RangerTrace's Shooting Journey

[RangerTrace]

I've thought about starting one of these for years, but wasn't really sure if I'd keep up with the information and I certainly won't impress anyone with the amount of shooting or dry fire practice I put in.  More than anything, I'm hoping this will motivate me to start dry fire training again on a regular basis.  I think my shooting is close to where it was when I was at my peak, but the things that come with dry fire....the draw, mag changes, etc., have certainly suffered.  

 

So believe it or not, after shooting USPSA for about 8 years, it was IDPA that motivated me to get back into the game on a more regular basis.  I plan to continue to shoot IDPA-ESP and USPSA Limited.  My goal is to make Master in both sports before the end of the year.  At nearly 50 years old with some really sorry eyes, I would be extremely happy with that result.

 

So to keep this very short tonight:

 

2-6-2018 - 30 minutes dry fire with Limited pistol.

 

2-7-2018 - 30 minutes dry fire with Limited pistol.  Wore EAS top focal lens shooting glasses to help see front sight with poor indoor lighting.  These really do seem to help, although I can still see my sights fairly well in normal day light.  Draws and mag changes were a bit tighter than last night and I actually broke out one of my Stoeger dry fire books.

 

More to come........hopefully

[Youngeyes]

Nice start. I look forward to reading the next installments. Having a lens on the top of your shooting glasses, set for your sights, helps a lot. Make sure it's on the dominant eye lens.

[RangerTrace]

7 hours ago, Youngeyes said:

Nice start. I look forward to reading the next installments. Having a lens on the top of your shooting glasses, set for your sights, helps a lot. Make sure it's on the dominant eye lens.

Its actually on both lenses, but because of a high school injury, (blowout fracture right orbit) my right eye doesn't have enough vertical movement to see the corrective part.  Which is also one of the reasons I've never been able to shoot with both eyes open.  Thankfully, I'm left handed and left eye dominant.........But for me, without correction, I'm just training myself to accept an unacceptable front sight focus because it's aways blurry indoors. 

[RangerTrace]

I managed to get in a VERY short dry fire session today with Jake being the shot timer.  

 

But worth mentioning is that I got in all 3 scheduled workouts which I believe are directly related to improved performance in these sports.

 

Tuesday, 02-06-2018 = Chest, Shoulders, triceps along with Abs and cardio

 

Wednesday, 02-07-2018 = Legs, abs and cardio.

 

Thursday, 02-08-2018 =  Back, biceps and cardio.....  

[RangerTrace]

Weathermen suck.  the cold front wasn't supposed to get here until after lunch.....It's 41 and dropping.  I was really looking forward to shooting my new Limited gun at the ETTS USPSA match.......oh well.  I will probably just go test my new mags at a nearby indoor range.

[RangerTrace]

Since the weather turned too cold, earlier than expected, I hit the local indoor range to work on group shooting, strong hand only and weak hand only training.  I also needed to see how the new MBX magazine and my stock mags would work with the new Freedom Gunworks Limited gun.  I only shot 150 rounds because I despise shooting indoors.  The EAS top focal shooting glasses do help see the front sight, but it makes the target even more blurry than it should be.

 

The MBX magazine ran 100%.  The STI mags with TTI base pads and stock STI spring/followers ran fine until the last round of the magazine.  Then they would either lock the slide back early, or the round would bounce out of the feed lips and cause a failure.  They wouldn't do anything consistently.  So, I'm about to order some Grams spring/follower kits from Shooters Connection.  I had extremely good luck with them when I was running Infinity mags.  Hopefully they are just as good with the new STI tubes.

 

As far as the new FGW Limited gun goes......it's very accurate, looks and feels great.  I look forward to shooting it in a match next month if the weather cooperates.  

[RangerTrace]

The weather was great today and I made it to the range for a rare 300 round live fire practice.  Mainly to see how the new STI mags worked with Grams spring/follower kits.  As always, I had to tune the corner of the followers to prevent lock back, but I was able to get 20 rounds reloadable with TTI base pads and they ran 100%.

 

As far as my shooting goes, I have definitely slowed down quite a bit over the last couple years.  I'm running a Blade Tech holster now, rather than Ghost, but I couldn't get below 1.18  for draw to first shot at 10 yards if I got the front sight picture needed for an A.  I ran a couple other various transition and reload drills, but the times weren't anything worth remembering.  

 

The positive = the FGW gun ran 100% and was accurate.  With less than 800 rounds through it, I'm very happy with the reliability.  I would love to say it's soft shooting, but compared to the 9mm minor I've been shooting lately,  it feels a little harsh.  It may be worth the money to add a steel grip if I really like the feel of the aluminum one coming on my work gun.

 

The negative = I'm rusty and slow.  I need lots of reps and a shooting partner.  

  

[RangerTrace]

I squeezed in a very rushed 250 round live fire session today with the FGW Limited gun.  I got called out to an Officer Involved Shooting towards the end, so my mind wasn't at the range as it should be.  Pistol is running 100% with the STI mags with Grams guts, TTI base pads.  Thats one less thing to worry about.  I'm finishing off the ammo I had loaded for my SV which had a slow barrel.  It's 5.4 grains of N320 under a 180 grain TMJ to 1.20".  Seems plenty accurate, but snappy as well.  

[RangerTrace]

I shot my first USPSA match with the new FGW Limited gun yesterday.  ETTS is running a 2nd Saturday/Sunday match now where they do all the set and tear down for $40.  Well worth the extra $10 for me to get to sleep an hour later and leave immediately afterwards.

 

I haven't been practicing at all.  Still can't find the motivation to dry fire when I get home from work.  After a year of shooting 9mm minor, the 40 major is going to take a little more getting used to.  I had 5 mikes for the match and all of them were from pulling the trigger before the sights settled for the next shot.  The gun/mags ran 100% for 204 total rounds.  My equipment is not holding me back......I just gotta get off my ass and put the work in.  Still managed a 2nd place finish in Limited. Oh and the weather was amazing!

[LMS]

On 3/11/2018 at 11:55 AM, RangerTrace said:

IAfter a year of shooting 9mm minor, the 40 major is going to take a little more getting used to.  I had 5 mikes for the match and all of them were from pulling the trigger before the sights settled for the next shot. 

 

How long / how many rounds did it take for you to get comfortable with the .40 major after the 9 minor?    I have been shooting 9mm Prod and CO for a couple years, but I am getting the strong itch to start shooting limited major, and I recall shooting a .40 gun and hating the snappiness.   Now it was not a competition gun (Beretta 92), but still....