Range Time Under a Blue Morning Sky

Morning arrived sunny and cool — perfect weather for a trip to the range. I usually head out in the early afternoon to avoid the morning “rush,” but other plans meant trying an earlier time. After my morning coffee, I loaded up the gear and headed out. There was some activity at the park, but I found an open pistol bay.

The sky was a clear, bright blue with just enough breeze to keep things comfortable. I started with 25-yard shooting, working through both the DA and SA trigger pulls on the SIG P226. Out of 45 rounds, about half landed in the -0 circle, most of the rest in -1, with six drifting into -3, and just one miss. Considering the target is little more than a blurry blob to me at that distance, I was pleased with the results — even if the shooting was slow.

Next came 95 rounds from the 15-yard line. I mixed DA and SA trigger pulls with some head shots, firing faster than I had at 25 yards. Even limited to two-shot pairs by range rules, with no movement allowed, it still felt like progress. I wrapped up the session with slow, strong-hand and weak-hand-only shooting at 10 yards.

It was an extremely enjoyable morning — beautiful weather, relaxing time on the range, and satisfying practice. I’m still not sure when I’ll jump back into a local IDPA match, but for now, I’m appreciating every bit of trigger time I can get.

Cheers!

An Afternoon Well Spent at the Range

It’s a joy to finally be back at the range with some regularity — even if “regular” right now means three weeks in a row. There was a time when I practiced nearly every week and shot one to three matches a month. I don’t expect, or even want, to return to that pace, but a match every month or so, if only for the social side of it, would be a welcome addition.

For this session, I brought along some paper IDPA practice targets. They aren’t my favorite since the dark scoring lines are more obvious than the subtle perforations on the official version, but they get the job done.

I set up at the 15-yard line and focused on two-shot strings: DA/SA and SA/SA sequences, mostly from the holster, with the occasional start from high ready. Everything was fired at a controlled pace from a stationary position, since range rules prohibit shooting on the move.

To mix things up, I worked in some SHO (strong hand only) and WHO (weak hand only) shooting, which actually went better than expected. A few strings at 25 yards added a bit of extra challenge, and it seems my regular dry-fire sessions are beginning to show results.

For a touch of fun, I took aim at a 4” rubber ball target someone had left hanging from a rope. Landing a few solid hits on that moving target was a satisfying change of pace.

I’d loaded 100 rounds into magazines, planning on a short outing. But when I “discovered” an extra box of 50 tucked in my bag, well — it only made sense to run through those too. 😀

Cheers!

Dry Fire, Live Fire, and Small Steps Forward

After last week’s long-awaited visit to the range, I was eager for a return trip. With intermittent rain predicted throughout this week, I resolved to head out at the first clear opportunity. The skies were gray after lunch on Monday, but both of the weather apps on my phone promised no rain until evening — good enough for me.

This time I decided to shoot from 10 yards only. I’m still working on re-learning the DA/SA trigger, and shooting from multiple distances also means more bending over to collect brass afterward. One step at a time.

I began with slow, deliberate DA shots and was satisfied with the results. My goal was to stay within the upper body of the silhouette, in line with the standard IDPA target layout — though I really do need to order more of those cardboard targets. SA follow-ups landed well too. (The range rule caps strings at two shots; anything more brings a stern letter from the range master.) Adding draws from the holster for two-shot pairs added some speed, though I caught myself flinching on about one in five DA shots. Not acceptable — but I've doing more dry fire to hopefully steady that long trigger pull.

Even with poor distance vision making the target details a blur, careful sight alignment still produced solid hits in both DA and SA when aiming for more precise hits.

I wrapped up after my planned 100 rounds, satisfied with the session. Thankfully, I had brought along a brass-catching mat, which made cleanup much easier. As I was gathering my gear, the rain finally arrived. I snatched up the mat, hustled the brass under cover, and bagged it just as the shower hit — perfect timing.

I glanced over the local IDPA match schedule online, but decided I need more trigger time first, both live and dry fire. Still, I’m pleased with my shooting “recovery” so far.

Cheers!

From Back Surgery to Back on the Range

It had been far too long since I’d made it to the range. After 18 months of battling back issues and recovering from surgery, I’d occasionally wondered if it was time to drop “shooting sports” from this blog’s tagline. But I held on to hope — and this week, that hope paid off with a long-awaited trip to the range.

In addition to the simple joy of shooting again, I’d been itching to revisit my old SIG Sauer P226. That pistol had served me well in many USPSA and IDPA matches before I moved on to the striker-fired P320. A couple of weeks ago, I started dry-firing the P226 and decided it needed an upgrade. I swapped the stock sights for the same Dawson Precision setup I use on my P320s, installing them just last week in anticipation of this trip.

I’ll admit I was a bit apprehensive setting up at the range. Physical therapy has rebuilt muscles that were long neglected, but they haven’t been stress-tested much. I hadn’t fired a shot in 18 months, and aside from 30 rounds in 2023, the P226 hadn’t left the safe since mid-2017. Would I still remember the nuances of a double-action/single-action trigger?

I kept all my shooting at the 7-yard line — partly for focus, partly because I wanted my brass landing in one general area to avoid excessive bending when picking it up later. The first shot felt good. It took a bit to reacquaint myself with the long, smooth double-action pull and the short single-action follow-ups. There were a few fliers, but overall, the groups looked solid. The new sights seemed well-installed, and while the trigger feel was different, the sight picture was comfortingly familiar.

The first 15 rounds grouped nicely, most of them fired in pairs after drawing from the holster. I’d planned to stick with draw-and-shoot drills, but couldn’t resist trying some strong-hand-only shots as I finished up the last magazine. From 7 yards, I hit the head area every time — a pleasant surprise after so long away.

After 100 rounds, I called it a day. The brass pickup went smoothly enough, despite some stiffness in my back. I might have been nervous on the way there, but I drove home with a grin on my face.

I’m not sure yet when I’ll be ready for a match, but it feels like the long shooting drought may finally be breaking.

Cheers!

Lunch Hour Range Visit

It's that time of the year when the daytime temperatures can vary by 25° or more from one day to the next. I took advantage of one of the higher end of the spectrum on a recent afternoon to scoot over to the range for some brief trigger time. I only took 100 rounds of ammo with me, a choice I quickly regretted.

During some recent home purging activities, a full box of cardboard USPSA targets was discovered in the basement. I've been out of the IDPA version for some time so this was a fortuitous find. Grabbing one of my metal target bases completed the target supply needs. Using the stand-alone target setup turned out to be a good choice as the breeze at the range would have played havoc with the usual target hung from a rope.

As switch from the usual routine, I skipped the OWB range holster and stuck with my IWB holster for the SIG P320 Compact. Current events illustrate that these are good times to stay fresh on the EDC weapons. 

I spent most of the time simply drawing from under a t-shirt and shooting the target set at 15 yards. Shooting various head/body combinations ate through the 100 rounds pretty quickly. Nonetheless, it was an extremely relaxing time amongst the fall colors in the trees. Not a bad way to spend a "lunch hour."

Cheers!

Weekly Range Practice

After a period of wildfire smoke filled skies, which was followed by days of high temperatures, we've finally enjoyed a few days of temperatures in the low to mid 80's. That made this week's practice outing at the range all the more pleasant.

Tbe setup looked much the same as previously, but the drills were directed a bit differently. I started right off shooting from 15 yards. Hanging both an IDPA practice target and the color and shapes target, I started out shooting a series of single and double shots to the center -0 zone. The focus was on acquiring sights quickly with minimal gun adjustment and bouncing. Then repeat the same routine using the slightly small diamond and square shapes. All strings started from the draw. I shot accurately, but still desire to make less correction when acquiring that first sight picture.

Following that fresh paper was hung and the two targets were spread further apart in order to practice transitions. Several magazines were expended going from a smaller color zone on the first target over to the IDPA. I then reversed the process going from the larger -0 zone to a smaller spot on the other paper. Body to head transitions on the IDPA target followed. Trying to repeat some bits often seen in matches, double shots to the head were worked on.

Remembering I just have to "do it," I finished the practice with SHO and WHO shooting.

It felt good to do more directed skill-building drills, within the context of the two-shot range restrictions. I have a notebook of nearly 100 different pistol skill building drills that I will look through for more ideas too add more variety.

I've been fortunate to have been able to get out to the range to practice regulate the past couple months. After months of few matches, and no practice, I was seeing the effects. Just shooting with some regularity benefits both the act of shooting and increases the motivation to do it even more. That all leads to enjoying more.

Cheers!

I Got In Some Range Time

After last weekend's disappointing performance at the Cavalier IDPA match, I was anxious to get to the range and sort out some issues. To that end, I was able to get in some quality trigger time.

It was a sunny and warm day as I raised the red range flag to claim my spot. The smaller of the two pistol bays was occupied so I ended up in the larger, but less muddy bay. This bay is wide and deep, but is mostly grass over the gravel which makes finding brass difficult. 

I started out shooting at 10 yards, with the usual mix of body only shots, head shots, and body/head transition pairs, all in sets of 10. I wasn't seeing shots go wide left, but did notice a few starting to drift to the left side of the -0 circle. I put all my focus on that front sight, and also concentrated on my support hand grip. I could see how I was possibly getting a bit sloppy there. and dropping focus as the trigger was pulled. I put up a fresh target and stepped back to 15 hards to repeat the same drills. Again good results, though a few shots were wide or low, but overall satisfactory. 

I decided to test my concentration further by next shooting from 20 yards. I still had a used target up, but was really only concerned with any hits outside the -0 zone. To my delight, no wayward left shots. Of thirty rounds fired, mostly pairs from the draw, 6 fell outside the -0, and those were center but low. I was happy to see better results.

I also forced myself to do some strong hand only shooting. I've been working on that just about every range trip as it comes up frequently in matches. I did not try support hand shooting this time.

About midway through my practice session, a truck pulled up as I was reloading magazines. I figured I'd give up the range for the new arrival. Then I saw the range officer badge, and immediately wondered what I had done wrong! I had heard the person in the other bay shooting faster, with longer strings of fire than I had been doing. It didn't seem overly fast to me, but there's no actual defined standard. Then I realized this was that same person. Well, the rules do state that the definition of rapid fire is up to the range officer on duty. Turns out the gentleman just wanted to chat. We did so for awhile, which gave me a short break anyway.

As I often state, range practice can help, but is no indicator of match performance. I need walls, barrels, and other obstacles, as well as movement. All forbidden here. Nonetheless, I'll hopefully get back to the range another time or two before the next match. Knowing that the capability is still there can only be a boost. Some regular practice can't hurt either.

Cheers!

Another Quick Range Trip

I managed to get a late morning escape to the range on Friday. I typically try for mid-week outings, but it didn't work out this week. I timed it just right since as soon as I parked a stream of cars drove in -- 5 minutes later and I would have been shut out.

My plan for the morning was simple draw and shoot -- as required by the range rules. But figured I might as well work on getting that shot, or two, off quickly. I also wanted to try out the new Talon Grips I had put on the gun. The rubber Talon grip previously in place was getting worn and ineffective when my hands were very sweaty at the last match. This time I went with their Pro version which combines the more aggressive granulate texture with the rubber. It seems very secure, but not overly uncomfortable. We'll see next time the match conditions create a suitable test.

My first 60 rounds were done at the 15 yard line. Draw and shoot one or two carefully aimed shots. Repeat. And repeat again. Everything else was shot from 10 yards, drawing and getting off two accurate shots as quickly as possible. Sadly, my shot timer has died so I couldn't take advantage of the random beep start nor record any times. Body only, head only, and body to head transitions, repeated five times for each drill. On the bright side, I fully called those two missed heads shots when they happened.

I finished the quick session with some 10 yard strong hand only shots, followed by support hand only from seven. I wasn't quite as successful as last time, but still hitting about 80% -0 for each while shooting quickly.

Time was limited so I called it a day. Barely had time to break a sweat but it was still enjoyable and a welcome break.

Cheers!

Range Outing

Whenever I drive over to the range it's a bit of a gamble if at least one of the two pistol bays will be open. Last week I was shut out when I got there, and other factors prevented a return attempt. This week my luck was much better. 

This outing was not all that different than previous ones in activity. The 'stand and shoot two shots' rule limit the variety of drills beyond varying distance and aim point. However, there's always the joy of the simple diversion of shooting so it's not all bad. Coincidently I happened to see a video of me shooting at last weekend's IDPA match and, among other faults, noticed a proclivity to not having my gun up and aiming when I arrive at a shooting position. I'll have to work on fixing that in a dry fire movement rather than at the range.

I fired the majority of my shots from the 10 yard line. My intent was concentrating on trigger press, and ease in gathering brass at the end. Various combinations of head and body shots from the draw used up the first 80 rounds fired.

I only load a 2 or 3 magazines with just 10 rounds at a time in order to slow down consumption, and to not fatigue my finger too quickly. Despite that, I started noticing some drift after a bit. So I moved to extra slow drills. I had told myself last weekend I wanted to do bit of practice at longer distance so I hung a fresh target at 35 yards. I only fired 10 rounds at that distance since I was walking down range every 2 shots to check the results. There's still work be done, but all shots made the -1 zone at worse.

Back to 10 yards for a 10 shot round shooting strong hand only. That was followed by 10 weak hand only shots at 7 yards.  

The results were better than I had actually expected. Certainly nothing I generally see in matches, although my SHO shooting has admittedly improved in recent months. A few more outings like this would be a confidence booster at least.

Too soon the fun was over and it was time to pick up brass and return to my day job. Now I begin looking forward to the next outing.

Cheers!

Morning Range Time

It's a been a few weeks since I escaped to the range for trigger time diversions. I drove to the park last week, but found no open bays and had to leave unfulfilled. With daily rain predicted for the week, Tuesday morning offered a brief opportunity before the expected afternoon rain. Fortunately my schedule supported heading out before lunch. 

When I went to the safe to retrieve the firearm, my old SIG P226 was looking out at me and seemed to be begging for attention. So I grabbed it as well, along with the appropriate magazines. It would be interesting to shoot the DA/SA pistol after several years of shooting the P320 double action (DAO) design exclusively.

The skies threatened rain and I thought perhaps that would keep range attendance down, but when I arrived the rifle range and one pistol bay were already occupied. I grabbed the second pistol location, just in time, and I saw several vehicles drive in and exit soon afterwards, their turn to be disappointed in finding no open bays. The bay was muddy from the previous day's rain but useable.

I started out with the P226. I had reverted the sights on that gun to the stock SIG Night Sights a while back, and the big fat front post was a shock after using narrow fiber optics sights for so long. Despite the post covering a large target area, even at 10 yards, surprisingly I had no issues with it or the double to single action trigger press. Granted I was shooting slowly, but the resulting tight grouping was pleasing to see.

After a short bit, I switched to the P320 that I planned to shoot at this weekend's IDPA match. But I also gave thought to mixing it up and shooting the P226 this weekend, fat sights and all. I just may do that later this summer.

The rest of the time was spent in a mixture of shots at the 10, 15 and 25 yard positions. The two closer distances included head shots in the mix. I'm still trying to get more consistency dialed in, especially when rapidly moving from body to head. 

Alas, before my container of ammo had run out I received an urgent message from a team member who was having anxiety over some configuration changes I requested from the group. A screen share was in order so I finished shooting and packed for home. At least that was of benefit for another shooter who arrived and was able to claim the bay I was leaving.

Cheers!

Afternoon Range Trip

This week's trip to the range got off to a false start. I arrived at the range and started unloading my gear. That's when I realized I had neglected to pack the range box that held the supplies needed to hang the targets --staplers, binder clips, etc. I drove back home, grabbed what I needed, and hoped the range would still be clear. I was in luck, only one of the two bays was occupied.

I spent about an hour working on simple drills with one and two shot strings, per the limits imposed by the range rules. I did force myself to shoot a bunch of strong hand and weak hand only drills. I also shot a lot of 25 yard shots. All shooting this day was to the IDPA practice target.

It was a fun afternoon of trigger time and I enjoyed just being at the range. Building some consistency in trigger control and sight alignment is always a good thing, especially relating it to the distance at which I was shooting. Overall it was a satisfying exercise.

Now, if only IDPA matches involved no timer, no cover, no movement, nobody watching... But they wouldn't be very much fun would they?

Cheers!

More Range Time

I love the Spring days when it's warm but not yet humid, and the sun is bright but it's not scorching. On such afternoons the range beckons. And I try to answer, as I did right before the holiday weekend.

For this particular range trip, I brought along two different target options to create some variety in the "stand and shoot." In addition to the usual paper IDPA practice target, I used the "colors and shapes" target that offers mixed shapes in different sizes to varying exercises. All shooting was done with the Full Size SIG P320. I expect to focus on practice and match shooting with this gun for the upcoming months.

My outing started out shooting at both 10 and 15 yards to the IDPA target. I mostly focused on getting the gun on target from the draw quickly and consistently, shooting body shot or head shot pairs, or pairs with transitions between both. This was followed by 7 and 10 yards shot to different parts of the color target. Besides followups to the same target spot, I chose many different two shot transitions between different size shapes. The session finished up by shooting from one target to the other. Sometimes moving from large to small, other times from a smaller target area to a larger, all the while keeping in mind the range's two-shot string limit.

The 90 minute outing was a nice diversion from the work day. I also felt it was beneficial trigger time, even if limited in options. 

Cheers!

Range Time - A Sight Not Seen In Far Too Long

Other than the occasional local IDPA match, recent experience at the MD State Championship notwithstanding, I've been sorely lacking in my time spent at the range simply practicing. The matches, while fun, provide just 50 - 60 rounds downrange, and nothing in the way of repeated drills. Shooting is a perishable skill and I've lamented the lack of consistency I've developed. Reviewing my journal, it revealed I have not been to the range to practice since May of 2021. Shame on me.

As warmer weather settles in, I have vowed to change that. I've blocked time on my calendar to hopefully allow more trips to the local range. That activity kicked off this week. Loading the car took extra time due to cleaning the spider webs and nests from the range supply box that had sat untouched for so long. I took both the Full Size and Compact SIG P320 guns to work with. I've shot the Compact exclusively in matches since early 2021. 

A Long Missed View

I started with the Compact gun, but switched to the Full Size early. I really wanted to work with it again. For this first outing I stuck with shooting at 7 and 10 yards. It was mostly drawing from the holster to shoot 1 or 2 shots at the body or head zones, or a mix with each draw. Very quickly an issue with sight placement I have been experiencing in matches revealed itself and I worked to correct it.

This facility has extremely restrictive and unusual rules for shooting, which limits the shooting drills that can be done. These have contributed to my absence for so long, though we have maintained our membership. Without expounding too much on the frustrations over the years, the basics are this. Drawing from the holster is permitted, movement is not. Shooters are limited to only two shots in a string. There must be an "audible pause of at least one second between shots." The stated exception is what the club defines as a "double tap," two rapid shots on one target. The published rules state, "Any director, Officer of the Chapter or range safety officer (RSO) has the final say in rapid fire matters." Addendums to published rules over the years actually contradict themselves on rapid fire definitions and exceptions within the same paragraph. The final say in what is allowed is, and has been, subject to a broad and variable interpretation. 

Adding to the confusion is a concept the Head RSO created called "perceived rapid fire." This is defined as "A group shooting in unison so as to convey the perceived existence of rapid fire at a range." This applies even if both shooters are following the two shot rule. And yes, I have been threatened with expulsion for being with two people who pulled the trigger at the same time. This puts a damper on the fun of going to the range with a friend.

But restricted shooting is better than no shooting. This range is nearby, with the closest other option, indoors or out, requiring over an hour's drive. I will strive to make the best of it. Even with the limits, it will be beneficial, and even enjoyable. Needs must, as the saying goes.

Cheers!

Thanksgiving Day Range Trip

In what's become an annual tradition, I was able to enjoy a trip to the range on Thanksgiving. This time was made even more special since my son, who was home from college, came along for the fun.

The early weather predictions were calling for cool weather with rain on during the day, but it turned out to be a beautiful day; sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60°. We couldn't have asked for much better on a November afternoon. Even with the good weather, we had the pistol range to ourselves.

A Thanksgiving Table

We spent a couple hours shooting and talking. What a great Thanksgiving treat to spend some time with him, doing something we both enjoy. It was a most enjoyable afternoon that left me with a smile the rest of the day — so much so I even volunteered to clean the guns afterwards.

We're already making shooting plans for Christmas break.

At Least There's Airsoft

I'm no fan of winter, especially the shorter days. But even before winter arrives, the range days are even shorter. For reasons known only to those who make the rules, the range closes at 4:00PM once Daylight Savings Time ends. This despite the fact that, today for example, sunset is not until 5:03, with last light at 5:31 —plenty of time to shoot.

It's been two weeks since I made it out to the range, so to help make up for that, I decided to shoot the air soft gun for a bit. Setting up a target in the back yard, I looked to see how visible I was to the neighbors. Fortunately, there are still plenty of leaves on the trees to keep me hidden, for now.

I practiced from various distances in the yard, shooting while moving for most of the time. I noticed that the holes the BBs made in the paper closed up and were near impossible to see. At least that matches my shooting with the real gun, since I can't make out the bullet holes out past 7-10 yards anyway. Interestingly, I did note the difference in the sound made when the hits where in the center of the paper, where the cardboard backer was open, and the sound made when they hit cardboard too. That gave me some feedback on how I was doing.

Shooting the airsoft gun is enjoyable, though not nearly as fun as shooting the real thing, but it's something to do. Given the restrictive range hours, and shorter days, I suspect it'll make up much of my practice in the coming months. Maybe I'll even try some low-light shooting soon.

Ammo Review - Winchester USA Forged

A couple weeks ago I was contacted by Ammo To Go, asking if I'd be interested in doing an ammo review. They offered to send some Winchester USA Forged ammo, a product with which I was not familiar. Checking out the description online, I learned this was a new steel-cased ammo with conventional brass jacketed lead core (FMJ) bullets, that is intended to be a budget option for shooters.

This also put me in a quandary. I haven't and don't shoot steel cased ammo. The Tula/Wolf steel ammo we typically see is Russian-made and of dubious quality in my opinion, and that of others as well. (I also recycle my brass casings to help with the shooting budget.) However, the Winchester ammo is American-made, from a respected company, and made with what seem to be quality components. And this offer from Ammo To Go was cost-free way to learn about it.

Ammo To Go sent along 300 rounds of 115 grain 9mm USA Forged ammo, and they included a few boxes of the familiar Winchester "White Box" 9mm for comparison. Colleen and I took the ammo out to the range over the weekend to try it out. We brought along a variety guns in which to trial the ammo; a SIG Sauer P226, a SIG Sauer P239, and the Smith & Wesson Shield.

Let the testing begin

The first thing we noticed, while loading magazines, was that the coating on the steel cases rubs off quite readily, and our fingers we coated in black in short order. I believe this to be typical of steel-cased ammo. I've loaded some dirty "traditional" ammo in the past, but this exceeded anything in my prior experience. When being cleaned later, the guns seemed extra dirty, but the cleaning was no more difficult than that done after any range outing.

But our real interest was in the shooting. We started out by firing a magazine's worth out of each weapon, simply to see how the ammo fired. Since we experienced no failures or malfunctions of any type, we loaded up more magazines and started shooting our typical range routines. We did most of the shooting from about seven yards, and could see no variation from the groups we typically experience in practice. Shooting into an IDPA target from 15 yards gave me 7 hits in the -0 zone, with three just outside -- again about par for me.

I shot some of the White Box ammo to see if I noticed any difference between the two. I had an impression in my mind that the USA Forged ammo was ever so slightly softer shooting. However, when I loaded a magazine with alternating rounds, I was hard pressed to note any difference in either recoil or accuracy.

No issues there

We did not use a chronograph, shoot from a rest, or into ballistic gel or phone books for this review. Our intent was to shoot like we would at any range outing, and note our experiences. Other than the dirt on our hands, this outing no different than any other. The Winchester USA Forged ammo shot reliably and without any issues. I prefer a heavier bullet for competition, but this is a perfectly acceptable option for practice and "recreational" shooting. Searching for the steel cases in the range gravel was a bit of a challenge admittedly.

As I am sure most will agree, ammunition supplies will likely become more restricted and more expensive in the near future. Because of that I regularly purchase ammo in bulk, to stock the secret bunker, and as a hedge towards future issues. With that regular purchase routine, fluctuations in prices and stock are very apparent to me. As such I keep a watchful eye for options and price breaks, and have list of manufacturers and suppliers I check regularly. Although perhaps not my first pick, in a shortage I'd be willing to purchase the Winchester USA Forged ammo in order to keep my own "stash" full. Options are good to have, especially if you don't mind cleaning your guns.


Notice: The ammo reviewed in this post was provided at no charge by Ammo to Go. The content of the review was written with no compensation or influence from them or Winchester. The only benefit derived by the writer was a fun afternoon at the range with his wife.

Rainy Day Range Trip

As I sat at my desk yesterday finishing up some work before a planned range trip, I was pulled out of my stupor concentration by the sound of thunder and heavy rain. I thought, "That could put a damper on things." But the thunder and lightening soon stopped, leaving only a moderate rain coming down. “That’s better.” A little rain rarely stops us. Soon, Colleen, 'Checkered Flag' and I were at the range for some overdue practice and fun times.

We're fans of using different target types, just to add variety and fun to our outings. This time 'Checkered Flag' had brought along some new targets he had found. The "Essentials Target" from RE Factor Tactical has a range of aiming points that can be used in for a variety of challenges. There’s a drill that’s designed to go along with the target, but we opted to do our own thing.

Colleen was spot on

We did all our shooting from the 7 yard line this day. The focus was to be on accuracy, and ease of brass pickup in the rain. We started out shooting the corner circles, either singly or alternating back and forth. Then we moved through the various sized shapes, and included some single hand shooting as well.

We all avoided calling for hits on the tiny #15 square, until it was the only non-shot number left on the targets. "There’s no avoiding now" I thought. It’s odd that when you shoot a 1 inch target how awful a slightly missed shot seems, even if the whole group is still only about an inch wide.

One of the fun drills we used to challenge ourselves, was shooting the number 1 - 6 circles in a single string, moving through each circle in order and back again. At the end of our range trips, we typically save the last few magazines for "do your own thing," rather than any formal drills. I used my last three magazines to shoot those 6 circles, in one long string, trying to speed up after each mag change. Only 2 of the 30 shots fell (barely) outside the intended circle. It was a fun way to wrap up an afternoon of shooting in the rain.

Anniversary Range Trip

Since our wedding anniversary fell on a "school night," we opted to delay a celebratory dinner out until the weekend. Instead, Colleen and I planned an outing to the range in the afternoon. After I finished my last teleconference for the day, we headed out. (Since it was a special day, I carried both of our ammo stocks to the car.)

Late Thursday afternoon has been a good time to find the range empty of other shooters, and so it was this visit. I’ve been wondering if folks are preserving their ammo, or the intrusive ROs have been driving people away. In any event, it’s a win for us.

We started out shooting slowly at 7 and 10 yards. After a bit we moved back to 15 yards. Colleen was shooting a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, and wanted to improve her accuracy at the longer distance with the small gun. So after each round, we checked our targets, and she would announce “Let’s do it again.” We spent quite a bit of time doing slow fire at the 15 yard line.

30 rounds, 15 yards, David

I found that exercise to be beneficial myself. It’s good to spend time really concentrating on maintaining sight alignment and an even trigger squeeze. My eyesight is such that the edges of the sights are generally sightly blurred, and the targets very much so, so the concentration was good, and I was pretty pleased.

“Checkered Flag” had also joined us for the fun, so eventually we started working on his favorite “precision” exercise; shooting out a black paster. We did this from both 7 and 3 yards. Why does it always seem to be the last shot of an 8 or 10 round string that goes astray? After seeing Colleen’s target, I suspect she’ll be challenging us to the Dot Torture Drill in the near future.

8 rounds, 3 yards, Colleen

When it was my turn to pick the drill, we got in some single handed shooting. I try to dedicate at least a magazine to both strong and support hand shooting at every range trip.

While it may not be the “traditional” anniversary celebration, it works for us. We had a very fun couple of hours outdoors doing something we both enjoy. Most of my range visits I make by myself, so it really was a special “date.” On the way home, Colleen treated us all to overpriced coffee at the local Starbucks too.

And we’ll do that dinner this weekend.

Shotgun Time

It occurred to me recently that I haven't taken the shotgun to the range in a long time. When I looked through my range journal, I realized that it had been just over two years. That's simply unacceptable. Sure, the defensive shotgun is not as pleasant to shoot as the AR-15 or the pistols, and range sessions are shorter, but I was shocked that it had been so long.

So one day after work this week, I headed over to the range with the Remington 870 Express to make sure I still remembered how to handle the weapon. I started out on the shotgun field, setting up the clay target stands. I ran through the array of five targets multiple times. My aim was good but I had to work a bit on racking a new round into the chamber immediately after shooting. Soon I had regained that important rhythm. 

Next I moved over to the rifle range, to shoot with buckshot and slugs. Starting out at 10 yards, I shot buckshot rounds in a couple of five shot groups onto some USPSA targets. I concentrated on running the gun as fast as I could, while maintaining a good sight picture. 

After finishing with the buckshot, I loaded up the slugs, and moved back to 25 yards. Shooting slowly at first, the intent was getting a consistent sight picture and accurate hits. Gaining confidence, I started running the action a little faster, but still watching the front bead, with acceptable results.

I shot for less than an hour, including cleaning up the spent shells. It was an enjoyable outing, and I felt good about getting in some overdue time with the shotgun. I also made a promise to myself that practice with this weapon will be more regular going forward.

Range Trip: I Needed That

I've not had a lot of time to blog do anything interesting recently, which may be obvious from the lack of posting. I am not sure how much that will change much in coming weeks. However, I do have some shooting matches on the schedule, so there's that. For that reason, an impromptu range trip this week was most welcome. I was at work when the text from Checkered Flag came in, "Will shooting fit?" Well, twist my arm.

I finished up at work, and since I already had most of the range gear in the car, from an unfulfilled plan to shoot earlier in the week, Colleen, CF, and I were soon at the range. Keeping within the local range rules, most of our shooting was slow(ish) fire while standing still. We did get in some practice shooting on the move, as well as SHO and WHO, which I try to do each time I hit the range.

Near the end of our time, and ammo, we were shooting at 15-17 yards, and using the 5.5" splatter targets to help see our hits. I was hitting the target, but often just barely, and not in any good groups. Chalking some of that up to being tired after an hour of steady shooting, I started taking my shots a bit faster, spending less time staring at the sight alignment. Suddenly I started seeing yellow splats appear in the center of the target. Isn't that interesting, I thought.

For an August afternoon in Virginia, the 77° temp was also a welcome treat and made for a pleasant time. Soon we were home, enjoying some good beer and ranting about democrats and apostates, which aren't always mutually exclusive. Colleen cooked up a fantastic dinner featuring some flavorful filet mignon done just right. It was indeed a wonderful evening and a great way to relax after a busy day.