I'm so sorry for being behind. I've still got lots of posts in my little brain, but need to get them from my brain to my computer. In the meantime, I've been shooting as much as possible even though I didn't make the cut for Top Shot this time. I still plan on working out and shooting everything I can get my hands on to apply for the next season.
Anyway, I've got just a couple of quick videos to share from last time we went out. Deejo (my brother) finally made the move from Arizona to Colorado (yay, Deejo!) and I'll get to shoot with him more often now. But first we have to get him back into shooting shape. Mez's .45-70 kinda kicked his butt. Well, his shoulder. Take a look...
I fared much better in the shoulder department when I shot the rifle, but could not stay on the Bosu. I guess that means that I've got a lot more core abdominal work to do in order to stay up during the recoil. I also sort of made a mistake. We had a dueling tree out with us. It was out thirty-thirtyfive yards, a reach for the handguns, but just right for the rifle. Um. Yeah. The dueling tree lost. Big time.
In the video, when we're looking at the plates, you can hear me say, "I didn't do that". On playback, you can see that I very clearly did do that.
Anyone know where I can buy new plates for the dueling tree?
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Why The Gun Is Civilization
This was sent to me in an email from a fellow GunDiva...I thought I'd pass it on...
by: Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)
Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and
force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of
either convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding
under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those
two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that's it.
In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact
through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social
interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is
the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.
When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use
reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your
threat or employment of force. The gun is the only personal weapon
that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger,
a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year old gang banger,
and a single gay guy on equal footing with a carload of drunk guys
with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical
strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a
defender.
There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad
force equations. These are the people who think that we'd be more
civilized if all guns were removed from society, because a firearm
makes it easier for a [armed] mugger to do his job. That, of course,
is only true if the mugger's potential victims are mostly disarmed
either by choice or by legislative fiat--it has no validity when most
of a mugger's potential marks are armed. People who argue for the
banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong, and
the many, and that's the exact opposite of a civilized society. A
mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful living in a
society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.
Then there's the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal
that otherwise would only result in injury. This argument is
fallacious in several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are
won by the physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on
the loser. People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don't
constitute lethal force watch too much TV, where people take beatings
and come out of it with a bloody lip at worst. The fact that the gun
makes lethal force easier works solely in favor of the weaker
defender, not the stronger attacker. If both are armed, the field is
level. The gun is the only weapon that's as lethal in the hands of an
octogenarian as it is in the hands of a weight lifter. It simply
wouldn't work as well as a force equalizer if it wasn't both lethal
and easily employable.
When I carry a gun, I don't do so because I am looking for a fight,
but because I'm looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means
that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don't carry it because I'm
afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn't limit the
actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the
actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the
equation...and that's why carrying a gun is a civilized act.
by: Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)
Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and
force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of
either convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding
under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those
two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that's it.
In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact
through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social
interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is
the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.
When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use
reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your
threat or employment of force. The gun is the only personal weapon
that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger,
a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year old gang banger,
and a single gay guy on equal footing with a carload of drunk guys
with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical
strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a
defender.
There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad
force equations. These are the people who think that we'd be more
civilized if all guns were removed from society, because a firearm
makes it easier for a [armed] mugger to do his job. That, of course,
is only true if the mugger's potential victims are mostly disarmed
either by choice or by legislative fiat--it has no validity when most
of a mugger's potential marks are armed. People who argue for the
banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong, and
the many, and that's the exact opposite of a civilized society. A
mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful living in a
society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.
Then there's the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal
that otherwise would only result in injury. This argument is
fallacious in several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are
won by the physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on
the loser. People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don't
constitute lethal force watch too much TV, where people take beatings
and come out of it with a bloody lip at worst. The fact that the gun
makes lethal force easier works solely in favor of the weaker
defender, not the stronger attacker. If both are armed, the field is
level. The gun is the only weapon that's as lethal in the hands of an
octogenarian as it is in the hands of a weight lifter. It simply
wouldn't work as well as a force equalizer if it wasn't both lethal
and easily employable.
When I carry a gun, I don't do so because I am looking for a fight,
but because I'm looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means
that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don't carry it because I'm
afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn't limit the
actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the
actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the
equation...and that's why carrying a gun is a civilized act.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
No News Is...
...Well, no news.
Actually, I think it's fairly safe to say that if I haven't heard from Top Shot yet, I didn't make it through the application phase. The next step is the Final Casting that begins this weekend in LA. Pretty certain if I had been chosen, I would have heard already.
It's kind of bittersweet. I really do want to compete on Top Shot, but I also know that my application and video weren't up to par. Tara's got me convinced to apply again and not be so rushed - take some time with my application and video instead of just slapping it together.
I'm relieved because I feel like my life has been on hold - I couldn't make any summer plans because I didn't know what was in store. Honestly, I have great bosses who would not have had a problem with the time I would have needed to take off, but it's a lousy time for me to be gone. One of our medical instructors just got another job and is leaving next week; an adjunct instructor just informed us that she only wants to teach one class a mod and no directed studies; and the list goes on. It would have been doable for me to be gone next week, but it would have been tough.
Six weeks through August and September? Again, doable, but it would put an enormous strain on my co-workers and that's not fair.
The plan is to re-group, put together a dazzling application and submission video, and give it another go. I know I can go and compete well.
Actually, I think it's fairly safe to say that if I haven't heard from Top Shot yet, I didn't make it through the application phase. The next step is the Final Casting that begins this weekend in LA. Pretty certain if I had been chosen, I would have heard already.
It's kind of bittersweet. I really do want to compete on Top Shot, but I also know that my application and video weren't up to par. Tara's got me convinced to apply again and not be so rushed - take some time with my application and video instead of just slapping it together.
I'm relieved because I feel like my life has been on hold - I couldn't make any summer plans because I didn't know what was in store. Honestly, I have great bosses who would not have had a problem with the time I would have needed to take off, but it's a lousy time for me to be gone. One of our medical instructors just got another job and is leaving next week; an adjunct instructor just informed us that she only wants to teach one class a mod and no directed studies; and the list goes on. It would have been doable for me to be gone next week, but it would have been tough.
Six weeks through August and September? Again, doable, but it would put an enormous strain on my co-workers and that's not fair.
The plan is to re-group, put together a dazzling application and submission video, and give it another go. I know I can go and compete well.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Defensive Pistol 6-5-11
I'm a week late in getting this posted, I had hoped to post these videos much earlier.
Last week was the monthly defensive pistol match at Colorado Rod and Gun Club. It's pretty much the most fun you can have for $10 and 200 rounds of ammo. I was excited when we did the walk-through and found that we'd be shooting prone. While I've certainly shot from a prone position before, I don't recall doing it with a handgun. I love the challenge of doing new things (or doing old things in new ways).
The stages just got better and better and I got more and more excited to shoot.
Then we got to the bowling pins.
Bowling pins are my kryptonite.
(Unless you're from Top Shot and reading this. If that's the case, I love bowling pins. Oh, and you might want to skip this video.)
I only deflated a little bit at the bowling pins, because they had the Texas Star set up. There's no middle ground with the Texas Star - you either love it or hate it.
Once you hit one of the plates, it falls off and sets the star to spinning. It's fabulous and I love it - you can never shoot it the same way twice, as you can never predict how it's going to move. Of course, I got so excited about the Texas Star stage, I forgot to ask Mez to film it for me. I can tell you that I was the first in our group to shoot it clean and complete (and then, not to be shown up, Mez shot it clean with a damn five shot revolver).
I don't remember what this stage was named, but it was fun. We had to leave our gun in one area, our magazines in another and start while sitting at a table. I almost slipped and fell on my arse coming around the table, but recovered and managed not to make too big a fool of myself. Well, I mostly didn't make a fool of myself. I kinda shot a no-shoot target. Oops.
My Para's been acting up. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know she's kind of finicky and has had some temper tantrums, but I was able to keep her going with little office visits to the gun doctor. A hundred and forty-five or fifty rounds into the match, she gave up the ghost.
I broke her.
She didn't jam, she didn't booger, she didn't goober.
She broke.
I haven't taken her apart yet to look at the extent of the damage, but I can tell you that a free-swinging hammer is not a good sign. I can't say I didn't expect it, because I know she had parts that were wearing out and I was just being too cheap to buy new parts and have her overhauled. She does have something like 10k rounds through her.
However, because I knew she was on her last legs and might booger up on me, I threw RockCrawlinChef's gun in the car - just in case. It's a good thing I did. Once the Para went belly-up, I went to the car and swapped out guns. RCC shoots a S&W M&P 9mm. Lucky for me it's an M&P, because I easily swapped out the backstrap to the small size and it fit my hand beautifully.
So, off I went to shoot the last stage with a gun I'd never fired before. The shooting gods were with me on that stage, as I shot it well. I was more than a little pissed at the scoring, which you might hear on the video. I got penalized for a missed headshot, when, in actuality, the target didn't rebound in time to catch my second round.
I argued a bit, but decided to just go with being pissed. Whatever. I shot the stage well and did it with a gun I had never fired before. Guess I'll just have to be happy with that. There is a big difference between shooting a .45 and a 9mm, though. It's a lot harder to see the holes in the target, which is why I shot at the far target four times - I just couldn't see the holes in the cardboard.
So - a question for my fellow GunDivas (and GunDudes) - do you enjoy new challenges? What is the most challenging thing you have done shooting?
Last week was the monthly defensive pistol match at Colorado Rod and Gun Club. It's pretty much the most fun you can have for $10 and 200 rounds of ammo. I was excited when we did the walk-through and found that we'd be shooting prone. While I've certainly shot from a prone position before, I don't recall doing it with a handgun. I love the challenge of doing new things (or doing old things in new ways).
The stages just got better and better and I got more and more excited to shoot.
Then we got to the bowling pins.
Bowling pins are my kryptonite.
(Unless you're from Top Shot and reading this. If that's the case, I love bowling pins. Oh, and you might want to skip this video.)
I only deflated a little bit at the bowling pins, because they had the Texas Star set up. There's no middle ground with the Texas Star - you either love it or hate it.
Once you hit one of the plates, it falls off and sets the star to spinning. It's fabulous and I love it - you can never shoot it the same way twice, as you can never predict how it's going to move. Of course, I got so excited about the Texas Star stage, I forgot to ask Mez to film it for me. I can tell you that I was the first in our group to shoot it clean and complete (and then, not to be shown up, Mez shot it clean with a damn five shot revolver).
I don't remember what this stage was named, but it was fun. We had to leave our gun in one area, our magazines in another and start while sitting at a table. I almost slipped and fell on my arse coming around the table, but recovered and managed not to make too big a fool of myself. Well, I mostly didn't make a fool of myself. I kinda shot a no-shoot target. Oops.
My Para's been acting up. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know she's kind of finicky and has had some temper tantrums, but I was able to keep her going with little office visits to the gun doctor. A hundred and forty-five or fifty rounds into the match, she gave up the ghost.
I broke her.
She didn't jam, she didn't booger, she didn't goober.
She broke.
I haven't taken her apart yet to look at the extent of the damage, but I can tell you that a free-swinging hammer is not a good sign. I can't say I didn't expect it, because I know she had parts that were wearing out and I was just being too cheap to buy new parts and have her overhauled. She does have something like 10k rounds through her.
However, because I knew she was on her last legs and might booger up on me, I threw RockCrawlinChef's gun in the car - just in case. It's a good thing I did. Once the Para went belly-up, I went to the car and swapped out guns. RCC shoots a S&W M&P 9mm. Lucky for me it's an M&P, because I easily swapped out the backstrap to the small size and it fit my hand beautifully.
So, off I went to shoot the last stage with a gun I'd never fired before. The shooting gods were with me on that stage, as I shot it well. I was more than a little pissed at the scoring, which you might hear on the video. I got penalized for a missed headshot, when, in actuality, the target didn't rebound in time to catch my second round.
I argued a bit, but decided to just go with being pissed. Whatever. I shot the stage well and did it with a gun I had never fired before. Guess I'll just have to be happy with that. There is a big difference between shooting a .45 and a 9mm, though. It's a lot harder to see the holes in the target, which is why I shot at the far target four times - I just couldn't see the holes in the cardboard.
So - a question for my fellow GunDivas (and GunDudes) - do you enjoy new challenges? What is the most challenging thing you have done shooting?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Range Day
To prepare for Top Shot (see? Positive thinking), I'm getting as much range time as absolutely possible, learning new weapons, and re-familiarizing myself with guns I haven't shot in a while.
I have a plan. My plan is to practice everything ambidextrously. I figure it's just a matter of time before the folks who come up with the challenges will dream up weak-handed shooting. They got close in Season 2 with the Trick Shot Showdown, when the contestants had to shoot with both hands. Besides, if you have confidence in shooting with your weak hand, you can pretty much do anything.
I'm good with my pistol weak-handed. Slow, but good. It took a lot of practice, but I like having the confidence that I can do it if I have to. Honestly, it's a ton of fun to do, too.
One of my "boys" - one of my original shooting buddies - has stepped up to the plate and offered up his time and energy to help me out. Mez and I have put a lot of lead down range together. If I make it through the casting process, it will be because I've got a whole slew of people who believe in me and who are willing to help me out.
Before Saturday, I had never shot a long gun weak-handed, but I was determined to do so. I was also determined to shoot offhand, as it's the most unstable and therefore most difficult position to shoot from. I headed to the range with RockCrawlinChef (and his family) to meet Mez immediately after I finished a killer workout. I'll call it a win that I could hoist Mez's 9.5# with my jello arms.
Here's the AR15 footage. I shoot it like I shoot my pistol weak-handed - slow.
I'm surprised that my shaking arms weren't visible, but then even the slightest movement looks enormous when you're sighting down a barrel.
By comparison, the .45-70 was light-weight. What a rush shooting that was! I shot the shit outta that gun weak-handed. However, you'll see in the video that my core was weak and the recoil pushed me around more than it should have.
The Little Bastard...Gymnastics Boy...El Poquito Diablo, as my trainer now likes to be called, will be so disappointed in my lack of core strength. Guess it's time for more Bosu work. I'll be buying one within a week to practice shooting from. The next time I shoot this .45-70, it won't knock me around so much.
I had an issue while shooting my 870 weak-handed; I'm so used to racking the slide with my left hand that I'd fire, then try to move the pistol grip backward before I realized that I had to work the action with my right hand. The tactical 870 that I built for myself had a mercury recoil system that I put in and it weighed 12.5#, so the recoil - even from shooting heavy slugs - was minimal. I have yet to modify this shotgun and I'd gotten spoiled shooting one with next to no recoil. This new one kicks like a damn mule. The thing about shotgunning is that if you're not on your gun like you're supposed to be, it will tell you about it - often painfully.
I have just a couple of seconds of video of strong-hand shooting my 870, but I'm going to share it anyway because I *love* shooting my shotgun (even with the resulting mule kick).
I didn't get video of all of the guns I shot on Saturday, mostly because everyone else was shooting too! But here's a list of what I shot:
I have a plan. My plan is to practice everything ambidextrously. I figure it's just a matter of time before the folks who come up with the challenges will dream up weak-handed shooting. They got close in Season 2 with the Trick Shot Showdown, when the contestants had to shoot with both hands. Besides, if you have confidence in shooting with your weak hand, you can pretty much do anything.
I'm good with my pistol weak-handed. Slow, but good. It took a lot of practice, but I like having the confidence that I can do it if I have to. Honestly, it's a ton of fun to do, too.
One of my "boys" - one of my original shooting buddies - has stepped up to the plate and offered up his time and energy to help me out. Mez and I have put a lot of lead down range together. If I make it through the casting process, it will be because I've got a whole slew of people who believe in me and who are willing to help me out.
Before Saturday, I had never shot a long gun weak-handed, but I was determined to do so. I was also determined to shoot offhand, as it's the most unstable and therefore most difficult position to shoot from. I headed to the range with RockCrawlinChef (and his family) to meet Mez immediately after I finished a killer workout. I'll call it a win that I could hoist Mez's 9.5# with my jello arms.
Here's the AR15 footage. I shoot it like I shoot my pistol weak-handed - slow.
I'm surprised that my shaking arms weren't visible, but then even the slightest movement looks enormous when you're sighting down a barrel.
By comparison, the .45-70 was light-weight. What a rush shooting that was! I shot the shit outta that gun weak-handed. However, you'll see in the video that my core was weak and the recoil pushed me around more than it should have.
I had an issue while shooting my 870 weak-handed; I'm so used to racking the slide with my left hand that I'd fire, then try to move the pistol grip backward before I realized that I had to work the action with my right hand. The tactical 870 that I built for myself had a mercury recoil system that I put in and it weighed 12.5#, so the recoil - even from shooting heavy slugs - was minimal. I have yet to modify this shotgun and I'd gotten spoiled shooting one with next to no recoil. This new one kicks like a damn mule. The thing about shotgunning is that if you're not on your gun like you're supposed to be, it will tell you about it - often painfully.
I have just a couple of seconds of video of strong-hand shooting my 870, but I'm going to share it anyway because I *love* shooting my shotgun (even with the resulting mule kick).
I didn't get video of all of the guns I shot on Saturday, mostly because everyone else was shooting too! But here's a list of what I shot:
- Lever action rifle (.45-70) - my bad, I don't remember the make/model
- Long barrel AR-15 (.223)
- Remington 870 (12ga)
- Remington 700 (.223) - shot from prone just because I could; strong-hand only because the eye relief for my weak-hand was completely wrong, but I tried.
- Glock (9mm)
- Double action revolver (.38) - again, don't remember the make/model
- Ruger Super Blackhawk (.44 mag) - strong-hand only; forgot to trade hands
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Memorial Day 2011
Mrs Mom posted this on her other blog.
Take a moment during your festivities to remember why it is we're celebrating.
Stay safe y'all.
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