Hobs,
Welcome to TFL and to the fun of shooting sports -- (rats, Vega, you beat me to it
)
I do not shoot the 9mm much (about the only highly-common handgun round I don't own) nor do I have an H&K (Glocks, Sigs, Kimbers, Colts, S&Ws). I will try, however, to answer your questions:
The H&K UPS has a terrific reputation for quality, durability, reliability, and accuracy. If you feel comfortable with this pistol -- ergonomics, sight picture and pointing, and trigger feel -- you can hardly go wrong with a UPS. If, on the other hand, you feel greater comfort with some other high-quality semiautomatic, I would reconsider your decision, because comfort is an important element to achieve accuracy. Since you have tried several autoloaders at the range, I congratulate you on a superb choice. The price seems excellent, too, although I am not an H&K expert.
Target practice costs vary widely. Here are a few suggestions:
> If you are going to shoot frequently, it may make sense to find a range that permits annual memberships (~$200), thereby eliminating hourly fees (~$10).
> In addition, a range that permits you to use your own ammunition will provide considerable savings.
> Further, it probably is smart to buy -- or make -- targets in bulk, since this, too, is a frequently unconsidered practice cost.
> Ammunition will certainly be your biggest recurring expense. I have had excellent experience buying over the Internet. Specifically, I strongly recommend ammoman.com. Their prices and selection are great, their service is the best I have experienced, there are no hidden charges (shipping and handling are included in the price cited on the Internet), and they deliver in a couple of days. You will save by buying in 1000 round lots.
> There are many excellent brands of range ammunition, including Federal, Winchester, Remington, Sellier & Bellot, Fiocchi, and others. The major manufactures (e.g., Federal, Winchester and Remington) have lower cost "range, target, and plinking" lines (such as Federal's American Eagle), which are all perfectly satisfactory for general range practice.
> Stay away from cheaper "off brands", such as Wolf and American; these brands are not safe for you or your excellent H&K semiautomatic.
> Obviously, there is a very wide variety of 9mm loads available. You will soon learn that your selection of rounds is critical; it should be based on the intended use (definitely not a "one size fits all" situation). However, for target practice early in your "shooting evolution", I respectfully recommend you consider 115 or 124 grain 9mm full metal jacket rounds (also known as "FMJ" or "ball" ammunition). You can buy quality rounds in this category for about $170 per thousand -- delivered, without any additional charges (see
www.ammoman.com).
> Finally, for cleaning and maintenance supplies, ammunition, ear and eye protection, targets, etc., I suggest you comparatively shop the Internet, including several well-known and reputable suppliers such as Natchez, Midway, Ammoman, Cheaper-than-Dirt, Dillons, and others.
Welcome! BE SAFE, practice, and have fun! Share what you learn!
[This message has been edited by RWK (edited June 17, 2000).]
