Highwayman's road

[Jadeslade]

Pretty good writing. Impressive. Keep it up. Buy freedom arms ammo. Inexpensive. They are having no shipping sale- they have them a lot.

[Highwayman]

Nine days until my next match:

Learning my work-life balance, been cutting things back to half an hour of drills a day to keep things warm. Another week before I get my next paycheck and can start doing live fire sessions. The hour-long sessions on weekends are still doing fine, but during the week I've been sticking with draws, reloads, strong hand, and upper-lower target transitions. Managing to stay .05 under the book recommendations all around even on the headshots and strong-hand drills. Slowly getting to know the feel of a pistol on single shots compared to double taps, doing it dry it feels much more deliberate and muscular than when clicking away the double taps. Hopefully I'll be able to shift using recoil, can't practice that on any square ranges. Discovering that even though the headshots 'feel' just as fast, in reality it's taking me precious microseconds to aim for that slightly smaller target. I'm not whining about that, I'm actually very interested in how the human brain processes such unusual stimuli and moments like this where I can see how the gears turn is beyond fascinating. Then again, my new job has me writing about the brain all day, maybe I just need to stop taking my work home with me.

Between our fragile home decor and an insatiable terrier, I cannot use my home to practice any moving drills. I'm in the suburbs outside of Chicago, weather is a major factor. I may be able to use my micro-targets in the garage once we get it cleaned out some and my roommate isn't parked in there, maybe chalk down some squares to step into and transition between? At the very least I'd be able to spread out the targets more and really crank down on transitions, I could clip my phone to my belt for a shot timer. Then, if my roommate comes home and the garage starts opening, just frantically run into the house hiding my gear before the neighbors call the police...

My group is having a Skills and Drills the night before the match...But I'm on the fence. It's ten minutes from here, but it's also twice the price of the usual ones because that range is more upscale. Also, I'd be cleaning my Glock afterwards at 11PM with work the next morning, have done it once but it was not enjoyable. On the other hand, I need to test out my strong hand work, and any instruction would be welcome before the match.

I'm also wondering about live fire practice in general. I truly need to test what I'm learning on occasions that aren't matches, but my local range is simply less fulfilling than my drill work. I can't shoot faster than the range rules, and not shooting a double tap is starting to feel bizarre. It's so slow I can't even try practicing transitions, I find myself standing there with my sights on the target counting to myself and saying 'Really? People pay to do this for fun?' I can live without drawing from a holster, I can't blame ranges for being picky there, but the rate of fire just has me feeling like I'm testing the gun instead of really shooting.

My order was placed for a Springfield 1911, heavily discounted thanks to my old job. However, that won't be shipping out for a month or two at the very least, and it'll take some modifications to get it ready for moving drills. After that, if I do compete with it, that'd be in USPSA Single Stack which I have still yet to try out. It's just a toy and a project, not my carry piece or my goal. For now, my Glock is still my only pistol and thus must fulfill all my needs. It's my increasingly familiar dance partner in nine days and counting.

[Highwayman]

'Twas the night before the match, and all through the house...Not a creature was stirring, except for a wailing terrier in a cage, a scrawny cubicle nerd, and a SIRT pistol clicking.

Last night of practice, kept it at my usual half hour. Even on Saturday when I had the day wide open, I was so exhausted from four fourteen hour days I just stuck with the half hour.Been opening with strong hand draws to enforce the new position, then my usual target transitions and headshots for aiming. Finished up with by cranking a drill down from the recommended 3.9 seconds down to 3.6. Each time I turned it down I expected to struggle, but was amazed when I usually came close each time. This was me just trying to scramble, and frankly it felt more natural and smooth than my earlier attempts. Muscle memory? Better focus? Grip strength? No idea. Kept that going until I had broken a good sweat, then cooled down with a few more draws and reloads.

Even when I can't fit in the full half hour of drills, I've brought back an old habit of simply keeping my SIRT in my hand and clicking it at the TV occasionally. In this case, I either aim for letters scrolling by, or draw (still can't fire, doesn't feel right) at characters as they pop up.

Been using my 140 pound grippers three times a week, and at my desk at work I've taken to doing hand extensor reps with a heavy rubber band I pulled off some groceries. Any day now I'll get a shipment of Amazon Christmas gifts which includes some professional extensor bands with varying levels of resistance. My dexterity balls see plenty of use at home where they can't drive anyone nuts.

Been strongly debating my options when it comes to live fire training. On one hand, there's a range fifteen minutes away, for over twenty a trip it's a very clean and comfortable facility. On the other...I just heard from one of my coaches that there is an indoor pistol club an hour away which puts on indoor UPSA matches all winter. Their members all have key card access 24/7, and there is a range designed for holster use by certified members. It would cost me around $250 a year plus joining the NRA, the equivalent of fifteen or so trips to my nearby square range. It would be a lot of driving on weekends or very late nights after work, but it could also be my chance to drill live-fire consistently and work on movement. That is based on my current understanding, for all I know the holster range could only be for politically connected members supervised by a Range Grandmaster on the fifth Tuesdays of each month. Then there's the question of if a twenty four year old would get voted into a pistol club. Will check out one of their matches next month and see what the culture is like.

Range bag is packed. One last match to end the year and gauge my progress. I could sit here and ramble all night trying to tell you guys that I'm getting better...But in the end the numbers do the talking.

[Highwayman]

Just got home from the match, hitting the sack as I have to be up at six and am traveling all of tomorrow. I'll sum this up before I even get the scores...I'm still a lousy shot, and it's going to be another long year.

[Highwayman]

I really, really hate being honest and posting these scores. This is out of twenty shooters, including a lot of new walk-ons who'd never shot IDPA before. 15th place.

Stage 1: 6th

Stage 2: 20th

Stage 3: 14th

Stage 4: 14th

Stage one: Nailed it. Smooth movements, low point scores, the last target had us all dumbfounded thinking I had a zero and a miss. The RO looked closer, said it was the same hole and to make it easier on everyone next time. Simply stage S-maneuver, felt amazing. That never happened again.

Stage 2: More blocky,. chaotic stage with a lot of hidden targets to maneuver around. I came up with no less than three stage strategies, and having to go third I went with one that was simply an abomination, splitting up a group of targets made me forget one. Shots were wild from weird angles, hit on non threat, high time. 20th out of 20, the RO said 'This was a tragedy' as he marked the time. Shattered my mood for the night. Everyone else went with a very simple pattern, I had to watch as walk-ons beat my score while struggling with their weapons. I can shoot...But I cannot crack stage design. It should have been that easy.

Stage 3: Okay, this was fun. A partially blind stage. Maneuver around an initial cover wall and work through a simple stage with three groups of targets...except the targets and non-threats are shuffled around for each shooter. Some wilder shots, hit on non threat, but still a chunk of zeros. Fun stage idea, can't complain.

Stage 4: We were running late, so it was simply an El Prez, second half being strong hand only. After a month of strong hand obsession...I blew it. My freestyle shots were a bit loose, the strong hand shots included a miss and mostly ones. Even worse? I had some one video tape me for the first time. He did a great job, including the section at the end where I'm scored with a nine on the center target.

At this point it was 10PM, I was exhausted and starving. I stuck around for a few more shooters to paste targets, but having to get up at 6 the next day I had a miserable drive home, tossed back some food and had a very unfulfilled night. Waking up and remembering this match killed my morning as well. I'm down quite a bit of hard earned money, so many hours of practicing, gas money and travel time, match fees...For 15th place, getting beat by complete novice shooters. I can't give up on this sport solely because of those expenses. I was hyped up to try USPSA in a week, but after whiffing so many basic shots, particularly that simple last one, I'm not going to bother. My gun is still in my range bag, I can't even stand the idea of looking at it, letting alone cleaning it tomorrow night. Dry fire? I'm going to have to force myself through it.

End of year one.

June:first match: 20th place out of 23

July: Second match: 18th out of 20.

September: 16th out of 18

Joined this forum.

October, outdoor: 14 out of 29

October: 9 out of 14

November: 12 out of 24

December: 15 out of 20

If it weren't for that first stage I shot last night, I'd just put the gun back into storage.