Playing in the Rain

I peered out the window Saturday morning and adjusted the playlist on my Ipod.  The sky was a reflection of my mind.  Dark grey clouds swirled angrily contrasted with the piercing blue sky.  It couldnt decide what to do, nor could I.  I started my run as the sprinkles started.  I used to love running in the rain and snow,  but, since I officially hit my mid-thirties, my knees don’t agree anymore.  I ran a slow two miles as the rain gradually worsened, pondering what to do with my day.  There was a USPSA pistol match today with INAS, I hadnt shot in three months, maybe it was time to get back in the groove.  





That could wait, a man had to have priorities, and breakfast was on top of that list.  There had been a string of Good Eats reruns, and Alton Brown (who is a gun guy btw) had a pan fried steak recipie I needed to try.  Anyways...I’m rambling....short story, yes I had steak for breakfast, kicked myself in the butt and packed up for the match.



The rain had turned torrential at this point, I glanced at the truck thermometer and it read 38*, it was going to be a long, cold, wet day.

New Hunting Belt

Recently, I put together a new hunting belt(furture post), and I decided that I would shoot with it today.  I slapped some extra magazine pouches on it, holstered up the trusty Sig, and decided that I was just going to have fun today,  the weather is nasty, and there is no reason to be overly competitive.









The first few stages went by in a blur.  The targets were wet even under the plastic bags, the tape wasnt sticking, and my magazines decided they didnt want to drop free.  This meant that I had to strip every mag by hand, adding time, but we were just playing, right?





The rifle stage was the shot last, and proved to be the hardest.  The paper targets all called for head shots, but they were laying down so bad,  had about a 1”x4” target area to hit.  Needless to say, there was alot of people calling ‘Mikes’ name.









Needless to say, there was alot of lamentation and gnashing of teeth, the weather, the targets, and anything else that could be complained about.  However, those that shot that day will have a great memory and a story to tell for a long time to come.

Fun with headshots

Scores, I forgot scores!  I took second overall.

Lack of Practice

Last weekend, a few friends and I hosted the Second Annual Zombie Fry, a weekend event full of shooting drills and practical classes. I will post a larger AAR later, but for right now I want to talk about me.
I have not been shooting as much as I like, and as a result, my dryfire has fallen off as well. It was very evident this weekend that my skills had slipped. Sure, I had a great time, and even learned a few lessons. However, I was not happy with myself in any way.



Here is one of the stages we shot. Start at 7 yards, draw and engage 4 steel targets with two rounds each. Run 75 yards back to your rifle, and engage the same 4 targets again.

This stage is awesome, you are able to get your heart rate going with the run, and we intentionally did not paint the steel, this made them harder to pickup in the background.

But you notice that my pistol handling looks slow. When it came to the rifle, I didn't get it loaded and into service quick enough (granted you missed my sudden slide into my rifle after the run). All things that are easily remedied by practice and dry fire.

It's time to get back on the training. I have let myself go. Will you help me hold myself accountable?

2010 Pecos Run 'n Gun 'n the Sun

I decided that before I committed to this, I had better ask Mrs. Sigboy for permission. The conversation went something like this:
"Honey, Phil just told me about a rifle match down in Pecos this August. It's a six mile running course with 4 or 5 shooting stations mixed in. They score it based on your run time and shooting score. You have to carry all your gear (including water) with you while you run."
"Six miles? In August? In the South Texas Desert? If you want to kill yourself, go ahead. Just make sure your life insurance is paid up."

I really didn't think that she would go for it. So now I am going to go and try and kill myself this August. Here is a copy of the 2008 info.

The only thing left to decide is what gear to use? Vest or Pack? I have also been told that there is a one gallon minimum water requirement. Round counts should be out shortly, I am assuming 80-100 rounds of rifle ammo, and I may take the J frame for snakes.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to get running.

Match Safety

We all know the four rules:

1) All guns are always loaded.
2) Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3) Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot
4) Always be sure of your target and what is behind it.

I sometimes wonder how firmly entrenched these rules are in some peoples minds, especially under stress. Last weekend I was helping to RO an indoor match. We had a new shooter, and we all were helping to keep an eye on him. He had shot before, but had no practical shooting experience. When he came up in the firing order I walked him thru the stage, I showed him where to move and what to do. I explained all the range commands to him. I told him that safety was more important than anything. And than the buzzer went off. Muzzle discipline and trigger finger control went out the window. I stopped him and we restarted. This time he was more aware of his muzzle but that trigger finger continued to be a problem. Towards the end of the match he started to get it, I got tired of yelling "Finger!". He could not comprehend the command, "Unload and show clear." That finger did not want to leave the trigger. He knew the rules, but the stress was causing him to forget them. Which tells me that they are truly not ingrained into his subconscious.

I remember the first time a buzzer went off in my ear. I believe that I went brain dead for about 7 seconds. At the end of the stage I was told that I sure knew my way around that Sig. My reply? "Thank you, we've been thru alot together."

Train like it's serious. This applies to the four rules as well. They are more firm then the commandments, they are there to keep us safe, with no extra holes when we go home at night.

'09 Indian Territory Practical Shooters Annual Night Shoot

First off let me say that the match was absolutely horrible, the stages were difficult, it was pitch black, you couldn't even see your gun. I absolutely sucked. I also had a great time. Fifth place for the no sights division. Not too shabby. The match was definitely skewed towards the guys with red dot sights.

This was the brightest stage:

That stage was alot of fun, the red lights made it difficult to discern the no shoot targets, but I didn't hit any! I took fourth overall on this stage.

I took first place overall on the first stage. You had a red headlamp on your head for illumination. The stage required you to shoot six steel plates thru a hole 8" in diameter. Than you had to sit in a cart and push yourself backwards while shooting paper targets, off to the side, at about five yards.

Of course, what good is a night shoot without a range malfunction, BBQ style!


There were five stages total, most of them poorly illuminated. They also put the lights ahead of your gun and in front of the targets. You could not see your gun on three stages! One stage called for 30 pieces of steel in 35 seconds. I fired 45 rounds and knocked down 7! I felt truly humbled, and not in the good way.

There wasn't enough light for any of the other stages. I do have video that I will post tomorrow.

IDPA, Exploring the Dark Side

I have been corrupted. It is snowing in hell, and the end is near. I shot my first IDPA match on Saturday, and I even followed all the rules!

The afternoon started easily enough, slightly overcast, a temperature of 65 degrees. I thought to myself, "Why not wear shorts?". First things first, I needed a cover garment. I also have to be one of the cool kids. So what to do? Off to the local 5-11 dealer, I had to find me one of those uber-cool 'shoot me first vests'. Taking a page from another IDPA shooter (that we all know and love, right?), I strapped on a BLackhawk SERPA holster and some plastic mag pouches.

So now I have all the cool gear, it's time to head to the range. The match was fairly straight forward, six stages, about 100 rounds fired. My most immediate observation was the focus on accuracy versus speed. It was almost shocking to see how slow everybody was shooting. I had some decent runs, didn't drop too many points, and I only had one procedural.

The final stage we shot was long by IDPA standards, 14 rounds. You started the stage having to shoot two targets at five yards, activate a drop turner, retrieve a volleyball from the top of a barrel, and retreat about fifteen yards. After the retreat, you had to reload, shoot two more targets, run another fifteen yards across the range, reload again, and shoot two more targets. The volleyball had to stay behind cover the whole time, you could set it down, you could do anything except palm it. There were people holding the ball between their biceps and shooting, people setting it down and shooting, anything that you could imagine. Did I mention that the volleyball was low on air? Not flat, just low enough that it crushed a little bit. The gamer in me took over, I couldn't help myself. When it was my turn I put my first rounds into the two targets, activated the drop turner, put three rounds in it, grabbed the volleyball, shoved it into my mouth and I bit down hard. Retreating to cover, I moved down the wall until the next target was visible. I Shot the other two targets, my slide locked back and I reloaded. Before I continue, do you realize how hard it is to reload with a volleyball in your mouth? I had to pull the pistol up to eye level just so I could see the damn thing. I ran across the stage, sliced the pie and shot all remaining targets with the distraction of everybody laughing at me.

Final notes: I still think that IDPA was created by a bunch of crybabies that were tired of losing at USPSA. This does not make the game easy, much like our government, they have added alot of rules to ensure that nobody has an advantage over anybody else. I just wonder if I can write off all this new gear that I bought.

Awesome Stage

Normally, I would try and keep my ego in check, but, just this once I don't think that I will. 4 targets, 16 steel, 24 rounds 7.76 seconds. I know, I know, this is not a huge accomplishment except for I was shooting against the USPSA Limited C champion. His time? 7.75 seconds.

I know that I had some doubles on the steel, but I never claimed to be a master class shooter. Another thing that I noticed was how small the STI appears in my hands. That's a full 5" gun!

This match is held in a gentleman's converted, over sized garage.

He sets up 4 to 6 stages once a month. The rules are a combination of USPSA and IDPA, there is no equipment rules. There is a premium placed upon accuracy, you cannot shoot C's and expect to win. My overall standing out of 26 shooters? Third.

Finally, a good picture is as good as a good shot(unless you are a photographer in India). Please note the brass, the flash and the bullet in the air!

Stay safe, shoot fast, shoot true, but most importantly: 'Aim small, miss small'