First off, lessons learned from today -- DON'T go to the range in the Texas Summer without a taking water with you. I might have burnt up more .22 if I hadn't been completely parched.
Ok, that's out of the way. Let's see how I did. I started with my Teas Father In Law's Buckmark 22. If I haven't mentioned how great my in laws are, let me do so now. TX FIL has allowed his Buckmark to reside over here for several months and is willing to let me keep it for a while longer.... I have great in laws.
(click to enlarge all images)Not bad, a couple of flyers that I know what I did on....but that is an 8.5" by 11" target, center square 1" at 7 yards. That was my first target out of 4 or 5.....shooting the Buckmark it's easy to loose track.
After a "warming up" for a while I switched to the Ruger GP-100. I'm coming to the conclusion that I enjoy shooting autoloaders more than wheel guns. I just as I was getting into a steady pattern it would be time to reload. This is a standard B-27 target at 7 yards....36 rounds
The flyers high and right I'm going to blame on sweat getting in my eyes, didn't say that was WHY...just that i was going to blame it on the sweat. Not bad...I do notice that with the revolver I tend to pull slightly right. Might have to talk to the Family Finance Officer about getting a carry rig for the GP-100, would make a change from carrying the PT-145 especially in the winter.
I moved back to the 22 for a while, taking advice from my more knowledgeable and skilled commenters. One of the things I like about switching up was that I tired me out. Good practice for whatever defensive situation I might find myself in.
After smiling through about 50 rounds of 22, I started with the PT-145. I really wished to spend more time throwing rounds down range but several factors prevent that....ammo availability and not wanting to set in bad practices. Stopping at 50 rounds allows me to think about what I'm doing wrong.
Best of the two targets I used. I realized that I was bending my wrist downwards as I squeezed the trigger....learning in the process what "breaking the wrist meant. I tried to correct that on this target, still a little bit but considerable improvement.
After a short break....mostly to mop buckets of water off my head, I moved to the 15 yard line. (Taking a towel to an outdoor range during Summer is one thing I didn't forget.)
Well, that is 50 rounds of 22 at 15 yards. Not bad, I'll do in a pinch.I'm trying to keep in mind my objectives. The first phase is to become proficient at self-defense ranges and firearms. I didn't even try the PT-145 at 15 yards yet. I figure I'll keep practicing with the Buckmark for a while, move up to the GP-100, then the PT-145.
Well, I'll ask again for advice. I have appreciated and benefitted from the ideas, tips and suggestions previously given, thanks.
Please join the discussion.
5 comments:
You just have to love the Buckmark. After years of of fiddling with the jig-saw puzzle known as Ruger Mk IIs, I switched over to the Browning.
It also feels more like a typical gun set up,with the mag release and safety placement on the weapon.
Also,for water get a CamelBack water system,I have one that holds two liters of water. That is enough for 4 to 6 hours of shooting.
Scalawag,
You win the the award for pointing out a great solution I've overlooked.
Great idea on the Camelback. 4 to 6 hours of shooting??? I don't have enough ammunition for half that. I like the idea though.
Great Groupings, Bob! Looks like you still need to smooth out your trigger pull on the Taurus (but honestly that group is good enough for government work) So a little dry fire practice, and a little more live ammo down range and you'll close those groups up really tight.
The Buckmark looked damn good too. Looks to me like the group of a guy who's getting the feel for a new handgun.
My first trip to the range with ANY gun the groups SUCK. I just spend so much time searching for what feels best with the new piece I sacrifice all constancy and my paper looks like I was spraying it with shotgun rounds.
So all-in-all none-too-shabby my friend!
Sweat in the eyes is bad. And it's thrown me off a time or two as well. Good shooting, sir. I need to get my arse back to the range...
Disclaimer: I've been shooting and owning Ruger, Buckmark, Colt, and Whitney .22LR autoloader pistols since I can remember being a sentient being, nearly.
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Ruger Mks are no more jigsaw puzzles than muzzleloaders if you have ANY ability for spatial relations related thinking and half a brain. If you want a .22LR that you can be brainless and mechanically inept and still use, buy a revolver and NEVER EVER EVER TAKE IT APART because then it'll be a jigsaw puzzle to you just like the Rugers.
A Broomhandle Mauser is LITERALLY a jigsaw puzzle as that was how it was designed. Look at the plan drawings and you'll see what I mean. a Mk series Ruger is the fastest to field strip and most reliable of any autoloading pistols I've ever dealt with and I've dealt with quite a few of them.
Buckmarks aren't bad, but they're more fiddly to get fully apart and lack in aftermarket go-fast bits that are readily available for Rugers.
MkI-III, you can have one apart, cleaned, and back together in under 3 minutes (as long as there isn't serious fouling) unless you have water on the brain.
Whitney Wolverines are slightly faster to tear down and put back but the magazines and mag release are problematic and if you don't know what you are doing you will easily launch tiny parts you will never find unless you make sure to use a breakdown box to take it apart.
Cheers,
Thomas the Grumpy Smithy
If you can't handle Ruger Mk maintenance, maybe you need a different hobby? Perhaps a Daisy Red Rider?
Either way, get the cliploader, Buckmark or Ruger owners. Your thumbs will thank you. Trust me. Wolverines are nice but their mag loading procedure would make a person without a cliploader love a Ruger as they have a habit of letting the rounds fall backwards easily into the mags and then fight you for all they are worth to get the backwards round out of the mag...
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