Range Report

After today's ride, I was ready--I put my range equipment in my trunk this morning, because I just knew that I'd have time after the ride to get some practice in...I should really call it training, since I'm doing the MPL with the goal of being NRA handgun qualified as something more than just the basic "Marksman" at the end of the season.

I was actually surprised to see the range so full today...but then it was the week after a gun show, so people have to get to know their equipment better, I guess. Maybe next Wednesday, we'll see if it's thinned out some. I also saw a bunch of VT shirts here, too, but then I shouldn't be surprised--there are lots of people went to or support Virginia Tech that are interested in firearms, as well. They just all happened to be wearing a VT shirt today--I was still wearing my VT Cycling Jersey, so I fit right in =)

Got on the range after a 10-minute wait and put 50 rounds through my revolver in two-handed double-action at 30 feet as a warm up (which was also the last 50 rounds of one brick of ammo). Then I opened another brick and set to work with slowfire. Man, I was sucking: no target I shot had more than 16 holes in it, and none had more than 11 in the black. Teh suck.

Didn't help, either, that the quality-control on the lot of the brick I was using was quite terrible: a bunch of times I pressed the trigger and only a very mild "pfft" and some sparks would result, leading me to think there were a ton of squib rounds. When I poked a rod down the barrel, however, it came out the other end with no bullet, so I can only assume that the round had enough ass to kick the bullet out the barrel and then the bullet promptly fell to the floor. I'd better shoot off this brick as soon as I can, and make sure I don't have any other bricks from that lot...

Oh well. Going to the range again tomorrow, going to work on more slow-fire. I tell ya, it's nice to have to clean only one gun at the end of the day. Makes me feel the other guns are kinda lonely, though, because it's always the same gun getting cleaned.

Hmm...maybe I can find a range in Blacksburg to keep my practice up (I'm going down to the 'Burg for the Spring Football Game). Or maybe I can get back early enough on Sunday to get out to the range...Yeah, I think I'll plan on doing that.