It Was a Cold IDPA Match

Over the weekend, I joined a couple of friends as we traveled across the Potomac River to shoot the monthly IDPA match at Sanner's Lake in Lexington Park, MD. Leaving before dawn, and feeling the cold morning temperature, left me questioning my choices to start the day. As the sun rose, it gave very limited relief, with the thermometer barely cracking 50° all morning.

The first stage our squad shot started us facing both near and far targets from behind a barricade. Then we moved down range, engaging targets in the open as they appeared. Arriving at the end of the course, we found both threat and non-threat targets behind a stack of barrels. Shooting the course -0 was a nice way to start the day.

The next stage I thought offered a fun course of fire. From the start, we engaged an open target with six rounds, then turned to shoot a couple distant targets that were partially hidden behind a non-threat. Moving to the next point of cover, the course ended with a few more partial targets, with more non-threats restricting open shots.

The fun course became less so for me as I arrived at the first point of cover. As I looked around the barrel, the rising sun hit my right through the side of my glasses. I moved back a bit but the damage was done. I had a bright yellow spot burned into my vision that remained for the next 20 seconds or so. It made the sights on the gun hard to see. I did my best to get through it, but ended up hitting a non-threat and earning quite a few points down. Disappointing, but the match goes on even after a little adversity.

The stage labeled "Carnival" was probably my favorite of the match. We started the course of fire standing at a table, with a tennis ball in our strong hand. Down range were three targets, placed in different orientations, which were partially obscured by a both a non-threat and a row of bowling pins placed on barrels. Moving just slightly side-to-side allowed the shooter to get shots at the targets around the obstacles. Of course, shooting the bowling pins out of the way was an option, but that wasted both time and ammo.

After engaging that first group of targets, there were more targets to be found by moving to the left and shooting through a port, and by also moving right and shooting around the wall. The targets to the left were challenging in that a fairly heard lean was required at the fault line see the targets. The array of three targets and three non-threats on the other side offered an especially deceivingly target array. The non-threat covering the center target also extended behind the most leftward target. Taking the "open" shot to the center -0 would also lead to a shoot-through — right into the head of the non-threat. And it did catch some folks.

Next up was a straight forward "Standards" stage. Four paper targets, requiring three hits each, and four steel poppers were placed down range of a barrel barricade, half visible from each side. It was a quick shoot and resulted in my best stage finish of the match, — 6th overall and 2nd in SSP.

After the steel, the next challenge face was a course of fire combining both distance shooting and head shots. To add to the interest, this was a limited stage which meant there would be no make up shots. We began with six rounds in the gun, and engaged three distant targets partially blocked by non-threats. Then while reloading we advanced to shoot three head shot only targets from behind a barricaded of barrels. I felt really good while shooting this stage. Even my fingers were beginning to warm slightly. As I was engaging the head shots, I could see the hits on the heads. I probably got a little too confident and rushed the very last shot, pulling it off target for a miss.

The last stage our group shot was a two string course requiring both strong and weak hand shooting. Three close targets were placed to the rear of two non-threats. The first string required 5 body hits and 1 head shot on the center target, all shot weak hand only. The second string was shot strong hand only and called for 5 body and one head on each of the two outside targets. This was one of two -0 stages I shot this day.

It was a good morning of shooting, despite the cold. The one sun-blinded stage did have an adverse affect my overall finish. Despite that, I managed 16th of 52 overall, and 8th of 25 in SSP.  The match moved quickly and we finished all six stages in about 2 1/2 hours. The quick, well-run match is a welcome foil to the two hour drive each way to shoot it. The travel time is made also made more bearable by the company of friends. As is tradition, we shopped for distilled beverages after the match, and consumed a filling lunch at a local Mexican restaurant.

I think I was still feeling the chill later in the evening. A roaring fire in the back yard, watching the sunset, while enjoying with some bourbon and a couple good cigars, helped to finish the day a little warmer than it started.

 

Irish Pubs

We enjoyed more than a few pubs during our trip to Ireland. The beer, the whiskey, the food, the music, and the friendly people made everyone of those visits memorable. (Okay, some of those memories might be little fuzzy.

The Field in Kilkenny provided a refreshing lunch on a rainy afternoon.

The lamb stew I had went very well with a properly poured Stout.

Tynan's Bridge House Bar is reputed to be one of the oldest pubs in Kilkenny. 

Our delightful server offered us copious choices of Irish Whiskey.

The aftermath.

Early morning keg retrieval was common activity in every town.

Dingle, the only town on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry was hosting a food festival during our visit. We found seats in John Benny's Pub for a quick lunch of…

…Fish and chips. And a pint.

Murty Rabbitt's in Galway was the site of a dinner feast.

Seafood chowder and brown bread…

…and Shepherd's Pie.

…and a pint.

After dinner we headed down the street to An Púcán for music…

…and more pints and whiskey.

To be continued…

Saturday Morning IDPA

It's been two months since I was last able to get to an IDPA match, and five weeks since I even touched the gun. Needless to say I was very much looking forward to Saturday's Cavalier IDPA match. As I made the morning drive and was enjoying the colorful fall foliage, I spied a very bright rainbow in the sky directly in front of me. I knew it was going to be a good day.

As is usual for this event, there were five fun stages of shooting fun in store. The first stage had the shooter starting facing wall with the option of going right or left to begin the course of fire. Targets were found by traversing a winding course through the array of walls.

I was the first shooter on the stage and thought I had my plan well in mind. That plan had a momentary hiccup when I remembered where I wanted to do my reload, but failed to fire the extra shot before dropping the mag. I immediately realized my mistake so picked up and reinserted the empty mag before firing the next shot, thus avoiding the penalty. I considered the recovery a win, though my "mental malfunction" earned some good natured ribbing from my squad mates. The joshing was the start of a fun morning of banter among the fun-loving squad.

Shooters started the next stage seated, with the gun and ammo all staged on a table that was by running around a corner behind the chair. After retrieving the magazines and loading the gun, one proceeded to find targets around three places of cover. It was another fun stage, despite eliciting groans of aching knees.

The next stage was quite unique and one that generated a lot of discussion and questions around the shooting requirements. Simply put, the stage brief called for two hits on each body, and one on each head, and all targets engaged in proper priority. The twist was that the "heads" were not connected to the "bodies." In fact, for some targets, the heads were not even visible from the same point as the respective bodies.

The priority of the targets very much was dependent on how the shooter moved along the firing area. Having a good stage plan, and remembering it, was critical to avoid penalties and not skipping targets. In retrospect, it was not has difficult to understand as it was unusual. The priority of targets did manage to trick a few shooters, but I dare say everyone enjoyed it.

Stage 5 had us again starting in the middle of a wall, with a choice of directions to move. There were nine targets lined up at the back of the bay. Getting to the targets meant navigating an array of walls, moving left to right and front to back, depending on the shooter's plan. There was nearly the number of options to complete the course of fire as there were shooters.

The last stage of the match included those "dreaded" steel poppers. It's interesting to me that, even though the steel target zone is larger than some paper scoring zones, steel seems to get missed more. As one shooter remarked, "The thing about steel is you know when you hit it. The other thing about steel is you know when you don't." The entire stage was shot while seated and consisted of three paper targets and three steel. The paper all requiring three hits on each. I did need one make up shot on steel but was otherwise very pleased. The stage was quick and a successful way to close out the match.

I thought this was an exceptionally enjoyable match. Matches are made even more pleasurable when the shooting comes together, and the folks you are shooting with are so much fun. I was also pleased with how I shot on this morning, especially after my hiatus. I had just four points down for the entire match to finish 6th of 36 overall, and 2nd of 19 in the SSP division.

It felt great to be back on the range, and on a morning of pleasant fall weather besides. Maybe I'll even find some time to practice before the next match.

A Fratello Sunset in Killarney

At the beginning of the month we were blessed to make our second pilgrimage to Ireland. For ten fun days we explored historic sites, ate good food, and enjoyed numerous pubs and live music. The scenery on the Emerald Isle is breathtaking. At the same time the tragic history of religious persecution, land theft, and forced starvation imposed upon the Irish people is never far from mind.

I had brought along a few cigars to hopefully smoke on the trip. Unfortunately, smoking is banned indoors in Ireland, even at the cigar shops. For a few days we enjoyed the beautiful and serene setting of the Cahernane Manor House Hotel, in Killarney. The grounds of the manor house offered a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a smoke after a long day of touring, and before an evening of music at a local pub.

This Fratello Bianco Boxer was enjoyed while I watched the sun set behind the distant mountains. 

The view was made even more interesting by the sounds and antics of an angry bull chasing the native elk out of his pasture, as well as the bleating of sheep in another pasture.

Over the coming weeks, I'll share more tales of the places and people, as well as the beer and Irish whiskey that we enjoyed during the trip.

Tailgate Cigar and Whiskey Pairing

The weather was nearly perfect for last weekend's college football tailgate party. The partly cloudy sky allowed enough sun to come through to knock off any full morning chill. Though rain was in the forecast, the precipitation held off until after the game, except for a few last quarter sprinkles. The mid-afternoon kickoff had us starting the festivities late in the morning.

While we snacked and chatted, I lit up a Powstanie Habano Toro This cigar had been hiding in my humidor for over a year. The well-rested stick provided creamy chocolate and woody notes throughout. A touch of cedar spice lingered in the background. Powstanie is a favorite, though I typically reach for the Broadleaf wrapper versions. I think I will pickup a few more of these to stash away.

I had also brought along a bottle of Larceny Bourbon. This wheated bourbon has caramel, oak, and vanilla notes with very little spiciness. The smooth sipping whiskey was an exceptional compliment to the flavors in the cigar.

Perhaps it was the atmosphere, or just my mood at the time, but I felt this cigar and bourbon combination was one of the most enjoyable pairings I've had in a while. 

On top of the tailgate fun, we were treated to a very exciting football game. Our guys pulled out a win in what turned out to be the longest game in ACC history. It was a nail biter at times, but a great cap off to a fun day.

Guns, Beef, and Cigars: A Smoky Saturday

A few weeks ago I found myself with a rare Saturday of free time. Colleen was away for the weekend, there were no shooting matches to attend, no travel plans, and no household chores that couldn't be ignored.

After a quick cup of coffee in the morning, I headed down I-95 to the indoor range. Now that the summer weekend travel traffic is over the drive is quick, relatively speaking. I prefer to arrive right at opening time, to be finished before the range gets crowded. I spent about 45 minutes turning money into smoke and noise. I spent about half my time shooting at an IDPA target set at 12 or 15 yards, trying to get good groups of 3-4 shots as fast as I could reset the sights after each shot. I also spent some time working on accuracy with smaller targets. It was a fun and satisfying session, especially since my range time has been extremely limited the past few months.

Driving home, I realized I hadn't given the rest of the day much thought, being unaccustomed to such an empty schedule. As I contemplated the rest of the afternoon, my stomach made a suggestion to find food, and soon I was seated at a local "BBQ" restaurant. A platter of smoked brisket, smoke-flavored beans, and fried okra took care of my grumbling stomach.

After that tasty lunch, I decided to head over to the cigar lounge for a smoke and visit with the folks there. I chose an Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial in a torpedo vitola for my afternoon enjoyment.

There are notes of rich, creamy chocolate and a bit of spiciness throughout. Cedar and nutty undertones add to the flavor profile. The full bodied cigar went quite well with a vanilla latte grabbed from the nearby over-priced coffee chain. After a couple hours of pleasurable smoke and conversation, I reluctantly took my leave of the shop and headed home. Still with plenty of time left for other serendipitous activities the day would bring.

Fall Tailgating: Beer, Cigars

With the advent of fall, our weekend activities often revolve around college football. Fall also means the store shelves are filled with one of my favorite styles, the malt-rich Oktoberfest lagers. Afternoon tailgating before a game provides the opportunity to combine good beer, good food, and a good smoke.

The tailgate preparations included picking up a six pack of Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest. The brewery collaborated with Germany’s Bitburger Brewery to create the 2019 version of the seasonal release.

Though not visible through the plastic cup, the beer is an attractive copper-red color with a creamy head. A rich malt aroma greats the nose. The flavor profile has toasty malt, caramel, and a sweet breadiness. There's a mild, but pleasant bitterness in the finish, along with thick mouthfeel. Overall, a very enjoyable drink.

I opted to pair the beer with the limited release Fratello D.M.V. in the District of Columbia vitola. The medium bodied cigar features a rich leather flavor and moderate spiciness. The two hour smoke offered the chance to open another refreshing bottle of the Oktoberfest.

Sadly, our team is not having a good season, and the game following the tailgate fun was most disappointing. However, as fans, we will look forward to the next tailgate, along with more enjoyable beer and cigar pairings.

Hiatus

And suddenly it's September. Sorry friends, I realized that the last Musings were posted on July 31. I'm still here, but have taken a bit of a break from the blog. Not to fear, craft beer, whiskey, and cigars are still being enjoyed, frequently. I even managed to shoot a couple of IDPA matches in August. I just happen to be enjoying living life more than writing about it, for the time being anyway.

Life changes abound. Our son has graduated from college, and is working and living on his own. Colleen and I are enjoying the chance to live a bit more "on a whim." Sometimes that means an unplanned trip. Sometimes it just means more time spent doing nothing. And not thinking about writing while I'm doing it is a refreshing break.

This isn't a "blog closed" announcement. Consider it a hiatus.