Owning the First 300, part 1 of many

We all have seen that guy, you know the one, the guy who you see in the gun store, holding a large heavy barreled rifle, talking about how he is going to go shoot 1000 yards.  This also applies on Internet forums, although there is a lot more BS, and considerably less money involved. This also applies to the classic, "What should I buy to shoot 1000 yards" or "What sub $100 scope for shooting long range" and my personal favorite "I have shot rifles since I was six, always from the bench, and always at 100 yards, so I can shoot 1000".

I have a better plan, one that can be used to better yourself, and help bring those Internet Commandos into the world of reality.  A simple reality that, shooting is hard, and takes practice to develop those skills.  Several months ago, Clint Smith wrote an article for GUNS magazine (I cant find it now, and I apologize), in the article he talks about people who show up, buy a precision rifle and expect to be able to shoot 1000 yards.  His advice, go learn how to hit everything out to 300 yards first.  His article resonated with me, and I spent some time pondering a new training regimen. One that I could refine for myself first, then pass on to my friends.

For simplicity's sake, we are going to do this with your standard 16" AR-15, with iron sights.  You can do this with any rifle, and any sight configuration.  I chose the AR because it's the most common rifle in the US, ammo availability, and most importantly, it's my three gun rifle (and I need the practice).

I am going to break down the shooting portion into three parts:
0-50 yards
50-200 yards
200-300 yards

Other topics will include:
Zero range
In flight ballistics
Rifle shooting basics
Shooting positions

First thing we need to do is establish a standard, saying that you want to hit a target out to 300 is great, but leaves much open for interpretation.  I can shoot at a barn from 300 yards away and say I met met my goal. In the spirit of that, all our targets will be something we are all intimately familiar with. We will be shooting at 8" paper plates.  This will be our standard, hit an 8" paper plate, with iron sights from 0-300 yards.

Now, everybody calm down, because I know what y'all are thinking.....Sigboy, anybody can hit a paper plate at 5 yards.  Well, your correct, so I will add smaller targets inside the paper plates to establish a higher standard, 1" dots for >25, 2" dots for 50, etc

Several resources have been to used to help design this.  Special credit has to be given to the late Jeff Cooper and his book, 'The Art of the Rifle', and is a must read for any aspiring rifleman.

Speaking of rifleman, next month there is an Appleseed match close to home.  I plan to attend, and hopefully get my rifleman tab. But that's another post or two.......

Hopefully, by the end of this series, we will all have a better understanding on how to "own the first 300".  It will make you (but mostly me) a better shooter, whether it be in USPSA multigun, 3-gun, hunting or even plinking with your buddies. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, feel free to use the comment section below.  Even if there is something you want to see me do, let me know and I will try and incorporate it.

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?

Shhh! Be Wery Quiet, I'm hunting Wabbits.

Per the Firearm Blog, It looks like Wilson Combat has a new compensator and silencer out. It incorporates a Lock ring down on the comp, no more screwing silencers on and off. It looks very, very slick. The comp also looks like it will limit muzzle rise very well.

Right now I use a Micalek comp on my 16" AR, it is very noisy and I don't dare use it indoors in fear of going deaf. But outside, it works great, almost zero muzzle rise and very quick transitions.

I have been looking for something better, something that I would not be afraid to shoot indoors and that I can still use in competition. This just may do that. Now how do I sell the wife on the $1055 price tag and $200 excise tax?

But I can shoot awot of wabbits...

Big Brown Truck

I have the coolest friends.....My thank you gift for hosting my Canadian friend.
5 pmags with 150 rounds and an extra case of 223!

Cursed Guns?

Many years ago I bought a cursed gun. It was a Ruger Super Blackhawk, stainless, in 44 Magnum with a 11 3/8 barrel. The previous owner had met his demise from a shotgun in the hands of a jealous husband. I gave $500 to his father for it. I kept it for about 4 years. There was nothing particularly noticeable about it, the only oddity was that every time I carried it hunting, I never saw, or shot, anything.

I traded it off for my STI on my wife's birthday in 2007. I did a spectacular job of covering up a $1500 pistol purchase. Needless to say when she found out, she wasn't happy. I understand that this was my own doing and not the pistols. The curse revealed itself in another way. Every major match I shot that pistol in led to gun problems costing me my trophies. No amount of money that I dumped into it seemed to make a difference. Two weeks ago, my patience wore thin. Doing mag change drills in the living room I broke the grip. The very next day I traded it off. I was going to go simple, take my 2k in gun trade in and go buy a Glock or a Spingfield XD, a few small changes, a trigger job, a pile of mags and I would be set. Of course, trade in values on a broken pistol were not what I expected them to be. But I think I made out pretty good on the deal:


I traded my STI, 7 mags, and holster for a Tangfolio (basically a matched out CZ75) in 40 S&W, 4 mags, a Bladetech holster, and 2000 bullets. So far I like it more then the STI, a solid metal frame makes it run alot smoother, and I noticed that it was easier to pick up the front sight during recoil. I have only put about 300 rounds thru it, but so far I am pleased. It was explained to me as a gun that even 'I' couldn't break.

My hope is that the money I lost on this deal is enough contrition to break the curse. So what say you? Any cursed gun stories?

Shooting off the Dust

I went with some friends to the local LE range this weekend to get some trigger time in. 500 rounds later and I'm back in the groove. I did some one shot draw drills with the STI, ran some drills on some plate racks. I also put my AR through its paces. Then it happened, the worst thing possible. My Fed buddy pulled out an 11" full auto AR that he was just issued. Boy that really brought back some memories, I'd almost forgotten the smell of rapid fire out of an AR. Luckily I still have the ability to keep them all on target at 25 yards.
But, the best part of the day was the pepper popper bay, there was one bay with 5 poppers in it. They were huge and you could go really fast! I am guessing that they are about 12" across, spaced at 7 to 15 yards. I did alot of good target transition practice on them. I was clearing the 5 poppers in about 1.7 seconds from the draw. Good times!

Firearms in Family History

Great Grandpa Albert c.1919


We all know those stories. The family history stories that involve firearms, most people have them. Jay G has his families police revolver, some families have the firearms from WWII. My family story is a bit older than that.

Rumours surround this mythical rifle. It was bought by my Great Grandfather from a stage coach driver on the last stage into Salt Lake City. It was one of those right place/right time deal. The last coach pulled into town and he was there when the stage coach driver decided he didnt need it anymore. It was a Browning High Wall single shot rifle with a bull barrel. He didnt know what caliber it was, but a 32/40 Ballard fit. It shot well, even if it did blow out the cases. Later it was determined that it was actually 30/40 Krag. There are two generations of hunting stories with this rifle. From Deer to Bears and even a Moose.

Only one problem. Nobody had ever even seen it; It dropped off the radar about 50 years ago. Nobody was surprised my Great Grandfather had 12 kids (at least I know he had 12 boys, there may be more...). Luckily, it turned up last weekend, my Great-Uncle Ron had it up in Idaho. Later this month it will be passed onto my Father, and then to me. I will have pictures up when I get them, and I have alot of research to do, at this point all we know is that it's a real Browning from the late 19th or early 20th century(probably touched by JMB himself!). But it is a tangible way to touch my family history, lending a new life to all these old stories. I only hope that a century from now one of my rifles (I even have one picked out!) will illicit such excitement.

Beyond Target Shooting: AAR

Last weekend I traveled to Bastrop, Texas (down past Austin), and took their one day class 'Beyond Target Shooting'. A friend of mine got some much needed training out of this class and I got to get together with some friends that I don't see very often, and meet some new ones. The class was a beginner level concealed carry class. It primarily focused on the basics of concealed carry and basic draw techniques and malfunction drills.

Topics covered included:
o Mindset and tactics to increase you’re situational awareness.
o Gear Selection
o Carry options
o Drawing from concealment
o Firearm care and maintenance
o Marksmanship fundamentals
o Malfunction clearing
o Various shooting drills to become more proficient and prepared with a handgun for personal protection.

It was a eight hour class and they covered ALOT of material. There was about 18 people in the class and 6 to 8 instructors. From what I gather, the Central Texas Training Group (CTTG) is trying to break into the world of firearms training. They consist of a nice range outside of Bastrop. Affectionately called 'The Farm', and yes, if you caught the reference to cheesy 80's novels, they did it on purpose. The cadre is composed of like minded and well trained people that are willing to pass their knowledge onto others.

The Good; The Bad; The Ugly:

The Good- The range is located in a beautiful area, they share the area with a SASS group, It is levelled off, grassy, and has plenty of mature trees for shade. Currently it is only one berm, with no real bays to speak of. I have been told that there is plans to change that.

The classroom portion of the class dumped alot of information. I consider this to be a good thing because even if you only retain 5% of it, you can do more research later on your own. I also enjoyed how they spoke on mindset and avoiding a fight if at all possible.

Range Drills were your basic draw and fire at the target. Alot of attention was given to proper draw stroke and presentation. Again, this was a basic class, but this is where you lay your foundation. Alot of shooters do not have a firm foundation. As such, they are never consistent and have problems with alot of more advanced techniques.

The Bad- You could tell that this was the first public class that this group had put on. Their syllabus could use some streamlining, brought more into focus with what they want to get out in the time that they have to work with.
They did cover what I consider to be some more advanced material. Namely one handed malfunction drills. I dont think that it was appropriate to this class and that time could have been better spent on other material. That and I am not so sure that I want to be standing next to the local mall ninja who thinks that muzzle discipline goes out the window because he gets to rack his slide on his belt.

The Ugly- There was a few safety range issues. Two students were not up to par with the rest of the class and they were pulled aside. While I agree that was the correct choice, one was on the right end of the line, the other on the left. They each had their own instructor, also a good call. The issue was the fact that the range master would call for a safe line, and they would still be hot. This posses a problem for trying to secure equipment that was forward of the line. It happened twice to me personally. When I hear the RO call the range safe, I am trusting in him to know that it is safe. It wasn't and I was a bit upset about that. What should have happened is that the two shooters should have been put together somewhere away from the rest of the class. But, with only a berm and no real bays, there was no good options.

All in all, I would gladly take another class with them, when CTTG finishes cutting their teeth on these classes and makes the planned range improvements, it will make for a good place to take a class in the Austin area.

So You Think You Can Shoot a Pistol?

That question was asked of me at a friends farm last weekend. The second statement went like this: "Grab that Sig of yours and come on over here, I'm going to show you a thing or two."

I pondered to myself what exactly he had in mind. I wander over to the side of the barn where I find six full beer cans set out at about 15 yards (dont worry, it was just Bud Light). He tells me, "Shoot until you miss." I fire and miss low and left about a 1/2 inch. He shoots and misses by a foot. My second shot goes the same place, as does his. My third shot is on target, and I clear three cans. He misses again and I clear the next two when he complains, "You're not going to leave me any to shoot!" I let him shoot the last one and figure we are done with our little shooting escapade.

As Master Yoda would say, "Mistaken you were, hmmm?"

He walks over to the scrap pile and picks up a old aluminium sauce pot and tells me to shoot it twice as he throws it in the air. The pot goes flying and I shoot twice, hitting it both times. Now while I may not be shooting coins anytime soon, this was actually a fairly easy shot and after a bit of this I was asking him what part of it he wanted me to hit. I ran thru two mags of carry ammo during this escapade, and my wallet was starting to feel the pain of $1 plus per bang. We wrapped it up and went in the house.

As a parting shot, I asked him, "Did you really think I couldnt shoot a pistol."

"No," he replied. "I knew you could, I just wanted to see what you could actually do."

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.

Trigger Time, Part II

As the sun was setting, the light was just right to get some silhouette pictures, most of them didn't come out, but a few did. I kinda like it!

I really needed the break from the stresses of work, A few days out shooting does wonders for my attitude, and I'm sure that my bosses appreciate it.
One of the highlights of the trip (other than a new shooter!) was when I decided to start showing off a bit (It's a curse, I swear). I have a T/C Contender carbine in 357 Maximum, 18" barrel, magnaported, with a tiny 4x fixed power Burris scope. It was my thirteenth birthday present from my Father; that carbine and I have seen alot of miles together. With 38 Specials it has next to no recoil and zero muzzle jump. With 357 Magnums, it's a fun little toy, and with 357 Maximums, it is a very effective deer cartridge out to about 150 yards. When Descahin's girlfriend broke her camera, what did she want to do? Shoot it, of course. So I checked the zero on the contender and gave her a go, of course she hit it, and we were able to recover the camera pieces, and the bullet that shot it! After this a few of my buddies, who only appreciate black rifles, poked a little fun at my little carbine. This led to my showing off. I started shooting Skittle sized targets at ten yards, standing. A few rounds of watching me make the target disappear after each shot changed their opinion of my little carbine.

Trigger Time, Finally (and new shooter report)!

After the real world interfering with my shooting schedule, I took a few days off to visit a friends ranch south of me. My good friend Deschain (from Canada, eh) brought his girlfriend down and we had a great time (until the weather crapped out, but that's another story). His girlfriend is an aspiring Law Enforcement Officer and had never fired a firearm. It was my sworn mission to rectify that problem. So we started her off easy:

Once I worked on her form, she became alot more comfortable and was really enjoying herself.

After she was familiarized with the basic principles of sight picture and trigger squeeze I move her over to a S & W LadySmith with a 5" barrel. She shot that rather well, and seemed to have no problems with the double action trigger pull. Another friend arrived with a Walther P22 and she shot that as well. I think we hooked another one, she is now talking about how much she misses Texas and wants to come visit again. More solid proof that all you need is one small taste of freedom and you are hooked for life.

"Handgun Shotgun Rifle" (for bugout) meme....

In continuation of the firearm list MeMe's. I have one I would like to propose to the rest of the Internets. If you had to leave your house RIGHT NOW because of some disaster, lets go with zombies. You do not know if you are ever going to return, and you only have room to take one rifle, one shot gun, and one handgun. What are they?

My three choices for BugOut, from what I CURRENTLY own would be-

Handgun: Sig P226 in 40 S&W, with light rail and night sights

Shotgun: Remington 870, 20 inch barrel, rifle sights.

Rife: Sako FinnBear in 30/06 with 3-9 scope and sling

I know that the first two on the list were the same as yesterday for my self defense list. But I dropped the AR in favor of my favorite hunting rifle. Why? Simply because I can hit anything I can see. Also, I am not carrying around one of those scary black rifles. Granted, if things are so bad that we are carrying around rifles, it shouldn't matter very much. Also, my handgun and shotgun more than effectively cover my short range self defense needs. This allows me to take a rifle with a bit more range and punch.

"Handgun Shotgun Rifle" (for defense) meme....

So, via Tam, this old meme is going around.

One Handgun, One Rifle, One Shotgun. You are able to choose just one of each for self defense with NO modifications.

Handgun: Sig Sauer P226, in 40 S & W, with a light rail and night sights.

Shotgun: Remington 870, 12 gauge, 20 inch barrel, rifle sights.

Rifle: 16" AR, with A2 buttstock, you know, so I can hit people with it.

There you go, nothing fancy, just three firearms. Also please note that my Bug Out Guns are a little different than this list. Hmmm, I may resurrect that tired old list tomorrow.

What, a Casting Call? For Shooters!?!

via the Hog Blog I have discovered a new reality TV show that is currently casting for the History Channel, called America's Top Shot.

THE HISTORY CHANNEL is seeking SKILLED MARKSMEN
for its First Competition Show
You Could Win $100,000 in Prizes !!!


If you are skilled with a pistol, rifle or any other firearm, you could win $100,000 in prizes on TV’s biggest marksmanship competition show. The History Channel and the producers of The Ultimate Fighter are looking for anyone with mind-blowing shooting skills and a big personality to take on exciting physical challenges with multiple guns and mystery projectile weapons.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a professionally trained shooter or a self-taught average Joe (or Jane!). As long as you’re in good physical shape, have mastered a firearm and can adapt to new weapons and demanding physical situations, you could be America’s first “Top Shot."

Looking at the application, it appears that I can make the filming dates. I dont know wether I am quite good enough, my skills have slipped slightly in the last few months. Isn't that what training is for? What say you? Anybody want to see my ugly mug on the History Channel?

National Ammo Day

Thursday was National Ammo Day. After much chagrin, I decided to participate. I really didn't need much so I decided to keep it conservative.

I wonder what I'm going to do to keep me out of trouble at home?

Perishable Skills

I have a confession to make. I cannot recall the last time I dry fired. It has been months since I shot a pistol match. It has been weeks since I pulled a trigger. I am getting rusty, I can blame most of this on my elbow injury (next time I'm not dodging), but it's a lie. I can blame it on Mrs. Sigboy's work schedule, but she feels that should her job holds a higher priority than my shooting.

Either way I need to rectify this problem. So my plan is simple, just like keeping the mind and body sharp, I need to do something everyday. Nothing carried away, things like dry firing, drawing, firing positions. Something every day. Just like working out, even though most days it is just stretching and some push-ups.

So what do you think? Any ideas to improve this and make it more successful?

Don't Shoot the Hostage!

Tbolt had a post about hostage targets.He also wondered why anybody in their right mind would want to take this shot. In a previous life, I thought about this shot alot, and I always mentally prepared myself for taking it.

Back when the shooting range was my back yard, I used to practice this shot. I would walk purposefully around the corner of my barn, draw my pistol and shoot the bad guy (in the head) at about ten yards. Average time was about 1.5 seconds.

Do not misunderstand me, I NEVER want to take this shot for real, but I WILL. I have trained for it, I know that I can do it. I will take this shot to protect someone that I care for, friends and family alike. If I consider it to be my responsibility to protect you, I will take this shot for you.

Shooting vs. Hunting

Sebastian talks about the burden of breaking into hunting. I have a slightly different perspective.

I grew up hunting, we shot to increase our skill, but only so that we could quickly and cleanly harvest game. We also spent time hiking and practicing other outdoors skills. It wasn't until a few years ago that I started practical pistol shooting. When I started pistol shooting I had enough gear to shoot production class, but getting into limited class wasn't cheap. I believe that I spent about $2000, and that was going cheap. Any new hobby is going to have start up costs. Could you imagine trying to break into golf (I don't want to either)?

My point is this; Shooting and hunting, although they involve firearms, are two different sports. They require separate training and separate gear. They are two different disciplines. Sure there is some crossover, but not much.

The only thing that your average hunter and your average shooter have in common is the use of a projectile weapon. This is a blessing and a curse. I enjoy both pursuits, they satisfy me on different levels. I understand why hunters don't understand shooters and vice versa. Remember one thing, we are all on the same team, and will both suffer if the tools of our hobbies become further regulated and taxed.