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.

'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.

Shooting Skills Evolution

I never understood what was meant when a professional shooter said that they could see the front sight during recoil. I always thought that since I could run good split times and could pick up the front sight almost instantly that I was okay. My scores have always been decent, and I can always see improvement from one shooting season to the next.

I don't know what happened when I got the STI back, I could see the front sight. I could see it all the time. I thought that perhaps it was a fluke, it wasn't. I switched to the Sig, and could see the front sight! I know it may seem odd to people that have always seen the front sight during recoil, but I actually find that it surprises me. It is almost disconcerting. I am going to need more training to get used to this.

Monthly Match Update

Scores came in yesterday, four Stages:
1- 8th place
2- 8th place
3- 8th place ( I was running slower than I thought )
4- 1st place ( It felt good to flip that switch )

Monthly Match

Sunday brought sunny skies, nice temperatures and the monthly Amarillo Rifle and Pistol Club monthly IPSC match. Four Stages, 120 rounds. My STI is still out for repair, so I pulled out the production rig and dusted off the Sig.

After the debacle last month at Double Tap I have decided to slow down for a bit and focus on the fundamentals. I ran the first three stages about two seconds slower than I should have and focused on the front sight, and shooting all alphas. First three stages? 42 targets, 88 rounds, 85 alphas, 3 charlies. There was a federal LE officer assigned to a local tactical team. We were talking thru the match, having a good time when he asked how I shot so well (major ego boost). My reply? "I'm running slow today, focusing on fundamentals." What did my ego say right after that? "Tell you what, I'll flip the switch and show you how I normally shoot." After I open my mouth like that, what happens? Believe it or not, I didn't blow it. I ran the stage smooth and fast, 28 rounds, two reloads, twenty yards of running, nine seconds, 24 alphas, 4 charlies. Reply from the SWAT cop? "Man, I heard it when you turned that switch on!"

My ego really didnt need that. Lesson? Sometimes you just have to slow down and look at the sights.

Double Tap AAR, part 2

Again, I can not stress the great time that I had at the match. Even with all the gun and logistics problems it was a great time. I plan on getting my entry fee in on Jan 1st for next year. I also won a new range bag as a door prize! One of the big Midway ones! Mrs. Sigboy refers to it as my $500 range bag. I tried explaining to her that it was a door prize, therefore free. She still doesn't get it. Here is my favorite stage of the match, 24 rds, 11 targets at three yards(or so), all while tethered to a rope, and whatever you do, don't knock over the tennis balls. As for the STI, the bill for a new barrel and new extractor is $530, thats US dollars, not pesos. Granted, I splurged and ordered a high dollar barrel with gain twist rifling.

After Action Report: 2009 Double Tap Championship

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Friday found it cold, wet, windy and muddy. Not your usual mud mind you, but red clay slippery mud. Watching the super squad shoot was like watching Charlie Chaplin perform slapstick comedy. Mud was flying as shooters went slipping and sliding their way thru the stage. Dropped magazines were all but swallowed by the West Texas caliche. Luckily I was not to shoot that day.


Saturday morning brought 34 degree temperatures with 30 mph winds. The sky was overcast with low hanging grey clouds. Nasty would be a good descriptor. We were scheduled to shoot 9 stages on Saturday and 5 on Sunday. However, we were the squad shooting behind the super squad. While under most circumstances that would be a very cool thing. This time it was not, and I will not willingly put myself behind the super squad ever again.

The stages were awesome. The match had an Indiana Jones theme and the stages all followed suit. One stage, 'chilled monkey brains' had you starting with your gun on the table and the magazines in a fake skull. The next stage was 'temple of boom' and was a dark house shoot. The range was lit by black light and the targets were fluorescent. VERY COOL!

Sunday morning brought good weather and gun trouble. Another case head separation. I took my gun over to the STI vendor table. The vendors exact words were "Oh crap, look at that! Your done." Turns out that my chamber was improperly polished, long before I got the gun. Now it has worn to the point where it became unsafe. I wanted a new barrel anyways, now I have an excuse.
more info to follow later....

Travel update

No role model of the week today as I have been traveling.

I had to detour around a Texas blizzard, and contrary to popular belief, not everything is bigger in Texas.

I arrived at the range about noon today, it has been raining, it is muddy, and it is chilly (37deg).

Watching all the Grand Masters shoot looked more like old slapstick comedy, there was alot of slipping and falling, mud flinging everywhere. Tomorrow is my turn, I will post video and pic's if at all possible.

My STI is no longer broken, but I am.

So the STI is up and running again. Repaired the grips that I broke, I think that I took the super secret Todd Jarret kung fu grip too far. I found a cracked firing pin and repaired that. I also installed a new mainspring housing and a larger magwell.

Double Tap is two weeks away and my confidence in this gun is not as high as it should be. I went to the range on Tuesday and fired about a hundred rounds thru it, no problems except that I seem to be developing a slight flinch. The solution? More dry fire and practice with the 22.

I shot the indoor match at Let's Shoot Gun Club last night. I performed very well when I slowed down. Yet again, or still, I am trying to go too fast and I start dropping points. I need to slow down and focus on my transitions. When I watch that front sight I do very well, I was running about .2 seconds behind the leader. But if I lose my discipline I start to go to fast and lose the front sight. If anybody has some good ideas about how to fix these problems, I would be very interested.

I don't have time to repair these issues before Double Tap, I have decided that I'm going to go and have fun, take my time and get good hits. I have no delusions about winning, so we will see what happens.

Lack of training time

The Double Tap championship in Wichita Falls is only a few short weeks away, and I have not gotten all of my training in. I have been plagued by gun troubles(the STI is down, again), and the real world is preventing me from sending as many rounds downrange as I would like. So my training has suffered, and my performance does not appear to be match winning at this point. Any ideas on how I can get more bang without the necessity of being on the range?

I also shot a USPSA match Sunday and noticed that I am having a problem on my target transitions. More specifically I'm already looking for the next target before I fire my second shot on a target. I'm not getting all of my hits because of it, and all I can think is, SLOW DOWN!

More later this week on how to repair your STI when you break the plastic pistol grip.

When you just know how the days gonna go...

It's early Saturday morning, time to head over to one of my monthly matches. I climb into my loyal steed and happen to glance at the odometer. First thing that enters my
head "this isn't going to be a good day". I simply find such superstition humorous, although occasionally it can be ironic.


I was shooting a fairly long run and gun stage when the recoil on my pistol didn't feel right. I also felt something impact my cheek and safety glasses. I immediately stopped shooting and cleared my weapon. I originally assumed that I had caught a bad ricochet. My gun closed properly with the offending case stuck in the chamber. When I went to shoot the next stage I could not figure out why my gun would not load. Turns out that the case in the chamber had a head separation, came out of the chamber and struck me in the face. Luckily, I was following all the rules and my safety glasses saved me from a serious injury.

So what is the lesson of the day? Stay home when your odometer says 666? I think not. The lesson is to wear the proper safety equipment and follow the four rules of firearm safety.

A Reality Check

Instead of a new stimulus plan where the government sends me money, can they send me to a shooting school instead? That may sound odd so allow me explain. I went to two matches this weekend, one private match and a USPSA match. The private match is the same one I shoot every month. The rules are a combination of USPSA, IDPA, and ICOR. There is a higher premium placed upon accuracy over speed, however, the targets are close so you can go fast anyways. I won that match. I won it by 15% over the second place guy.

Now I've been practicing my draw and dry firing. I'm steeping up my round count to somewhere around 750 rounds a month. I'm training for Double Tap in March, it's a run and gun match, and to win, I'm going to have to be at the top of my game.

So Sunday, I go and shoot the local USPSA match. They have alot of run and gun stages set up in anticipation of Double Tap. My performance was less than stellar. I did not lose by any means. My times were up among the fastest shooters but my hits weren't there. I had alot of Deltas and a few misses, 4 out of 120 rounds to be exact. I know what my problem is. It's the same problem about once a year. I'm trying to go to fast. So whats the solution? Mental Discipline. I have to tell myself, "Slow and smooth, and smooth is fast." Basically when I slow down I'm about 2 seconds behind the leaders with as good, if not better hits. That doesn't always win but it comes close. We will see how the scores come out for yesterday, but I'm sure I need to slow down. Probably a 4th place finish out of 20 shooters.

What time is it?

It's time to get your entries in for the annual Double Tap match held in Witchita Falls, TX. For those of you who have never heard of it (gasp), it's a huge USPSA match, this year is 13 stage 320 rounds. They generally have a movie theme, last year was James Bond and this year is Indiana Bones & The Double Tap of Doom. They have huge run and gun stages, excellent props and some interesting shooting problems. I made plans last year to shoot this match, not knowing that I'd be living much closer to it. Tonight I must thank the shooting gods! Entry fee is 140.00, worth every penny as I've heard the prize table is pretty awesome.


Come out and have fun. I'll be there. So in the meantime I will be working on my draw, practicing reloads. Not to mention dry firing, alot of dry firing.

It's The Shooter, Not The Gun

Last Saturday I was at a practical pistol match in the Texas Panhandle, I was shooting my STI with my USPSA gear on. This match is kind of a hodgepodge of guns and gear. Some shoot to IDPA standards, some shoot to USPSA standards, there are some that come and shoot only to their own standards. All come and shoot to have fun.
One gentleman was complaining about being to slow with his revolver. As most know, I, am a giver. So, I graciously offered to trade gear with him. He refused, stating that it was his decision to be slow. I respect that, but it got me thinking? What is the time difference in the different pistol classes? My opinion? The answer is simple, reload time. All things being equal the only serious difference is the time it takes to reload.
Now, you may berate me all that you wish, but my USPSA classification percentages are within 2% of each other for all of my classified divisions. It's all about trigger time. It doesn't matter what your doing, as long as you are pulling a trigger. Yes, I know that a SIG is not a 1911, but I shoot both equally as well. Yes, my split times are slower with my SIG, but not by much. Yes that first round double action is a pain in the butt, try a steady pull and looking at the sights. My point is this, you shoot to your capability regardless of what you are shooting. If you have a firm grasp of the operating system you are not handicapping yourself as much as you think.

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'

Front Sight...Press

I can see what I'm doing! I can make head shots with-out having to think about where I have to hold!

I was slightly apprehensive about having Novak install adjustable sights on my STI, however, it was the besty money I've spent in a long time.

The turn around time was about a week. I sent them my slide and it came back clean with the slight smell of gun oil. And of course there was the shiny red fiber optic sights.