A new convert

Actually I'm not sure if she actually counts as a "convert". She wasn't really against guns to start with, she just hadn't ever gone and done any shooting herself.

I'm talking about the Mans girlfriend. (Girl-friend people yeesh

minds out of the dirty pool!) Anyway she came over yesterday afternoon and we took the long drive down to the lake to put a few rounds down range. First let me say that the lake was beautiful. It was blue and sparkling in the sun like so many millions of diamonds.

Anyway the Man did his usual intro spiel. He gave his new recruit (we will henceforth refer to her as Grasshopper) the four rules of firearm safety (I have them listed on the side of my blog). Then the grip and stance rundown, and an idea of what the site picture should be like.

Then when we got there, we strapped the kiddo into the stroller (see monday cuteness) and let Grasshopper do her thing. She did really well! It isn't hard to shoot a .22 but if you don't pay attention to the basics you wont hit the target no matter what you're shooting and she hit it every time ... AND she hit it in the black every time. The more rounds she put down range the better she got too! It was definitely an afternoon well spent and I'm so glad we went. I always learn something more about MY shooting when the Man teaches somebody else. This trip I learned my trigger pull is bouncy and bouncy is bad. I also learned that my finger placement on the trigger is a little low (which causes my bullets to hit the target low because it pulls the gun down). I can't wait to get out there again and work on that, I get excited when I see my shooting improve!

I do, of course, have a few pictures of the Man instructing his Grasshopper.



(click em to big em folks)

Pretty In Black part II

This weekend I have a choice. Which might be less of a choice then I like (gas money being an issue lately).

I can either take The Man out east to go shoot with one of my best friends and her husband and get to be surrounded by the oranges and reds of fall in the canyons (if you haven't seen the Wasatch Mountains in the fall add it to your list of things to do before you kick it)

OR I can go to a range nearby, save on gas, miss out on the view and the great company [ :( ], but get to rent the pistol which I will, hopefully, soon own. If you'll recall in a previous post I mentioned going to a gunshow a couple weekends back. While there I did a little preliminary shopping and handled the Kimber I've been drooling after. I also mentioned in that same blog how The Man pointed out that the cost of the Kimber was quite a bit higher then the Glock, and if I was wanting to get a new pistol soon I'd be smarter to start cheaper. Possibly making the Kimber my "now I know what I'm doing again and can actually hit the damn target" reward. And I like that idea. Heck doesn't that kind of get me two pistols vs one? *grin*


Anyway I like the small size of the 27, it fits my hands well. Being the practiced shopper that I am though I really want to try it before I buy it to make sure it fits as well while firing as it does empty. A range with rentals is exactly what I need for that.


If I'm really really lucky I wont have to make a choice at all! Maybe we can hit the range on Friday and head out East on Sunday!

basically a beginner

I knew it was going to be a little sketchy, but if you're going to find out you lost most of your shooting skills at least do it in a place as pretty as this!!

I knew I had lost a lot, practice makes perfect and not practicing makes you very NOT perfect. Not that I was perfect before but at least I wasn't an embarrassment to my husband!

Grip and stance seemed to stay with me fairly well but breathing control and "squeeze" up and took a vacation. I am glad we took this "first" trip out, to a non range location. I knew it wouldn't be pretty but I was hoping to have retained a little more. I suppose four years (yes, FOUR years) and a baby (now toddler) have a way of messing with things learned.

Any rate we took my Ruger and Kevins Glock 23 out. We did an approximate 9/10 yard distance and for the most part I shot while he watched and tried to correct. I think my biggest problems were breathing and over compensating (anticipating) for the kick (in the .40) as I generally shot low. I need to focus more on the breath in/out/in then halfway out and hold before I squeeze. Though I must admit in a quick firing situation I'm a little unsure how that works.

Next weekend hopefully we'll go to a range. I think now that we know I need serious work to get me back to a competent level we'll be making a better effort to get out and shoot. I'm sure my husband isn't having a problem with that idea.

Hey and before you think too badly of me I DID hit the target virtually every single time, and I generally hit the black or red. I mean sure it was only 10 yards but that's about as far as it is from one side of the room to the other in my apt, and the area I was hitting was about the size of a mans torso, so he'da been stopped, which is the ultamate goal is it not?