Nightcrawler
Member
I went shooting yesterday. Took a friend of mine who's new to guns. I went over the four rules, and corrected him when he made common new shooter mistakes involving muzzle discipline or the trigger finger. He liked my two .45s, though he commented on the recoil.
Probably bad to start a new shooter on a .45, but he's not looking to buy anything. I was just letting him see what it's like. Besides, I don't have a .22 or anything.
My rifle gave me some trouble (always when company's over and you're trying to look cool, hey?), but after I got that worked out he loved shooting it off of the bipod.
He liked the .45s, too, as well as my S&W. The big Smith with mild CAS loads was soft-shooting and he had a lot of fun with that.
Couple things I noticed, though.
1. I need to get a .22. I have a .22 rifle; the first gun I ever bought. A Henry US survival rifle. I never take it out, though. Unfortunately, it's been neglected. The black coating on the stock is chipping off like crazy, and I only have two eight round magazines for it. I need to get a better .22, with adjustable sights and all that. A .22 pistol would be good, too.
2. I suck. Not in the usual way; I mean I've never been super with rapid fire, but that comes from inexperience. This...I was having a hard time hitting what I was aiming at half the time. Why?
Because, folks, aside from a CCW class I took with a borrowed DAO compact Beretta, I haven't fired a pistol since like September or October. I've been so busy with college and stuff. Plus, I go to school here, and my guns are at home, two hours away. I don't get up too often. And, after November the range I belong to gets snowed in and you can't use it anymore.
I'm rusty.
Well, practice makes perfect, I guess. I'm in exam week right now. After this I go home, and I've got about two months until I (hopefully...they haven't completed my criminal background check yet, but I don't expect any problems) leave for Qatar for my job there. I have a few hundred rounds of .45ACP left (Fiocci), and over a thousand rounds of some crappy South African .308 I bought for my FAL.
Looks like I'm going to put as many rounds downrange in the next two months as I can. I don't want to get over there and not be able to hit what I'm aiming at, should I never need to.
Fortunately, as I've said, I've got a stash of .45 and .308, and .45 is cheap enough that I can get more to practice with.
Still, my rifle goal (being able to hit an 8.5x11" piece of paper, from an unsupported position, eventually standing, at 200 yards) is a long way away.
Ah, well. Practice makes perfect, hey?
Probably bad to start a new shooter on a .45, but he's not looking to buy anything. I was just letting him see what it's like. Besides, I don't have a .22 or anything.
My rifle gave me some trouble (always when company's over and you're trying to look cool, hey?), but after I got that worked out he loved shooting it off of the bipod.
He liked the .45s, too, as well as my S&W. The big Smith with mild CAS loads was soft-shooting and he had a lot of fun with that.
Couple things I noticed, though.
1. I need to get a .22. I have a .22 rifle; the first gun I ever bought. A Henry US survival rifle. I never take it out, though. Unfortunately, it's been neglected. The black coating on the stock is chipping off like crazy, and I only have two eight round magazines for it. I need to get a better .22, with adjustable sights and all that. A .22 pistol would be good, too.
2. I suck. Not in the usual way; I mean I've never been super with rapid fire, but that comes from inexperience. This...I was having a hard time hitting what I was aiming at half the time. Why?
Because, folks, aside from a CCW class I took with a borrowed DAO compact Beretta, I haven't fired a pistol since like September or October. I've been so busy with college and stuff. Plus, I go to school here, and my guns are at home, two hours away. I don't get up too often. And, after November the range I belong to gets snowed in and you can't use it anymore.
I'm rusty.
Well, practice makes perfect, I guess. I'm in exam week right now. After this I go home, and I've got about two months until I (hopefully...they haven't completed my criminal background check yet, but I don't expect any problems) leave for Qatar for my job there. I have a few hundred rounds of .45ACP left (Fiocci), and over a thousand rounds of some crappy South African .308 I bought for my FAL.
Looks like I'm going to put as many rounds downrange in the next two months as I can. I don't want to get over there and not be able to hit what I'm aiming at, should I never need to.
Fortunately, as I've said, I've got a stash of .45 and .308, and .45 is cheap enough that I can get more to practice with.
Still, my rifle goal (being able to hit an 8.5x11" piece of paper, from an unsupported position, eventually standing, at 200 yards) is a long way away.
Ah, well. Practice makes perfect, hey?
But hey at least you made it out to shoot.