Gone Shooting - Colt 45 Day

I went to the shooting range again Monday morning. The weather was great and the crowd was light.

There were three Colt 1911 type pistols (all in .45ACP) that I decided to take. I haven't shot them very much this year and I'm definitely a little rusty.

I took my 1953 Government Model (top right). That's the one I actually carried for several years. I paid good money to upgrade the stock sights and then stopped carrying it shortly after. It has a larger fixed back sight and a Novak gold bead front, installed with a dovetail cut. It's definitely the easiest to shoot of the three. If I ever go back to carrying a 1911 it will be the one.

The second pistol (lower right) is another Government Model made in 1978. It's the first Colt 45 I ever bought and cost me the grand sum of $375.00 in 1991. I could've bought a brand new Colt for only a little more, the budget priced 1991 Model had just been introduced, but I decided to go with this used 70 Series. It didn't have the additional firing pin safety and this pistol was so much prettier with its polished blue finish. The 1991 had an ugly plain black finish and plastic trigger. I made the mistake of selling this Colt a couple years after I bought it to finance some other gun I've completely forgotten. Fortunately I knew who had it. Years later I was able to get it back and won't make that mistake again. FREE ADVICE - Don't ever sell a gun unless you are 110% absolutely positively sure. Nowadays this pistol is mostly a safe queen (along with another 70 Series my dad gave me) but I decided it needed to be shot. It has been years.

The third pistol (left) is a steel frame Colt Commander made in 1977. I first bought it in 2015 and took it shooting back in the spring. Last trip I only put some ball ammo through it and wanted to try out some hollowpoints this time, but I forgot to bring them. It's always something.

Gone Shooting - J Frame Day

I went shooting again Monday. The weather was perfect although a little cool for May, in the 40s when I left the house.

This time I took my Smith & Wesson "J" frame revolvers with me for practice. The Bodyguard and then later the lightweight Centennial I used quite a bit for several years. The Bodyguard 649 (upper right) was actually my first carry gun and my only one up until 2000. Now I hardly use any J-Frames at all.

For the last couple of years I haven't carried them except the lightweight 342PD (left) that sometimes I keep in my pocket around the house. Occasionally I will carry it instead of a reload for my main gun.

The third J-Frame is a 1953 vintage Chiefs Special (lower right) that's had a hard life. I've never carried that one. It's mostly retired now and is a backup to my backup.

Snub-nose revolvers are probably the hardest handguns to shoot accurately and I wasn't doing too well Monday. I was barely keeping the shots in the black (5-Inch). I hadn't practiced with them in a while and it showed. I actually did best with the 342PD. It's a lightweight gun but it always been the best shooting J-Frame I've owned. All three revolvers are unmodified but the trigger on that one was a little better from the factory. I was pretty rusty with these three and no doubt need to get them back to the range soon.

Gone Shooting - N Frame Day

I went to the gun range again Monday. The weatherman was threatening rain yesterday morning but I went anyway. Fortunately they were wrong again although it was quite windy.

I took a few of my Smith & Wesson "N" frame revolvers with me for practice. I own several more that need shooting but I only took the three pictured. Those are the ones that get used most often.

The 627 is the revolver that gets used most nowadays and it got the most range time yesterday. Yes, the other two antiques do get carried but not very often since I bought the 627. The stainless steel construction and 8-shot capacity make it my go-to revolver.

I got there when they opened and it wasn't too crowded yet. I stayed just long enough to go through a couple boxes of ammo. The lanes were filling up fast by the time I was leaving. All my shooting was at 10 yards. I shot in double action, that's the only way I shoot revolvers I carry.

I fired 100 rounds and kept all the shots in the black, and the only issue was the wind. I had to go out three times to fix my target. I used a cardboard target stand that the gun range sells and usually a couple good-sized rocks are enough to hold it down, just not yesterday.

Despite the wind I had a great time at the range again and hopefully I can go back before April is over. I have some "J" frames that need to be shot too.

Gone Shooting - 45 Day

Yesterday I went to the gun range, the first time this year. It was sunny but cold (33F). Sorry no pics again - I need to start checking that battery before I go.

I took along two pistols that needed shooting. The first was my "house" gun, a H&K USP 45. It is my main home defense handgun and I definitely needed to get in some practice with it. I left the light attached since that's how I have it at the house. I've shot it with and without the light and there doesn't seem to be a difference in POI but it does (slightly) alter the pistol's balance with the light on. As always the gun functioned perfectly.

The second pistol I took was a Colt 45 Combat Commander (blue - steel frame) that I originally bought back in 2015. I owned the Colt a short while and then sold it to my brother. I never fired it. After nearly a year I decided I wanted it again and he sold it back to me last November. He never shot it either. Finally yesterday the pistol made it to the shooting range. I put a box of ball ammo through it and there were zero issues. Dead on at 10 yards too.

It was another crowded day at the range. Lots of people shooting and like the last few times I've been there an abundance of "black" rifles on the firing line. It's great to see so many new people getting involved in shooting. I have to admit though that I do miss going to the range on a weekday morning and having it almost to myself. I guess those days are gone forever.

Gone Shooting - Pre Election Edition

I went shooting early yesterday. The weather was nice and I haven't been in a while. Apparently quite a few other people had the same idea. I got there just minutes after they opened and the lanes were nearly full already. By the time I was there twenty minutes there wasn't a single table left.

I took my AR-15s to check the zero on the red dot sights. No matter how this election turns out I might need them. About two thirds of the shooters down there were doing the same, practicing with some type of "Black" rifle, isn't that interesting. Happy election day - and good luck everybody!

Gone Shooting

I finally got to the gun range the other morning (sorry, no pics - dead battery) after over two months. Every New Year I make the same resolution, to go shooting at least once every month. I haven't made it yet, maybe I will, some year.

I needed to finish sighting in my Ruger pistol from my last visit but didn't take it this time. Since maintaining my self-defense shooting skills is more important I took my two main carry guns instead, my S&W 627 and 342PD. The weather was cooler than normal and I had a great time. I need to get out there more often.

Gone Shooting

I went shooting again yesterday morning. This time I took my Ruger Charger pistol. If you're unaware the Charger is basically their well-known .22LR 10/22 rifle with the stock removed, bipod and a shorter barrel. Mine is one of the old style, newer models have a pistol grip like an AR-15.

I bought this used in late 2014. Yes, I've owned it for nearly 18 months and just now got it to the range. That's how far behind I am.

When I bought this it had a cheap red dot sight attached but I wanted something with more accuracy potential. I had a nice fixed 4X Bushnell scope and some Leupold rings that weren't being used. A much more accurate set-up and didn't cost me an extra dime either.

I got to the range when they opened and spent most of the morning sighting in the pistol. At 50 yards it was completely off the paper (to the left) when I started but after many rounds I had it very close. I ran out of ammo before I could finish but it won't take much to complete the job next time. Reliability wasn't an issue at all.

Bulk Federal match (320 rd box) was the only ammunition that I used and the Ruger liked it very much. I had several 3-shot groups you could cover with you thumb nail. My best for the day was a single one hole group that measured 3/8 inch.

I also brought along my 627-3 from the last shooting session. Since I intend to carry this I wanted to run some more rounds thru it to double check reliability. Yesterday I only fired some "cheap" Remington full power 158gr loads and they're pretty stout from that 2.6 inch barrel. The guy one table over thought I was shooting .44 Magnums! Like the Ruger I did my shooting at the 50 yard line. With the short barrel and sight radius I wasn't expecting much although I managed to hit the target 75% of the time!

By then the morning was nearly through and the temperature was starting to rise. I called it a day, a good one.

Gone Shooting!

I finally went to the range yesterday - I hadn't been shooting this year! I have several guns I need to shoot and have for a while now, zeroing sights, test firing, etc., and it never seems to get done (I'm starting to sound like a broken record). Well, I got at least one done anyway.

Yesterday I took a S&W Model 627-3 that I bought last fall. It's an early 8-Shooter pre lock revolver that are becoming harder to find every day.

I got a good deal on the 627 because it was damaged and needed to be returned to the factory for service. Originally it was a Jerry Miculek V-Comp model that had a 5-Inch barrel with a detachable compensator on it, a nice gun but in that configuration basically just a range toy. I wanted something that might be more practical for using in the real world.

Since the 627 was back at S&W for repairs anyway I had them give me an estimate for the installation of a Performance Center 2.6 inch barrel. The price wasn't too bad so I had them do it, while it was there had the gun refinished too.

All shooting today was done from the bench at 50 feet.

I brought along two loads for testing in the 627, the Remington 158gr soft point, and the Buffalo Bore 125gr low flash round. The Buffalo Bore 125gr (19H) is my preferred round for any .357 Magnum revolver I carry. It's specially designed to produce lower flash and recoil in small, short barreled Magnums and in my N Frame .357 revolvers it's even more of a pussycat. As expected the 158gr loads were much more stout than the Buffalo Bore but still manageable. Accuracy with the 125gr rounds seemed slightly better or it could have just been wishful thinking on my part since I have to mentally justify the BB ammunition costing double what the Remington does. I fired 70 rounds through the gun, 50 rounds (158gr) and 20 (125gr) and there were zero issues with reliability.

I had a great time yesterday and will have to try it again sometime. This 627 is a revolver that I intend to carry, but I'll have to bring it to the range for at least one more test session before I do.

Gone shooting

I went to the range yesterday morning, the temperature was 70, the sky slightly overcast - nearly perfect shooting weather! I had a "new" gun I wanted to try, a Smith & Wesson SW99 (45 ACP) that I recently purchased.

If the gun looks familiar it is because I owned (and blogged) about a similar pistol that I had a while back, the SW990L. The two handguns are nearly identical; the main difference being that the 990L was more like a double action only type trigger while this SW99 has what Walther calls the Anti Stress (AS) trigger. I won't go into a detailed review of the differences today, perhaps at a later time.

It's possible that I might use this gun for concealed carry and self-defense so this time I was more interested in reliability than anything else. I took along several brands and types of ammunition for testing. Typically, when I want to check the reliability of a semi-auto pistol I will randomly load the magazines with various types of ammo and see how it does. Today I took 3 types of hollowpoint ammunition (all 230 gr), some old 230 gr ball and even some 185 gr semi wadcutter match ammo. All the above was loaded in the magazines with an effort to keep changing bullet types at least every few rounds and to top off each mag with something more difficult (like WC or HP) than ball ammo.

I fired 170 rounds in this fashion without a single malfunction. Today I shot at the 25 yard line and firing unsupported kept the groups at 4-5 inches. Next time I take this gun to the range it will be with my chosen self-defense load to see what it is really capable of.

I had a really great morning and hopefully will get back to finish testing real soon!

Gone shooting - Revolver Day

I finally went shooting Wednesday, the first time this year! It's hard to believe that I could go to nearly May without some range time but since I shoot outdoors my shooting schedule is entirely dependent on the weather. This year, so far, the weather has been a mess. Every time I planned to go it was either snow or rain, or snowy rain. There were a few dry days earlier, back in January and Feb., but I've lost my enthusiasm for going shooting when it's 10 degrees out. I must be getting old. We do have one indoor range that's not too far of a drive but I refuse to spend $11 per half-hour just out of principle.

Since I was taking my "new" S&W .357 I decided to also take a couple of my regular carry guns along to make it a all revolver day. I fired mostly cheap Winchester and S&B but also put a box of Buffalo Bore .357 thru the Magnums - GOOD TIMES! This latest .357 functioned perfectly but I was expecting no less. I was shooting it a little higher than normal, probably because I'm more used to the sights on the post war model. Overall, it was a great morning firing some fine guns.

Something else I noticed (and have been noticing more and more over the last year or so) are many new faces at the range. Up until recently I would go there on the weekday when they opened (9AM) and would have the range to myself. There might be 1 or 2 old-timers there at most. Nowadays it's almost guaranteed that there will be 5 or 6 shooters ready when they open the doors. Many appear to be new male shooters (of various ages) and also first time women (often accompanied by boyfriends/husbands) shooting too. The times, they are a changing.

Gone shooting - One last time for 2014

I went to the shooting range this morning, one last time for 2014. Every New Year I make a resolution to go shooting at least once a month but I never seem to make it. Typically it's the weather that stops me but other things, like life, come up too. In the last six weeks I had plans to go shooting three different times and we had rain or snow every one of them. This morning it was cold (32) with some minor drizzle. I went anyway.

I have several rifles and pistols that need to be test fired but this morning I only took my HK USP 45. It is my "House" gun and it has been several months since I shot it. I needed the practice. The pistol light stays on it most of the time now so that's how I wanted to shoot today. It has a different balance with the light on. The USP is monotonous in its reliability, which is what you want from a self-defense gun. I have owned this pistol for several years now with thousands of rounds thru it - not one malfunction - ever. The only drawback to the HK is parts (like magazines) are costly. When I bought this in 2009 12 round factory mags were about $50 unless you could find them on sale. Now they're about $75.

Checking back in my records I see that I did not fire one round of 22 Long Rifle in 2014. I have plenty stocked up but I just couldn't bring myself to shoot any. Not when you couldn't say if you could replace it. Remember when you used to buy 22LR for cheap and regular practice - or even fun? Fortunately, availability is getting better and prices are coming down. I guess all the hoarders are finally getting their fill.

Hopefully I will shoot a lot more in 2015 than this one. But of course I say that every year!

Gone shooting

I went to the range first thing this morning, but only stayed a short while. Last month I bought a 1965 vintage Colt Lightweight Commander (45 ACP) and I wanted to give it a quick test drive.

I didn't bring much ammo with me. As I said, I didn't want to stay very long, just long enough to see if this old Colt had any major issues.

I put a 50 round box of Winchester ball (230gr) ammunition thru it without a problem. I then tried some Federal "Hi-Shok" 230gr hollowpoints in it and experienced 2 FTF malfunctions (out of 20). The Federal stopped about halfway in but with a gentle push on the slide it fed the rest of the way. The recoil spring seemed strong enough so it's probably the feed ramp that is at issue. I've had older Colts like this before with the same problem. Since this was made before hollowpoint bullets became popular I really can't blame the gun.

I've had several old Colts that acted the same way, including a 1953 Government Model that I have carried for years. If the profile of the bullet is too flat they just won't feed without modifying the feed ramp. My '53 will load hollowpoints with a more rounded bullet design like the Remington Golden Saber. I expect this Commander will act the same.

Accuracy seemed average for what it is. The stock Colt sights aren't the easiest to hit with. This Commander recoiled more than I anticipated though. I been using steel frame 1911s for years. I wasn't used to this much snap.

This is a nice little Colt but I haven't decided if I'm going to carry it or not. If I was going to carry it regularly I would have to put better sights on it and correct the feeding issue, modifications that would destroy the collector's value of this pistol.

Gone shooting - Sig P556

I went to the range this morning. Perfect shooting weather, 65 and sunny. I've wanted to get my "new" Sig Sauer 556 pistol to the range since I bought it in July. I also had a Magpul 40rd magazine I recently bought and wanted to test too.

I brought along Winchester and Federal (55gr) and Federal (62gr) 5.56 ammunition as well as three sizes of Magpul mags. I should have brought some GI mags to test with it but forgot them. It'll have to wait until next time.

I started out the session by zeroing the gun. It was shooting a couple inches to the left for me but it was an easy fix with the Sig Diopter sight. After that, I shot 30 rds thru the pistol WITHOUT using the brace. I wanted to get a feel for how it handled when you didn't use it. I spent the rest of the time firing from a standing position while shouldering the brace.

Most of my firing time was with a standard USPSA/IPSC target. All shooting was at 25 yards.

There were no great revelations this morning; everything was just as I assumed it would be. Firing unsupported my groups were easily 2.5 times what they were when I shouldered the brace. They looked like a shotgun pattern, all over the "A" and "C" zones. Rapid fire (with any kind of accuracy) was nearly impossible.

The groups tightened up considerably when I used the brace. I was easily able to keep my shots in the big "A" zone. With a lot of concentration I could even keep my shots in the small "A" and the "B" area. The Sig has a 2 stage trigger that is a little on the heavy side with a lot of takeup. It is not match quality but once you get used to the feel it is more than adequate.

The gun ran flawlessly. I fired 140 rounds thru three different magazines without a malfunction. This gun really throws the brass though, about 25 feet at the 2 O'clock position.

As you would expect, muzzle flash and recoil with the 10-Inch barrel was greater than a carbine length one. But it was controllable even in rapid fire. That short barrel heats up real fast though!

The only downside this morning was that after I finished shooting I noticed the flash hider (appears to be a standard AR-15/M16 type) had come loose. I not really sure it was on there right to begin with.

I think I can say with some certainty that this Sig pistol is a "keeper" - as it is. But if the laws were to ever change and you couldn't have the brace I don't think I would want it. The thing is just a monster without it.

Gone shooting

I went shooting early this AM. The temperature was 70 and the sky partially overcast, nearly a perfect day for the range! I have several items on my gun "to do" list and today it was my Remington 870's turn. I have had it a while and needed to see how it shoots and functions. I wasn't really too concerned with function. I have owned a half dozen Model 870 shotguns over the years and have yet to own a bad one. I was more concerned with the stock. It has a factory issue folding metal stock and I didn't know how unpleasant it was going to be to shoot heavy loads through it.

I arrived right as they opened with my Remington and 40 rounds of various self-defense loads, mostly 00 Buckshot. I had some regular Winchester and some Remington LE "Reduced Recoil" rounds. I also fired a box of 1 oz. Brenneke slugs through it too. As I'm sure you could guess the reduced recoil loads were the least punishing, followed by the Winchester, and finally the Brenneke slugs were the harshest. None of them, not even the slugs, were too bad though. The metal butt plate didn't even leave a mark on me. I had thought I might have to switch to a regular synthetic stock but I have no issues with this folding unit.

The Remington shot straight and functioned flawlessly, you can't ask for more than that. The sights were especially good. This shotgun was built by Scattergun Technologies (the original one in Nashville TN) and was equipped with their tall front sight and ghost ring rear. It's a good set-up that makes it lot easier to get consistent hits. I liked the sights a lot and can see why they are so popular. This one is definitely a "keeper."

Gone shooting - Walther OSP

I went to the range again yesterday morning. The skies were clear and the temperature was 70, nearly perfect weather for shooting! I have several guns that need to be shot, either to try them out a first time or to sight in. It's my goal to have them all done in 2014. I will.

Yesterday I took my Walther OSP. I've owned the pistol now for way over a year and never got around to shooting it. It was time to change that.

The OSP is a competition designed pistol chambered in .22 Short only. The magazine, just ahead of the trigger, holds five rounds. Walther also made a model in .22LR and .32 (GSP) and all of them are known for their superb accuracy. Coming from Walther you would expect nothing less. This is not a gun that I would normally be interested in but in late '12 I had the opportunity to pick up this 1988 dated gun at a good price. I decided to take a chance on it.

I set out for the range with my Walther and two types of ammo just to see what it could do. Well, the Walther could "do" much better than I can. From a rest and with some RWS match ammo I was shooting half inch groups at thirty feet. I'm not used to such a fine trigger and it quickly became obvious to me that this pistol was capable of much more accuracy than I am. I also tried some CCI hollow point ammunition. Reliability was excellent with the RWS, I did have a few hang ups with the CCI.

As you would expect with a gun chambered in .22 short and with a weighted barrel, recoil was nonexistent. The oversized grips were quite comfortable too and made it a pleasure to shoot.

I had a great morning at the range yesterday but I haven't decided if I'm going to keep this Walther yet. Magazines and replacement parts are not cheap or plentiful, and to be honest I think maybe this gun might be too good for me.

Gone shooting - Rainy day R.A.P.

It was raining this morning; I went to the gun range anyway. You see, I have numerous pistols and rifles that I need to shoot, either to test fire for the first time or to sight in. I promised myself that I would get this task done this year and I intend on keeping that promise.

Today it was the R.A.P.s turn at bat. The R.A.P. (Republic Arms Pistol) 401 was a small 9X19 handgun (also offered in 40S&W) made in South Africa. A number of them were imported into this country about fifteen years ago at a very modest price.

The R.A.P. is a small (6.5 inch length) recoil operated pistol that works using the Browning tilting barrel system. It is all steel in construction and has a thumb safety/decocker that allows the gun to be operated in two different ways. The pistol can be carried with the hammer down on a loaded chamber and fired as a conventional DA/SA pistol, in which case you can press down on the safety and use it to decock the pistol. The safety can also be pushed up and with the hammer cocked you can carry the gun in condition one ("cocked and locked") if you prefer.

I purchased this excellent used one a few weeks ago for less than it actually cost new in 2001. Accounting for inflation I guess it has lost considerable value since then. The interweb verdict seems unclear about this pistol, I have seen numerous posts singing its praises and others claiming it to be the worst piece of junk ever conceived. At less than half the price of a used Glock I decided to take a chance on it.

The pistol is well made both inside and out. Fit and finish is excellent and the gun at least appears made to high tolerances, the slide/frame fit was very tight.

Today I just wanted to fire some rounds thru it to get a general idea of reliability and accuracy. I didn't set up a target; I didn't want to get my boots (and the inside of my car) covered with mud. There were a couple of 2 liter bottles that a shooter left on the firing line at approximately 15 yards. I decided that was good enough. I took a bag of loose 9mm with me, leftovers from previous range sessions. There were 110 rounds altogether, mostly consisting of Winchester ball, but also included ten rounds of Remington hollowpoints.

The pistol has a heavy but smooth DA trigger pull and a single action that breaks at about 4.5 pounds. The 3-Dot sights seemed to be right on and I was consistently hitting the bottles. I would say the accuracy was certainly good enough for the intended purpose of this gun. Function was flawless with several brands of ammunition and both ball and hollowpoints. Recoil was light because of the weight (approx. 35.5 oz. loaded) of the all steel gun. The finely textured grips helped in controlling the recoil too.

I still haven't decided if I'm going to keep this pistol yet but it has not given me a reason not to. The only reason I would sell it would be because of lack of support and accessories for it. Although Astra A-75 mags (and some parts) will supposedly work on it that won't help me if something major breaks.

The R.A.P. certainly made a good showing at the range this morning and from what I know about it (so far) I wouldn't have any misgivings about using it in its intended self-defense role.

Gone shooting - First time in a long time

It's been a long miserable winter but I think we are finally nearing the end! Yesterday, I went shooting for the first time this year. The only available range nearby is outdoors and since December every time I wanted to go there would be more rain or snow. I don't mind going shooting when it's cold but I hate when there's 2 inches of mud on the ground.

Finally, yesterday, it had dried out some so I packed a couple of guns and went shooting! It was still a little cool (low 50s) and windy but the weather was good enough for a morning of fun at the range. It was still a little muddy out so I kept the distance short (10 Yards) and brought a couple of guns appropriate to those ranges.

The first was a Ruger Vaquero chambered in .45ACP and the second an old 12 gauge Stevens 311 double barrel that someone shortened to near the legal limit (18 ¼ barrel and 31 inches overall). I traded both from my brother a while back and had to find out if either was a "Keeper." I didn't think the shotgun would be but I had to at least shoot it first to be sure.

Both guns functioned perfectly, no problems in that department. The Ruger however was shooting about 2 inches left for me. Also, because of the grip's shape and their smooth wood construction the Vaquero had a tendency to try rolling out of my hand under recoil. I did not like that at all.

The Stevens, with its shortened barrel and cut down stock, looks like it would be quite unpleasant to shoot. With normal defense loads I'm sure it would be but yesterday I brought a light load that tamed the old gun some. I used Remington reduced recoil LE rounds (RR12BK8-00). They consist of 2 ¾ shells loaded with 8 pellets of 00 (1 ounce) with a muzzle velocity of 1200fps. Supposedly it has 40% less recoil than standard 12 gauge buckshot. They did make shooting this sawed-off somewhat enjoyable. I put 25 rounds thru it yesterday and my shoulder isn't sore at all. These rounds are definitely great for practice and I'm sure people of smaller stature (or with physical impairments) would find them very beneficial. For home defense though I think I might want the hotter stuff.

I was the first on the line when they opened yesterday but I wasn't alone very long. Two younger guys with their ARs and Glocks were about ten minutes behind me. I must have looked like an illustration out of a history textbook with my old double barrel and single action revolver! I saw that one of the guy's Glock was highly modified and after he noticed me eyeing it he let me have a better look. It was a Glock 21 that was customized by Cold Bore Customs. Exploring their website it appears they have made a nice business for themselves reshaping polymer framed pistols. I must say they did a good job on this one I examined. I've owned two Glock 21 pistols over the years and the size and shape of the grip frame was my only complaint about them. This 21 actually felt good in my hand. IF I was ever going to own another full size Glock I would definitely consider having this company whittle it down for me.

All in all I had a great morning shooting. Maybe I'll make it a regular thing from now on!

Gone shooting - One last time

Went to the shooting range today, the last time for 2013. This year has really been bad for me as far as shooting. I've only gone a few times and haven't practiced with my carry gun nearly enough. All I can do is try to do better in 2014!

Gone Shooting

I went shooting on some private property yesterday. The weather was perfect, dry and 70 degrees. I have several guns that I need to shoot for various reasons but have been putting it off for months now. Yesterday I took my two Ruger Mark II pistols. The Government target model I've had for a while. It is a wonderful target pistol, exceptionally accurate but will still shoot anything you feed it. The Standard model is a 50th Anniversary gun I inherited from my dad. It had never been shot and I needed to try it out. The Ruger MKII has to be one of the finest semi-auto .22 pistols ever made. I've never had a problem with one and yesterday was no different. Mark II pistols are still reasonably priced right now but it's a good bet their value will only be going up since they're not made like this anymore.

Gone Shooting

It was an absolutely miserable day to go shooting but I went this morning anyway. I guess I just like to punish myself. It has been raining here off and on for several days and the mud was deep, the humidity was awful too. But, as I've mentioned several times before on this blog I have quite a few guns I need to shoot. I would like to finally get the job done. I didn't shoot much from late '11 thru most of 2012 and got behind. I also inherited some guns from my dad which didn't help the problem either.

Today I took a 1959 Winchester Model 88 (.308) that I got from Dad. He had a modern fixed 4X scope mounted on it. The scope was alright but I thought a vintage Weaver 2.5 X 7 variable I had was a much better fit for this classic Winchester.

The gun shop bore sight it for me and then I did the rest myself. I didn't really do much shooting though as I forgot my spotting scope and since the Remington 165 gr hunting loads I was using are almost $1 apiece I didn't feel like wasting many. I was able to get the rifle on paper at 100 yards. Later this year, when the weather is more comfortable, I'll finish the job.