I went to Long Range Alley http://www.hkpro.com/forum/louisiana/79261-new-gun-range-north-west-la-area.html last Saturday with Iron Eagle, and his daughter, as a guest. Thanks again Iron Eagle for the invite. We had a great time, and his daughter wanted to shoot a 1911, so I brought mine along, she loved it! And shot it well! With hand guns she shot a .22, .380, a .38 snubie, and the .45. She refused to shoot the .44 magnum! She liked the .45 best. She is 17, and it was the first time she had shot a handgun, if I'm not mistaken. The gun she brought was hers, and it was a .22 mag bolt rifle, open sights, and it shot very well. The reason I'm posting this is two fold. To accknowledge Iron Eagles invite, and to address yours, and my, abilities with a hand gun. I haven't been doing a lot of shooting with the .45, or .44 mag lately. Been working with the .38, and .44 spcl a lot. We were shooting at 50 yards, and I was having trouble hitting a basket ball sized pumpkin at that range, due simply to not enough practice. A medicine ball sized pumpkin would have been in real trouble! I just couldn't dial it in to less than a foot at that distance. I've heard it said that if you go two months without practice, you loose your ability to make consistent hits. It's true! I know that it costs money to get out there and practice, but believe me, it will show in your marksmanship! Good, or bad! The .45 is my carry gun, and you can be sure that it won't happen to me again!
What I've found personally is it depends sometimes on the caliber of the handgun for me. I can take time away from shooting and take my Colt Challenger out in .22lr and within two shots it feels like an old friend, and I'm hitting things just like normal. But... take time away from the .44mag, or .357mag, or jump back and forth between the two, and I get to where I'm having a devil of a time hitting, particularly with the .44. I blame recoil, or to be more specific the lack of "consistent" control of said recoil. Once I shoot the .44 (10in barrel blackhawk) enough to get my muscle memory back, I'm right back to hitting what I'm shooting at again. When I start I'm usually hitting high right, so I know then to start stiffening up my grip a bit and it comes right back to zero. But for most handgun shooting I think "Consistent" recoil control (whether light or stiff) is the key to consistent accuracy. Just my ten cents worth.
You are right on Carver. I have not shot as much as I wanted this fall and it tells when I do pull the trigger. I have a 16" and an 8" steel plate hanging at 50 yards. The 16" plate builds confidence and the 8" plate will humble me most days, ha. I think one of my problems is I like guns, the more, the better. But the down side is I don't spend enough time with a particular pistol so I wind up being a poor shot with them all, ha. You don't suppose it could be an age thing do you?
Agree totally, Carver and Todd ^^^! It's easy to not take the time to get out there and shoot, but it sure shows up when it's been a while!!! (sure holds true for me) I sort of live in an area where I can take a few shots every evening or morning right near (few feet) my front door and any chance I have, just a few shots to keep "it" going. Even if it's just the .22lr hand gun...it helps! I try and shoot my carry gun (Glock 19) every chance I get, even if it's just a coulple of shots at a time. (a person can lose "it" real quick if they dont take or make the time to get a few shots in now and then!)
When I come to your range, and I'm thinking it will be soon, I want you to see you too! Got to get over there to visit with my son, and his family, and will try to work in a day with you at the range. I'll give you a call when we know when!
And that my friends used to be my problem till I started cycling my guns and shooting all of them even if it was 50 rounds of 22 one day and 10 each 38 and .357 and 5 rounds of 44 mag a couple of days later. Keeps the cost down on the big thump ammo but keeps the feel of each gun familiar in my hands. Today its going to be BP revolvers and a little 7MM mag and 300 Wby mag thrown in for variety. Can't do this every day but I know the shooting I do today will mean if I need one of those the guns next week it will still be fresh in my head and muscle memory. Us old codgers get rusty in a hurry if we don't keep the gears oiled and moving.
With a full work week, 2 chilins, and busy weekends I have to search for time to shoot. It takes a good couple cylinders before I'm back on target. I so need more time over the weekends
I find it difficult to ballance saving ammo and keeping my skills up. Now days i'll take a specific ammount of ammo to the range verses the whole ammo can. Comming home without ammo isn't acceptable anymore .
It is true - you do need to keep up practice and at the cost of ammo these days that can get expensive. I just try to get out with my 1911 once every two weeks or so for one clip and that seems to be enough. I don't have many pistols though and the .38 is the only one I cycle into firing. I don't have a lot of ammo for the .38 though either so it gets limited to one cylinder. I pick up ammo when I can but that is getting less often these days.
