Another Member of The Tribe

First Time Shooter Report

so anyway, back on Friday 11OCT13, a couple of colleagues and I went to the Island Lake Shooting Range to shoot the Sporting Clays range.  One of my colleagues was a mid-twenty-something young woman who had never fired a gun before.  (Yes, I know, taking a first time shooter to do sporting clays borders on cruel.  I didn't set it up, it just happened that way.  She's a Virginia Tech Engineering grad.  She dealt with it.)

On the first station, eight clays were presented.  She dusted the eighth, and was totally geeked.  By the fifteenth shot (out of 50), she was soliciting advice: what am I doing wrong? / why do you do that thing when you shoot? / can you see where my shots are going? / etc.

It was glorious.

We got "timed out" on the course and didn't get to shoot the last station.  The range staff came out and picked us up in a golf cart and carted us back up to the clubhouse.

We settled our bills (in compliance with my long-standing policy, I covered her range fees.  First time shooters shoot for free) and made our way out to the truck Fusion.

She was walking on sunshine.  About halfway back to the car, she turned to us and said "Next time, can we do rifles or pistols?"

Yes, Ma'am.  We can do both. All day.  

She has added pics of her shooting to her FaceSpace page; and has gone on about how many "Likes" she's received; and how she's told the "Dis-likes" to piss off.

We just added another member of The Tribe.  She's hooked.  I mentioned that Hello Kitty guns are available, she punched me in the chest.  (Again, Virginia Tech Engineering grad.  She holds her own)

more soon

Range Bag Loaded

I have a back-up plan...

so anyway, I've got all my range gear prepped and loaded up for tomorrow.  I expect to be set free from The Stoopid Business by 3:00-ish PM.

If it's not raining, I go to Island Lakes to pop some caps, both long gun and sidearm style.  Raining?  I go to FireArms Exchange and turn money into smoke and noise (and little 0.357" holes in paper).

It's good to have options...

I told you I have a back-up plan.

more soon...

P.S.: (Both Island Lakes and FireArms Exchange have been prominently linked here. Do your own damned Bing search, dammit) 

Recoil Therapy

I has a happy.....

so anyway, I managed to get some range time in late this afternoon, long gun style.  I had planned on shooting the Ruger as well, but I was having too much fun with the SKS.  We'll get to that in a minute.

First of, the venue.  Island Lake Recreation Area, one of the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources not quite "State" parks. (42°30'52.55" N 83°40'34.07" W for my fellow Google™ Earth freaks).  It is spectacular.

$10 buys you all day access to the range

The range(s) are operated by a private outfit, but I haven't drilled down deep enough yet to provide any 411.  I'll get back to you on that.

The Island Lake Shooting Range is very professionally run, with one small caveat.  I show up in the clubhouse (there's no other word that describes it) with my shooter's bag full of shooter's shit and a SKS slung over my shoulder.*  Tits McGorgeous signs me in and takes my money.  Did I mention that I had a SKS openly slung on my shoulder?  I did?  Good, we can move forward.

So, I get down to the firing line to be told by the Range Officer that my rifle must be in a case to enter the range.  OK, "his" range, his rules.  But don't you think that Tits McGorgeous could have mentioned that shit (that my rifle had to be encased) when she checked me in?  The front desk should know the rules.

Speaking of range rules, their policy is six rounds at a time.  I showed up with a collection of magazines that hold considerably more that six rounds.  I spent a fair amount of time emptying ex-cap mags and loading stripper clips in six round increments.  Next time, I'll set the rifle up with the stock 10 rd box magazine and load out the stripper clips with 6 rd each

Anyhoo, mild inconvenience, overall, a great range experience.  I know now.

Second, I shot a lot better today with the SKS.  I had forgotten what a laugh-riot the SKS is to shoot.  I was having so much fun, half way through my second reload, I get tapped on the shoulder by the Range Officer and told to reduce my rate of fire.

 I'm still not posting any targets, but 50% of my hits.were in the black at 50 yards using iron sights.  Most of the slop was my lack of recent hands on run-time with the rifle (I hadn't shot it in years), and I still haven't figured out the eyesight thing.  Part of it was environmental: I was dressed for the air conditioned office, now I was outdoors, in direst sunlight, on an 83°, very humid afternoon and sweating like a pig.  Remember, kids: dress for success...

The other lesson that I quickly re-learned about the SKS is that the metal parts on the fore end (especially the gas tube) get really freakin' hot really fast.  I'll be adding a leather glove for my left hand to my range bag.

more soon

* In retrospect, I should have knowd.  The reason I left the case in the car is that as I was unpacking my stuff from the trunk of the Mighty Commuter-Mobile, there were a couple of shot-gunners returning from the range carrying uncased shotguns.  They opened their trunks, re-cased their shotguns.  I was thinking "good idea, why mess with taking the case when I can just sling my rifle.  One less thing to mess with on the range."

Turns out I choose poorly.  Still, Tits McGorgeous should have said something.