I went for my second shooting lesson today, which I think you could call my second Second Amendment lesson. The teacher this time was Joe, a friend of my last teacher’s, who also happens to be an ex-police officer. Joe brought the guns, and I discovered that I’d better start doing this on a more regular basis. It took a while to get back into the swing of loading and unloading a weapon. But I got the hang of putting ammunition in the clip fairly quickly. The two guns were a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver and a .22 pistol (whose origin, I’m sure, Joe will alert me in the comments or email). I can shoot the .22 all day long. (The target pictured below is one of my best groupings with it.) It’s fun and easy.
The Smith & Wesson made my hand tired after a few uses. It also rather surprised me the first time I fired it. Oops. Bit more of a kick than the .22. I need to build up my hand and arm muscles. I should go back to to the rock climbing gym. You use many of the same muscles to climb as you do to hold a gun and fire it.
There were an awful lot of young men at the range today, and one of them rented what looked like a military semi-automatic rifle. I have absolutely no desire to try a weapon like that, but I was curious enough to stay until I saw him fire it. I think I may head back on my own and rent one of the rifles. Now that I no longer teach on Sundays, I finally have the time to hit the ranges and see what I like. Although it’s a rather expensive habit, but I was warned about that.
My new teacher declared himself very satisfied with my shooting skills today. I was thinking I really need to renew my prescription. It was getting tough to sight the target clearly. But overall, I did well enough to stop an attacker. Most of my shots were within a five-inch range, Joe said.
I think two or three more trips to the range will be enough for me to make up my mind about which guns to buy. The crime rate in my neighborhood is sure convincing me I need one. The range holds classes every other weekend. I’m busy this weekend, but two weeks after the Fourth, I think I’ll take that all-day class and learn about the gun laws in Virginia, shooting and cleaning a weapon, and protecting yourself with your Second Amendment right.
Overall, I think my second Second Amendment lesson went really well.
Wonderful shooting!
As for a prescription, do you wear bifocals? That can represent a challenge.
Also, be aware – it’s a very addictive activity :-). Worse than potato chips (or latkis).
Next up, the CCW class and your carry permit.
Any place nearby have an evening shooting league? Like bowling only the skill set is more useful. My local club is Wednesday nights.
Yes, I do wear bifocals. I didn’t think of that, but yeah, that’s probably part of the problem. The other part is that I’m overdue for a prescription change.
I’ll check for the club when I take the class.
Hey, I was in a bowling league as a teenager. I had a 146 average.
Meryl, find a person that shoots a lot and reloads. Try to get him/her to reload “handicap” .38 loads for you.
I’ve got a Model 13 S&W in .357 mag. I reload .38 “handicap” loads, which allow me to shoot it ALL DAY, it’s like shooting a 22!
Good luck with your shooting, start saving your money now as it’s more addictive then crack!
Besides all the talk about shooting being addictive – it’s important to keep practicing so that the right things happen if you ever do need to use the gun. At those times, proper firearms use has to be automatic.
Good grouping, Meryl!
Looks and sounds like you’re a natural.
Keep at it.
Oh yeah, one more thing…..
I know what you mean about the hand getting tired. I shoot my 9mm Beretta. It has some pop but it’s manageable, and I’m used to it. If my memory serves me, a 38 Special has about the same kick.
A couple of years ago a friend went shooting with me and he brought his 44 Magnum. I think it’s the gun Dirty Harry used. We shot “hot” loads – cartridges with extra powder for higher bullet velocities. 6 rounds and I was done – my hand was battered and it wasn’t worth the pain.
That is a pretty good grouping. I look forward to seeing more pics like these.
Wow, an American Jewish woman that knows how to shoot a gun!
Very rare for now, but IMO, a sign of the times ahead.
Looks like you are a “natural” at this.
I was an expert pistol marksman in the service, but I don’t think the training prepared me well to use a sidearm in a self-defense situation on the street. We mainly focused on hitting a target 25-50 yards away and realoading while under concealment and without taking eyes from the target. In other words, to win a gunbattle with another armed person.
I would think that, for street protection, you would be more concerned with accessing the weapon fast and hit something only a couple feet away, without endangering bystanders. Not sure how to train for that
Multi-cylinder or multi-magazine challenges. Three loads or clips into three different targets as fast as possible. Total score for all shots is divided by time in seconds to complete the challenge, which includes drawing the gun at the start and holstering it at the end (optionally with the requirement that the gun be holstered and drawn after each reload).
Like any test that factors in speed, though, it’s for experts only. It’s hard enough to keep beginners from shooting themselves in the foot, without time pressure.
I really better watch my formatting, spelling and grammar.
:-)
Soccer Dad, you know I’ve never needed a weapon to enforce grammar (or anything, really) on my blog. Juvenile scorn can do the job quite well.
The weapon is an equalizer for me and the bad guys.
Ooh, a good-looking woman who’s armed…if I were just a little more…well, no need to go into that.
I love our rights, Meryl…I peaceably assmble and all that, and glad to see you’re bearing arms.
My training manuals aren’t here right now, but the whole bifocal thing can mess up your sight picture. Just something to be aware of (or use a red dot sight and skip the whole problem, at least for target shooting).
Training for self defense can be quite challenging, but is very rewarding. I recommend either LFI or Gunsite (I’ve done LFI-1, and plan to go back for 2,3 and 4).
IDPA matches are a blast.
I’m with Alex in #13…yes indeed, good looking Jewish woman with a gun…where were they when I was single? Alas, it just wasn’t like that 30 years ago when I lived in NJ.
Personally I prefer a baseball bat, but I can see why some enjoy a gun.
Nice shot group. I am a fairly large man, but I still have a faint scar on the top of my forehead from where the front site post of a .45 hit me the very first time I fired a gun. Handling the recoil is much less about strength than technique. As to the military rifles – or the M-16 at least, it fires at incredibly high velocity but has no recoil.
If you are looking for a weapon for self defense, I would start checking out the 9 mm.
At any rate, happy shooting. Linked.
http://wolfhowling.blogspot.com/2008/06/interesting-posts-from-around-web-1_30.html
Re #13 and #14:
Nice pro-2nd Amendment Jewish men aren’t especially plentiful either… :-(