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Which pistol do you draw first?


Procedural Pete

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3 hours ago, Noz said:

I am right handed and shoot duelist.  My natural instinct is to go to my right pistol. If the stage directions specify split pistols I shoot the left gun first because after doing something else in the flurry of the stage (shooting rifle or shotgun) I will automatically go to the right gun to finish.

The first match that I watched had a split pistol stage. I saw three or four Shooters draw an empty strong-side gun. Because of that I do draw my weak side first when there is split pistols.

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I've heard all kinds of stuff.  Some draw from whichever side they engage the targets first, some weak side, some strong side.  It all seems to work for the individuals.  I'm a proponent of you do the fine motor skills the same way each time.  For me, I always start on the right side, which happens to be my strong side.

 

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The pistol I pull first depends entirely on how the entire stage flows. I try to think my way through the transitions from gun to gun.  It is important to have both hands working.   As I am putting my weak (left) pistol away, I try to be moving to or reaching for the next gun. As I am reaching for my shotgun with my strong (right) hand I am holstering my weak hand pistol away which makes it easy to reach for shotgun shells.  

 

 On some stages it is smoother to start with the left hand, but more often, since most stages flow from left to right, it is just easier to start with the right or, for me, the strong hand.

 

Most good stage writers will sometimes change the flow and that will dictate drawing the weak hand first, You have to learn how to analyze each stage.  That is one of the more challenging and enjoyable parts of CAS.  Just remember that stage design dictates which pistol you draw first. 

 

Evil Roy has a great set of videos on transitions.  I remember him saying that he isn't the fastest trigger puller in the world, but that he won a lot of championships because his transitions were better than any of his competitors.  

 

 

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I formerly shot Classic Cowboy, strong right, and used a cross draw.

In that scenario, I always drew my left cross draw first, to ensure, in the heat of the moment, I did my cross draw dance.

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It depends on the stage but it is usually the right (right handed) that way as I reholster the left my right hand is free for the next firearm.  Also if the next firearm is the shotgun my left hand is close to the shells on my belt.  If I am moving, I draw the up range pistol first because as I draw my hand moves away from my body pointing the pistol downrange.  I also use muzzle forward holsters which makes drawing the downrange pistol difficult to keep within the 170.

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I let the stage determine which gun I will pull first.  I prefer to pull the right pistol first since I'm right handed and a little faster with that hand.  Also, as a right hander, I can be reaching for the next gun with the right hand while the left hand is still busy.  Take a good look at the stage layout and design and determine what will be most efficient.  Two important things I learned from TBone Dooley: 1-keep both hands busy; 2-distance equals time.

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Depends on the Wind,,,,, on stages that can be shot left to right, or right to left ....At WR 2016 some stages could be shot either way ...

And as far as Sweeps I like those that can be shot from either end,with Smoke drift desiding  the end to start on or the direction in which to shoot the stage if the choice is there ...

Sweeps can be shot faster than dump targets if you can start on any end, with a cross wind to help clear the smoke ...

Jabez Cowboy

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Gateway Kid nailed it.  Make a list and practice.

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I'm a gunfighter, so I usually pull both, but sometimes I have to pull one at a time.  In general, I start with the most difficult task.  I'm almost equally terrible with my right and left hand, but some days one is collecting more misses than the other (it's always the left hand), so all other things being equal, I'll start left.  On the other hand, if the targets on the right are farther away or smaller, I'll start on that side. 

 

But yeah bottom line, the stage and conditions dictate, but I always try to get the hardest shots done first. 

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