Amster_damnit

Hello all, As a self proclaimed newbie, I have a question for the group because almost all of you have far far more jumps than I. Here is the skinny; I am coming up on my first reserve repack and I am wondering if it is normal to intentionally take a reserve ride before handing it over to the rigger. Logically I feel as if it is a good way to get practice on a canopy that presumably flys fairly different than my main, in a non-emergent situation. Can anyone shed some wisdom on the subject?