Target practice, anyone else enjoy shooting?

[Ceez]

Went out shooting a week ago. Just took the 1911 .45acp out and my friend took their glock 19 9mm. I hadn't been out shooting in over a year (shame on me) and my friend had only been shooting 6Xs in their entire life. I brought some clay pigeons for targets and set them on a hill at about 10 yards. My initial 1st 2 clips weren't my best work but by the 3rd clip I was locked in. My friend was having a hard time finding the target and was noticeably nervous. I found a couple of buckets and stacked them on top of each other. She was able to rest her arms and the gun on top of the buckets to steady herself and it made a huge difference. I also noticed that the take-up in her trigger was causing her the most difficulty. I got her to pull the trigger back to the engagement point to get rid of the take-up and than she started to hit more consistently. It was nice to see her excitement and some of that anxious energy dissipate to a point where she was reasonably comfortable. She's already asking me to go again.

It was nice to get out and get some practice on a warm day with a friend. I have been shooting my entire life but practice is absolutely needed to stay sharp. I did some walking drills, walk stop, acquire the target and fire. At the end from 10-12 yards I was hitting 6 pigeons in 6-8 shots fired at a rapid pace, not set shooting. She let me use her glock for the same drill and I was shocked how nice it fired and how accurate it was. I've never been a fan of glock pistols because I dont care for their triggers but this one may have changed my mind a bit. 1911 has always been my pistol of choice and personal preference but I may buy a glock in the future just to tinker with. I owned a gen 3 glock in the past but her gen 5 felt entirely different.

Highlight of the day was her excitement and the smile on her face at her new found level of comfort. Felt good to see her having a great time with a new understanding of safely operating her weapon. I wonder if she cleaned it..

Anyone else get out and get some tsrget practice from time to time?

 

[Back in the fold]

I haven’t been out shooting in years . I used to hand load and shot my Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 magnum and Winchester Model 94 .30-.30 about a hundred rounds a week . Funny that I haven’t even thought about shooting in so long . I love the Winchester model 94 . I feel like Chuck Connors every time I pick it up .

 

[Magnum Man]

I have my own 300 yard range... unfortunately I end up spending more time mowing it, than shooting on it...

 

[GaryE]

I feel like Chuck Connors every time I pick it up .

Chuck Connors?

I have a baseball here that my Dad caught when Connors fouled it off while playing for the Montreal Royals. But he's been gone for 30 plus years - I hope you don't feel like Chuck Connors!

 

[Back in the fold]

I have my own 300 yard range... unfortunately I end up spending more time mowing it, than shooting on it...

Walk that grass down by going back and forth from the bench to the target .

 

[Ceez]

I haven’t been out shooting in years . I used to hand load and shot my Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 magnum and Winchester Model 94 .30-.30 about a hundred rounds a week . Funny that I haven’t even thought about shooting in so long . I love the Winchester model 94 . I feel like Chuck Connors every time I pick it up .

Thats how it all started for me. My Pop used to be an avid shooter and reloaded as well. Every time we would go out he would make me pick up all the brass I could find. I spent a lot of time with a single shot .22 rifle growing up and graduated into a Winchester lever action .44 for my 12th birthday. I wish I still had that rifle.

@Back in the fold you were firing a Canon and a buck monster lol. That .44 mag is no joke. I fired it twice when I was around 10 or 11. I didn't want anything to do with it again until I was about 14-15 . I remember crying because my old man made me fire it a 2nd time...

 

[Back in the fold]

Chuck Connors?

The fictional Lucas McCain of “ The Rifleman “ . That show is pretty hokey when it comes to his shooting . I just can’t buy somebody shooting that accurately from the hip like that . I think the show was geared toward seven to twelve year old boys because it had Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain and boys that age really do believe that shooting like that could be real . What the hey ! I still watch it and think about trying to match some of those shots .

 

[Back in the fold]

@Back in the fold you were firing a Canon and a buck monster lol. That .44 mag is no joke. I fired it twice when I was around 10 or 11. I didn't want anything to do with it again until I was about 14-15 . I remember crying because my old man made me fire it a 2nd time...

It’s a bit much for kids but .44’s aren’t anything to be afraid of . Sure , they buck but once you know what to expect it’s okay . The only thing I didn’t like about the Super Blackhawk was the grip . That sharp trigger guard could bite you if you had a sloppy grip but I fixed that with Pachmayer grips . Things improved after installing that . Now let’s talk about my S&W model 29 with the four inch barrel . Can’t hit with it consistently but the raw dangerous look of that short barrel with that gaping maw in the end really turns me on .

 

[Ceez]

The fictional Lucas McCain of “ The Rifleman “ . That show is pretty hokey when it comes to his shooting . I just can’t buy somebody shooting that accurately from the hip like that . I think the show was geared toward seven to twelve year old boys because it had Johnny Crawford as Mark McCain and boys that age really do believe that shooting like that could be real . What the hey ! I still watch it and think about trying to match some of those shots .

My dad watches that daily....westerns rule the TV in the living room. I told him the other day, "imagine if they had a semi auto 1911 back then"...he gave me the dirtiest look and than laughed so hard. He's an old trap shooter/hunter. I built him a rifle last year and took it out for testing, he still hasn't fired it. His days of shooting are sadly over im guessing and it kills me. He does enjoy going and watching still.

We took a friend of mine out early last year. He was thinking of buying a rifle and between the 2 of us we have a lot of options for him to try. My Dad talked him into the pre model 64 winchester. 270 and the 300 win mag. He gave him the 300 win mag 1st and told him to shoulder the rifle like his life depended on it than sat back and watched with glee...after the 1st shot my friend looked like he wanted to give the rifle right back but the need to keep his man card wouldn't allow it he fired 3 rounds total through that 300 and gave it back. My Pop is an evil man

Watching westerns with his best friend

 

[Magnum Man]

the worst handguns are ultra light magnums, both 357, and 44 Magnums.... My old Automag 50 AE, was one of the biggest handfulls

 

[Back in the fold]

Oh ! The great .300 Winchester Magnum . I have one in a Ruger . I almost wish I’d gotten a 7MM but it’s okay . That’s the whole thing with large calibers . You have to hold on tight and pull them in close .

 

[Magnum Man]

and don't shoot them as much as the smaller calibers

 

[MattW]

We've stuck to the classics around my way..

Muzzle-loaded spud guns

 

[Back in the fold]

the worst handguns are ultra light magnums, both 357, and 44 Magnums.... My old Automag 50 AE, was one of the biggest handfulls

Oh yeah ! The bigger the better . I always wanted to tie into a .454 Casull or something like that . Does anybody know , did the .45 Long Colt ever get beefed up to magnum velocity ? There was talk about it some years ago but I never heard anything .

 

[Back in the fold]

and don't shoot them as much as the smaller calibers

That’s right . Lead and powder are expensive !