Bullseye or "Action" what's more practical?

[Bluffton45]

I've shot Bullseye for decades. There were no action or practical disciplines then. We probably would have thought BE was practical. Today new shooters seem to all go to one of the newer games. The threads here demonstrate that preference.

Being confined to a wheelchair I had never tried these competitions. Our club recently started a steel challenge match every month. I tried it & found my experience had ill prepared me for the speed part of the game. Accuracy was a no brainer. The guys tell me BE shooters are slowed by their affinity for sight picture?!?!? I always thought that was a great instinct.

Are the new shooters going elsewhere (than BE) because it's easier, more fun, cheaper? Some say BE is boring. I don't buy that as action shooters shoot part of the time maybe a small part if turnout is good. In BE we all shoot all the time, unless there ar more comps than range capacity & relays (usually not more than 2) are set up.

More X's & 10's to all !!
Ron

[daveohno]

I have shot for years and just discovered action type pistol several years ago. I have shot a police type combat style for years. It is more like bulseye than action pistol and I have found that I get murdered by these action types at action matches. I shoot police combat matches fairly well. I'm a little better than most, I make the upper 30%, maybe. At action pistol, I score in the bottom half for sure. My accuracy is much better than most but my speed is awful in comparison. Many times I use a low cap 1911 or a revolver and get maimed by these speedsters. Even when I try to even things up a little with my Hi Power, I still am in the bottom half of the scoring.

Action Pistol is fast and not as precise, bullseye is very precise and slower. You are correct, you spend quite a bit of time just waiting to do your 1 minute shooting at action pistol.

[Hawkmoon]

Are the new shooters going elsewhere (than BE) because it's easier, more fun, cheaper? Some say BE is boring. I don't buy that as action shooters shoot part of the time maybe a small part if turnout is good. In BE we all shoot all the time, unless there ar more comps than range capacity & relays (usually not more than 2) are set up.

When I was a member of my unit's shooting team in the Army, during Vietnam, we shot bullseye. Today, 40 years later, I carry a handgun for personal defense. The local, informal IDPA-style events I enter are entered because it is a form of practice that's much more similar to the way the weapon would be deployed in real life. Bullseye does not invlove drawing and presenting from a holster; rapid magazine changes; moving from one place to another to engage multiple targets; shooting from behind concealment (I hesitate to dignify an empty cardboard barrel as "cover"). Bullseye competition is good discipline for accurate shooting, but the degree of accuracy required is far greater than what's necessary for real life use of a handgun in self-defense, and does not include any of the above-mentioned "practical" aspects.

[Bluffton45]

I'm sure I should practice a practcal form more often & more rounds as I carry but am reluctant to lose any BE pradtice time .

[EdotKuo]

I've read the OP a couple different times trying to figure out how best to respond. Is the question at hand one of which form of competition is more "practical", or is it why BE attracts less shooters than USPSA or IDPA?

I'm of the opinion that any competition that provides a venue for putting rounds down range is a good one. There's practicality to be gained from any shooting event, especially one that motivates you to improve. I sometimes shoot Steel Challenge for the skills it derives in speed and indexing, but USPSA is my main sport since it seems to combine a series of skills into one event.

I do shoot USPSA with a couple of guys that used to be big into BE when that was more common in my area. One thing is for certain, their accuracy on long distance stages usually puts them close to the high overall scores. So from that standpoint, BE is good!

For whatever its worth, I believe Cowboy Action has memberships close to or slightly over 60,000. I think that's significantly higher than most of the other disciplines. Maybe it's the cool period clothing...

Lastly, I think it's awesome that you're shooting from a wheelchair. I presume it's a 1911?

Cheers

[Bluffton45]

Is the question at hand one of which form of competition is more "practical", or is it why BE attracts less shooters than USPSA or IDPA?

I'm of the opinion that any competition that provides a venue for putting rounds down range is a good one.
Cheers

I kind of wandered a bit there. Interested in discussions & opinions about both. I agree about any competition being good. Not sure what to label Cowboy. Mostly just fun?

I do shoot 1911's. Marvel conv on one for .22 & 38 special conversions but not much .38. Enjoy the .45 most. Bullseye is a natural for the individual in a wheelchair. Good arms are needed though. Steel challenge works as do bowling pins for the wheelchair shooter. I have had a lot of support.

Ron

[daveohno]

Shooters are normally very helpful to each other. I have never met so many helpful people as I have in these shooting venues I go to now. They are a chatty bunch.

I shoot SASS occasionally and my SASS number is over 75,000. I'll have to ask about the Wild Bunch Class and see if they allow it at the local club. I'd still use my Winnie and Stoeger, but I sure wouldn't mind using one of my Colt 1911's for the handgun portion.

[Hawkmoon]

Not sure what to label Cowboy. Mostly just fun?

I think Cowboy action is both. I'm sure there are a lot of Cowboy Action members and attendees who are there for the fun of dressing up in period outfits, but the higher tier shooters are serious competitors who spend hundreds and thousands of dollars having the actions on their six shooters slicked up.

[P Kelly]

I shoot both Bullseye and IDPA because both provide excellent experience, but from different perspectives. A shooter needs both to be truly well rounded in their discipline. Being able to manipulate your weapon at speed with movement is undoubtedly critical for real world application. However, a good foundation in marksmanship in equally important.

My BE league meets on Monday night and the IDPA meets on Tuesdays at the same range. I find the BE night more enjoyable, not because of the discipline but rather the collective attitude. The BE league is primarily older men and is far more relaxed, whereas the IDPA group is full of far younger Type-A personalities and mall ninja types, who've never been to the mountain yet are very quick to voice their "opinion" on all things "tactical". The older I get the less patience I have for those attitudes. I'm not claiming this is the norm, but rather just my expirience with the local clubs.

[Hawkmoon]

My BE league meets on Monday night and the IDPA meets on Tuesdays at the same range. I find the BE night more enjoyable, not because of the discipline but rather the collective attitude. The BE league is primarily older men and is far more relaxed, whereas the IDPA group is full of far younger Type-A personalities and mall ninja types, who've never been to the mountain yet are very quick to voice their "opinion" on all things "tactical". The older I get the less patience I have for those attitudes. I'm not claiming this is the norm, but rather just my expirience with the local clubs.

My local range only holds combat shoots. I've talked to them about starting a BE night, but so far nothing has happened. And at the moment I would be unable to make it every week, so it's really not fair to push them too hard for it unless there were a lot of other people who would also sign up ... which does nt appear to be the case.

There ARE a lot of younger guys at the combat shoots, including a couple of police officers, a Coast Guard NCO who commands a boarding party, and a Customs & Immigration officer. Along with the usual complement of self-styled, high-speed low-drag types. So far, there hasn't been much (if any) lecturing by the young guns to the rest of us about how it should be done. I think most of them are fully aware that they are not practicing for the real world, they are strictly into the competition end, and their gear clearly is not what one might wear on the street.

I suppose it doesn't hurt that, between the current police officer types and those of us who are actual combat veterans, the go-fast kids understand that they have no real basis on which to tell us how it should be done in a real fire fight.