Could it be that the more guns you have, the less proficient you become?

[FP1201]

I was just looking at another's post about S&W revolvers being on sale, and a great price, thinking to myself "I'd love to have another one" then the thought shifted to the fact that I've got three or four other .357 revolvers, two of which I haven't shot in decades...
If I've worked on a gun or mounted an optic, I'll eventually get over to the Range to get it zeroed in and tested, but seldom find myself wringing one out...
If the "kids" (they're all in their late twenties, early thirties) want to have a Range day, I';; load up anything they want to shoot, and I spend most of my time behind a spotting scope, giving instructions, getting ammo out, etc.
Hell, even the last time we went Bird Hunting I only got off one shot, and only one practice round of Trap in the last five years.
Back to the point; Does having a lot of different guns detract one from the premise of being really good with just one or two guns?
What's your experience?

 

[Justincase]

Definitely the case. I shoot steel matches and I’m usually using a different gun. I bought them because I liked them and don’t want them to just sit there unused. Hence, I never get really good with any one gun, and I can tell since my performance each week has stagnated. Guys who constantly use the same gun typically seem to get really proficient with it.

 

[Grimscale]

This is why I try to participate in the shooting events at my local club. I've become fairly proficient with all of my pistols, my bolt action .22 rifles, and my trap gun.

But you have a good point. I should take my center-fire rifles out and start using them more. Wouldn't want to have issues if they become necessary in the coming months.

 

[Zerex]

100%..............I am now the likely most incompetent of all...............

 

[Tisto]

There is a very old saying that goes something like this :

Beware the man that owns but one rifle, for he likely knows well how to use it.



Very true, in that proficiency is certainly enhanced when you only have one thing to master. That being said, just because you own more than one gun does not preclude you from being proficient with them.

 

[C3D]

Not a controversial topic. Shoot one and only one family of guns for defensive and combat use. Be familiar with many types to handle the unexpected.

For me it’s Glock and AR-family.

 

[togmaster]

You get out of it what you put in. Drifire at home and get to the range as often as you can. Even if you stick with one platform without training you will never improve.

 

[dsdmmat]

Owning them is not making you less proficient, not shooting them is.

I normally shoot 8-10 guns every weekend.

 

[ManualF150]

I supplement my regular shooting with a good semi-auto pellet pistols (not BB guns!) in either .177 or .22 caliber.

I found that shooting different guns actually improves my accuracy on all of them.

Worst thing you can do is NOT to shoot anything.

I've also found that over the years, reloading has made me a better shooter as well.

 

[repete]

Many of us can remember 'back in the day' when we were young and had just one .22 rifle, usually a single shot bolt action. I learned exactly where and how to aim that thing to hit anything I could see at 10yds out to about 100yds. That was the only gun I had for about 3 or 4 years, then I got a semi auto and a second shot and a third and... it's been down hill ever since! jk .

 

[spat]

Bruce Lee used to say not to worry about the guy who has practiced 10,000 different kicks.

Worry about the guy who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.

 

[Zerex]

Yep, having too many guns, makes you not know where the trigger is at all, and when shooting, the bullet may go 180* backwards at you.

 

[Robin]

Yes.
Robin

 

[FP1201]

Yep, having too many guns, makes you not know where the trigger is at all, and when shooting, the bullet may go 180* backwards at you.

Having literally had thousands of Guns through my hands, I've never had issue making technical and proper identifications...not to be confused with those stymied with that "folding thingy that goes up".

 

[Zerex]

I'm kidding..............3 gun, SASS Cowboy, IDPA, etc keeps you proficient if you also shoot trap, skeet, and target shoot........

IDPA creates muscle memory in the brain.............repetiton.

Generally, people will shakily brandish a firearm rather than shooting it...............unless you are a perp and always shoot first.

I have seen plenty of short range misses, at IDPA, Cowboy.............just like cops do.

 

[Koz]

I'm not sure I totally agree with the majority here. I can effectively shoot all of my guns and can strip, clean and maintain them all. I could instantly tell you which one I have in my hand blindfolded. CQC is realistically center of mass at 20 feet or (much) less. I got that. I prefer different types, sizes and calibers for different applications. Not taking anything away from proficiency, but sometimes the right tool for the job is better than using the wrong tool despite being very good with it. As always, YMMV.

 

[Deplorable Me]

I cycle through my collection, shoot one for a couple of months then switch. Have to refigure out the point of aim with the fixed sight ones.

 

[easyspeak]

I've been practicing with my Sig 229 at an outdoor range for quite a while and recently joined a 22 falling plate league using a ruger target pistol with the thumb rest grips. Took me 8 rounds of 10 shots to realize I needed to change my thumb positions due to the thumb rest instead of the high thumb hold on the 9. Sure made a difference.

 

[Podmonkey]

I wrestle with this too. Every gun I buy I think I could have bought an equivalent amount of ammo and thus more range time. But in actuality what really happens is that new guns stimulate more frequent range time and more ammo purchases.
For example I recently got an S&W 586 L-Comp. Prior to that purchase I hadn't been shooting much at all the past 6 months. Since tge purchase I have shot it every weekend m, even if it's just 100 rounds. I've got about 1,000 rounds through it now and that's 1,000 rounds of trigger time that I just wouldn't have gotten at all had I not bought that kick ass wheel gun!
I think I'm also losing weight since I don't have much money left over for much of anything else

 

[gun_slinger_boy]

Eh. Even if true, I'd rather be decent with many than amazing with 1 and ass with everything else.

 

[Xae289]

Somewhat. It's not about having too many guns, it's about not having enough range time. You can have 100 guns, but if you go shoot a lot, you'll be a good shooter. You can also have 1 gun collecting dust and suck. The only time having too many guns makes you a worse shooter is when you have to trade off time and money spent buying guns for time and money on ammo and range time.

At the end of the day, you can be a collector and a shooter if you have enough money and time. If you only have money to be a collector OR a shooter, I'll always have more respect for the shooter.

 

[Darth]

Eh. Even if true, I'd rather be decent with many than amazing with 1 and ass with everything else.

I use the "get to the hospital in a car" analogy

Someone has a medical emergency in your circle and you have access to a car that happens to be on hand. You want the one that can drive backwards with on the Nurburgring or the 283 million others you may come in contact with on the road?

I do fully understand the "be good with one, muscle memory, stockpiling and all that" mentality, I really do. But even when I carry i don't carry just 1 like that. I wear everything from cold weather gear to dive gear to a Playboy Bunny suit to anywhere in the middle. I tailor my gun to my other gear. I'd rather be good with a lot as opposed to great with one.

Plus life is way more interesting like that.

 

[Bustedknees]

I've finally decided to start using some of my safe queens this year for deer hunting. So far I've carried three different rifles all with the same result,,, no shots fired yet.
I've added another rifle to the bedroom sliding door and another newly scoped bolt action for Saturdays Southern opener.

 

[FP1201]

I'm kidding..............3 gun, SASS Cowboy, IDPA, etc keeps you proficient if you also shoot trap, skeet, and target shoot........

IDPA creates muscle memory in the brain.............repetiton.

Generally, people will shakily brandish a firearm rather than shooting it...............unless you are a perp and always shoot first.

I have seen plenty of short range misses, at IDPA, Cowboy.............just like cops do.

When that timer "beeps" everything turns to shit and you find out just how good you're not...tell me it ain't so?
As I have time and cooperating conditions, I hit the Range with something different each time, the other thing is tagging rifles that have been zeroed and what with and/or there are "issues" like scopes not holding zero...I admonish folks to carry a notebook to write down what transpired at the Range, so later when you're trying to remember wtf happened you won't be second guessing.

 

[spat]

I'm not sure I totally agree with the majority here. I can effectively shoot all of my guns and can strip, clean and maintain them all. I could instantly tell you which one I have in my hand blindfolded. CQC is realistically center of mass at 20 feet or (much) less. I got that. I prefer different types, sizes and calibers for different applications. Not taking anything away from proficiency, but sometimes the right tool for the job is better than using the wrong tool despite being very good with it. As always, YMMV.

You can certainly become proficient in multiple firearms, lots of people do.

But, like most things, the more you spread your training around, the less proficient you will be at each discipline.

If you practice both long range shooting and CQB, you won't be as good at either than you would of you focused on it exclusively. That's just obvious.

 

[RedBreast21]

Nothing that can't be over come with many repetitions.