Girlwithagun

This week I got some really good practice in and my spare mags came so I have all the parts to really compete. I was having some mag release issues in practice so I decided to put the smallest grip on the gun. I had been using the medium and not really being able to reach the release without contortion. New grip = minimal reload issues. One time in the match this weekend, the mag wouldn't fall out but I was holding the gun weird to avoid breaking the 180. Wound up wiggling it until the mag fell out. I should have pulled it out then but I didn't want to continue the bad habit I had started with the larger grip. In practice, my coach (Camo Cowboy) pointed out that I was 'Weavering' with my left arm. Every time would result in a miss or C or D. When I really concentrate on pushing that gun out there with stiff arms, alphas. It is super cool to have someone training me! The immediate feedback during practice and the match means I can work on it right then without waiting til I see the video. I also concentrated on just pulling the trigger faster. My recoil control is good so why am I taking so long to pull the trigger for the second shot? Lack of faith? When I look at the last two matches, it seems that I figured something out. My avg hit factor went up and it was a more difficult match with a bunch of running. In a nutshell, I must have sped up and the videos show that I am getting better at aggressively getting that gun out there. Accidentally deleted them all so I guess you'll have to wait til next time :-( 10/8/17 Match (4 CO shooters) (29th of 31 overall) Stage Gun Type Place A B C D M NS PR LS XS XH Raw Pts Total Pts Stage Points Hit Factor Time Stage 1 - Stage 1 Pistol 4 28 - 2 - - - - - - - 146 146 75.2517 3.4080 42.84 Stage 2 - Stage 2 Pistol 4 29 - 8 1 - - - - - - 170 170 70.8968 3.4729 48.95 Stage 3 - Payne's Pain Pistol 4 5 - 4 3 - - - - - - 40 40 23.6654 1.9240 20.79 Stage 4 - Stage 4 Pistol 4 12 - 12 - - - - - - - 96 96 23.8609 2.1923 43.79 Stage 5 - Stage 5 Pistol 4 11 - 10 6 1 - - - - - 91 81 40.0207 2.2413 36.14 Stage 6 - Stage 6 Pistol 4 22 - 9 3 - - - - - - 140 140 58.2537 3.4491 40.59 Total: Pistol 107 - 45 13 1 - - - - - avg 2.7813 233.10 10/15/17 Match (5 CO shooters) (53rd of 65 overall) Stage Gun Type Place A B C D M NS PR LS XS XH Raw Pts Total Pts Stage Points Hit Factor Time Stage 1 - Stage 1 Pistol 3 20 - 11 1 - - - - - - 134 134 69.2540 2.4293 55.16 Stage 2 - Stage 2 Pistol 4 20 1 15 - - - - - - - 148 148 72.7215 2.7576 53.67 Stage 3 - Stage 3 Pistol 3 5 - 2 1 - - - - - - 32 32 34.1681 4.2781 7.48 Stage 4 - Tick-Tock Pistol 4 8 - 7 1 - - - - - - 62 62 38.7641 3.8438 16.13 Stage 5 - Stage 5 Pistol 4 19 - 7 5 1 1 - - - - 121 101 57.5087 2.2928 44.05 Stage 6 - Stage 6 Pistol 4 21 - 5 2 - - - - - - 122 122 82.8718 3.5230 34.63 Total: Pistol 93 1 47 10 1 1 - - - - avg 3.1874 211.12

I shot a USPSA match today at Hansen range in Punta Gorda, FL. and I didn’t do anything stoopid! Strengths: Since the last match I shot more than a year ago ended in a DQ from not clearing before hammering down, I feel like this is a hurdle that I’m happy to have jumped over! It’s not that I haven’t shot for so long because of it but my knowledge of the fundamentals came into question (to myself and no one else.) I decided to get a gun that I could ‘own’, that felt very comfortable in my hand, and it didn’t have anything that I didn’t understand like the hubby’s ‘race gun’ which is what I was shooting at that match. That thing was intimidating and finicky! I felt like I had to worry about too many things going wrong. That is why I bought Smith & Wesson M&P Core 9L. As soon as I got it, the gun just fit me better. I started doing dry fire drills. Yeah, I”m rusty but I remember how to draw, reload, and clear the gun. I can shoot factory rounds through it without issue. Hubby helped me load up a few hundred rounds and we took it for a spin. Practice felt good but it’s very different in a match. I was worried that the learning curve back was going to be huge. Here’s what I did right: My cadence is good between targets and I actually sped up on closer targets when I knew I could get away with it. My stance is good, aggressive and stable. My recoil control is pretty amazing when I have my grip right. Weaknesses:I’m slow. Watching my videos is painful. I can definitely pull the trigger faster, run faster, acquire the target faster. I should have been getting all alphas for as slow as I was shooting. I need to stay slow until I do. I had one M on the first target I shot and it was because I flinched like crazy. I think this was a one time thing because I was nervous about shooting in front of people again. No more mics for the rest of the match. Lots of Alpha charlie targets and several deltas on one stage. I think that was a grip issue but no video of that one. I had to borrow a mag because I only had two and needed a third on a couple of stages. Opportunities: The guy I borrowed the mag from was leaving the match right before I shot the last stage and I gave it back to him. On this stage, there was a high port that I didn’t really practice because I had to stand on tippy toe to look through it. I should have taken it more seriously because my left arm wasn’t locked and the brass dropped back in my gun, jamming it. I couldn’t drop the mag because I only had the one in the gun and none on my belt because I gave it back to the guy. Held the mag in my hand, cleared the jam, rammed it back in and started over through the port slowing down and getting all of my shots. A good opportunity to figure some shit out! Threats: I’m shooting CO. I have to get all alphas because there are not that many points available to me. Gotta get more mags. Two is definitely a problem. I’m not planning on keeping it that way.

By way of introduction, I started shooting USPSA about 15 years ago after taking a concealed carry class. It was intriguing to do something other than stand behind a table and shoot or shooting from a tailgate. I started out with the gun I had, a 7 shot Taurus revolver. A challenge to begin with and then I added optics which put me in the Open class. Proof I wasn't worried about competing against anyone other than myself. I didn't stick with it for long though because, even with moon clips, it was a pain and 2 mins to run a stage was ridiculous. I shot the hubby's Uzi Eagle a few times but shooting someone else's gun sucks. Another reason I didn't do much shooting was because I am a professional artist and I was painting many weekends and it was more important than making it to a match. Priorities. We also lived in an area where not many artists are also gun toters. I'm older now and care less about that and I decided I've been working too hard and need a hobby. Painting is not a hobby. It's my job. Now I'm going to ramp up the shooting again to get myself outside on the weekends. Bought a new M&P and away we go!