Michaelson wrote:I can still out run her....as long as I hold to a zig zag pattern, I have a bit of a chance getting clear of fire....not much, but some (she's also a great 'trap' shooter, so even this isn't a 'given')
Regards! Michaelson
This reminds me of Jack Lemon and Walter Mathau... "Serpentine! Serpentine!"
Boy can I start a conversation or what? I know I need more practice, but havent been able to get to the range these past few week. The reason is a story within itself. But next week I'm on vacation and might finally get to take my daughter with me.
Yesterday, I took my daughter to the range . She's not a bad shot really. The thing is, I shot much better than I normally do. Maybe it was just ol dad showing off for the kid, making it look like he knows what he's doing?
Indiana Jerry wrote:And perhaps it was the fear of being outshot by your daughter...(reference Michaelson's story about his wife again).
Thats possible! Kids can be surprising. A few days ago I took my 11 year old cousin shooting with me. It was his first time. After giving him some basic instructions I set him up with a 22. rifle and let him fire from a rest. After he fired his first shot I approached the target. I couldn't see a hole in the "white" and assumed the had missed it all together. After all, it was his first time. However, much to my surprise he had hit it in the "black" at 3 o'clock in the 9 ring. He only got better as the afternoon went on. I was really surprised to see that he was able to fire 2" groups or less. Although this was all done at 20 yards or so I was still impressed with his ability. It looks like I'm gonna have some competition in a few years.
Some folks CAN shoot moving targets MUCH better than stationary ones. That's why you have some folks who are GREAT trap shooters, but lousy target shooters.
OK, I've got to tell this story about my mom. We grew up on a farm out in the middle of nowhere, WV. My dad worked 12 hour swing shifts, so it was often just my mom there to take care of my sisster & I (my brother was not born yet). Dad wanted to teach her how to shoot, so if a situation ever arose, she would be able to handle herself. He had an old 22 rifle he was using to teach her. We had a large Walnut tree in the back yard & my dad was teaching her how to aim using that tree. They were a good 50 yards from the tree, & my dad asked if she could aim at this specific walnut. She said yes, fired off a shot & hit that walnut dead on. Dad was amazed, & that ended the practice. Thankfully, she never had to use the gun, but I do remember a story about this drunk guy showing up at our door one night when dad was working. Mom grabbed the 22 & told him, "I've got a rifle & I know how to use it. You see that Walnut tree in the back yard. I can shoot a walnut off that thing from 50 yards away." Needless to say, after much apologizing, that guy didn't hang around long. It's especially funny if you know what a non-violent person my mom is. She doesn't even like guns....or so she says.
After several more trips to the pistol range {and learning to calm my happy butt down} , I'm hitting the bull more often. I need to excersize more control over the piece, because it's pulling to the left.
I had an interesting experience while soing some target shooting during Christmas break. I was shooting my dad's Colt Anaconda off of a rest (sand bags, but not a proper rest.) Strangely enough I was dropping the muzzle as I squeased off the round. Even stranger, my shooting was much better off-hand. I guess I'll chalk that one up to too much time at school and not enough at the range.
Being a public highschool student, I get enough guns in my day at school (actually there was a shooting in the school parkinglot once, and a pistol whipping in the hallway... it made big news if anyone's from North Carolina)... I actually prefer vintage airguns... I have a .22 pellet Crosman 38T that I've had a ball with, and while I'm pretty good accurate at singleshot, I can barely shoot it in double shot without the shot loosing aroung 20% of its accuracy... is anyone else here into air pistols? (the 38 T is a great indyish pistol...)
thunderquack wrote:After several more trips to the pistol range {and learning to calm my happy butt down} , I'm hitting the bull more often. I need to excersize more control over the piece, because it's pulling to the left.
Sounds like you are anticipating the recoil and you are jerking the trigger. Squeeze the trigger, don't anticipate the recoil, and let it surprise you when the round goes off. If you have any dummy rounds, mix one or two in with live rounds and it may surprise you as to what your hand is doing when you get to one of the dummy rounds and it doesn't go off as you had expected.
I was lucky when I was learning to shoot heavy recoiling handguns. I was ALWAYS surprised when the gun went off (you'd be too if you were trying to shoot some of my father-in-law's reject reloads!)
Yep. He had two coffee cans that he'd put re-loads in. One had perfect versions, the other he kept for me to shoot out of my then new Ruger Blawkhawk .357. It was believed (and rightly so) that it could take the pressure of the double charges. (his then worn out reloader was not exactly the most accurate in powder measurements. He replaced it, eventually. )
So, it was ALWAYS interesting when we did some serious target shooting.....
Haha, I've been there and done that Michealson! I was skeet shooting with my grandfather one day. He is notorious for being "economic" with his use of powder and even a few comical duds that were just primer. Anywho his worn out 12ga reloader must have dropped a double+ charge or something was bad wrong with the powder. When he fired the report was that of a howitzer and the muzzle flash and smoke was somewhere around a 16" naval gun! One of his buddies who was pushing 90 at the time spit his chew out and slowly said, " Ya put the powder in that one didn't ya Jim." After that we all laugh hysterically for about 5 minutes. If I didn't know better I would have though that shell had a double charge of black powder!