Back At The Range, Finally

Between some inclement weather, family commitments, and range crowding, we haven't been able to shoot for a a couple of weeks. Finally the planets aligned Monday (ie, I finished work on time and it wasn't snowing) so we headed out late in the afternoon. We set up the "shooting gallery" of the day with a variety of targets; 2 USPSA paper targets, 2 - 10" steel plates, and the previously mentioned 3" spinner array.

We rarely just "stand and shoot," though that's certainly fun at times too. Our regular shooting companion is especially adept at coming up with challenging tests of our skills. I like to practice drills and exercises that may help in competition and/or self-defense, while still keeping it fun. This day we certainly did just that. We warmed up on the paper and the small spinners. While we did a variety of drills this trip, but most of our shooting was done on the move. In one drill we started back at about 15 yards and sprinted to a mark around 7 yards and then made attempted 2 head (upper A zone) shots on the USPSA targets. This was a "race" we ran in pairs for some extra pressure.

And then it got interesting. Starting at the 10 yard line, we shot at the 10" steel plates, while walking backwards and shooting weak-hand only. The shooter would fire 8-10 rounds while walking backwards, finishing at about 15-18 yards. We then repeated the drill while advancing. I always try to spend a bit of time single-hand shooting, but I don't recall expending so many rounds weak-handed, and definitely not on the move at those distances. Now if this would only carry over to the competitions after the buzzer! I like using the steel for these repeated, multiple shot exercises as it gives instant feedback, and there's no pasting targets. 

Before we knew it, the sun was setting, and it was getting cold(er). We packed up, policed our brass and got out just before dark, with fingers numb from the cold.

It was a really fun day, and a bit humbling at times. But the fun wasn't over. After dinner we remembered that Carl's was now open for the season, so we made a dessert run for hot fudge maple nut sundaes. That was about the only fitting way to top off a great time at the range!