Calamity Jane

Yep, you are right about the dry fire. It's true I don't have the gun in my gun safe that I will be shooting (using the Bro's guns), but I could pick something similar to work with to get a feel for trigger pull. "Yanking the trigger hard" Oh my, that certainly goes against everything I know....it's sort of like at Nationals when I had to aim into the berm to knock down 30 yd poppers! .....it may not seem right....but it may get the job done. I'll know more once I start dry firing and actually start pulling the trigger. Right now all I'm doing in dry fire is holding the gun.

I did some deer hunting practice shooting with my brother today. He was supposed to come last week but was sick and couldn't make it. We started out with the .22 to work on stance, accuracy, and different shooting positions....I passed that test pretty easy. Next we moved on to the pistol caliber rifles. I shot a .357 Winchester rifle....LOVED IT What a cute little gun. It had a short barrel and a dot scope. Great fun to shoot. Then we moved on to the .45 long colt rifle.....LOVED IT TOO We shot 2 different loads out of that gun. One load was for cowboy shooting and the other for deer killing. I could handle either one just fine. Next I shot my brothers model 1100 12 gauge shot gun. My brother calls it his deer knocking down gun. I shot this gun last year and HATED IT It was big, loud, and the concussion literally slapped my brain against my skull. HOWEVER my brother assured me that he had modified the gun to make it less concussive and insisted that I shoot it. My 82 year old Dad was sitting on a bench watching. I highly suspected that I was being set up for a big laugh but I chose to trust my brother and shot the gun. OH MY GOODNESS!!!! It's NOT the same gun! There is a loud boom, make no mistake about that, but there's no concussion. My brain didn't hurt after pulling the trigger AND it makes a BIG hole at 50 yards. So now I'm conflicted. I like the pistol caliber rifles, but they don't make a very big hole at 50 yards. The 12 g shot gun is a big bad boy that can get the job done. I KNOW I can kill a deer with that gun. So what am I to do? I like both guns. The next step....my Bro is coming back and we are going to set a deer stand up and practice shooting from that. I'll shoot both guns again and see what I like from a tree stand. It wouldn't be good form to shoot that 12 guage shot gun AND fall out of the tree stand! Always a good idea to practice and test conditions beforehand. I have only one frustration with all these long guns.....the trigger! It's really irritating me greatly. The triggers are so heavy the gun won't go off when I want it to. I get on target, quiet the mind, exhale, squeeze the trigger and .......nothing...squeeze the trigger and nothing.....now I'm losing my exhale and my hold is starting to wobble and the dog gone gun still hasn't gone off yet....my mind is getting irritated and then BOOM it goes off. It's REALLY IRKING ME!!! What makes it even more special is my 82 year old Dad says....you're taking to long to squeeze the trigger....that deer will be long gone before you get your shot off. To which I say...IT'S NOT ME...it's the trigger....it won't go off when I want it to Clearly this is not IPSC shooting and these guns don't have 2 lb triggers. Great day at the range today with two of my favorite people.

You Rock!

Yes Hop...you can have my autograph...I'll put it on the picture of my dead deer I like the sound of a level action rifle. It reminds me of the scene in the movie True Grit or Rooster Cogburn (I can't remember exactly)...where John Wayne puts the reins in his mouth and he has 2 level action rifles he shoots while riding his horse. Yeah...I like the sound of that. We ALL have a little cowboy in us. My plan is to raid either my husband, brother, or Father's gun safe There are plenty of guns for me to use for this occasion. No need to run out and spend money yet. My husband is going to faint when he reads that last sentence If I buy a rifle, it's going to be an AR15. I want the .22 coversion kit so I can practice cheap and shoot steel matches with it. If David won't buy me my own...I'm going to "borrow" his. I had dry fire session #2 with the AR tonight. I was surprised at how much better I did tonight! I again did 10 reps of holding the gun on target until my arms shook. Then I took a 30 second rest and repeated. My total time tonight was 9:42. I over estimated my time last night. Last night's total time was 5:81. I held the rifle approximately 4 minutes LONGER tonight. Pretty cool. I'm going to keep it up. My technique and form I'm sure stink...but at least I'm building some muscles to hold the gun.

I was walking through the OB waiting room at the hospital today and a magazine called "Outdoor Life" caught my eye. The word "Super Bucks" stopped me in my tracks. I picked it up and started looking through it. I was feeling jealously looking at all the pictures of hunters with their game. I actually started thinking about how I was going to pose my deer for my picture. It's so funny because I used to think those pictures were stupid...and now I really want one. I'm planning on sneaking up there tomorrow and actually reading the magazine...tee hee. I had my first dry fire with a rifle tonight. I lasted 10 minutes. I did 10 reps of holding the rifle (AR) until my arms shook and I couldn't keep it on target...the time added up to around 10 minutes. I could hold it for about a minute before I would lose control. Practice makes perfect... Thanks for all the suggestions on a deer hunting gun. In Indiana it's either going to be a pistol caliber rifle or a shotgun. I think I mentioned my brother is coming over this week and we are going to experiment with a pistol caliber rifle. I've got a hunch that is going to be my ticket. We'll see. I'm talking a lot about deer hunting and some may wonder what that has to do with "training to win". I plan on explaining that in another post coming soon.

I'm with Coach on this one. My dry fire sessions are usually around 30 minutes. The key is to "be all there" and enjoy it. There's only so many hours in the day and a little goes a long way. Keep up the good work.

.308 What else is there? You squeeze the trigger, there's a loud boom, a polite push to the shoulder, and the bullet goes right through the center or the target Nothing to it....tee hee

I'm looking in the Cabela's catalog for my shooting shirt with padding and I've stumbled on to some other stuff I want... Apparently they make game carts which are too cool. It's like a stroller for dead deer I want one. I'll need a Butt Out Tool...not looking forward to using that! The claw skinning tool....sounds like a bad horror movie. Some sort of Hoist system...many to chose from. Field Dressing Glove Kit...a must! Just saw a 10/22 high capacity clip...must have after todays steel shooting the 10/22. This is like shopping for shoes on line! It's awesome. Now if Dave will just let me have the credit card...

My 10 seconds of fame has quickly faded as no autographs were requested at the range today Such is life. I had a great day at the range today. We were at Riley shooting steel. The weather was beautiful....cool...clear...perfect for shooting. I shot 2 guns. I shot the 40 cal open gun which I have not touched since Nationals and I shot a 10/22 rifle with scope mount. I was pleased with my performance with my open gun. It felt great to have that gun back in my hand. I broke the 3 second mark several times today which is an improvement for me. I have very little experience with the 10/22. I need work mounting the gun. I hate to say "mounting the gun" but that's what it's called!! I didn't have a consistent cheek hold and the scope wasn't opening up for me as quickly as I would like. Basically, I took the gun out of the case and shot it. I've got some work to do. After the match David and I took some shots with the Remington 700 rifle. Yeah Baby!!! I got a dead center shot at 200 meters, off rest, sitting. I KNOW NOTHING about shooting a rifle! My brother tried to teach me stuff last Spring, but I wasn't ready. I'm ready now. He's coming this week and we are going to work on the "find a gun for Jane to kill a deer with" problem. I'm looking forward to it. My next clothing purchase will be some sort of shirt/jacket with padding in the shoulder. I don't care what gun I'm going to shoot...IT'S NOT GOING TO HURT ME!

My longest shot.....200 M.....DEAD CENTER USPSA target......Remington 700 rifle.....off rest......sitting OK OK I know anybody can do that, but this was MY FIRST TIME! I've never shot a rifle that powerful before....EVER. All the pistols I've shot have take up in the trigger and I use the feel of that to break the shot. This rifle didn't have any take up in the trigger so each shot fired was a surprise I didn't really like that but I'm sure I could get use to it. I would call the Remington 700 polite but firm in it's recoil. She smacks ya in the shoulder but is polite about it. She's a lady. Great day at the range. I see more long gun shooting in my future.

Packing up the guns now. Going to take my "longest" shot today

WOW! Great pictures. You showed me what 1000 yds looks like too. Thank you. I had to smile at the first line of your post. After I started this thread I went and talked to my hubby about shooting a rifle at 1000. During that conversation it hit me....David could do my math and I could pull the trigger.....we could be a team!!!! So your offer to do the math and allow me to shoot is a much appreciated one. I want to shoot the pink gun first when I come down South The more I hear about this rifle shooting thing the more fascinated I become. It looks like you all just lay on the ground and pull the trigger. Clearly that is not the case. There's the wind, the heat, the flags, the math....I can see the challenge in it. Thanks again for the great pics and the invitation to shoot.

When I posted this, I knew there would be stories. You people have not disappointed. Thanks We are going to a match on Saturday that has a 200 yd rifle range. I'm talking the hubby into taking the rifles out there so I can have a few shots. OK it's not 1000...but it's a start. It will be my first shots fired with a rifle greater than 100yds. I can hardly wait.

Oh Good Lord....is this the ladies camp interview????? Did I look like or sound like an idiot? I need details!!!

I'm driving to Walmart today and the SUV in front of me has this bumper sticker on his back window: One Shot, One Kill, One Thousand Yards, Marine Sniper. Now most people might be turned off by that but I was fascinated. 1000 yards!! Are you kidding me? I CAN'T even imagine the math skills needed to calculate a shot like that! Personaly I just want to be able to kill at deer at 100 yds. SOOO I decide if this guy pulls into Walmart I'm going to talk to him. I want to talk to the guy who made a 1000 yd shot. Yep, I'm stalking a marine sniper. Unfortunately, the guy pulled into a drive up bank. I turned into Walmart disappointed and spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about what a 1000 yard shot would look like. Am I being overly impressed by the marine sniper guy? Can mere mortals make 1000 yard shots? What's the longest shot you've made with a rifle?

Thanks Doug! I haven't touched a gun in 2 weeks and I'm kind of missing it. Oddly, my mind has become obsessed with rifles. First off, I want my own rifle that fits me and that I can shoot well. Second, I want to be able to hold a long gun so I can shoot accurately. My strength is terrible in that regard. I'm thinking about starting a dry fire program with a long gun so I'll be able to kill that deer in November. Yes, some deer is going to lose it's life this November at my hand. Why? Because last year I didn't have the confidence or the competence to pull the trigger. This year I want to prove to myself that I have both and that I can take the shot and succeed. I also want the deer meat in the freezer. I didn't know that I would show such an active interest in hunting. All I got was that one little taste last season. Now I'm finding myself strolling through sporting good stores looking at camo and deer stands. No kidding!! I want my own tree stand. I want a 2 seater so I can hunt with my hubby, brother, or sons. I even stopped and looked at a pink camo zip up fleece. I had to laugh at myself. What has happened to me?? I think it's just a primal thing. Can I hunt to survive? Can I hunt? It's a question I want to answer. So for the next few months that will be what I'm focusing on. Holding and shooting long guns and talking my hubby into getting me my own rifle etc. Also, tomorrow I kick off my return to physical fitness. I haven't got my head totally wrapped around the fitness thing, but it's time to start doing something.

"Jacob McCandles? I thought you was dead?" John Wayne: "Not hardly" That is some dialouge from the movie Big Jake. Mike....we ain't dead yet! I need to give some backgroud to my buddy Mike's post. Dave has resigned as the Indiana Section Coordinator for USPSA. He also has resigned as club president for Walbash Valley Practicial Pistol Shooter's Club (WVPPS). He served a 2 year term as Indiana Section Coordinator and I believe 4 or 5 years as WVPPS Club President. He had the opportunity during that time to lead and work with some very fine folks who greatly elevated the quality of our shooting sport in the state of Indiana. It's been an amazing thing for me to watch as his wife. I have seen Dave grow as a person because of his leadership experience. We BOTH have been changed for the good by participating in this sport and we are both so grateful for the opportunities we have had. Dave is tired. He is stepping down in some of his leadership positions so that he can have more time and energy for his family. He has lived a life (and I'm a witness) that has required him to have EVERY minute of EVERY day scheduled. That's not necessarily a bad thing but when you live that way for say....5-10 years in a row....it wears on you. I'm proud of him for making this positive change in his life. Are we getting out of the shooting sport? No. Dave has freed us by stepping down from leadership. We are now free to make choices about when we shoot. There's a big difference between want to and have to. Dave has done a tremendous service to our sport and to our club by providing his leadership over the last several years. However, we have reached the point where it is time for us to "follow the leader" and not be the leader. To every thing there is a season. Thanks for the great post Mike. You have been a good friend for many years and also have served our sport very well in the state of Indiana. We've experienced a good thing. My hope is that we ALL have planted seeds that will continue to grow.

Your post has given me a smile that I have enjoyed for a couple of days Thank you. Your mention of the A card sent me to the USPSA web site to see where I am. Currently I am at 67.76% HOWEVER at Owensboro in August I shot a 75% classifier! Then at Riley the next day I shot a 46% classifier because one shot dipped down into a no shoot....take the no shoot/mike away/give me a charlie and I shoot a 81% classifier for that day. I'm at a point where I'm naturally shooting A class without trying on classifiers (Bill Seever strategy). It's just a matter of getting enough of them strung together. The A card is going to happen It's just a matter of time and opportunity.

Yeah baby!! Another one begins the journey.

Yep, I'm a lucky, blessed woman that is for sure Thanks for the post.

"You’re a better man than I, Gunga Din!" Kippling Trying to explain the journey Dave and I have taken to get to where we are now could be a diary in itself. We’ve covered a lot of ground together in the last 5 years. Here are some of the stepping stones Dave and I have crossed to get where we are now: • Dave learns to shoot and starts going to matches without me • I learn to shoot and go to matches with him • We compete in different divisions • We compete in the same division • He takes a path to provide leadership and organization to the sport • I take a path to become a better shooter • I excel in shooting and he becomes my number one supporter Shooting as a couple has been a tremendously rewarding experience, but those bullet points don’t capture the emotions that Dave and I have had to process to overcome the challenges a couple face as they shoot together. Challenges like: • handling the kids at the range so both can shoot • competing against one another • Dave trying to instruct me • beating each other (either him beat me, or I beat him) • listening to all the jabs from others about beating each other A love for each other has allowed us to overcome the challenges and grow closer together as a couple. We’ve dealt with the issues that were causing tension in our shooting and found a place of peace and support for one another. I could not have achieved anything without the support of my husband. He has sacrificed himself and his desires to help me obtain mine. The love and support from my husband has been the wind beneath my wings. The intensity of the last 6 weeks of training was felt deeply by my family. When my youngest son Bryan hugged me good bye, he said, “When you come back from Nationals, I want my real Mom back.” I think Bryans comment reflects some of the craziness that went on around here. I would come home from work and put on my range clothes. Then I would either: dry fire, live fire, load, or clean my gun. I managed to get dinner on the table and the dishes in the dish washer but that was IT! Dave and the kids took all of this in stride and absorbed much of the household duties. They never once complained. Dave’s support for me has been unwavering. I remember the moment I asked him if I could shoot 8000 rounds in 8 weeks. I was sitting on the side of our bed with my back to him. I was sitting with my back to him because I couldn’t look him in the eye. I was really asking if we could afford for me to shoot 8000 rounds. I knew I would respect his decision on the matter. He graciously told me he thought I could. I don’t know the exact amount of money that decision cost us, but I do know it cost. Dave is the one who writes the checks and his willingness to write that check is an expression of his love for me. He has been behind me 100% and for that I’m truly grateful. He has: loaded my ammo, cleaned my gun, cleaned my Dillon loader, designed stages for me to shoot, developed practice plans, answered my questions, encouraged me after good and bad runs, cleaned my muddy mags, pushed my gun cart, loaded and unloaded the truck after matches, video taped runs, helped analyze video, financially supported me in whatever I needed, put my gun back together when I couldn’t, prayed for me, loved me to the point of putting me first always. David Ball, thank you for loving me. Thank you for all you have done for me and the sacrifices you have made so I could pursue my dreams. It’s your expression of love for me that truly has been the reward to this journey. I love you.

I have to agree with you Al! Thank You Notes I’ve always wanted to win a National Championship just so I could stand up and thank all of those who helped me get there. In fact, I’ve taken a thank you speech to each National competition I’ve ever competed in with the hope of one day getting my opportunity. I’m a hopeless optimist! However, this year I didn’t take a speech with me. There was no need because I memorized that speech in my head a gazillion times on the many dark mornings traveling to work. It ALWAYS makes me cry. I’ve finally realized you don’t have to win to thank the people who have meant so much to you. When I think about those people ofcourse my husband comes to my mind first. I will be talking about him a little later in his own special post. In this post I want to talk about some of the less obvious people who have walked along side me during this shooting journey. The first person I want to talk about is Dave Re. The simplest way to explain my relationship with Dave Re is to simply say, Dave Re is my friend. He has been my confidant, mentor, e-coach, psychologist, cheerleader, voice of reason and wisdom, soother, he’s been my friend. I’m so grateful for every word he has ever typed to me. Shooting Nationals with Dave truly was a gift to me. I got to shoot with my friend. Fate had a part in putting us together but ultimately it was Dave’s decision not to be moved that made the gift possible. His decision made it very inconvenient on him….no ride to the range…shooting opposite of the super squad etc. Yet, he chose to stay. That right there speaks VOLUMES to who he is as a person. Thank you Dave. I’m all choked up as I’m typing this. You are first class all the way. Dave didn’t have a great match. Yet he handled his performance with grace and dignity. No one would know by watching him how tough his match was going. There are a number of people in this sport who really exemplify character worth aspiring. Dave is one of those people. Dave you have walked beside me as I’ve developed as a shooter. I am truly grateful for your mentoring and your friendship. Thank you. Another person that comes to my mind is Aron….AKA Coach….AKA Royce Lowell Patton. He also has been by my side and had a hand in my development. I’m thankful to have a friend like him to push me, and challenge me. Thanks Aron. The last person I want to mention is my brother John. He always has just what I need right when I need it. For example: the money he loaned me to buy my open gun, parts for my dillion press when it breaks, buying my old limited gun so I can buy an open back up gun (that came in handy at Nats!) etc… His support has been instrumental in keeping the ball rolling in a positive direction. Thanks Bro. Last up is my husband. That’s going to be a very emotional post that I’m going to have to put off until after the wedding.

Feel the force...you know you want to. It's calling you to come to the dark side with the rest of us. There is a freedom to shooting open that is incredibly satisfying. Oh and I should also mention...addicting. Messing with the force has consequences so be forewarned! If we continue our shooting path, the hubby is going to shoot an open gun next season. I don't want him to miss out on the fun. Wishing you the best in whatever path you find yourself on. I'm glad our shooting paths crossed at Nats!

What in the world ever became of sweet Jane She lost her sparkle, you know she isn’t the same Livin on reds, vitamin C and cocaine All a friend can say is, ain’t it a shame Grateful Dead Truckin On the ride home there was a moment when I looked at Dave unable to talk because I was choked up with so much emotion. When I was able to speak, I squeaked out these words, “I don’t think I can put the gun down”. My wise husband smiled and said, “You don’t have to put the gun down.” I choked out in between tears, “Yes I do.” It was at that moment I knew I had an addiction problem. I escaped drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, but I didn’t escape developing an addiciton to this sport! This moment launched us into a conversation about where we would go from here. Getting high on shooting rocks! Coming down from a high….stinks! The 10 hour ride home was miserable! The ride home was a mix of nausea and tears. When I wasn’t choked up with emotion and tearful I felt nauseated. Dave and I had talked about getting a piece of chocolate coca cola cake from Cracker Barrel. It was to be our special reward. When we finally got a piece on our drive home, I was unable to eat it because my stomach hurt so bad. XRE texted us the results when we were around ST. Louis. More nausea and tears followed. I was enjoying texting XRE back and forth until Dave took the phone away from me. I guess it cost money to text. Who knew? I was just getting the hang of texting too. I totally see why teens are addicted to it. So we get home around 12 midnight. It was good to see the kids and be home. I noticed my leopard skin peep toe pumps had come in the mail. I’m psyched because I wanted those shoes really badly. They are the PERFECT shoe for my awesome yellow dress. I open them up and slipped one on my foot and……it didn’t fit. They are too small. My mind says, I’ve got a big fat ugly foot that doesn’t fit! Once again I’m not Cinderella. I went to bed with a stomach ache, exhausted. The next day I recovered somewhat and was beginning to think more positively. I thought about my new shoes that didn’t fit and occurred to me I need a bigger shoe. What I thought was perfect for me isn't the right fit. I need to look for something else. I’m not sure what the shoe looks like that can contain me, but I’m going to spend some time in the next few months trying to figure it out. You all know I'm not talking about shoes....right? ****I'm packing up for the wedding today but I'm going to try to post the rest of the stuff to wrap up Nationals.

Day Three The Wardrobe: Bob Vogel Black Congrats to Bob Vogel, 2008 USPSA Production Champion! It's no surprise to us folks in the Midwest that Bob won that title. We've been watching him for years creep closer to it. He's got game! Well done! For those who know Bob, you know that he is soft spoken and notorious for wearing black. I was surprised to see him in tan pants at the Indiana Sectional Championship this past June. I commented that I really liked seeing him in tan pants. He softly said, "It's what my sponsor sent me". I smiled and told him he looked good. When I saw him in Tulsa after he won Nats, I couldn't resist congratulating him and telling him "I think the tan pants pushed you over the top!" He smiled, shrugged his shoulders and quietly made his way away from my presence. So why the Bob Vogel black on Day three of Nats? 60% chance of rain and the only other shirt I had was white….do I need to say more?? I'm no Misty May! Day three had its own unique challenges. Water and mud was one challenge. The other challenge for me was to finish the match strong. The first stage was basically under water. The start position was in a deep puddle and the footing…well…it was lady mud wrestling texture. I shot solid with the exception of some make up shots on the poppers which cost me a little time. The next stage was Stage 7 Pick One. It had 2 doors to pull. I had a mental mistake which I can't account for on this stage. I had mentally programmed pulling the second door before shooting the array on the outside, but I DIDN'T DO it that way. I went to the outside array and then had to come back and pull the last door. I seriously don't know why I did that because I never even considered doing it that way. It's a mystery. Stage 8 and Stage 9 were Weft and Wright. After the door incident I knew I needed to get it back together. I had dry fired this stage a gazillion times in the basement with various target positions around the wall. I knew I could and SHOULD let go on these stages because I was fully prepared. So I did. I had a mike (which I did see but didn't go back and make up) on Stage 8. I nailed Stage 9 to which I let out a victory holler! Now we get to Stage 10 Wack Up. This was another stage that I had dry fired with various targets at various distances and configurations. I knew I also was ready to let go on this one. The question was….would I? Stage 10 represented the LAST stage of Nationals. The last shot fired would be the last of my season. I was starting to feel emotional about it. I had to pull Dave behind a berm so he could lay some words of encouragement on me and calm me down. My biggest fear was to shoot it safe and not let go. I'm sure my squad mates were wondering what happened to me. I was pacing, talking to myself, and not talking to anyone else. I turned into a totally different squad mate. I let er rip and it felt good. It was a good run with a good time despite taking an extra shot I didn't need to. I fell short of glory because I missed a shot transitioning from the clam shell to another target. I saw the shot and it went over the left shoulder…I thought it might have made a D hit…I was wrong. After that last shot, there was no stopping the tears. I was crying because it was now OK to let it all out and I did. You should have seen the looks on the faces of my squad mates. Their faces had looks like "What is wrong with her?" "What happened to her?" I'm hugging people and blowing snot out of my nose. It was a scene!! And that my friends, was the end of the 2008 Nationals. The long ride home was to follow.