Sunday, July 26, 2015

Oh Sigh...

…another weekend, another bombed match. This time a 3-Gun match. Focus, Michael…focus. Ironically, I did my best on the Noveske Standards, which are really simple and surprisingly hard. Five paper targets…first string with the carbine is head shots on each at 36 yards, 6 second par time. Second string, 6 seconds, 2 shots to the body. Next 2 strings are pistol, 6 second each run. First run is 2 body shots on each of the 5 USPSA targets; second run is 1 shot, reload, 1 shot. My understanding is that in 2 major matches, no one has shot this simple exercise clean.  One of the best runs belongs to 3-Gun champion and USPSA Grand Master James Casanova, who shot the standards down one shot.

I've cleaned the rifle portion before, but I got sloppy and dropped one of the head shots (#3, I called it) just out of the hard box. Then I went to the pistol with my G34. Did the 2 shots no problem. Checked the magazine for the next reload run. Buzzer goes off, I pull the trigger, the magazine goes sailing out of the gun like a watermelon out of a 6-year-old's mouth. I go to the reload on my belt to salvage something, and — for the first time I can remember in years…and years…and years…I miss it and knock my ONLY loaded magazine off into space. "Well, damn!" says my old friend Paul Miller Jr., who was running the timer. That sums it up.

The whole day was like that.

Okay…sometimes Karma just rolls against you, and you've got to ride it out. Got another 3-Gun match next weekend…I NEED to get my head on-board before Noveske!  I will say this…all the time I've spent on carbine has paid off. Of course, as the old television commercial said, I "traded a headache for an upset stomach." My success with the AR has come at the cost of my skills with a pistol. Luckily, I know how to fix that! Jerry the Geek, no comments! from the peanut gallery!!!

Here's a piece from Salena Zito you should read, largely because I think she's onto something:
What if fear is the origin of all the anger that voters feel toward Washington? Not just fear over economic stability in our homes and communities, but fear for our personal safety, our nation's security? When was the last time that felt stable?
...
As each awful event occurred, the Obama administration refused to state the obvious — that each was an act of terrorism based on a fundamentalist version of Islam; it even insisted that the Fort Hood massacre was “workplace violence. 
In January of this year, during his State of the Union address, President Obama declared that the greatest threat to America's future was neither terrorism nor nuclear weapons in the hands of Iran. “No challenge  poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change,” he said. 
Just once, we'd love a little honesty and a lot less political division from the White House…
I've said it before on the podcast…the wheels are coming off the great experiment that is America. You can feel it in the air, like, nasty ashy grit from a sputtering volcano. Bread, band-aids and bullets, my friends...

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:35 PM

    LOL- I got a big smile reading about your magazine experience. I very intently remember my experience playing the "Watch and see how far I can sling my magazine out of my gun" game. The laughs from behind me sure were humbling- and although I felt like crawling under a rock for a moment, I grabbed another magazine and continued on. My one gun is so hard to load with a full magazine that I've just gotten to where I short the magazine one round to avoid any difficulties loading the magazine fully while under a stressful situation.

    Shredderr

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  2. JohninMd.(HELP?!??)11:28 PM

    Michael, after listening to the last two podcasts, I agree that we are losing the culture war with the lefties. I have an idea, but zero chance for me to act on it, so I'm tossing it to you.(I know, like you're not busier than a one-armed paperhanger already.) But maybe you know some guys who can. A collaboration of folks like you, Mr. Colion Noir and Alfonzo Rachel, to counterattack on a cultural level of music, guns and film. You have the contacts that might get this to work. You know movie guys, music guys both rock and country, and actors into 2A issues. Alfonzo has a rock band in "20lb. Sledge" which promote conservative values. Or "Madison Rising", "Iced Earth", etc.
    Nicole to a donut your within 5 points of contact to start something rolling.
    If I had the contacts, I would do it. But not being able to pay all my bills means all I got is the bones of an idea, and no way to act on it. Noir is with the NRA. Rachel is on PJTV. You have folks in Hollywierd. Maybe Joe from Gun Stories could help?
    Again, I understand you're crazy busy, but you know these guys, or know how to contact them and spitball some ideas. It more than I can do, other than vote, and in Maryland that's a bad joke. Thanks for all you do for us in the struggle, Micheal. III

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  3. Ed Jones8:37 AM

    At least you didn't knock your timer person on their ass, because you forgot the correct or most reasonable direction to move from point to point during a stage. Weekend before last was my shining moment.

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  4. If it's any consulation Michael, I went and shot a trap tournament at my local club in the D division (lowest one). I hit 42 out of 50 which is on par for my skills. I was happy with my performance. It turned out I placed dead last in the beginners division. Such is life. I did a bit better at doubles from a placing perspective - I hit 32 out of 50 which was personal best. I try and remind myself that even a last place finish is better than a day at home on the couch and least I'm keeping my skills honed. Next year I'm going to do some IPSC shooting as well. Anything to get some additional training off a square range.

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  5. Michael, apropos of nothing in your post, did you see the Forbes online article:http://www.forbes.com/sites/susannahbreslin/2015/07/29/guntry-club-alamo/

    The author uses the phrase "Gun Culture 2.0". Made me smile -- Where did I hear that before????"

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