On my last .22 trip to the range, I brought the 1911 for a little attention. Unfortunately, I didn't shoot it very well.
So last weekend, I went to the range with the GI .45 and the XD-9, and was surprised to find that I just sucked that day.
A a few single ragged holes through a few targets later, I had full confidence back in my 1911, and my XD-9 felt much more natural than I remembered.
I got a few compliments on my shooting, as usual, but no one seemed interested in any pointers, so I didn't offer them.
One of my near-term goals is to get as good with my .30 rifles as I am with my pistols and AR carbine.
Showing posts with label range. Show all posts
Showing posts with label range. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Range Fail
I haven't been to the range in too long, so I had to go today, even if only to shoot the 10/22.
Not wanting to deplete the ammo I'd saved up, I was just going to pay a little more for the range ammo.
Mistake.
The cheapest they had was Remington Viper .22lr for 10 cents a round.
Apparently .22 is even getting hard for the range to keep in stock.
I thought about skipping the trip and returning with my own ammo, but decided against it. I bought the expensive ammo, and a few targets to shoot.
I was annoyed, but I just needed to make some tiny groups offhand at 50 feet, and I'd be back to normal.
Except I couldn't shoot for shit...
I put three dots on the target at 50 feet, and shot 10 rounds at each one, bringing it in after each magazine. Each dot had a four inch group around it. Very little grouping around the center; just shotgun.
FAIL!
I thought about it a bit, and realized that I couldn't possibly be doing that badly, so I put up a fresh target, and put my elbows on the tray to shoot supported. Exact same fucking group.
I thought it could be possible I wasn't getting a good sight picture on the aperture sights, because it can be hard on a small white target on a black background, so I brought the target in to 25 feet, and shot supported at one spot... One huge fucking inch group. Shotgun.
So, fuck Remington Viper.
Expensive and worthless.
I still had a little over half of the 100 rounds left, and I just quit.
Shooting it would be a waste of my time.
I don't go to the range to make flash, noise, and poke indiscriminate holes in paper. I can do that at home with a flashlight, pots and pans, and a pen.
I go to the range to perfect my off-hand shooting position, and beat my previous record for 10 shots offhand 50 feet.
Calipers set to 1/2 inch
So now I have range blue balls.
So I came home and typed this angry message to the internet.
*sigh*
Not wanting to deplete the ammo I'd saved up, I was just going to pay a little more for the range ammo.
Mistake.
The cheapest they had was Remington Viper .22lr for 10 cents a round.
Apparently .22 is even getting hard for the range to keep in stock.
I thought about skipping the trip and returning with my own ammo, but decided against it. I bought the expensive ammo, and a few targets to shoot.
I was annoyed, but I just needed to make some tiny groups offhand at 50 feet, and I'd be back to normal.
Except I couldn't shoot for shit...
I put three dots on the target at 50 feet, and shot 10 rounds at each one, bringing it in after each magazine. Each dot had a four inch group around it. Very little grouping around the center; just shotgun.
FAIL!
I thought about it a bit, and realized that I couldn't possibly be doing that badly, so I put up a fresh target, and put my elbows on the tray to shoot supported. Exact same fucking group.
I thought it could be possible I wasn't getting a good sight picture on the aperture sights, because it can be hard on a small white target on a black background, so I brought the target in to 25 feet, and shot supported at one spot... One huge fucking inch group. Shotgun.
So, fuck Remington Viper.
Expensive and worthless.
I still had a little over half of the 100 rounds left, and I just quit.
Shooting it would be a waste of my time.
I don't go to the range to make flash, noise, and poke indiscriminate holes in paper. I can do that at home with a flashlight, pots and pans, and a pen.
I go to the range to perfect my off-hand shooting position, and beat my previous record for 10 shots offhand 50 feet.
Calipers set to 1/2 inch
So now I have range blue balls.
So I came home and typed this angry message to the internet.
*sigh*
Monday, April 06, 2009
Walther G22 KABOOM!
OR
The funny-looking woodland camo Phoenix burned down again, rose again, burned down again, then got sent to Walther.
With the Walther G22 Space Gun's triumphant return, I was eager to pick a good zero, and test the specialty ammo I had. But first, I had to find a fix for the stop-gap replacement pin I had used in the previous post.
I finally found a use for harbor freight's tools, and used a micro philips screwdriver as a replacement hammer spring guide rod pin, and needed only insert it, and bend it a few times before it snapped off helplessly. Eager to relinquish the task for which it was created, but never really good at, for a job that it excelled at; being metal and cylindrical. It fit perfectly, and with a little filing, it was quite flush.
While I had the guts lying in front of me, I carefully examined the hammer and sear to see if I could safely do something, anything, to make the trigger even slightly better. The topology of the mating points were such that unless I really tried to fuck the angles up, I probably wasn't going to destroy my recently fixed gun. Probably. So I removed as little as possible, and kept stopping to check the mating of the two parts. Deepened the angle of the sear slightly because the two parts practically hooked on to each other, and shortened the depth of the hammer catch point, since the sear had quite a long way to travel before letting go. I was so coy with the parts and the filing, I didn't think I had done much, but upon reassembly, the trigger was definitely better. Not by much, but better.
I reassembled and went to the range with a sampling of different ammo, and a twinkle in my eye. I was making things work, and getting things done.
At the range, the Space Gun was reminding me why I liked it so much. After running an initial few magazines to test function, I started playing with the different sight settings. The rear sight has a rotating set of blades numbered 1-6, with different heights. I was finding the best sight for the short distances I expected the space gun might be asked to perform as a trunk .22 rifle. I settled on the highest sight blade, 6, and set about discovering where the point of impact was at different ranges, and estimating the approximate size of one of the many wild cotton tails I saw on a daily basis.
I set the target to 21 feet, shot three rounds, and wrote on my notepad, Sight 6 21' 2" low. The trigger was definitely better. I marked the three hits, rotated the target plate, set it back to 35 feet, and
what the fuck? ouch. my face feels weird. what the fuck? what just? did i just? did the space gun just? fuck it's smoking all over the place! top cover is popped up. ow, damnit. shit! my face is numb!
I staggered back, pumping adrenaline, fear, and sweat. I felt the left side of my face, it was numb and tingling. I rubbed my hand down my cheek and neck, and checked it for blood, there was none. Did I just Kaboom? I looked at the space gun. Smoke escaped lazily from every edge of the housing around the action. Did the space gun just explode? Still a little dazed, I returned to my lane.
I blew the extra smoke away, and cautiously inspected the chamber. The Winchester .22lr was not completely in the chamber, and the part the was outside, was bulged to twice its diameter, and had a hole in the brass on the ejection side. I just had an out of chamber ignition. I looked at the paper plate targets I leaned against the left side of the range station, and saw a hole was punched in them. I looked at the back of the small stack of paper plates, and saw a dent. Whatever went in had not come out. I pulled the plates apart, and found the piece of brass casing that had blown out of the chamber, luckily, in a safe direction. I tried to remove the brass, and found it to be stuck.
What caused it to go off before the round was properly chambered? Why had the disconnect failed, and released the hammer early? Could it have been a slamfire? I was frustrated with the gun I had given a second chance, and until recently, had been enjoying. I was mad that it was a bullpup, and put the explosion right next to my face. I couldn't have put it together wrong, I saw no mechanical way I could have made this happen. Maybe I was wrong. Either way, I was pissed off at the space gun for letting me down. I wouldn't be able to trust it again. I'd have to sell it for parts.
Goddamnit.
Well, I still needed to test the different ammo in a rifle, so I was going to put the worthless space gun in the trunk, and retrieve the 10/22. As I left the firing line, I explained to the employees what happened, and one wanted to take a look at it. He offered to push a rod through the barrel to push the shell loose, and I accepted. After removing the shell, he examined it, and declared it a crushfire. I had never heard of a "crushfire" before. He explained; the shell did not have a mark from the firing pin, and the bulging was too deep. The bolt stripped the round, began to chamber it, and the brass was weak, and crushed under the force of the bolt, igniting the primer, and setting off the round before it was chambered. It was a fluke. He checked the chamber and surrounding parts for cracks, and said it would probably be OK to shoot again.
The brass was weak! It wasn't the space gun, it was what I had been feeding it! This wasn't the gun's fault, it was the ammo! How could I have been so mad at the gun, it didn't do anything wrong! It didn't fail! It was a fluke!
Relieved and optimistic, I returned to the range, loaded two mags of a different brand of ammo, moved the rifle away from my face, and cautiously fired downrange. The familiar Pat! rang out. I squeezed the trigger again. Pat! Again! Pat! I put my face against the rifle, and aimed at my target. Pat! Pat! Pat! Alright! I finished the two mags, and figured I'd run two more through just to be sure before returning to my task. I loaded the third mag, put the target at 50 feet, set the rear sight to 6, and practiced my offhand 6 o'clock hold.
Squeeeeze... Pat! Squeeeeze... Pat! Squeeeeze... Pat! Squeeeeze... Pat!
Goddamnit. Not again.
I was more prepared for it this time. I was able to discern the shot before the POP, and knew I had just crushfired with different ammo than before. The left side of my face was numb again, and I checked it for blood; there was none. I pulled the bolt back, and it happily ejected the crushfired round, almost identical to the last. It was the gun. There could be no mistaking that now.
Fuck you, space gun.
After my anger subsided, I remembered reading about how some G22s had tight chambers, and how they wouldn't feed ammo that was slightly out of spec. I never had a problem with Federal, but the cheap stuff would frequently jam, and need to have the bolt pushed closed. That, combined with a dirty chamber, probably caused the jamming and the crushfiring. I thought about sending it in when I heard about it, but the federal stuff worked just fine, and it didn't seem legitimate to complain to Walther that out-of-spec ammo sometimes jammed on chambering, and that they needed to fix it free of charge. But now, I wouldn't be able to run through a box of 500 without worrying about crushfires and Kabooms. The space gun would be going back to Walther to get a few extra thousandths of an inch in the chamber.
I know Walther is owned by Smith and Wesson, but I wonder if their repair policy is as good. I guess I'm going to find out soon.
I guess I still like the space gun. It's fun to shoot, and an interesting addition to the fold. I actually want to embrace the weirdness, and give it a razzle dazzle camo job, because I love that stuff. Would be one hell of a head-turner.
On to the next adventure...
The funny-looking woodland camo Phoenix burned down again, rose again, burned down again, then got sent to Walther.
With the Walther G22 Space Gun's triumphant return, I was eager to pick a good zero, and test the specialty ammo I had. But first, I had to find a fix for the stop-gap replacement pin I had used in the previous post.
I finally found a use for harbor freight's tools, and used a micro philips screwdriver as a replacement hammer spring guide rod pin, and needed only insert it, and bend it a few times before it snapped off helplessly. Eager to relinquish the task for which it was created, but never really good at, for a job that it excelled at; being metal and cylindrical. It fit perfectly, and with a little filing, it was quite flush.
While I had the guts lying in front of me, I carefully examined the hammer and sear to see if I could safely do something, anything, to make the trigger even slightly better. The topology of the mating points were such that unless I really tried to fuck the angles up, I probably wasn't going to destroy my recently fixed gun. Probably. So I removed as little as possible, and kept stopping to check the mating of the two parts. Deepened the angle of the sear slightly because the two parts practically hooked on to each other, and shortened the depth of the hammer catch point, since the sear had quite a long way to travel before letting go. I was so coy with the parts and the filing, I didn't think I had done much, but upon reassembly, the trigger was definitely better. Not by much, but better.
I reassembled and went to the range with a sampling of different ammo, and a twinkle in my eye. I was making things work, and getting things done.
At the range, the Space Gun was reminding me why I liked it so much. After running an initial few magazines to test function, I started playing with the different sight settings. The rear sight has a rotating set of blades numbered 1-6, with different heights. I was finding the best sight for the short distances I expected the space gun might be asked to perform as a trunk .22 rifle. I settled on the highest sight blade, 6, and set about discovering where the point of impact was at different ranges, and estimating the approximate size of one of the many wild cotton tails I saw on a daily basis.
I set the target to 21 feet, shot three rounds, and wrote on my notepad, Sight 6 21' 2" low. The trigger was definitely better. I marked the three hits, rotated the target plate, set it back to 35 feet, and
what the fuck? ouch. my face feels weird. what the fuck? what just? did i just? did the space gun just? fuck it's smoking all over the place! top cover is popped up. ow, damnit. shit! my face is numb!
I staggered back, pumping adrenaline, fear, and sweat. I felt the left side of my face, it was numb and tingling. I rubbed my hand down my cheek and neck, and checked it for blood, there was none. Did I just Kaboom? I looked at the space gun. Smoke escaped lazily from every edge of the housing around the action. Did the space gun just explode? Still a little dazed, I returned to my lane.
I blew the extra smoke away, and cautiously inspected the chamber. The Winchester .22lr was not completely in the chamber, and the part the was outside, was bulged to twice its diameter, and had a hole in the brass on the ejection side. I just had an out of chamber ignition. I looked at the paper plate targets I leaned against the left side of the range station, and saw a hole was punched in them. I looked at the back of the small stack of paper plates, and saw a dent. Whatever went in had not come out. I pulled the plates apart, and found the piece of brass casing that had blown out of the chamber, luckily, in a safe direction. I tried to remove the brass, and found it to be stuck.
What caused it to go off before the round was properly chambered? Why had the disconnect failed, and released the hammer early? Could it have been a slamfire? I was frustrated with the gun I had given a second chance, and until recently, had been enjoying. I was mad that it was a bullpup, and put the explosion right next to my face. I couldn't have put it together wrong, I saw no mechanical way I could have made this happen. Maybe I was wrong. Either way, I was pissed off at the space gun for letting me down. I wouldn't be able to trust it again. I'd have to sell it for parts.
Goddamnit.
Well, I still needed to test the different ammo in a rifle, so I was going to put the worthless space gun in the trunk, and retrieve the 10/22. As I left the firing line, I explained to the employees what happened, and one wanted to take a look at it. He offered to push a rod through the barrel to push the shell loose, and I accepted. After removing the shell, he examined it, and declared it a crushfire. I had never heard of a "crushfire" before. He explained; the shell did not have a mark from the firing pin, and the bulging was too deep. The bolt stripped the round, began to chamber it, and the brass was weak, and crushed under the force of the bolt, igniting the primer, and setting off the round before it was chambered. It was a fluke. He checked the chamber and surrounding parts for cracks, and said it would probably be OK to shoot again.
The brass was weak! It wasn't the space gun, it was what I had been feeding it! This wasn't the gun's fault, it was the ammo! How could I have been so mad at the gun, it didn't do anything wrong! It didn't fail! It was a fluke!
Relieved and optimistic, I returned to the range, loaded two mags of a different brand of ammo, moved the rifle away from my face, and cautiously fired downrange. The familiar Pat! rang out. I squeezed the trigger again. Pat! Again! Pat! I put my face against the rifle, and aimed at my target. Pat! Pat! Pat! Alright! I finished the two mags, and figured I'd run two more through just to be sure before returning to my task. I loaded the third mag, put the target at 50 feet, set the rear sight to 6, and practiced my offhand 6 o'clock hold.
Squeeeeze... Pat! Squeeeeze... Pat! Squeeeeze... Pat! Squeeeeze... Pat!
Goddamnit. Not again.
I was more prepared for it this time. I was able to discern the shot before the POP, and knew I had just crushfired with different ammo than before. The left side of my face was numb again, and I checked it for blood; there was none. I pulled the bolt back, and it happily ejected the crushfired round, almost identical to the last. It was the gun. There could be no mistaking that now.
Fuck you, space gun.
After my anger subsided, I remembered reading about how some G22s had tight chambers, and how they wouldn't feed ammo that was slightly out of spec. I never had a problem with Federal, but the cheap stuff would frequently jam, and need to have the bolt pushed closed. That, combined with a dirty chamber, probably caused the jamming and the crushfiring. I thought about sending it in when I heard about it, but the federal stuff worked just fine, and it didn't seem legitimate to complain to Walther that out-of-spec ammo sometimes jammed on chambering, and that they needed to fix it free of charge. But now, I wouldn't be able to run through a box of 500 without worrying about crushfires and Kabooms. The space gun would be going back to Walther to get a few extra thousandths of an inch in the chamber.
I know Walther is owned by Smith and Wesson, but I wonder if their repair policy is as good. I guess I'm going to find out soon.
I guess I still like the space gun. It's fun to shoot, and an interesting addition to the fold. I actually want to embrace the weirdness, and give it a razzle dazzle camo job, because I love that stuff. Would be one hell of a head-turner.
On to the next adventure...
Monday, March 02, 2009
Buckmark practice, and Ambidextrousness
Before hitting the range for some inexpensive, and usually educational Buckmark practice, I stopped by turners to check out the ammo and gun situation...
But the cupboard was bare!
Turners is also so low on auto pistols that two of their pistol display cases have been repurposed. Their long gun rack is simply devoid of anything semi-auto, save a few .22s, and some fancy duck guns. Somehow the overpriced Garand, overpriced Enfield no.4 mk2, and overpriced shotgun remain on the consignment shelf. Surely there must be some unknown property they all share that makes them immune to this purchasing rush...
The range trip was somewhat eventful; I broke my previous 'Buckmark offhand 10 shots at 50 feet' record by a little over half an inch. (1.82" now) The practice is definitely paying off. Only a few trips ago I was experimenting with grip, and found one that shrunk my groups noticeably. The grip was uncomfortable and awkward at first, but this last trip I caught myself doing it without thinking.
Experiment, identify a better method, practice, implement, improve!
I'm a bit ambidextrous. I can only write with my right hand, but there are many other things that I can do just as well, or better with my left hand. One event that sticks out in my mind was when I was playing basket ball, and decided to try lefty, and improved. Or when we were crowded at a table at a sushi place, and I picked up the chopsticks with my left hand and started eating without realizing I'd never used chopsticks left handed before. Anyways, that was my long-winded explanation for why I found out that I shoot better one handed with my left hand than with my right. Being cross-dominant confuses things even further. Rapid fire with my 10/22 is better right handed, slow fire is better left; two handed buckmark shooting is better right handed, single handed is better left. I just realized; I need to try my AR rapid fire right handed to see if I get better groups! Always fun to find out new things about yourself. Even if they're sometimes confusing things.
But the cupboard was bare!
Turners is also so low on auto pistols that two of their pistol display cases have been repurposed. Their long gun rack is simply devoid of anything semi-auto, save a few .22s, and some fancy duck guns. Somehow the overpriced Garand, overpriced Enfield no.4 mk2, and overpriced shotgun remain on the consignment shelf. Surely there must be some unknown property they all share that makes them immune to this purchasing rush...
The range trip was somewhat eventful; I broke my previous 'Buckmark offhand 10 shots at 50 feet' record by a little over half an inch. (1.82" now) The practice is definitely paying off. Only a few trips ago I was experimenting with grip, and found one that shrunk my groups noticeably. The grip was uncomfortable and awkward at first, but this last trip I caught myself doing it without thinking.
Experiment, identify a better method, practice, implement, improve!
I'm a bit ambidextrous. I can only write with my right hand, but there are many other things that I can do just as well, or better with my left hand. One event that sticks out in my mind was when I was playing basket ball, and decided to try lefty, and improved. Or when we were crowded at a table at a sushi place, and I picked up the chopsticks with my left hand and started eating without realizing I'd never used chopsticks left handed before. Anyways, that was my long-winded explanation for why I found out that I shoot better one handed with my left hand than with my right. Being cross-dominant confuses things even further. Rapid fire with my 10/22 is better right handed, slow fire is better left; two handed buckmark shooting is better right handed, single handed is better left. I just realized; I need to try my AR rapid fire right handed to see if I get better groups! Always fun to find out new things about yourself. Even if they're sometimes confusing things.
Suddenly I can shoot Glocks.
Last Friday I stopped by the range to make yet another attempt to shoot Glocks, and fortunately, I was able to call upon my uncanny ability to suddenly be able to shoot guns I was only barely able to previously.
I shot the G17 (full size, 9mm) first, and had surprisingly good results. Normally I shoot the G19, so I wasn't sure if it was the compact vs full size, or if it was me. By the time I was done, the G19 was available, and two magazines through it proved that I had somehow become able to shoot Glocks.
Don't have my explanation for this, except maybe that my Buckmark is improving my shooting more than I thought.
I'm certainly not complaining. I see a G19 in my future.
I shot the G17 (full size, 9mm) first, and had surprisingly good results. Normally I shoot the G19, so I wasn't sure if it was the compact vs full size, or if it was me. By the time I was done, the G19 was available, and two magazines through it proved that I had somehow become able to shoot Glocks.
Don't have my explanation for this, except maybe that my Buckmark is improving my shooting more than I thought.
I'm certainly not complaining. I see a G19 in my future.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Short fuses
My normally calm demeanor has had an awfully short fuse as of late.
Methinks the time has come to spend a few hours at the range with the buckmark.
Methinks the time has come to spend a few hours at the range with the buckmark.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Range fail
After I confirmed my S&W 442 was getting weak hammer strikes, I've been dry-firing it in an effort to smooth out the action. I took it to the range last night and found the weak hammer strikes to be more pronounced instead of less... That just about does it. Getting one dud, and pulling the trigger again to another shot is tolerable. Getting two weak hammer strikes in a row every other cylinder is unacceptable. I'm going to have to send it in, and give my 1911 a little more love.
While the 442's performance was disappointing, I apparently wanted to make it feel better by shooting poorly. After having difficulty keeping on the paper plate at 7 yards, I switched to the GP100, which is always a joy to shoot because I shoot it so well.
More shitty shooting. Tolerable for self defense, but going from cloverleafs at 45 feet to 5 inch groups at 21 feet? I'm fucked up.
I don't know if it was me still being sick, but I was flinching, and shaking, and generally failing at shooting.
Bah. Some days you just can't seem to hit any-damn-thing.
While the 442's performance was disappointing, I apparently wanted to make it feel better by shooting poorly. After having difficulty keeping on the paper plate at 7 yards, I switched to the GP100, which is always a joy to shoot because I shoot it so well.
More shitty shooting. Tolerable for self defense, but going from cloverleafs at 45 feet to 5 inch groups at 21 feet? I'm fucked up.
I don't know if it was me still being sick, but I was flinching, and shaking, and generally failing at shooting.
Bah. Some days you just can't seem to hit any-damn-thing.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sitting down with first time shooters
A friend of mine had been working up the nerve (and the nerve of his wife) to buy their first gun. I, of course, offered my services, and offered to introduce them to firearms, and most of what firearm ownership involves.
This weekend was set for an introduction to handguns, and a trip to the range.
I showed up with my XD-9 (the firearm I had planned on recommending to them), and my GP100. We were going to go over the function of both, but we didn't make it to the revolver.
I began by covering the four rules of firearm safety, and we discussed why they were what they were. They already had a good idea of the rules from previous times when we'd spoken about this, so we moved on to function.
I took to heart the input of my first students, and resolved to remove Springfield XD-9's totemic handgun status, by explaining exactly how it works, and reducing it to the collection of springs, hunk of polymer, and machined steel that made up this misleadingly simple machine.
We covered basic function, and then I field stripped it, and explained how everything worked. I identified all the important parts, and explained how they work, and what they do. They were very interested in how it worked, and weren't shy about asking questions. I explained and demonstrated the safety features, and why they were in place. They both were surprised that it was so simple, yet did so much.
I explained what it would be like to shoot it, and reassured them that the human body does not want to shoot. Your nervous system wants to react when there are small explosions nearby, and you have to get your body used to shooting before you can expect to be able to use a handgun in self-defense.
I had them practice using the controls to ensure they were able to operate them. This was important specifically because one of the new shooters had limited use in one hand. I showed them how to use the sights, and they dry-fired a few times.
Because they were planning on purchasing their first firearm for defense, I talked to them about the legalities of self-defense shootings, and what they should consider and say. (especially, "I though he was going to kill me. I feared for my life. I want to speak to my lawyer) We talked about why it is inadvisable to issue a non-urgent statement to the police. If the assailant escaped, it is important the police get a description as soon as possible, but any other statements can be issued through a lawyer. Unintentional self-incrimination is very dangerous.
All in all, I'd say it was a success. People fear what they don't understand, and by reducing a handgun to a simple collection of springs and metal, I took away the fear.
We had to cut it short because of other obligations, but keep mentioning that we need to complete our discussion.
This weekend was set for an introduction to handguns, and a trip to the range.
I showed up with my XD-9 (the firearm I had planned on recommending to them), and my GP100. We were going to go over the function of both, but we didn't make it to the revolver.
I began by covering the four rules of firearm safety, and we discussed why they were what they were. They already had a good idea of the rules from previous times when we'd spoken about this, so we moved on to function.
I took to heart the input of my first students, and resolved to remove Springfield XD-9's totemic handgun status, by explaining exactly how it works, and reducing it to the collection of springs, hunk of polymer, and machined steel that made up this misleadingly simple machine.
We covered basic function, and then I field stripped it, and explained how everything worked. I identified all the important parts, and explained how they work, and what they do. They were very interested in how it worked, and weren't shy about asking questions. I explained and demonstrated the safety features, and why they were in place. They both were surprised that it was so simple, yet did so much.
I explained what it would be like to shoot it, and reassured them that the human body does not want to shoot. Your nervous system wants to react when there are small explosions nearby, and you have to get your body used to shooting before you can expect to be able to use a handgun in self-defense.
I had them practice using the controls to ensure they were able to operate them. This was important specifically because one of the new shooters had limited use in one hand. I showed them how to use the sights, and they dry-fired a few times.
Because they were planning on purchasing their first firearm for defense, I talked to them about the legalities of self-defense shootings, and what they should consider and say. (especially, "I though he was going to kill me. I feared for my life. I want to speak to my lawyer) We talked about why it is inadvisable to issue a non-urgent statement to the police. If the assailant escaped, it is important the police get a description as soon as possible, but any other statements can be issued through a lawyer. Unintentional self-incrimination is very dangerous.
All in all, I'd say it was a success. People fear what they don't understand, and by reducing a handgun to a simple collection of springs and metal, I took away the fear.
We had to cut it short because of other obligations, but keep mentioning that we need to complete our discussion.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Buckmarkery!
My recent trip to the range showed some improvement.
10 shots at 50 feet
The way I figure it, ammo's too cheap for me to NOT be good with it.
I was actually interrupted by a gentleman shooting a .44 like a GOD, who wanted to compliment me on my shooting.
I was having difficulty returning to my natural point of aim, so I started experimenting with my grip. When I had my arms fully extended with a high grip on my shooting hand, and turned the inside of my support elbow up as much as possible, everything clicked. Recoil was straight back, and seemed to push into my high shoulders instead of rolling the top of the gun back. After firing, my sights were much closer to on target than they were before. Keeping my elbows and grip locked made my shooting much more consistent.
With the success of locking my body in place I wondered if I was ready for a moving target. I picked up two hanging tennis balls, and set the first up. I realized that without a white background, my black sights on the black backstop were very difficult to see. After a bit of practice, and keeping everything locked, I was able to move my aim with my eye, and shoot where I was looking. I only really had one magazine that felt the kind of perfect where you will the gun to shoot where you want, and it does exactly that. But one was good enough for starting on moving targets. It was a good feeling. I look forward to having it many more times.
Total cost of range trip; $5.
When I got home I decided to give it a good cleaning (not that I'd experienced any malfunctions), and found the slide area around the cocking lug to be caked (CAKED) with carbon. Seriously, I wasn't wiping it up, I was scooping it out.
In other news, the G22 is teh dead. After the last range trip, and a prolonged shooting session (1k rounds?), the trigger no longer released the sear. I checked all I could without disassembling the main action, but couldn't find any indication of buggered disconnects or slipping parts. Just trigger pulling into nothing. I'll probably send it in, and sell it. The 10/22 has outperformed it in every field except novelty.
10 shots at 50 feet
The way I figure it, ammo's too cheap for me to NOT be good with it.
I was actually interrupted by a gentleman shooting a .44 like a GOD, who wanted to compliment me on my shooting.
I was having difficulty returning to my natural point of aim, so I started experimenting with my grip. When I had my arms fully extended with a high grip on my shooting hand, and turned the inside of my support elbow up as much as possible, everything clicked. Recoil was straight back, and seemed to push into my high shoulders instead of rolling the top of the gun back. After firing, my sights were much closer to on target than they were before. Keeping my elbows and grip locked made my shooting much more consistent.
With the success of locking my body in place I wondered if I was ready for a moving target. I picked up two hanging tennis balls, and set the first up. I realized that without a white background, my black sights on the black backstop were very difficult to see. After a bit of practice, and keeping everything locked, I was able to move my aim with my eye, and shoot where I was looking. I only really had one magazine that felt the kind of perfect where you will the gun to shoot where you want, and it does exactly that. But one was good enough for starting on moving targets. It was a good feeling. I look forward to having it many more times.
Total cost of range trip; $5.
When I got home I decided to give it a good cleaning (not that I'd experienced any malfunctions), and found the slide area around the cocking lug to be caked (CAKED) with carbon. Seriously, I wasn't wiping it up, I was scooping it out.
In other news, the G22 is teh dead. After the last range trip, and a prolonged shooting session (1k rounds?), the trigger no longer released the sear. I checked all I could without disassembling the main action, but couldn't find any indication of buggered disconnects or slipping parts. Just trigger pulling into nothing. I'll probably send it in, and sell it. The 10/22 has outperformed it in every field except novelty.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Range Trophies
This is that 8 shot group I shot with my 1911 last weekend. I only called one flier, so I failed to catch the second one, but minus the two fliers the group was a 1.35 inches.
Looking forward to getting better.
I realized I forgot to post my best group from the rifle range.
My best 4 shot group with my Savage 10FP at 100 yards. Three shots in .25" and with the fourth, .41".
Not bad on either account :)
Looking forward to getting better.
I realized I forgot to post my best group from the rifle range.
My best 4 shot group with my Savage 10FP at 100 yards. Three shots in .25" and with the fourth, .41".
Not bad on either account :)
Monday, September 22, 2008
The 1911; she sings.
Since some jerk (whoops) jerk screwed up my travel plans, I had to cut the vacation a few days short. I returned Friday morning instead of Sunday evening. But with the new Buckmark and 10/22, I was more than happy to spend those two extra days at the range. Saturday was reserved for pushing paper plates all the way back to 50 feet at the local indoor, and seeing how small I could make the groups. I averaged 4" groups at that range, and look forward to making them smaller. I'm still getting the hang of the Buckmark, and I'm beginning to notice little things about my shooting. Like how I need the lane light on so I can clearly see the sights, and how the black sights on the white paper plate in front of the black backstop cause the light to bend weird. I enjoy shooting the paper plates for cheap, but I think I need more light to properly focus on the sights. Also of note was the fact that even at my current skill level, returning to the basics improves my shooting. Focusing on the front sight, target blurry, brain thinking "front sight front sight front sight" as the tip of my finger applies steady pressure to the trigger, resulting in a surprise break: always produces the best groups.
I was looking forward to Sunday when I could see how the Buckmark had improved my 1911 shooting.
Sunday was for expensive trigger time. Well, comparatively expensive. The 1911, S&W 442, and GP100 were loaded into the range bag along with two (sigh) boxes of ammo. (totaling $70 :|) The 442 was still giving me infrequent weak hammer strikes. I think I'm going to send it in considering it is still under 300 rounds new. (though it has been dry fired quite a bit) My GP100 shooting had a few cobwebs that disappeared after a few cylinders, then it was back to shooting clovers because that never gets old.
Then the 1911 came out to play, and I do so relish it when I have the ammo to invite her to the sock hop. I set the paper plate to 35 feet to start, and worked out some unexplained weirdness I was having with my grip. After a few magazines I sent the target back to 50 feet, and failed to produce improved groups. Then I remembered my Buckmark lessons, turned on the light, focused on the front sight, and steadied my trigger pressure. The result was better groups, and among them, the best 8-shot group I've shot with my 1911. After grinning at the perforated paper plate for a few seconds too long, I put it back in my range bag so I could post it in my closet. Nothing incredible, but I'm certainly going to post a picture of it.
No significant changes in the feel of my 1911 shooting to report. The feel is quite good, but no better than it was at last report. With all the recent talk about new exciting 1911s, I felt a bit infidelitous (new word!) eyeballing all the fancy 45 caliber JMB shrines. Do I need another 1911 now? Can I justify a target 1911 with some better sights? After this recent range visit, I realize I am quite satisfied with my GI45, and don't think I need bigger this or polished that to become a better shooter. The only issue is reliability, and since broken in, the only issue I've had is the occasional failure to feed, (Failure to battery, hardball round angled up into the chamber, but not completely fed. Fixed with a rap to the back of the slide) but without Wilson Combat mags (currently using Chip McCormick 8 rounders), I can't be sure it's not a magazine issue. Need to suck it up and buy at least one! This range trip of 100 rounds saw two of the aforementioned feeding malfunctions. These failures become accentuated after the feed ramp dirties up (WWB 45 gets it dirty fast). I'm reluctant to polish it to any degree because 1: it still feeds HP ammo well. 2: I don't have WC mags to test for mag malfunction. 3: it works pretty damn well right now. This "starters" 1911 has been preforming strongly, and has been improving my shooting ever since I bought it.
I refrained from getting a WC barrel and bushing because the stock barrel and bushing didn't have much slop, and because I knew I wasn't accurate enough to even be able to tell the difference! After the last range visit, I'm beginning to think I might almost be there.
Xavier was who I read for inspiration on my 1911 selection, and who's part selection I mimicked when I didn't know enough about 1911s to know one from the other. Even now I've hardly begun to scratch the surface of 1911 knowledge, but I know I trust Xavier's judgment. He also loves to revisit his selections, and I love rereading his thoughts.
I was looking forward to Sunday when I could see how the Buckmark had improved my 1911 shooting.
Sunday was for expensive trigger time. Well, comparatively expensive. The 1911, S&W 442, and GP100 were loaded into the range bag along with two (sigh) boxes of ammo. (totaling $70 :|) The 442 was still giving me infrequent weak hammer strikes. I think I'm going to send it in considering it is still under 300 rounds new. (though it has been dry fired quite a bit) My GP100 shooting had a few cobwebs that disappeared after a few cylinders, then it was back to shooting clovers because that never gets old.
Then the 1911 came out to play, and I do so relish it when I have the ammo to invite her to the sock hop. I set the paper plate to 35 feet to start, and worked out some unexplained weirdness I was having with my grip. After a few magazines I sent the target back to 50 feet, and failed to produce improved groups. Then I remembered my Buckmark lessons, turned on the light, focused on the front sight, and steadied my trigger pressure. The result was better groups, and among them, the best 8-shot group I've shot with my 1911. After grinning at the perforated paper plate for a few seconds too long, I put it back in my range bag so I could post it in my closet. Nothing incredible, but I'm certainly going to post a picture of it.
No significant changes in the feel of my 1911 shooting to report. The feel is quite good, but no better than it was at last report. With all the recent talk about new exciting 1911s, I felt a bit infidelitous (new word!) eyeballing all the fancy 45 caliber JMB shrines. Do I need another 1911 now? Can I justify a target 1911 with some better sights? After this recent range visit, I realize I am quite satisfied with my GI45, and don't think I need bigger this or polished that to become a better shooter. The only issue is reliability, and since broken in, the only issue I've had is the occasional failure to feed, (Failure to battery, hardball round angled up into the chamber, but not completely fed. Fixed with a rap to the back of the slide) but without Wilson Combat mags (currently using Chip McCormick 8 rounders), I can't be sure it's not a magazine issue. Need to suck it up and buy at least one! This range trip of 100 rounds saw two of the aforementioned feeding malfunctions. These failures become accentuated after the feed ramp dirties up (WWB 45 gets it dirty fast). I'm reluctant to polish it to any degree because 1: it still feeds HP ammo well. 2: I don't have WC mags to test for mag malfunction. 3: it works pretty damn well right now. This "starters" 1911 has been preforming strongly, and has been improving my shooting ever since I bought it.
I refrained from getting a WC barrel and bushing because the stock barrel and bushing didn't have much slop, and because I knew I wasn't accurate enough to even be able to tell the difference! After the last range visit, I'm beginning to think I might almost be there.
Xavier was who I read for inspiration on my 1911 selection, and who's part selection I mimicked when I didn't know enough about 1911s to know one from the other. Even now I've hardly begun to scratch the surface of 1911 knowledge, but I know I trust Xavier's judgment. He also loves to revisit his selections, and I love rereading his thoughts.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
10/22 love
After picking up my 10/22 yesterday afternoon, I sped out the door at 9pm to make it to the range before they close at 10. I made it in time, and set up a paper plate at 25 feet and loaded the magazine. There was one other group there, five people in their early 20s, one of them a shooter, the rest obviously new.
I put the magazine into place, and pulled and released the open bolt. Whoops. Nothing happened. I futz with it a bit, but can't manage to get the bolt released. It's not rocket surgery... I remove the magazine, and try again, but still can't unlock the bolt. I eye the controls. Mag release. Safety. Trigger. What the shit? I look at the controls more closely, and spot a sliver of metal extending awkwardly between the trigger guard and the mag release. I thumb it curiously, and note it seems to do something to the bolt. I idly glance behind me and see one of the new shooters was watching the scene reminiscent of a monkey with a square peg and a round hole. I take comfort in the fact that there aren't more people here to bask in my genius, and retreat to the range counter to ask the guys there how the hell you release the bolt on a 10/22. When I turn, one of them is just coming in, and I ask him what the hell I'm doing wrong. He smiles and says, "Yeah, it's pretty stupid. You might go for the aftermarket bolt release." The then shows me how to release the bolt (rock the sliver upward while pulling and releasing the bolt).
I put two mags through it off hand, and after getting used to the trigger and sights, made a small hole in my paper plate. While reloading I noticed one of the new shooters was still looking at me, and offered to let him shoot it. "I didn't really pay for it, so..." "It's two cents a round, don't worry about it." "Ok!" I showed him how the sights should align, and he shot one magazine through it. He missed the plate a few times (I let him set the range), but it didn't matter, because he had fun. I noticed his friend was watching him shoot, and offered him a chance to shoot which he accepted gratefully. After a second short instruction session, the second friend shot a little better than the first, but he had the same grin when he was done. But this time, another new shooter was done, and I figured I'd just round it out and offer for her to shoot. She declined, and I returned to loading the magazine. After I was done I turned slightly and saw her there waiting to shoot. Another quick lesson and another quick magazine, she was done, and I was ready to return to my paper targets. Just doing my part making sure new shooters have a good time and want to return.
I put the target out to 50 feet and got into a standing shooting position (showing off my elbow rest/stomach), and shot until 10. The overall rifle feel (over the G22 bullpup) made shooting easier, and the weight and balance made it easy to keep on target. No malfunctions, one failure to fire (heavy hammer strike, cheapie golden bullet ammo). The overall feel of the gun was just right. The sights were a little low, but I'm going to replace them with peep sights anyways. The trigger was kind of heavy, but far from difficult. I planned to keep this 10/22 as close to stock as I could in deference to tradition.
I think I've got a new favorite!
Oh yeah, I went home and couldn't help but pull out the sandpaper and open up the barrel channel so the barrel was floated. I'm going to shoot it without the barrel band next time, and see if I notice any difference. I probably won't, but I just had to futz with it a little bit. :)
I put the magazine into place, and pulled and released the open bolt. Whoops. Nothing happened. I futz with it a bit, but can't manage to get the bolt released. It's not rocket surgery... I remove the magazine, and try again, but still can't unlock the bolt. I eye the controls. Mag release. Safety. Trigger. What the shit? I look at the controls more closely, and spot a sliver of metal extending awkwardly between the trigger guard and the mag release. I thumb it curiously, and note it seems to do something to the bolt. I idly glance behind me and see one of the new shooters was watching the scene reminiscent of a monkey with a square peg and a round hole. I take comfort in the fact that there aren't more people here to bask in my genius, and retreat to the range counter to ask the guys there how the hell you release the bolt on a 10/22. When I turn, one of them is just coming in, and I ask him what the hell I'm doing wrong. He smiles and says, "Yeah, it's pretty stupid. You might go for the aftermarket bolt release." The then shows me how to release the bolt (rock the sliver upward while pulling and releasing the bolt).
I put two mags through it off hand, and after getting used to the trigger and sights, made a small hole in my paper plate. While reloading I noticed one of the new shooters was still looking at me, and offered to let him shoot it. "I didn't really pay for it, so..." "It's two cents a round, don't worry about it." "Ok!" I showed him how the sights should align, and he shot one magazine through it. He missed the plate a few times (I let him set the range), but it didn't matter, because he had fun. I noticed his friend was watching him shoot, and offered him a chance to shoot which he accepted gratefully. After a second short instruction session, the second friend shot a little better than the first, but he had the same grin when he was done. But this time, another new shooter was done, and I figured I'd just round it out and offer for her to shoot. She declined, and I returned to loading the magazine. After I was done I turned slightly and saw her there waiting to shoot. Another quick lesson and another quick magazine, she was done, and I was ready to return to my paper targets. Just doing my part making sure new shooters have a good time and want to return.
I put the target out to 50 feet and got into a standing shooting position (showing off my elbow rest/stomach), and shot until 10. The overall rifle feel (over the G22 bullpup) made shooting easier, and the weight and balance made it easy to keep on target. No malfunctions, one failure to fire (heavy hammer strike, cheapie golden bullet ammo). The overall feel of the gun was just right. The sights were a little low, but I'm going to replace them with peep sights anyways. The trigger was kind of heavy, but far from difficult. I planned to keep this 10/22 as close to stock as I could in deference to tradition.
I think I've got a new favorite!
Oh yeah, I went home and couldn't help but pull out the sandpaper and open up the barrel channel so the barrel was floated. I'm going to shoot it without the barrel band next time, and see if I notice any difference. I probably won't, but I just had to futz with it a little bit. :)
Monday, July 07, 2008
Shooting clovers
This weekend at the range, for the first time, I shot clovers at 40 feet.
It's a beautiful thing. Pics will follow.
This was, of course, with the GP100 I shoot so well. Can't do it every time, but at this rate, I should be there soon.
In other news, I still suck at shooting glocks. The G19's front sight was too fat, putting me all over the paper. When I pulled the glock in closer to my face, I started shooting in an 8" circle COM. Feh.
It's a beautiful thing. Pics will follow.
This was, of course, with the GP100 I shoot so well. Can't do it every time, but at this rate, I should be there soon.
In other news, I still suck at shooting glocks. The G19's front sight was too fat, putting me all over the paper. When I pulled the glock in closer to my face, I started shooting in an 8" circle COM. Feh.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Enfield to ET: "I'm not a fucking toy!"
At the desert shoot I finally got the opportunity to shoot my Enfield. Sadly, I didn't have any surplus (or otherwise inexpensive) ammo, so I was forced to use the $30-per-20-round box of soft nose 303 from the only local place that sells 303, Big 5. I didn't mind that much because I just needed to test-fire.
Everyone was excited to see what the "big bullets" were going to do to some of the targets, so they set up some gallon water bottles, 3 liter soda bottles, and melons at about 75 yards, and gathered around me expectantly. Ok, performance time...
I slinged (slung?) up and got into a sitting position. (I really like the thin front sight blade, now I want a thin replacement for my m39). I decided to use the smaller adjustable peep sight, and set it for 300 yards, unsure of the zero (or even if it was sighted in). First shot was called a little high, but good for windage, so I lowered the rear sight two notches. The second shot blew the gallon water bottle into the air. From what I understood it was quite a show. I fired 5 more times, enjoying the sights and manageable long, single-stage trigger. I missed all the results of my shots, but didn't miss any targets. (even got the smaller 1 liter bottle)
I handed the rifle to my brother-in-law, who was turning out to be quite a shot. While settling, he seemed to be having difficulty, so I showed him how to sling up, and he scored two hits.
Around this point the Enfield must have taken umbrage to being used to shoot water bottles instead of Nazis, because the next shot resulted in a broken firing pin, and the cocking piece and half the firing pin flying backwards into my brother's face. This is why we wear eye protection! The cocking piece drew blood on a small cut on the side of his nose, but his sun glasses stopped it from going any farther than that.
I figured the wear on the firing pin probably was indicative of lots of firing, and wondered if it might have actually seen some action. The guy I bought it from said he got it from his father and hadn't shot it much. Though most sellers will usually do their best to convince a buyer that the previous owner was an old lady who only took it to the church on Sundays, this guy seemed genuine.
I thought about calling the Enfield "The Joker" because the date painted on the stock is 4/1/53, and now I guess this would be a good prank. "Got your eye! Ahhhh... Just kidding."
If anyone has any insight into this kind of failure, or recommendations for places to pick up replacements, please feel free to comment.
Everyone was excited to see what the "big bullets" were going to do to some of the targets, so they set up some gallon water bottles, 3 liter soda bottles, and melons at about 75 yards, and gathered around me expectantly. Ok, performance time...
I slinged (slung?) up and got into a sitting position. (I really like the thin front sight blade, now I want a thin replacement for my m39). I decided to use the smaller adjustable peep sight, and set it for 300 yards, unsure of the zero (or even if it was sighted in). First shot was called a little high, but good for windage, so I lowered the rear sight two notches. The second shot blew the gallon water bottle into the air. From what I understood it was quite a show. I fired 5 more times, enjoying the sights and manageable long, single-stage trigger. I missed all the results of my shots, but didn't miss any targets. (even got the smaller 1 liter bottle)
I handed the rifle to my brother-in-law, who was turning out to be quite a shot. While settling, he seemed to be having difficulty, so I showed him how to sling up, and he scored two hits.
Around this point the Enfield must have taken umbrage to being used to shoot water bottles instead of Nazis, because the next shot resulted in a broken firing pin, and the cocking piece and half the firing pin flying backwards into my brother's face. This is why we wear eye protection! The cocking piece drew blood on a small cut on the side of his nose, but his sun glasses stopped it from going any farther than that.
I figured the wear on the firing pin probably was indicative of lots of firing, and wondered if it might have actually seen some action. The guy I bought it from said he got it from his father and hadn't shot it much. Though most sellers will usually do their best to convince a buyer that the previous owner was an old lady who only took it to the church on Sundays, this guy seemed genuine.
I thought about calling the Enfield "The Joker" because the date painted on the stock is 4/1/53, and now I guess this would be a good prank. "Got your eye! Ahhhh... Just kidding."
If anyone has any insight into this kind of failure, or recommendations for places to pick up replacements, please feel free to comment.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Carteach0 is back!
Range day! Comparing Privy vs. Wolf .223
I had a similar experience. When I finally got a chance to bring my Wolf .223 to a 100 yard range, I found the accuracy to be unreliable enough that I realized I had to stock up on some better quality ammo.
After the technical data is out of the way, he touches on one of the best things about shooting.
Coming from a man who has apparently had some recent difficulties in life, this means a lot. Trips to the range are very therapeutic. Very zen.
I had a similar experience. When I finally got a chance to bring my Wolf .223 to a 100 yard range, I found the accuracy to be unreliable enough that I realized I had to stock up on some better quality ammo.
After the technical data is out of the way, he touches on one of the best things about shooting.
On the other hand, I made a pile of empties and had a ball. The range was recently upgraded, the weather was perfect, I had the place to myself, and life was just really good for a little while.
Coming from a man who has apparently had some recent difficulties in life, this means a lot. Trips to the range are very therapeutic. Very zen.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
M39 Range trip
I finally got the chance to take the m39 out to a proper rifle range. Unfortunately, no matter how much brush they had cleared away, they wouldn't allow my surplus ammo, which meant $1.05 a round, which meant making every shot count.
The range had good shooting benches (ambidextrous) with plenty of sandbags and two gongs at 200 yards. I was going to start short, and stretch out to the end of the range, but then I realized I had already sighted the m39 in, so what the hell?
I slinged (slung?) up and fired off elbows and iron sights at the 200 yard gong. 5 shots later I figured out where to aim for my 300 yard zero, and had a few hits on the gong. Until now the gong had been quiet for the 30 minutes we had been there, so some spectators took note when the gong came to life, and started looking around for the shooter. I handed the m39 to a friend who wants his own m39, to let him have a few shots at the gong, and he managed 1/3 before he handed the rifle back to me. I noted the spectators had moved to behind our lane, loaded three rounds and tried to focus.
*boom* *PANG*
*boom* *PANG*
...focusss... squeeeeze...
*boom* *PANG*
:D
Three in a row is good enough for me, now to make some groups.
After one group of three a older gentleman approached behind our bench and commented, "Nice Finn!" I stopped shooting and talked to him about m39s and the history surrounding them. In the conversation he mentioned that with an m39 he had, he could that would put 5 shots into a nickel at 200 yards. I told him that he must be a better shot than I, and asked if I could bother him to shoot a group with my rifle to eliminate me as a source of inaccuracy. He was happy to oblige.
Shots were made at 50 yards using iron sights.
After the first shot (green group, far right) he gave me some pointers, and I shot the next shot into the center and the following below it. Satisfied in my abilities, we spoke a while longer about competitions before we parted.
I then took aim at the 100 yard target.
Three three-shot groups at 100 yards off bags using iron sights.
Red group was first, and made me remind myself of the tips I was given.
Blue group was the best at 1.31"
Green group was three shots, and they all felt good, but I appear to have either missed the paper entirely, or threaded a needle almost perfectly. I stared at the two holes long and hard, looking for the slightest trace of a second projectile, but found nothing conclusive. It seems more likely that I'd miss than make a shot like that. :X The two(?) shot green group measures 0.82"
Not bad.
Not bad at all. :)
After those groups I fired off the last bit of my expensive ammo at the 200 yard swinging small gong, having grown tired of the 8" gong. Then I switched to my AR and pegged the two gongs off irons for the rest of the time.
That *PANG* sound doesn't seem to get old.
The range had good shooting benches (ambidextrous) with plenty of sandbags and two gongs at 200 yards. I was going to start short, and stretch out to the end of the range, but then I realized I had already sighted the m39 in, so what the hell?
I slinged (slung?) up and fired off elbows and iron sights at the 200 yard gong. 5 shots later I figured out where to aim for my 300 yard zero, and had a few hits on the gong. Until now the gong had been quiet for the 30 minutes we had been there, so some spectators took note when the gong came to life, and started looking around for the shooter. I handed the m39 to a friend who wants his own m39, to let him have a few shots at the gong, and he managed 1/3 before he handed the rifle back to me. I noted the spectators had moved to behind our lane, loaded three rounds and tried to focus.
*boom* *PANG*
*boom* *PANG*
...focusss... squeeeeze...
*boom* *PANG*
:D
Three in a row is good enough for me, now to make some groups.
After one group of three a older gentleman approached behind our bench and commented, "Nice Finn!" I stopped shooting and talked to him about m39s and the history surrounding them. In the conversation he mentioned that with an m39 he had, he could that would put 5 shots into a nickel at 200 yards. I told him that he must be a better shot than I, and asked if I could bother him to shoot a group with my rifle to eliminate me as a source of inaccuracy. He was happy to oblige.
Shots were made at 50 yards using iron sights.
After the first shot (green group, far right) he gave me some pointers, and I shot the next shot into the center and the following below it. Satisfied in my abilities, we spoke a while longer about competitions before we parted.
I then took aim at the 100 yard target.
Three three-shot groups at 100 yards off bags using iron sights.
Red group was first, and made me remind myself of the tips I was given.
Blue group was the best at 1.31"
Green group was three shots, and they all felt good, but I appear to have either missed the paper entirely, or threaded a needle almost perfectly. I stared at the two holes long and hard, looking for the slightest trace of a second projectile, but found nothing conclusive. It seems more likely that I'd miss than make a shot like that. :X The two(?) shot green group measures 0.82"
Not bad.
Not bad at all. :)
After those groups I fired off the last bit of my expensive ammo at the 200 yard swinging small gong, having grown tired of the 8" gong. Then I switched to my AR and pegged the two gongs off irons for the rest of the time.
That *PANG* sound doesn't seem to get old.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
GP100
Since my Ruger boycott was over, I was on the look out for a few of his firearms. I stopped in to Turners to eye the merch, and I spotted one of the employees carrying a tagless GP100. I followed him from the other side of the counter until he pulled out a tag, and as soon as he filled in the price, asked to see it. Having already spoken to friends about how to check a revolver, I was able to see this one was in practically new condition. Bought it on the spot.
30 days later for the consignment to clear and a 10 day waiting period later (ugh) I was ready to shoot!
Ruger GP100
My best group.
6-shots 38 special DA at ~40 feet
I shoot this thing exceptionally well, one handed, and weak handed. With a little practice, I'll be awesome.
30 days later for the consignment to clear and a 10 day waiting period later (ugh) I was ready to shoot!
Ruger GP100
My best group.
6-shots 38 special DA at ~40 feet
I shoot this thing exceptionally well, one handed, and weak handed. With a little practice, I'll be awesome.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Suddenly, I can shoot revolvers!
I wasn't sure exactly why, but I was never really able to shoot revolvers. Initial attempts resulted in difficulty staying on the paper. Continued practice culminated in 12" groups at close range. I asked for some help from the range workers, and was given tips on technique. Groups shrunk slightly, but remained unacceptable. Meanwhile my automatic shooting continued to become better, and better.
I'm not sure if the gun fairy showed up and sprinkled some revolver dust on me, but my last trip to the range resulted in leaps-and-bounds of improvement. In fact, it resulted in some of the best shooting I've done with a pistol ever. I was grinning like a kid with a great report card. (much to my girlfriend's amusement)
The revolver was a GP100, with which I wanted to practice since I could now buy one, but I wasn't expecting this. I wasn't even expecting a satisfactory performance. I don't know if it was the GP100, or if it was me; either way, a world of revolvers just opened to me, and it feels good.
I'm not sure if the gun fairy showed up and sprinkled some revolver dust on me, but my last trip to the range resulted in leaps-and-bounds of improvement. In fact, it resulted in some of the best shooting I've done with a pistol ever. I was grinning like a kid with a great report card. (much to my girlfriend's amusement)
The revolver was a GP100, with which I wanted to practice since I could now buy one, but I wasn't expecting this. I wasn't even expecting a satisfactory performance. I don't know if it was the GP100, or if it was me; either way, a world of revolvers just opened to me, and it feels good.
Monday, December 31, 2007
mah Berfdey
I took the occasion to spend a few hours at the range. The G22 seems to be getting better at digesting the cheapo remington golden bullet bulk box. I only had one FTE and one FTF. As usual the G22 loved the thunderbolt, but somehow I was shooting better groups with the cheap stuff.
The trigger seems to have stiffened up since the recent trigger mod, and I was shooting smaller groups as a result. The scope remains removed in favor of some more enjoyable iron sight practice. Though I feel I'm rather close to maxing out my iron sight ability with this gun, and expect the scope will be making a come back after this remission. The space gun seems to be capable of some pretty good accuracy. I still long for a 100 yard range with good conditions to really explore the accuracy of this enjoyable plinker.
Since it was my birthday, I decided to celebrate by bringing my baby along for some quality time. She has been sadly neglected with the cost of .45 lately, but there was no way I was talking myself out of some 1911 range time on my birthday! Oh boy did I miss shooting that gun. Crisp trigger breaks, quick resets, smooth controllable recoil, and (of course) a big boom! There's no one thing I love about that gun, it's just the perfect complete package. I shoot it so well, I surprise myself. Shooting tiny groups never gets old. The only thing I find lacking for quick, aimed fire is the mil-spec sights which are low and slick, but difficult to find in a hurry. I think I might be tempted to take a file to the rear sight and open it up a bit. I can't bring myself to replace them since the snag-resistant low profile of the sights was one of the selling points.
After returning home I relished a detail strip and cleaning of the 1911, and enjoyed its beautiful, brutal simplicity.
That night it was time for the birthday dinner of delicious sushi. My sister and her husband go to a sushi bar that serves lots of interesting rolls, so we usually go there. While I'm usually more of a nigiri kind of guy (because I enjoy the taste of fresh sushi), the interesting rolls they make there are too good to pass up. I also had about a bottle of Soju, which is surprisingly good with a lot of lemon. Family, friends, and all the sushi you can eat is the perfect way to enjoy a birthday. If I hadn't drank and ate so much I would have likely attempted to watch the entire Indiana Jones Box set I got as a gift. I suppose I'll have to leave it for another time.
Great birthday. Looking forward to the next one.
The trigger seems to have stiffened up since the recent trigger mod, and I was shooting smaller groups as a result. The scope remains removed in favor of some more enjoyable iron sight practice. Though I feel I'm rather close to maxing out my iron sight ability with this gun, and expect the scope will be making a come back after this remission. The space gun seems to be capable of some pretty good accuracy. I still long for a 100 yard range with good conditions to really explore the accuracy of this enjoyable plinker.
Since it was my birthday, I decided to celebrate by bringing my baby along for some quality time. She has been sadly neglected with the cost of .45 lately, but there was no way I was talking myself out of some 1911 range time on my birthday! Oh boy did I miss shooting that gun. Crisp trigger breaks, quick resets, smooth controllable recoil, and (of course) a big boom! There's no one thing I love about that gun, it's just the perfect complete package. I shoot it so well, I surprise myself. Shooting tiny groups never gets old. The only thing I find lacking for quick, aimed fire is the mil-spec sights which are low and slick, but difficult to find in a hurry. I think I might be tempted to take a file to the rear sight and open it up a bit. I can't bring myself to replace them since the snag-resistant low profile of the sights was one of the selling points.
After returning home I relished a detail strip and cleaning of the 1911, and enjoyed its beautiful, brutal simplicity.
That night it was time for the birthday dinner of delicious sushi. My sister and her husband go to a sushi bar that serves lots of interesting rolls, so we usually go there. While I'm usually more of a nigiri kind of guy (because I enjoy the taste of fresh sushi), the interesting rolls they make there are too good to pass up. I also had about a bottle of Soju, which is surprisingly good with a lot of lemon. Family, friends, and all the sushi you can eat is the perfect way to enjoy a birthday. If I hadn't drank and ate so much I would have likely attempted to watch the entire Indiana Jones Box set I got as a gift. I suppose I'll have to leave it for another time.
Great birthday. Looking forward to the next one.
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