down to practice. You practice with a .357 magnum 3 times a week at 100-200 rounds a day for months or years it becomes second nature to be able to shoot fast or well. But not everyone can just start there. Just takes time and practice.

August 13, 2012, 11:02 AM	#10
booker_t Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2009 Posts: 797	It's all about the shooter and their marksmanship fundamentals.

August 13, 2012, 11:41 AM	#13
Dashunde Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2004 Posts: 2,018	I'll reiterate guys - I've come across several posts that say they shoot 45 better than 9mm, apparently recoil isnt much of an issue for them. Perhaps they're indirectly saying that 45 and the 1911 are one-in-the-same, I dont know. Either way, its always puzzled me.

August 13, 2012, 02:31 PM	#15
evilleprichaun Member Join Date: July 30, 2012 Posts: 35	i think when people are comparing calibers they dont take in consideration how much of each theyve shot. if you own a .45 1911 and you shoot a thousand rounds a week through it and one day your friend lets you shoot his 10mm glock and you dont do as good you cant really compare as much. also this might sound stupid but i honestly think it has to do with what caliber your comfortible with. if you have a great fondness for a .40 then your gana do better with it (for the most part) . i have a g32 and a g17. and i shoot way better with the g32. it doesnt really make sense considering how much more recoil it has but i love .357 so when i go shoot it i just am in a good mood and do better, i think mood really can effect how you shoot, thats just me though

August 13, 2012, 02:40 PM	#16
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	Because they are still learning. Different calibers do not affect the accuracy of someone who has mastered the basic priciples of marksmanship. Unless you hand them a defective gun.

August 13, 2012, 05:15 PM	#19
Denezin Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 209	To be honest my SA ultra compact v10 felt no worse in recoil than a taurus pt92 but then again it had a built in comp. But i could dump all 7 rounds into a chest sized target at 10 yards in 2.5 seconds to 3 seconds.