This has been a watershed summer as far as shooting goes. Visualize this factiod: I've reloaded 4,000 rounds of ammunition in four calibers! That says it all: four thousand rounds. And, golly gee, almost 95% of those rounds have been shot at something. Maybe even a few of them hit their intended targets. We've loaded over 2000 rounds of 9mm, 750 rounds of .45 ACP and 1250 rounds of .38 Special and .357. Yikes. If anyone would have told us back in June that we would load 4000 rounds of ammo by mid-August, we would have scoffed and laughed a belly laugh. Nah, ain't no way, Jose (or Hose B). But it's true.
The other amazing thing about this summer has been the sheer number of firearms that have drifted in and out of our possession. Since we started shooting in IDPA and ICORE, we have actually used SIX different pistols and revolvers in competition. We started with a Glock 19; then used the Taurus PT111 Mil Pro 9mm; then tried our S&W 686, delightedly fired the Bonomo Custom 1911, went back to the Glock and then the 686 and now, finally, we are using a brand new S&W M&P 9mm. Our little antique 1974 S&W Airweight was pressed into action at an ICORE BUG match August 21.
We've never been particularly good at pistol or revolver shooting but we've become a lot better this summer than ever before. It doesn't show in our IDPA or ICORE scores but we know the difference. We're shooting that little snubnose, for example, better than we've shot it in 37 years! We can actually reliably put five shots into a silhouette from 20 yards. Now, bear in mind that no one in their right mind would use a 2-inch barrel .38 Special to attempt to shoot someone at 20 yards--those little five-shot revolvers are designed for real close-in situations. Also, bear in mind, you'd probably get arrested and go to jail for shooting someone at 20 yards. How could they possibly be a threat to you from 20 yards away? Well, yeah, I know that's debatable but that's the way it is with our court system these days. However, it's real nice to know thatI really COULD hit a target at 20 yards with a tiny flea flicker revolver like the Airweight. And, I'll tell ya what, at 7 yards, I can group those five shots in two inches in the middle of Center of Mass. That's something I've been unable to claim for the past 37 years.
Shooting the four-inch barrel S&W 686 is a genuine delight. The term "tack driver" comes to mind. It's such a fun revolver. I won't be shooting it at IDPA anymore but I sure do look forward to shooting it in future ICORE matches. What a hoot.
The most accurate pistol I own is the Bonomo Custom 1911. It has no peer for accuracy, not even the 686. It is the first pistol I've ever experience that I would call a "self-aiming" pistol. If you point it in the general direction of the target, the pistol will take care of the rest and put a bullet right smack dead center of the target. It's amazing but true. Plus, it will do it from any distance. The pistol could make a shooter of any skill look like a professional. I don't know what voodoo, Tom put into that pistol but it is truly amazing. I love it dearly and consider it a Family Heirloom. We're actually going to keep it in a shadow box when it's not in use so we can admire it's awesome, historic beautifulness.
We won't be using the 1911 in competition. Why is that? Well, the other people who use 1911's in IDPA are amazingly proficient with their pistols. It comes down to your personal reaction time in the draw, target acquisition and reloads, as well as the speed of your trigger. The draw and reloads are the key. There's simply no way I could possibly EVER be as competitive as the people who shoot in that Division. They are as fast as a striking rattlesnake and their accuracy is pinpoint. They can reload their 1911's faster than I can even imagine. Next summer, I will probably enter the 1911 once in awhile just for grins. But it wn't be a regular competitor. Even if we are not going to use it for regular competition, it is clearly, easily our favorite pistol and will be forever and all time! THANKS, Tom!
We're sticking with 9mm for IDPA. Now that we have finally found the "right" pistol, we're going to shoot the heck out of it and strive to become ever more accurate and fast with the draw and reloads. The Glock will soon be gone. We sold the Taurus some time ago. So, we have only one 9mm now and we are very happy with it. We first "discovered" the S&W M&P at the July 16 Ross Coin & Gun Range Day. We fired both the regular M&P and the Pro model. The Pro model was amazing but it costs twice as much as the regular model. When we found an M&P for $460 shipped, we jumped right on it.
It took us awhile to get the hang of the M&P. We took delivery on it August 17. Yep, that's a Wednesday. We hurriedly shot 60 rounds through the pistol and then used it in that night's IDPA match. We didn't do real well because of the lack of practice. We had not even practiced beyond 10 yards so we did terrible on IDPA targets at 15 and 20 yards. We finished 33rd out of 45 shooters but we were quite pleased considering it was the first day we owned the pistol.
In they recent days that have followed we began practicing practically every day, especially at the longer distances. Up close, the M&P will always hit center of mass no problem. Well, we couldn't hit jack sh*t at 20 yards so we put in a plea to the Match Director, Doug McK. to help us. He spent almost two hours with us this week going over all the flaws in our grip, trigger control and sight plane and so forth. The M&P has interchangeable backstraps so we switched down to the small one and implemented Doug's advice in the other areas. My, oh, my, what a difference those changes have made. now we can place all our shots at 20 yards like we know what we are doing. It makes a world of difference and the pistol is definitely a keeper.
Last night was the first time all summer that we were pleased with our performance during an IDPA match. In only its second appearance, the M&P really shined. It's the perfect IDPA pistol for us. Earlier in the week, we had our reloads chronographed and they came in at an average of 1088 fps. This calculates to a Power Factor of 125,120, just 120 over the minimum necessary to be IDPA legal. So, we're happy with our loads, they shoot fine in the M&P and life is finally good as far as shooting in IDPA goes. From here on out it's just a matter of practice and more practice.
Bill S. is one of the best IDPA shooters. He says that a year ago he couldn't hit anything and was embarrassed by his performance. He went out and spent thousands of dollars on his own lead casting setup and the top of the line Dillon progressive press. He's burned through way over 20,000 rounds since then and has enough supplies on hand to make up at least another 50,000 rounds. (Not a typo.) Bill is a BIG devotee of practice and, as he says, there's nothing that 20,000 rounds can't cure. Well, I am sure that's true. I know I won't be shooting 20,000 rounds anytime soon, at least in this lifetime, but I intend to continue to load 9mm and practice on a regular basis.
I am looking forward to the laid back Tuesday shoots down in Arizona this winter. I hope to use those weekly social occasions to maintain at least some basic proficiency with our firearms, especially the 9mm.
I harbor no false notions of ever being one of the local IDPA's top shooters. My long-term goal there is to be consistently in the middle of the pack--a solid average shooter, if you will. I don't care if I am at the top of the heap. I want to know that I can maintain a consistence level of performance and shoot well with the local group each week. That's going to be good enough for me. Actually, I have quite a ways to go to pull my times up to that level so being merely average is actually going to be quite a personal challenge for me. Maintaining "average" will be an ongoing challenge as well. Just being average with the local IDPA shooters is actually quite an advanced level of proficiency.
I finished last in the August 21st ICORE match. I was lamenting that fact to our neighbor Bill S. and he said, "Being last with that group of shooters is not bad at all, John." I hadn't thought of it that way but it didn't take long to realize Bill was correct. The ICORE shooters are a dozen of the very best pistol shooters around. They all are consistently some of the top scorers at IDPA and in other matches. They are incredible. So, maybe I couldn't beat myself up too badly for finishing last with that group. Very few of the ICORE shooters use a two-inch barrel in what's called the BUG matches. BUG, of course, stands for "Back Up Gun." The rules say your BUG can have a three inch barrel and, believe me, that extra inch makes a world of difference in accuracy. Several of the ICORE shooters complimented me on my use of the two-inch Airweight. So, even if I finished last, at least I put up a good show and TRIED to be competitive.
All of the match-grade shooting has done great things for my overall pistol and revolver proficiency. Frankly, I never, ever dreamed I would be able to actually shoot with a group of really good shooters. I can't even begin to describe my fear and dread on the first day I went to an IDAP match. I felt like a genuine fish out of water and just hoped I wouldn't look like an idiot. It's a wonder I didn't shoot my leg off during that first match. I had just bought the Glock 19 the night before and was using a goofy inside the waist band leather holster. I had no experience whatsosever with the Glock trigger mechanism. Dear Friend Gary W. had put the fear of gawd in me by telling me all sorts of stories about accidental discharges with Glocks. And, to top it off, I had missed the ENTIRE target board on my first 16 shots in practice earlier in the day of that first match.
It looks to be a grim night for me that day. I will never forget the very first stage in that initial IDPA match. It was called The Crack Head. There were five silhouettes on a diagonal line. You had to shoot the farthest one first and then each in succession until the closest one. For the close one, you were required to do a head shot. When I stood up to the line, I really had no hope, realizing, of course, I had missed my first sixtenn shots earlier in the day. But something magical happened that hooked me on IDPA right on the spot. I hit each target precisely where I was supposed to and finished with a perfect head shot, all in 9.81 seconds! It was my first time to the line and the other members of my squad were quick and generous with their praise. That broke the ice for me and it's been a great ride ever since.
The biggest gift this summer has been the support and camaraderie of the other IDPA and ICORE shooters. They are some really great people. They have helped me a lot and been ever encouraging. I've spent so much time at the facility, I have been calling it my "home on the range." The helpfulness of the other shooters reminds me of part of the chorus to "Home on The Range."
- Home, home on the range,
- Where the deer and the antelope play;
- Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
- And the skies are not cloudy all day.
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