Training Update

It's been awhile since I've last posted.   The battle with the state government over their latest foray into gun control, and the myriad of proposed laws coming from the Feds has left me tired.     All the talk of restrictions on law abiding citizens has lead to a rush on gun purchases and training.   Where I normally teach 1 class a month, February had 3 classes, and March 4, April has 3 on the calendar and May might have as many as 4.   It's a good problem to have, please don't take this to mean I'm complaining I'm not, and this is not the reason for this post, but moreover an explanation for my absence.

I wrote a month or two ago about my daughter wanting to get into the shooting sports and I followed up with our first match on Face Book.   We have continued to train and I thought I'd post a few update notes.   We're going to give Steel Challenge a try in April, so we're back at the range on a regular basis.

Firearm reliability, or more accurately ammunition reliability for a 22 semi auto pistol.   I've been surprised at how many misfires and failure to feeds we've experienced.   We've tried the Gray box Winchester, Remington, American Eagle and some Federal of a different color as well.   The only manufacturer that gave us 100% reliability was CCI.   The others are fine to train with, because it gives us a chance to practice our outage drills, but some days you'd just as soon not have the issues.   OK picked up 300 rounds of CCI for matches (no I can't get you any 22 - sorry).

Practice specific skills.  We learned holster work in the basement with snap caps.  Loading magazines, holster, draw, site alignment/picture on target taped to the wall and squeeze.   Repeat for 15 minutes.  I think you can do more with dry fire practice than most people realize.  Slow is smooth, smooth is fast - speed comes with familiarity.

We also work on target transitions.   It's difficult to do indoors, but if we staple multiple circles on to the target we can do up and down transitions.   Shoot the high circle, shoot the low circle.   Draw shoot 2 to the low circle, then shoot 1 to the top circle.  My shooter has proven to not be too young for one handed and weak handed shooting in small doses.

Next drill will be the numbered circles in array - call out the number to them, have them shoot the number.  

Dedicated time.   Like soccer or track practice, we dedicate a time to go to the range once a week.   I'm not such a hard ass that if she has alternate plans we can't drop it.  I'm taking advice I got from Julie Golob - "try to keep this fun and easy".  So we do.   I'm finding that she has started looking forward to going to the range.

Variety.  Allow your kiddo to warm up at their own pace, no time limit.   We shot at targets close up and out to about 25 feet with the pistol and 40 feet with the rifle.    I noticed that my kiddo was wanting to get the perfect shot regardless of how far away the target was.   I'm a believer in aimed shots, but as a very experienced shooter sight alignment comes very quickly to me.  I taught her point shooting at close targets and using flash sight picture for targets out to 10 feet, aimed shots beyond that.  We'll expand and continue to practice those skills.  But your kids can pick up some pretty advanced skills pretty rapidly, so don't be reluctant to push them.

Keep it Fun.  When shooting becomes too much like chores expect their interest to fall off.   Be flexible with your schedule, but do try to come up with a set time.   What I'm trying to say is if you have a range day on the calendar but it conflicts with a school dance or a friends birthday - let them go to their event, remember they're still kids.

Yesterday we also worked in using a S&W MP15-22.   Earlier in the week we had worked in how to load, unload, reload, safety, sight alignment and stance into our dry fire practice.   This rifle is lighter than your average AR, identical controls,even breaks down for cleaning the same way, and let's face it - it's damn cool.  She worked the trigger reset like a pro, we didn't even discuss trigger reset with the rifle, but she brought that over on her own from the pistol.   We shot at a target at about 40 feet with the rifle.   Since we could not identify hits on the target, she had to focus on the front sight and trust that the gun did what she told it to do.    When we brought the target in for inspection she was very pleased to learn that she was pretty accurate on the target.

Side notes, This rifle eats all ammunition equally and does not have the problem that the pistol has.  No misfires, however the jury is still out on the Plinker Tactical 35 round magazine.   No problems with feeding or reliability out of the S&W mags, but the Plinker has exhibited feeding issues when the magazine nears empty - last 4 rounds.   The S&W 10 round mags can be modified to the 25 round capacity by removing the base plate, spring and follower, and using a hammer and long screw driver to pound out the pin stop that the 10 rounder uses.  No hit on reliability.

Reward.  Taking your kids to the range is very rewarding - it usually makes my week, and yesterday was no exception.   Somethings that I've learned - make the time about them, do your shooting at another time.  Coach them using the their impacts, but don't correct for every shot.   Tell them where they impact so they can focus on the site, if the target can be seen - tell them "good hit".   If they are having a bad day, tell them you have bad days too, it's just how it is some days.  Take pictures of their successes, it tells them it's important to you too.


Yesterday, I notice the 20 something guys in the next lane, and the 40 something guy on the other side, realize that this 11 year old girl had better form, better control, and shot more accurately with her 22 than they did with their guns.   It was pretty fun to watch the reactions as both a father and an instructor.   I'm sure you've all taken your kids to the range, but consider a Basic Class if you haven't, or consider the NRA Basic book and go over it with your kiddo.   This is a time in their lives in which learning is a key part, they can absorb and learn when primed and enthusiastic to do so.   They see how much you enjoy shooting and they want to be a part of that, capitalize on the opportunity.

If you have ideas for instructing kids, or would like to share your success, please leave a comment.

Shoot Straight - Double Tap

Concealed Handgun Class

Back in the 90s, not long after Texas joined the ranks of states that trust its citizens to carry concealed handguns, I took the plunge and got licensed to carry along with many of my fellow Texans. I have to say, my motivation for doing so at the time was mainly because I could as opposed to any well defined awareness of the need for self defense or any other "valid" reason. I am a guy, guns are cool, and I thought "why not?"

Fast forward a couple of years, and I met the woman who would become The Queen. She grew up as a person of tremendous personal religious faith who believes that one should rely solely on God for personal protection. She is not anti-gun. In fact, she enjoys shooting as much as the next non-liberal person. She was, however, very uncomfortable with the idea of me carrying a revolver in my pocket anytime we took a late night stroll or having a gun in the car when we were out and about.  

Along about license renewal time, I was undergoing a bit of a spiritual awakening myself due in no small part to The Queen's example and God's inescapable influence. Let's just say, I have a somewhat better understanding of the Book of Jonah than the average bear. I came to believe, as I still do, that God is a far better protector than I can ever be, and my part in the defense of self and others is to be aware of my surroundings and lead us not into unsafe places. Nonetheless, I took the renewal class; however, I might as well have not bothered as I never sent my renewal paperwork into the state. 

Thus, my license lapsed many moons ago. It is a decision which I have never been given cause to regret. 

Fast forward more than ten years. I find myself married to a wonderful woman who I love dearly and starting a family through the trials and joys of fostering to adopt. The circumstances of life and money have forced me to abandon active pursuit of my first, non-marital passion, flying airplanes. Needing an outlet for my inner man child, I reverted back to a long dormant interest, firearms.

Much has transpired in the world of firearms since I was last really active in the sport. The assault weapons ban of 1994 came and went. Texas has become more firearms friendly by expanding the castle doctrine to include carrying in your personal vehicle. The polymer gun market niche has gone from the Glock and maybe the Glock to a near majority if not an actual majority of all handguns encompassing most if not all the major names in handguns including Ruger (which was into polymers before polymers were cool with the 22/45), Smith & Wesson and Sig Sauer. You can now even print an AR-15 receiver for crying out loud.

And my gun wish list has gone completely and totally out of control. 

The first thing I did when I became active in shooting again was to buy one of my long time wish list items, a 1911, and get involved in the local action pistol shooting club (mainly IDPA with some USPSA matches to boot). It also had me keeping an eye out for deals on other wish list items and setting money aside when possible to purchase some of those items. 

One of the things that has irked me the most about all this is the background checks they are required to do when purchasing from a dealer. Personally, I don't think a form 4473 and a background check should be required to purchase a firearm. I does nothing to combat criminals obtaining guns illegally, but that's a rant for another time. With The Great Firearms Buying Frenzy of 2012 following the election continuing into this year, I've been told, as recently as late February, that wait times of several days are not unheard of when requesting a firearms transfer through an FFL dealer. My last transfer went through in about 30 minutes on a weekday in the evening after work; however, that was before we all jumped off the Fiscal Cliff with Sequestration and the White House's edict to make the budget cuts are felt by you and I as much as possible. What do you bet manpower for NICS checks went under the budget axe? 

There is a ray of sunshine though. You can get around the point of purchase NICS background check (but not the form 4473...that's also a rant for another time) with a concealed handgun license. They seem to figure, rightly so, that some one who has gone through the hassle of getting a thorough FBI background check, taking a class and paying a hefty fee for a CHL will mostly likely clear an NICS check. So, why waste the manpower and resources to duplicate effort? Right? 

It makes so much sense it's a wonder the government allowed it (that too is a rant for another time).

If that weren't enough incentive, there is this. My sister...the devil started making noise late last year about getting her CHL. Around about November, I saw a Groupon deal that was almost too good to be true: CHL class for two including lane rental for $75.  This was obviously before they stopped offering firearms related deals. Around here that's about the bare minimum for a class for one person (and I've seen some places charging up to $125). 

So, I floated the idea to the family. Anyone interested in getting the class out of the way while they're giving it away for free practically? The Queen politely declined seeing no benefit or need to her which is quite alright as I am not the type of husband to force his wife to do anything she does not want to do. My sister...the devil was interested but decided to make her own arrangements despite me offering to cover the cost if necessary (me thinks she might be kicking herself now). Surprisingly, my mother expressed an interest.

There's a bit of a back story there that I will address shortly. Suffice it to say for the moment that Mimi (as mother is known to the grandkids) probably has the best excuse in the family for getting a CHL even if she never totes a heater in her life. I bought the deal for her and I and booked us the earliest slot that matched our calendars which was in late January. 

Of course, Murphy had a few choice words to say about that plan. I got sick the week before the scheduled class time immediately following which The Queen and newly adopted daughter M&M took ill requiring a rescheduling of plans. I was a bit concerned about this development as it was shortly after this that Groupon announced it's decision to no longer honor firearms related deals. 

Fortunately for me, the range where the class was scheduled did honor the deal. So, no harm no foul. The class was rescheduled for a week ago Sunday, March 10. My birthday, in fact, not that it matters a whole hill of beans.

But, here is my first minor gripe. I checked the range's website for the class' start time and was informed that 9:00 AM was when things got kicked off. Of course, Murphy had to screw with things yet again. This day was, as you will recall, the time change ending Daylight Savings Time (yet another rant for another time). Guess who was out until 1:00 AM the previous evening with his wife at the drive in theater? Guess who thought he had slept in too late until he remembered that his phone automatically updates the time?

Yeah. That'd be me. 

Anysnoozer, Mimi and I arrived at the range with what we thought was 15 minutes to spare...only to find out that class had been going for 45 minutes. 

Doh!! Facepalm!

Fortunately, we did not get any grief from the instructor unlike the young lady who came in a few minutes after us. I did come to her defense and tell the instructor of the website misinformation campaign. He promised to check with the range staff about that issue.  Unfortunately, there were no seats left for Mimi and I to sit together and only a couple of seats left period as the class was booked to capacity if not over capacity. Double fortunately, we had not missed anything important as he spent the first part of class going over range commands and safety.

There was a reason for that which we discovered rather promptly. The shooting portion of the class was to be done first. 

That was a little disconcerting because I had been hoping to have the lunch hour to get Mimi and I out on the range for a little warm up and familiarization. Mimi was to be using a rental gun for the test and hasn't shot handguns much and not at all in recent years. I have plenty of handgun experience, but I've been on shooting hiatus due to the situation with the foster kids which, until recently, kept my trigger time to next to nothing. Needless to say, some practice time would have been very welcome. 

In hindsight, the way they handled this makes perfect sense. This particular range only has seven shooting lanes for reasons that I have not yet figured out as they have room for double that amount. The class had so many participants that it was necessary to break the class up into five separate relays to get everyone through. The range does not open for regular business on Sundays until 11:00 AM. So, the sooner the CHL class gets run through the range, the less interference the range has with regular business.

I was in the third relay, and Mimi was put in the fourth relay at my request so that I could watch over her shoulder and provide moral support as necessary (I was not allowed to coach her at all...which turned out for the best as will be discussed shortly). 

I won't spend much time discussing my shooting. I did well enough to pass with a 248 out of a possible score of 250. I am greatly disappointed that I dropped one shot out of 50 especially when it was an "easy" shot at 15 yards with no real pressure. Two things come to mind in hindsight: 1) shooting is a perishable skill, and 2) I need to focus on my own shooting and not let the cadence of other shooters affect my own timing. 

I've always heard that shooting skills degrade over time, and I have experienced that to a certain extent in the past. However, it's something else to pick up your weapon cold after a several month hiatus and have trouble just finding the right grip. We were supposed to get a little range time in over the previous weekend. Unfortunately, Mr. Murphy saw to that be creating a little crisis that eliminated any possibility of a practice session. 

As far as letting what others are doing get inside my head and affect what I am doing, I think that too is a casualty of not getting enough practice time in. Normally, I can tune what others are doing out fairly well; however, I've always had a little jumpiness when I first get to the range. Some of that is excitement. Some is a healthy paranoia that there are people around me with guns that I neither know nor trust. After the first round or two, my jitters settle down, and I can get down to business. Add in a little performance anxiety and "I really want a perfect score" pressure, and dropping a round here or there is bound to happen. 

I've already posted a photo of my target previously, and it's pretty obvious that there was too much/too little finger on the trigger for at least 20 rounds. Most of those would have been at the 7 and 15 yard lines where shooting errors will be more apparent. Still, I can't complain about getting 30 rounds through the same, ragged, inch and a half to two inch hole. That's good enough to ruin any bad guy's day. 

Poor mom though...oy vey!

First, while waiting for our relays to begin, we did some familiarization and gun handling with rental Taurus .380. The Taurus was of decent size that a good grip was possible. Mimi learned how to operate it in short order and all was assumed to be kosher. 

Then, Murphy struck again. The Taurus bit the dust with several malfunctions in the early relays, and a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 was brought in as a substitute rental. Uh oh. No bueno batman. Some of you may be asking why we rented the .380 in the first place instead of a 9mm or other suitable caliber. Two words: AMMO SHORTAGE. The range only had .380 and .45ACP in stock for rental guns. 

Anyone here think turning Mimi loose with a polymer .45 rental gun is a good idea? Neither did I. 

In hindsight, I should have begged or borrowed a solid 9mm (such as my cousin's Kahr) from someone and scrounged the ammo. Oh well. Live and learn.

Back to the shooting. The Smith may be a popular pocket pistol; but, from what I saw of it, I wouldn't spend my money for one on a bet. The sights are non-existent for one thing. The thing is super tiny for another. It makes a Glock 26 feel like a full sized gun by comparison. Next, it too suffered from several malfunctions most of which were of the failure to go fully into battery variety. I will give it the benefit of the doubt and chalk that up to Mimi's gun handling as she was having a difficult time remaining steady for personal reasons. Bottom line: caveat emptor. Don't buy one unless you have tried it personally and know that's what you want. Don't buy one for someone else unless they've asked for it specifically. 

Come to think of it, that's pretty good advice for all firearms purchases. 

I don't have a photo of Mimi's target, but I think she would agree that it looked she had dumped a couple of loads of buckshot at it from over 15 yards as opposed to aimed fire from a .380. Part of this was due to her lack of familiarity with the gun. Some due to her inexperience as a pistol shooter

Some, however, was due to the personal issues I have mentioned previously. You see, Mimi had an encounter several years ago in which she woke up at 6:00 AM to find a naked man on her balcony. She lives alone in a small, country town and this was a bit of a shock to say the least. The man was later identified as a mentally disturbed Viet Nam vet which did nothing for Mimi's state of mind.

With time, the purchase of a Ruger 10/22 for home protection (her choice after several hours at a gun show with plenty of input from unbiased sources), and a major home remodel including elimination of the offending balcony, she gradually came to relax in her own skin and home again. 

She agreed to go to the CHL class with me, as she put it, "...because I think I need to."

I took that at face value until we got to the range for the shooting portion where it became apparent that she was not completely comfortable with things. I assured her she was under no obligation to continue if she didn't want to, but she bravely soldiered on. Even when it became apparent that her shooting was not up to par. 

I will give kudos to the instructor here. He was beyond patient with Mimi, giving her pointers as necessary and helping her clear the malfunctions in the Bodyguard. His scoring of her target was...shall we say...generous. He gave her a 212 out of 250 where 175 was the minimum passing score. I'm not saying he counted some holes twice, but I'm not saying he didn't either. 

For her part, Mimi reported after the fact with a few tears peeking out of her eyes that she was surprised to have feelings from the naked guy incident bubble up during the range time. She told me, wisely I think, that she wants to take a step back and start over with a handgun 101 class and possibly some private instruction before circling back around to take the CHL class again. Even though she "passed" the class, she does not feel she is ready. And that is a decision I respect. 

After the shooting was over, it was time for lunch before the mind numbing class room portion of the class going over the minutiae of Texas deadly force and gun laws. I confess that I had a hard time staying awake and took every opportunity to get up, stretch and get fresh air. Mimi and I both passed the written test with no problems. 

It was a good experience overall. I enjoyed the mother/son bonding time. The instructor did a good job of making the class room material interesting with personal stories from his own experience as well as funny video clips to break up the monotony. 

Soon, I will have a newly minted CHL in my pocket with all the rights and responsibilities associated with that. I anticipate very little change in my current behavior. I still do not plan on carrying regularly. My main reason, as mentioned earlier, is to remove some of the hassles associated with my hobby. In addition to no more NICS checks, I can now also go to and from the range and not worry about taking my gun off if I have to stop for groceries on the way home.  

And, I can now carry a gun when chaperoning my daughter on her first date...when she turns 30. 

Shooting with Kids

It seems like a lot of the post suggestions asked about shooting with kids.  I've got three of my own who were raised with guns and started shooting at a young age.  None of them are as "hard core" as I am, but they all enjoy a day at the range and ask to go out a few times a year.

I've not taught a huge number of children to shoot, but I do have experience with a variety of ages, starting with my own.  I've taken Deejo's and Junior's kids shooting and have the pleasure of most recently shooting with Itty Bit.

Since they were very young (Monster was about 2 years old, Ashinator 4, and Digger 6) when we were "hunted", I had a small gun on me at all times.  I even showered with the gun within arms' reach.  Our house rule at the time was, "if you have questions about the gun, or want to touch it, you have to ask me first."  I didn't even own a gun safe, because the gun was literally on me at all times and was never out of my sight.

I never hesitated when they wanted to look at it - I took every opportunity to start pounding safety rules into their heads - I stopped what I was doing, unholstered, unloaded, and answered any questions they had.  In no time, it became a non-issue.  They never even noticed I had it on most of the time.

I started taking them shooting when Monster was about 8.  I tried to keep our shooting sessions safe and fun.

One mom and three children at the range - it could have been a disaster, but because they had years of hearing the safety rules and of observing how I handled my gun, they had a good basis.  When we started, we focused simply on safe manipulation of the gun.  Older kids and adults can focus on multiple things: safety, trigger control, sight picture, stance, etc.  However, whenever I take young kids to the range, the only thing I focus on is safety.

As long as their finger is off of the trigger and the muzzle is pointed downrange at all times, I don't worry too much about if they hit the target or not.  We work on how to manipulate the gun, which can be tricky with their smaller hands, while keeping their finger off the trigger and the muzzle pointed downrange. 

Only when I am comfortable with their safe gun handling skills do we add in other skills.

Last October, the Once Upon family came to visit and I had the pleasure of shooting with Itty Bit.

Itty Bit has lots of family members who are hunters and LEOs, in addition to his parents being shooters, so he has the opportunity to come across guns in his every day life.  He's got a good knowledge base, as Mr. Daddy and Rachel have taken him shooting in the past.  Though it wasn't discussed, I partnered up with Itty Bit so that Mr. Daddy could play with the big boys.

Itty Bit was at all times respectful of the firing line.

Very young shooters often don't have the strength to hold the gun,
so I always keep on hand on it for support.
This serves double duty; I can also take control of the gun if necessary.

The first time he shot the revolver, I manipulated the hammer.
The second time, he managed to do it and remembered (most of the time)
to take his finger off the trigger as he cocked the gun.
A simple reminder is all it took.

Even as "small" as a Henry Survival Rifle is,
it was far too big for Itty Bit.
He did a great job with it, despite the fact that his arms are
fully extended.

I think that kids are probably better than adults and aiming instinctively.  The only things I worked on with Itty Bit were keeping the gun pointed downrange and keeping his finger off the trigger until he was ready to shoot.  He was hitting the steel plate more than half the time with both the revolver and the rifle.

If I had been thinking, I would have filled some gallon-sized jugs with water, even though we were crammed like sardines in the truck.  Even as an adult, shooting jugs of water is one of my favorite things.

If you choose to use water jugs as your "reactive targets" when shooting with your kids, you can always play around with using food coloring.  OR...you can do what I used to do when I had time to prep: use the jello jiggler recipe and fill the jugs with jello.  Always a ton of fun.  I have tons of pictures of the kids and I shooting at them, but that was back before the days of digital cameras.

As kids get older, you can start adding in other fundamentals, but I firmly believe that safety needs to come first, followed by fun.

Someone asked me at what age do I feel comfortable teaching other people's kids to shoot.  That's tough.  I've taken my kids' friends out to the range with us when they were teenagers, and with their parents' permission.  I don't know that there is an easy answer to that question; I guess I'd have to take it on a case-by-case basis.  Some children are ready to shoot at a younger age than others, and some children need some extra maturity before they are ready to hit the range.  Sorry, I wish I had a better answer.

Those of you who have taught your kids to shoot, at what age did you start them?  Do you have any tricks for keeping them interested?

Sheepdog Tip of the Day

If you have not "liked" Sheepdog Tip of the Day on Facebook, you really need to.

Each day, there is a pearl of wisdom from Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, of On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdog fame.

We've talked about mindset in the past, and I would venture to say all of us are Sheepdogs - we're out to protect the sheep, whether we like it or not.  It's our nature.  It's who we are, even if we didn't become soldiers or LEOs.

Rule #1: Cardio

We spend a lot of time working on sight picture, trigger control and our groups, but how much time do we put into our fitness?

Heck, even I've joked, "I don't need to run, I've got a gun."  But realistically, physical fitness, specifically cardio,  plays a huge part in our ability to shoot well.  We know about breath control.  We know about controlling our heart rate.  But without cardiovascular fitness, we can't effectively do either.

With increased fitness comes better reflexes; the time it takes to identify a threat and respond (or, in a competition situation, respond to the buzzer) decreases significantly.  Our ability to focus and concentrate increases.  In a competition situation, that ROCKS! 

In a defense situation, it could save your life.

Not to mention, without fitness we can't fight.  Guns are great equalizers - if you can get to them.  Even if you've got it on your hip, you might need to fight to buy some space so that you can draw.  You might - God forbid - have to fight for control of your gun.  In a perfect world, no one would ever get close enough to have to fight off.  But, hell, in a perfect world, we wouldn't need to protect ourselves from anybody or anything.


I'm certainly not in the best shape of my life.  At one point about six years ago, I was working out 6 days a week, spending 1 1/2 hours in the gym doing strength training and cardio in addition to playing on four soccer teams; two indoor, two outdoor.  I was FIT.  And shooting-wise, I was at the top of my game.  The best shooting I've ever done was while I was crazy fit.

My life changed, I quit working out so much, pretty much quit shooting and gained sixty pounds.  And my shooting skills went down the toilet.  I picked up shooting again a few months before RCC and I met and, holy cow, was I disappointed.  In the past year, I've dropped twenty pounds and have seen an improvement in my shooting.  With every pound I shed, I see a positive change in my shooting ability: my reflexes are faster, my concentration greater, and I'm not exhausted by the end of a match.

I hadn't realized just how far I'd let my physical fitness slide.  But I'm thanking my lucky stars that I never had to fight during that time, that I never found myself in a situation that required it, because that whole "I don't need to run, I've got a gun" thing doesn't work for me anymore. 

I want to be able to go hands-on if I have to. 

I want to be able to buy myself some time and space if the situation requires it.

As much as I hate it, I have to spend more time running and doing strength training.  I'll probably never go back to the insane workout schedule I had six years ago, but I don't think that some form of strenuous workout three or four times a week is going to kill me. 

In fact, it might just save me.

What do you think?  Is fitness necessary?  If so, what kind of time do you put into your personal fitness? 

Sublime Green

I wasn't quite ready to give up the color thing and admit defeat with my terrible eyes, so I went back to the drawing board.  Way back when I first started noticing I was having trouble seeing my front sight, I complained to L at the shop about it.  He suggested picking up some modeling paint and painting the front sight before dropping a bunch of money on different sights, so I did, and that's how I ended up with my red front sight.

I chose red first, because when we were trying out different colors at the shop, it seemed red was easier for me to pick up.  Obviously, though, red was the wrong choice, so I thought back to the other colors of HiViz sights I'd seen and decided I'd go with one of the neon-ish colors.  Off to the hobby store we went and I picked up a bottle of Sublime Green.

I had some microbrushes tucked away from painting my sight red, so I dug those out of my gun catch-all box.  What I love about the microbrushes is that they fit inside the front sight exactly.

One little dab of Sublime Green on the front sight and viola! a whole new sight to try out.

I took the Para out to the range that afternoon with Tara and I was back on target despite the buffeting winds.  My lousy right eye picked up the green every single time.  My groups were about three inches, which isn't great, but taking into consideration that the wind was literally knocking us from side-to-side as we lined up our shots, I'm pleased.

I'm even more pleased that I've found at least a temporary work-around for my little half-blind problem.  Seeing as how I just bought six month's worth of contacts, I wasn't thrilled about the possibility of having to change them.

The real test will be at the defensive pistol match next Sunday.  Will I be able to pick it up while shooting on the move?

If you have trouble seeing your front sight, what kinds of things have you tried to work around the problem?

What I Learned At The Range

On Wednesday I had to deliver a shirt to Double Tap and, conveniently, the delivery spot was at a range.  Since we were going to be there anyway, why not put some rounds downrange?  I've really been strugging with accuracy lately, which had never been a problem in the past, so I wanted Double Tap to watch me shoot to see what the heck I was doing wrong.  Having a friend who is both an experienced shooter and an experienced instructor is definitely a benefit.

I know about "the wheel" - a diagram that helps shooters figure out what they're doing wrong based on their shot placement.  Here's a really good explanation of the wheel that's a little more in depth.

Google images

According the the wheel, I was tightening my grip while pulling the trigger.  Only, I wasn't.  I was sure of it.  Maybe if I was a new shooter, or if it was a new gun, but nothing had changed other than I was shooting low and right.  Double Tap watched carefully and agreed that I shouldn't be throwing my rounds.  We checked my sights to see if they were loose or had drifted. The sights were still tight, so I had Double Tap shoot the Para.  Dead freaking on.  Every round. 

Back to square one, it had to be something I was doing, so he watched me from several angles to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong.  After three or four rounds he asked, "Which eye are you shooting with?"

Suprised, I answered, "Right.  Why?"

He asked if I could shoot with my left eye, so I did.  Guess what?  Dead freaking on.  Every round.

I am strongly right eye dominant, so I was surprised that I was shooting better with my left eye.  We picked out a different area on the target and I shot using my left eye to sight in, dead on.  I lowered my gun to the low ready to check the target, brought it back up and threw the next round.  Double Tap asked which eye I had used.  I had to think about it for a second and realized that when I brought my gun back up on target I'd automatically switched to my "strong" eye.

I'd been complaining for a while about not being able to see my front sight, but I blamed it on the color I'd painted my sight.  But I can see the sight with my left eye and can drill the hell out of one hole left eyed, so we ruled out the color being the problem. Before I spring for a new front sight, I want to try out several colors so I know which color to buy.  Currently my sight is a bright red.  That my right eye can't see!  I'll try a neon green next.  My intention is to buy a Hi-Viz or something similar, but for that kind of money, I want to make sure I can see the sight every time.

We ruled out a mechanical issue with my stance and grip. 

We ruled out loose sights. 

We ruled out the color. 

That leaves me with crappy eyes.  Well, one crappy eye.

Guess who is going to be heading back to the eye doctor in short order? And if she tells me one more time that it's because I'm "forty now", Ima punch her in the nose.

Range Rant

Today, I went out to one of the few shooting areas that is still open to the public and was appalled to find one of the areas looking like this:

I know it looks like they had a lot of fun, but they forgot a couple of very important things.  First, clean your shit up!  As we started cleaning up, we found out that they also forgot that guns and booze don't mix!

You know, it only took about three minutes of this...

To make it look like this...

Seriously.  Three minutes and five plastic bags that we managed to scrounge up from our cars.  Didn't take hardly any time at all, certainly the drunk bastards who left the mess weren't in such a big hurry that they couldn't spare three minutes to clean up after themselves.

It's because of idiots like the ones who left the mess that we're losing our places to shoot.

I feel like not only is it important to teach our children about gun safety, but how to be good stewards of the land.  If we allow our children to grow up to treat our public shooting lands the way these idiots did, we won't have any public shooting lands left.

Teaching Tip

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of auditing one of Double Tap's classes to see if I'd be interested in teaching it for them.  I'll do a write up of the class in a future post, but this tip was too great to wait on.

Instead of using flags or cones to mark distance for students, Double Tap uses inverted funnels.  They don't blow over and you can screw them into the ground.  Since different size funnels are different colors it makes for easy reference for the students as well.

It's a brilliant idea - cheap and easy.  And it doesn't have to be used just for teaching, it will work well any time you go out to the range for practice.

Magazine Change - Weak-handed

Thank you to Lynne at Female and Armed for the goodies that arrived in the mail yesterday!  I got a button with her web logo on it, which will go on my range bag...

...and a coffee cup that says about the most true statement I've read (and have uttered many times myself)..."A Bad Day At The Range Beats A Good Day At The Office".  All I can say to that is, AMEN!

Since last year, I've made it my mission to learn to shoot as well weak-handed as strong.  Let me tell you, it has been a struggle, but I'm getting more and more comfortable with it.

Though the process is the same as for strong-hand mag changes, I did find that I had to adapt a couple of things.

First, I don't have an ambidextrous magazine release on my gun, so I had to work my way around that.  I found that I could use the middle finger of my right hand to push the mag release and then pull the magazine out that way.

Sorry for the poor quality, had the wrong camera settings

Reloading the magazine is the same as doing it strong-handed for me, so that went well.

Still index the first round,
then slam the magazine home.

It took some thought, though, for me to regain a proper grip.  For eight years, my right hand has been the one wrapped around the grip and my left has been supporting.  I can think it through and know that my left hand is the one with gun contact and my right is my support, but getting those darn hands to do what I told them took some doing.  It will be a lot more weak-handed practice for me.

Left hand is gun hand, left hand is gun hand,
left hand is gun hand...

I fumbled around and got my grip re-established, then brought my gun back up into my line of sight.  I'm so used to using my slide lock release that it didn't occur to me to pull back the slide to release it (because the recoil spring is so heavy, it's very difficult to do).  I finally used my left index finger to release the slide, which worked beautifully.

Moving my index finger from the slide lock release to the trigger
went a whole lot more smoothly than I anticipated.

Unless your gun is fully ambi, there will be some modifications that you'll have to make when shooting weak-handed, but I think it's a skill all shooters need to acquire.

Magazine Changes - Strong-handed

I think, for every shooter, there are a few things that are a struggle and for me it was magazine changes.  The guys at the shop had this very complicated "tactical" mag change/reload thing that involved juggling two magazines in one hand that I could never master.  I tried, but it just didn't work for me.

Luckily, the Original Bad Boy had a much simpler way to do it and it has worked for me ever since.  I know that dropping your magazine to the ground is all the rage with competition shooters, but it was drilled into me that my magazines should never hit the ground.  You shouldn't leave a trail of magazines like bread crumbs - you never know when you'll need the magazines in a real-life situation.  Makes sense to me, even if it takes a half a second longer to retain the magazine than to dump it.  The other factor, for me, is magazines are expensive!  I'm not just dumping $35 to $40 on the ground.  No way, no how.

But just because I always retain my magazines doesn't mean you need to; it's my little quirk drilled into me by the OBB.  I know other instructors who drill their students to just dump their magazines because it takes too long to retain them.  Which ever method works for you is what you should do.

I thought I'd share with you a couple of things I've learned about mag changes; hopefully you'll find them helpful or can use the ideas as springboards to come up with your own methods.

#1 Loading your mag carrier

Always make sure that the round is facing forward
when loading up your mag carrier.

By loading your magazines into your mag carrier, or holster, with the round facing forward, you're allowing the natural rotation of your wrist/hand to properly position the magazine for insertion into the gun.  As your elbow comes down, and your hand up, the magazine is facing the correct way - it essentially "flips" right side up just through the movement of your arm.

#2 Leave the first slot of your mag carrier open (if you retain your mags) - or load it up, but always remove the front mag first.

#3 At slide lock, bring your gun back into your body.

Bringing the gun back into your body allows you to manipulate your gun
without taking your eyes off the target

Having the gun close to your body makes it easier to control. If you try to change your magazines while your strong arm is extended, you will waste time and increase your frustration as you attempt to find the opening.

Because my hands are normal girl-sized hands, not man hands, I have to use the thumb of my left hand to release my magazine and strip it from the mag well.

I shoot with extended magazines,
so there's a lot of magazine to hold on to.

Since I retain my mags, the empty goes in the front
and my hand moves smoothly back to the next mag.

#4 "Index" the first round with your finger to ensure it's facing the right way.

I actually do this a couple of times, I've become OCD about it.
I index when I load up, before I step to the line, and as I load into my gun.

Keeping my index finger on the round, I can "feel" my way into the mag well.
This allows me to keep my eyes focused on the target.

I always give my magazines a good smack to make sure they're seated well.

#5 Once loaded, bring the gun back up into your line of sight.

Using the slide lock release ensures I'm not riding the slide.

A couple of notes: I have made a few modifications to my gun.  It is not a race gun, nor is any of my gear set up for competition speed.  My set up is purely defensive.  First, I added an after-market magazine well, which makes it easier to find and feed the magazine into the gun.  Also, I have added a heavy recoil spring at Boss Man's suggestion (I think it's 22#), which allows me to shoot hot defensive rounds quickly.  I will say that the heavy recoil spring might be a touch too heavy, as it takes a lot of effort for me to lock the slide back manually and releasing the slide by cupping it and letting go is difficult.  Should I change it?  Probably.  Will I?  Probably not - it's a good workout.

IPSC Shot Timer Andriod App Review

Note: this is an unsolicited review of the free android app, IPSC Shot Timer.

I've been wanting a shot timer for a long time, but have been loathe to put out the money for one.  I mean, really, I could buy a shot timer OR I could buy ammo.  Guess which choice I made over and over again?

I believe that shot timers are an important tool for training; they make it easy for you to set a goal and objectively reach that goal.  You can see your progress, or lack thereof, with a shot timer.  Until I found the free app, the only time I used a timer was at the range during matches.

While watching one of Rob Pincus' Fit Shot videos, I saw that he had a timer of some sort on an iPad, and thought, "wow, I wonder if...".  Yep, there was an app and it was free!  I did a little middle-of-the-night happy dance when I searched the Android market and found the IPSC Shot Timer app, by Ivan Stoliarov.

There were a couple of things that I loved right off the bat, even without trying it out at the range.  First, you have the option to email the results to yourself, and second, you can save the results for retrieval later.  I don't know that any of the "real" shot timers have those two options.  I find myself storing more and more information electronically, so having the ability to save to my computer or email to myself makes me very happy (and decreases the paper clutter in my house).

Some of the other functions that caught my eye:

• easy calibration for dry- or live-fire
• different timing modes: Comstock, Virginia, and Par time (not that I know what any of those are - if anyone knows the difference, please enlighten me)

It's very easy to use.  The main screen looks like this...

Okay, it looks like this without the numbers.
Photo cred: Android market

A quick tap of the "Start" button and you're on your way.  When finished with your string, press "Stop" and flick up the results table.

It gives your overall shooting time in the top box,
and your splits (time between shots) in the
results table.

With the results table open, you have a couple of options; email or save (XML in the picture above).  The range that Tara and I shoot at doesn't have very good cell coverage, so I opted to save our strings and retrieve them later.  You press the save (or XML) button and name the file.

Saving and emailing (when you have coverage)
is extremely easy.

I've tried out emailing results to me where I have cell coverage, and it works like a charm.  The pop-up window asks for the email address, you type it in and hit send.  It's that easy.

Saving the file is easy, too.  The difficulty is in retrieving the file.  I couldn't figure it out, so I sent an email to the developer, who emailed me within a week (he apologized for the delay, he'd been on vacation) telling me that the files were stored as .xml files.  I'm not very tech-savvy, so when I asked him how to retrieve them, he very kindly told me I had to upload them from my phone to my computer.  I got my answer within 24 hours.  No complaints about customer service from me.

Shot Timer creates a file on your phone called, not surprisingly, Shot Timer and stores the files in there.  To retrieve the files, you must upload them to your computer.  I had a hard time opening the files using the Window-suggested program, but opened them without a problem in Wordpad or Notepad.  Yes, it's an extra step to get the results, but without the ability to immediately email them to myself due to crappy cell coverage, I'm not too upset about it.

I ran into a couple of issues with the app; some of them were my issues, some due to my phone, but none due to the app itself.

1. Inability to email the results - phone/service issue, not the app's issue.  I resolved it by saving the results and retrieving them later.
2. Inability to see the screen in bright daylight - phone issue, not the app's.  Even with the screen shaded, it was hard to read.  I did read a review on the Android Market website about this issue, and the reviewer seemed to think the developer could have worked around it, but I'm not so sure.  I have a hard time reading my screen, period, in bright daylight.  Once I used the timer a couple of times, I knew where on the screen each button was, so I didn't necessarily have to see the screen to work the timer.
3. Inaccurate split times - completely, 100% my fault.  I didn't calibrate the timer.  It's very easy to do and I neglected to do it, which resulted in the timer picking up additional noises (even speech).  If I had taken the ten seconds (yes, that's all it takes) to properly calibrate the timer, I wouldn't have had these issues.

I give this app 5/5 stars. 

The customer service has been good, the app functions better than I expected, and - extra bonus - it's free!  I'm looking to upgrade my phone in the next month or so, at which time, I will purchase the ad-free version.  I'm astounded that this is only a Beta version of the app and that it functions so well; that has not been the case with other Beta versions of apps I've used.

Want to improve your shooting?

By: GunDiva

If you read my other blogs, you know that I have a serious love affair with the Bosu ball.  My trainer has had me on it since February and I've seen a drastic change in my riding confidence (not to mention a 4" loss from my waist).  From the first moment I laid eyes on the Bosu I've been dying to use it as a shooting platform.  A strong core will make a world of difference in speed and accuracy when shooting.

So, for months I've been telling myself I was going to buy a Bosu.  I'm gonna get one...I'm gonna get one...I'm gonna get one...

Well, finally, last week I got one and couldn't wait to try it out.  Here's what I learned from shooting from the Bosu...

It's absolutely unforgiving.  You get off balance and you pay for it.  It can teach you a lot about your weaknesses.  For instance, I didn't realize that when I reholstered, I was shifting my weight ever-so-slightly forward until I tried it on the Bosu and almost fell off.  Shooting from the Bosu requires that you keep your knees soft and your core tight at all times.

I knew going in that I was going to love shooting from it, as I had already seen drastic results in my riding from it, so I dragged it out to the range and let Tara shoot from it.  It's tough, but the grin on her face after just a couple of rounds was worth it.  She agreed that it was a handy dandy training tool.  We decided that the Bosu was going to be a part of our shooting gear.

Having made that decision, I hauled it out with me today to go shooting with Mez.  It was the same story - some hesitation, followed by a huge grin.  In fact, Mez got two rounds into it and declared that he was going to buy one for himself.  It says a lot (to me at least) that two shooters I highly respect find it such a great training tool.

It is most definitely not for beginner shooters - anyone who wants to shoot from the Bosu should be comfortable with safe gun handling to the point that they practice it without thought.  Both Tara and Mez came off the Bosu at one point this weekend, but they kept the guns pointed in a safe direction with their fingers off the trigger as they came off.

Hold It Like You Own It

One of the biggest mistakes I see with women shooters, especially new ones, is a fear to take control of their gun.  Having a gun that fits properly is just the first step; proper grip is the second.  YouTube is full of videos mocking women shooters who have hit themselves in the head with whichever handgun their "friends" have given them to shoot.  Those videos infuriate me for one reason - with proper instruction, no one would ever get tattoo'd by their handgun.

Proper grip will allow you to control the recoil and bring the gun back on target much more quickly, which means you can get your next shot off much more quickly.

Attitude is crucial when handling guns.  If you are afraid of it, or of the recoil, it will bite you.  Tara's favorite phrase when dealing with new shooter is, "Hold it like you own it, not like it owns you."  You control the gun, not the other way around. 

A good grip starts the same way you check for fit, with the gun snugged into the web between your thumb and first finger.  Your index finger should rest along the frame of the gun, the other fingers wrapped comfortably around the grip.  Your support hand should be wrapped around the gun, covering the fingers of your strong hand, both thumbs facing forward.

Having your support hand wrapped around your strong hand helps control muzzle flip - when the gun fires, the front end of the muzzle will "flip" up.  Not controlling the muzzle flip is what caused all those women in the YouTube videos to smack themselves in the head.

It used to be popular to support the gun in a "tea cup" grip, with the support hand cupped underneath the gun, like a saucer under a tea cup.  The problem is that the gun can flip up off of the "saucer", leaving the strong hand to control the gun and bring it back down on target.  In order to avoid that from happening, people who use the tea cup grip will hold on tightly to their strong hand and pull down, which can cause their shots to dive.

Thumb position is very important when shooting a semi-automatic.  Semi-automatics are designed so that when they fire, the slide is forced backward, ejecting the fired brass and reloading a new cartridge.  If your support thumb is wrapped around the back of the gun the slide will take off skin when it cycles.  It hurts.  A lot.  Trust me on this one.  Keep those thumbs out of the way.

Having the gun tucked into the web of your hand will direct recoil back through your wrist, through your arm and into your body.  Absorbing the recoil with your body instead of your thumb (as with a poorly fitting gun) will make shooting even the biggest gun a lot more fun.

Here's a slow-motion video of me shooting; watch the muzzle flip up and notice how my grip helps to bring the gun back down on target so I can get the next shot off.  Thanks to my flabby, out of shape arms, you'll also be able to see the recoil travel from the gun to my body.




Now here's the same clip at "normal" speed.  In slow-mo, the muzzle flipped looked huge, but in this clip it's minimal.  You can also see how my support hand balances out the upward movement of the gun, simply by resisting the movement.  I don't have to muscle it down like I would if I used a tea cup grip.

Does Your Pistol Fit You?

By:  GunDiva

No one would wear clothes or shoes that are uncomfortable and don't fit on purpose, right?  We know that we might squeeze into a pair of pants or shoes for a short period of time just to look good, but we'd rather not do it.  If we had our druthers, we'd always wear comfortable clothes and shoes.

So why on earth would we women settle for shooting guns that don't fit?  I'll tell you why - because most of us got our start shooting our dad's, brother's, or significant other's guns.  They probably fit the males in our life, but most assuredly didn't fit us.  I'll clarify my phrase probably - there are a lot of avid male shooters out there that don't know if their gun fits them either.  From my experience, men are great about making sure their long guns fit them properly, but don't pay much attention to their pistol fit.  Maybe that's because if a long gun doesn't fit properly, it tells you about it often and painfully.  But if a pistol doesn't fit, it's only slightly uncomfortable.

Finding a gun with the proper fit will make all the difference in your shooting.  Your accuracy will increase, your speed will increase, you'll flat-out have a lot more fun and be less fatigued at the end of the day.

To determine if a gun fits you, pick it up in your dominant hand (after ensuring that it has been properly unloaded), placing the back of the gun in the web between your thumb and fingers.  The gun must fit snuggly into that webbed area; that way, when you fire, the recoil is allowed to move straight back into your wrist and arm.  If the gun's not tucked in there properly, the recoil is typically moved back into your hooked thumb.  Can you shoot that way?  Yep.  Is it uncomfortable?  Yep.  Will it fatigue your hand quickly? Yep.  Most importantly, though, not having the gun tucked into the web of your hand will affect your accuracy.

Next, lay your trigger finger along the frame of the gun and look at the your finger in relation to the trigger.  With the gun tucked properly into your hand, your index finger should extend beyond the curved end of the trigger.  If it doesn't, then you'll end up making an unconscious adjustment to reach that trigger.  The adjustment will be to "hook" the back of the gun with your thumb so you can reach.  Remember that moving the gun out of the web between your thumb and fingers will redirect the recoil of the gun, allowing it to move into your thumb instead of your wrist and arm.

If your finger extends beyond the trigger without adjusting the position of the gun in your hand, move your finger onto the trigger.  You should be able to place the middle of the pad on your index finger on the trigger, while flexing the second and third joint of your finger.  If you have to keep your finger straight to touch the trigger, the pistol doesn't fit.  There should be visible space between the gun and your flexed index finger.

A gun that fulfills those three simple things is a gun that fits you.  Take a look at how my Para fits my hand:

Gun tucked securely into the webbing between my thumb and fingers: CHECK
Finger extends beyond the curved end of the trigger: CHECK



Middle of the pad of my index finger fits on the trigger, with the second and third joints of the finger flexed and the gun is still tucked into my hand properly: CHECK



Another view of my finger on the trigger, the middle of the pad is securely on the trigger without shifting the gun out of the webbing of my hand.




Now, take a look at this Sig that doesn't fit my hand at all:

Top Left: you can see that I'm having a hard time getting the gun tucked into my hand properly.  I can't even lay my finger along the frame smoothly.

Top Right: my finger is attempting to reach the trigger.  I can sort of hook it with the very tip of my finger.

Bottom Left: you can see that I had no chance of laying my finger on the trigger properly - it barely reaches the trigger.

Bottom Right: in order to even get this much of my finger on the trigger, I had to shift the gun so that I was hooking it with my thumb.

Next time you're out at the range, be sure to pay attention to how the gun your shooting fits you.  If it means that you'll have to modify your gun or *gasp* buy one that actually fits, you won't regret doing so.  Your shooting experience will improve dramatically, as will your control and accuracy.