Originally Posted by jakeleinen1

What a silly thread...

What a stupidly judgmental comment!

Discussions and the exchange of information are never silly.
People who are so set in their way of thinking that they think that discussions are silly, are foolish and likely incapable of learning.

...And they're called magazines, not "clips." There is a difference, although you may find that silly.

Well Steve you beat me to it.

Jake I am glad you see no difference in recoil between the two guns but many people do. The .45 vs. 9mm debate has raged for decades and I think you will find that there will be a faster shot to shot recovery with a 9mm than with a .45.
Generally speaking the smaller the caliber and the bigger the gun the easier it is to shoot. Perceived/Felt recoil is different for everyone that is one of the reasons why companies offer so many different variations in size and caliber of their guns.

The OP made a good choice based on his needs and wants.

Originally Posted by Steve M1911A1

...And they're called magazines, not "clips." There is a difference, although you may find that silly.

Personally Steve, I think we focus on this too much. Although as a response to the previous post, good idea.

My rant on clip/magazine:
Do we know what is meant? Yes
Have they been used interchangeably for years? Yes (even by manufacturers)
Are they technically the same? Nope
Does it really matter. Probably not

Kinda like we don't correct people for saying the MOTOR in their car is a V-8

Originally Posted by tacman605

Jake I am glad you see no difference in recoil between the two guns but many people do. The .45 vs. 9mm debate has raged for decades and I think you will find that there will be a faster shot to shot recovery with a 9mm than with a .45.
Generally speaking the smaller the caliber and the bigger the gun the easier it is to shoot. Perceived/Felt recoil is different for everyone that is one of the reasons why companies offer so many different variations in size and caliber of their guns.

Yeah thats why I said felt recoil in my response. With practice ultimately you can get as good with a .45 IMO as you can a 9mm. Thats probably why I don't feel a difference.

Niadhf, well put! Agree lol

I finally got to shoot my new XDM9 today. I really enjoyed it and had zero problems with the gun. It operated perfectly for all of the 250 rounds I put through it. It was my first time to the range near me. This range has a simple $20 fee and that gives you access whenever you want (it is outdoor and there are no lights so I assume it is closed after dark) they have 25yd, 50yd, 100yd, 200yd, 300yd and 500yd berms that have some basic structure for you to attach targets to, but it is pretty basic. each distance has its own 3 sided shelter with roof, so I could shoot there in the rain.

Anyway, I did not bring my own frame for my targets so I was forced to hang my targets 25yds away. That felt like a long ways away, especially for a novice shooter like myself. I will bring somthing next time so I can hang my target closer. I also brought a orange "rubber" target cube so I placed that about 15 yards in front of me and that was much better. I liked how the cube moves when you hit it so you konw you made a hit and it changes the next shot just a little.

I can tell I have alot to learn about how to shoot more accuratly. I was pretty dissapointed in my performance. I know our forum has alot of info about how to shoot competativly or tactically, but I have not found much on this site that talks about basics for a new shooter. Maybe I just missed it. Do you guys have any recomendations about where i should look for some basic technique improvments to improve accuracy?

And I was pleasanly surprised with the "power" of this weapon in my hands. I know I sarted this thread off with poorly chosen words about caliber, but I was afraid that a 9mm would feel like a toy when compared to a .40 or .45. This was not the case. It was louder than I expected. Deffinatly needed the hearing protection that I brought. The felt recoil was less but still quite significant and I think I can get on target again quicker than I could with the .40's that I have shot. So I am very pleased with my choice of 9mm.

Thank you all for steering me in the right direction!

Fishwiz4. Glad to hear that you picked up your gun and had the chance to shoot it.

To learn what the Fundamentals of marksmanship you can simply do a google search and you will get several results. Shooting is a lot like bowling or golf. You must complete the same fundamentals every time in order to get the required results. Grip, stance, breath control, trigger finger placement, trigger squeeze, sight alignment all come into play no matter what the distance. There are several good videos from Magpul, Massad Ayoob and others that demonstrate these things. Training classes from a good instructor is your best bet.

While learning to shoot take each shot an an individual act incorporating the fundamentals then increased speed will come from that.

Originally Posted by niadhf

Personally Steve, I think we focus on this too much. Although as a response to the previous post, good idea.

My rant on clip/magazine:
Do we know what is meant? Yes
Have they been used interchangeably for years? Yes (even by manufacturers)
Are they technically the same? Nope
Does it really matter. Probably not

Kinda like we don't correct people for saying the MOTOR in their car is a V-8

Deleted

45 leaves bigger holes