Broke My Own Shooting Routine

[xfarfuldog]

I have a rule to only take 2 guns to the range for practice. Any more and I don't get much accomplished. I have not been shooting for awhile. I purchased a Sig 365 with an optic last Saturday. I decided to shoot it along with my Shield 2.0 for comparison. Thinking further I took my 6906 (unfired by me), and my Glock 43X.

I had on order a LNIB Smith 4516. I was expecting to pick it up on Friday. As I'm getting ready my FFL dealer calls to tell me it is in.They also tell me they have a couple of Smith M&P 45 compact 2.0's fresh in. Picked up both the 4516 and a M&P 45.

So you can guess where this is going. I ended up firing all 6 guns. I thought I might sell 1 or 2 of the 9 mm guns. I have a few 9's in the safe. All of the 9's shot fine. It would be hard to get rid of any of them. That was equally true of the 45's. They both shot excellent.

I haven't made a decision on the optic equipped Sig. It shot well. Slightly more recoil than the Shield but less than the 43X. 6906 was very smooth but obviously a heavier gun. The red dot optic really helped sighting at 50 feet. But I was seeing 3 dots not one. Probably my vision not the optics fault. All shots were in the head. Better than my shooting without the optic (unless I really take my time).

I will probably go to the range again next week. I promise myself I'll only take my new unfired Glock 19 gen 5 and one other. My 17M will remain unfired for now.






x

 

[coltle6920]

I'll take a couple 22's, a 32acp and my Keltec PMR30 one time. Another time it's a couple of 380's, 2-9mm's and again the PMR 30. Some have red dots and others have a laser.

I like staying familiar with all of them. Each firearm has a character of it's own so 4-5mags per each are always in the bag. If it's a new firearm or optic I'll take my time but usually I do a lot better when I get a rhythm going. I'll use a big target for zeroing in then a 5 1/2 Caldwell for accuracy.

If your range bag is still heavy when you leave then you aren't shooting enough. There's no such thing as a bad day at the range.

 

[mmb617]

When I go to the indoor pistol range I normally take 4 guns, Shield 9, Compact 9, Compact .45 and 1911 in .45. The variety keeps it from getting boring. I fire two mags through each and although I don't hurry at all I'm done in about 20 minutes.

When I check out the guy at the counter often says "You weren't back there very long." And I'll tell him I burned 80 rounds, can't afford much more than that every week. My membership gives me unlimited range time so I'd rather go every week and shoot fewer rounds per session rather than go less often and shoot more rounds at a time.

Sometimes I'll take different guns but the four I listed are my favorites so they get most of the work. The only one that gets run every trip is the Compact 9 as that's my EDC so I want to stay sharp with it.

 

[Doug M.]

Seeing multiple or oddly shaped dots can be a sign of an astigmatism. A friend of mine has that, but also has appropriate corrective lenses. If someone else shoots the RDS equipped pistol and has no problem with extra dots, it is something to bring up to your eye doc.
I am lucky not to have such, but the growing cataracts and the like really make the RDS work really for me.

 

[rockquarry]

Whatever method works for the shooter is best. I used to take multiple guns, five or six, handguns or rifles, to our gun club ranges. I often accomplished little with any single gun because I felt obligated to shoot everything I brought in the approximate two to three hours I would stay. Occasional exceptions aside, I find nowadays one or two guns work best for efficient and meaningful range sessions.


With rifles, if I'm doing load development from scratch, it may take a month or more to develop a few good loads, and several trips to the range. I need calm days for this with wind speeds of no more than 5-6 MPH ideally. That means early morning before 9-10AM when wind speeds often pick up. Unless you're an excellent wind doper, you're wasting time shooting groups on a windy day with a rifle.

Handgun cartridge development also requires a number of range trips, but wind isn't a concern if under about fifteen MPH because I shoot at only twenty-five yards benchrested. For offhand bullseye style shooting, at twenty-five yards (or infrequently fifty) one handgun is often plenty because fatigue sets in for me after about an hour of shooting. Once you get tired, you're wasting ammo and groups sizes often increase tremendously. Shooting smart and efficiently requires many fewer guns (and fewer to clean when you get home). With only one or two handguns, you're pretty well forcing yourself to work on skill improvement as well.

 

[xfarfuldog]

I do have astigmatism and wear contacts. I was trying shooting with and without my reading glasses. didn't make much of a difference. I did have some laser eye surgery on Monday that may have affected things. Surgery was for another problem not vision correction.

I prefer shooting outside. Most of my teaching was at an outdoor facility. The range I was using used to have multiple outdoor ranges. The area was annxed from being township to inside city limits. A local resident complained that he was getting rounds in his yard fired from the range. The city closed down all of the outside ranges leaving only the 10 stall inside range.

The range has been there since the early 50's. It was used by police departments, security companies as well as private citizens. They also used to run Glock shooting sport competition events. It is a real shame. The rumor is the complaining citizen wants to buy the property for development. It is hard to believe that rounds from the outdoor range would hit private property . The range is surrounded on most sides by 100 foot cliffs.

 

[rockquarry]

I do have astigmatism and wear contacts. I was trying shooting with and without my reading glasses. didn't make much of a difference. I did have some laser eye surgery on Monday that may have affected things. Surgery was for another problem not vision correction.

I prefer shooting outside. Most of my teaching was at an outdoor facility. The range I was using used to have multiple outdoor ranges. The area was annxed from being township to inside city limits. A local resident complained that he was getting rounds in his yard fired from the range. The city closed down all of the outside ranges leaving only the 10 stall inside range.

The range has been there since the early 50's. It was used by police departments, security companies as well as private citizens. They also used to run Glock shooting sport competition events. It is a real shame. The rumor is the complaining citizen wants to buy the property for development. It is hard to believe that rounds from the outdoor range would hit private property . The range is surrounded on most sides by 100 foot cliffs.

Other than shooting on an indoor range at our high school in the '60s, I never had the misfortune to shoot on another indoor range until about a year ago for a qualification.

Range personnel were friendly and accomodating. The range was clean, well-ventilated, and not crowded. But the tiny lanes / booths seemed quite restrictive for someone used to an outdoor range. And even with earplugs and muffs, the noise level may not have been dangerous but was well above that of an outdoor range. Not for me. Maybe I'm spoiled after becoming accustomed to outdoor ranges for the last 55+years, but I don't think I'd ever want to shoot so badly that I would use an indoor range. A different hobby would make more sense.

 

[Kinman]

I think as we age and our eyesight goes south we can all benefit from the new age sights. I tried out Bushnells Fast-Fire 3 system on a friend's Marvel 45/22 and immediately ordered up one for my Marvel as well as my Model 52, changed my shooting ability by a ton. I have a red dot on my home defense pistol as well as a Surefire light, night and day difference...no pun intended. Systems work so well together that it takes little practice to feel very comfortable.