Competitive shooting with "regular" guns?

You might like some of the practical pistol matches, which can be fired with stock handguns. In fact, there's usually a class for the stock guns. You might also like steel plate matches or bowling pin matches, which also can be fired with stock firearms. In steel matches you knock over steel plates as fast as you can. Bowling pin matches are similar except you knock over old bowling pins. Your .357 probably would be good for pins. Either the 9mm or the .357 probably would be fun with steel plates.

As others have pointed out, you can use stock shotguns to shoot skeet and trap.

Visit the club or check out the websites if they exist. Visit on match day, being sure to bring hearing and eye protection. Check out the course of fire, ask lots of questions and have a good time. You'll find that shooters are friendly bunch who are willing to share knowledge and experience with a new competitor.

By all means give it a try. Competition is good for your all-around shooting skills. You'll also meet some great folks, I guarantee it.

There are lots of competitions that use regular type guns.

But you should never, ever, ask this without telling us where you live. Duh? There are at least 18 different types of official NRA rimfire types of shoots - all with different classes and rules....... and not every club does all 18. They probably do 1 or 2 depending on what the most active club members own.

Go surf to the NRA Competitive web site and look at the schedule - see what comes in your state and the neighbor states that are within driving distance. You might not want to what is shown - however - this will be an active club! Give the person who is the POC a call or email and ask about what thier club is doing.

There are now tactical clubs - but - they have strick rules about what service pistols can be used. You wont be seeing any expensive race guns in these matches - and - although our 357 will be welcome...... most 357 shooters need to be pretty good with a speed loader to keep up with the rest.

Your 357 would be welcome at pistol silhouette matches. It's popular for these. Many clubs that do silhouette also do informal bowling pin matches too - these are fun.

In the last 40 years as I have traveled from Maine and Mass to Alaska I have belonged to probably 10 different clubs - and none of them did the same thing.

OK, no problem wanting to shoot without showing up the whole range, but, more important than shooting a non target pistol, range rules are a big deal. I would find somebody you know that goes to these matches, go with them, no guns, watch, learn the ropes, gun safety, range etiquette, They take this stuff serious. First time I went to a match, I knew nothing, they pulled me out of the line and said, do this, do this, don't do this, do that, I said holy smoke, I must have looked like an idiot, but I learned, took a while, but I went from nothing to sharpshooter in the NRA 1800 match in one year. And if you think that is nothing, I challenge you. that was 1984. I still hold the card. I still have the Gold Cup. That is a .45 cal pistol at 50 yards, x ring, every time, you try it!

Both of my main ranges have matches that don't require anything special to participate in. One range has a very well attended IDPA style matches that bring out everything from tuned race guns to budget concealed carry guns. There are a bunch of different classes. My other main range does rifle competitions nearly every Saturday. They range from official NRA sanctioned events to very informal bench-rest matches with classes from rimfire to unlimited to stock hunting rifles. It's a big sport with something for everyone. Just call around your area or ask at small independent gun shops.

I'd stay away from the 357 unless your specifically in a revolver competition as you'd have no hope of keeping up with semi's. Most competitions have rules on what guns you can use. G17's are pretty popular in competition when it comes to normal guns. I'm not big into Glocks though. I'd much rather go M&P9.

Like others have mentioned. Try IDPA. It is kind of encouraged that you use stock pistols, and I'm not even sure that a "race gun" would be allowed. IPSC even has some stock handgun shooting competitions. In other words, it is totally okay, and it would be a great way to develop some skills.

you can shoot IDPA with a minimal investment... mostly speed loader or magazines. It takes at least 3 loading devices to shoot any "official" COF and having a few extra mags makes the day simpler. You will need a belt holster that covers the trigger guard and some sort of shirt, jacket or vest to cover the firearm.

Skeet and trap can be shot with any entry level shotgun. Lot's of clubs handicap shooters so it's a newbie freindly sport.

I used to shoot in IHMSA competitions with a nearly stock Ruger MkII Bull Barrel pistol. Then there are IDPA matches as well as just friendly competitions at the ranges.

Sounds like you are a poster child for IPSC/USPSA. They have divisions for about any sort of handgun, not just race guns. Check it out, WWW.USPSa.org

Thinkingblade

If you have access to some isolated property, then you can put together your own course and go at your own pace. ( get a Go Pro camera and make your own videos, too. )