Training - Recoil – It’s a Thing

“Man!!  That baby will flat out knock you on your butt!!” 

“Why the kick from that pistol is gonna take your hand off!!”

“With paws like mine I should have any problem controlling the recoil!”

And so the discussions of recoil, “kick” go . . .

I picked up a Ruger LC9S a few days back.  I had purchased a LC9 when the original hammer fired version came out but stopped carrying it when the trigger went sideways on me.  That generated a post a few years back on why you should always shoot your carry gun on a regular basis.  Since that time I’ve stopped carrying that particular pistol and I use it in my course work as a “visual aid” when I talk about the topic of shooting your carry gun.

The next day after my purchase I grabbed a hundred rounds and headed to the range.  My primary purpose was just an initial evaluation of the handgun and to work my way through a couple different drills.  I started with 2 magazines at 3Y, 5Y and 7Y.  I was fairly impressed with the results.  The trigger is greatly improved over the original version in my opinion and the little guy was pretty darn accurate as long as I paid attention to sight picture, sight alignment and trigger press . . . and ignored the fact that the recoil is . . . mmmmm . . . “snappy” . . . let’s say that . . . SNAPPY!  (I’ll return to this since that IS the purpose of this post)

     

       

       

Next I put up an SEB target and ran a number of drills.  My first was from 5Y and it was Rob Pincus’s “take a lap” drill.  One round in each numbered box. I dropped 2 rounds, one on the “2” and one on the “6”.  From there I went to the accelerated pairs at 5Y and 7Y.  Next I did the Gunsite “failure drill” at 3Y and dropped 2 on the ocular cavity box.  Finally, I ran 15 rounds through from 50 feet into the pelvic girdle box.  I dropped 3 there.  All in all, for the first time running any rounds through the firearm, I’ll take it. 

Bottom line on the gun, I like it.  It’s accurate, not a bad tradeoff of size and capacity.  I’ll carry it in a “7+1” mode with two spare 7 round magazines so I’ll have 22 rounds on my person rather than the 30 I have when I leave the house with my G17.  But, for summer carry this will provide one other acceptable alternative IMNSHO anyway.

So . . . . back to the “SNAPPY” recoil . . .  l want to spend some time on this from a physics POV, a management POV, a “run the gun” POV and a handgun “fit” POV.  First, let’s get on the same page as far as the words are concerned.  Some definitions . . .

Recoil:          a movement backwards, usually from some force or impact. The recoil of a pistol is a backward movement caused by momentum.

Momentum:            property of a moving body that the body has by virtue of its and motion and that is equal to the product of the body's mass and velocity a property of a moving body that determines the length of time required to bring it to rest when under the action of a constant force or moment

Newton’s 1^st Law:  Every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it. (Commonly referred to as “inertia” as stated as “a body at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by an external force”)

Newton’s 3^rd Law:  For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Foot Pound  A unit of energy, one foot-pound is the energy it takes to push with one pound-force one pound for a distance of one foot.

Da Physics

We start at the beginning – with the cartridge.  It consists of 4 components – the case, the primer, the powder and the bullet.  Two elements have “potential” energy – the chemical compound in the primer and the gun powder the primer ignites.  The sulfur in the gunpowder burns first once the primer is stuck, the potassium nitrate with its free oxygen acts as an oxidizer and they then burn the remaining carbon in the gun powder.  Gas is produced and forces the bullet out of the casing and down the barrel.  The potential energy of the chemical compounds is changed to enough pressure to send the bullet out of the barrel at 1190 fsp for the Winchester 9mm ammunition listed below and in the process this chemical reaction generates 362 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle of your 9mm handgun.

At this point Newton’s 3^rd law “kicks” into action.  (See what I did there?).  A force equal to the 362 ft-lb that pushes the 115gr bullet out of the barrel also acts to drive the entire handgun rearward with that same 362 ft-lb force.  This is the handgun’s “Recoil”.  And that is what I want to talk about.

From a management POV

“Ya gotta control the recoil!!!”  says your instructor.  Listen folk . . . you can’t “control” it, you’re simply not strong enough.  Even for the tier one, super Delta types – recoil is “managed” and not controlled.  So let’s first see what mechanical things help us to mitigate the recoil of your handgun.

Mass . . . the mass of your handgun helps.  Remember the first law – a body at rest tend to stay at rest . . . unless acted on by an external force – say 362 ft-lb of recoil force.  The larger the mass, the more energy it will absorb and the lower the “felt” recoil will be.  For example, my daughter really enjoys shooting my Springfield 1911.  To her the felt recoil is much reduced over some of my other options.  That is due in large part to the fact that it weighs 39 oz. with an empty magazine – nearly 2.5 pounds!  That will do a great deal to mitigate its recoil.

The Firing Cycle and mechanics of the handgun . . . the energy from the cartridge runs much of the firing cycle.  It drives the slide back, which ejects the spent casing as well as “loads” the return spring.  The return spring drives the slide forward and strips a cartridge from the top of the magazine and then seats it in the chamber.  It also cocks the hammer or sets the striker.  Add to that the friction of metal sliding against metal, the heat generated and even more of the recoil is absorbed and mitigated.

Mass of the Shooter . . . finally, we get to the end of the chain in the mitigation of your handgun’s recoil.  You . . . and your mass.  The remainder of the energy that is left will be used to drive your body rearward.  Any mechanical weaknesses in your grip, the way you’ve driven your arms outward, your stance . . all will allow the recoil to be SNAPPIER and will move you in such a way that may well be painful and prohibit you from reacquiring your threat in a timely fashion should the need arise.  So let’s work from “gun to butt”.

Grip . . . I’ve talked about the Grip before.  You want your dominant hand high on the back-strap getting the barrel’s centerline as close to the centerline of your extended arm as you can get it.  You want your support hand’s meaty part of its palm to close the gap left on the grip by your dominant hand and its fingers to wrap around those of your dominant hand as well, providing a full 360 degrees of coverage by your grip.  You want to have a very firm grip . . . but I do not subscribe to a “death grip” on your handgun.

The grip is the first point of weakness that can occur.  A weak grip allows the recoil to drive the gun off center and in a worst-case scenario it could actually drive the handgun completely out of your hands.

Driving your arms to the threat . . . I encourage my students to “drive the blade to the center of the threat”.  This means that your arms are fully extended and the elbows are held “firmly” in place.  I am also not a proponent of locking your elbows.  I want them “firm” but not “locked”.  This is also a point of weakness.  If your elbows are not firm enough, a part of the recoil will move your elbows a bit.  This will take energy from your handgun and in the case of semiautomatic pistols is a leading cause of “failure to eject” or “stove pipe” issues.  The common term is “limp wrist-ing” but it has more to do with arms and elbows rather than wrists.

Nose over toes . . . is the next component in the “gun to butt” evaluation.  You want your weight forward and “into the gun” rather that the shooter leaning back.  You put more of your mass immediately behind the gun and allow it to mitigate the recoil simply because it takes a fair amount of energy to move even the average person’s body mass reward.

Stance . . . the typical phrase is that your feet are shoulder width apart.  And, I usually take my dominant foot about half a foot’s length back as well.  This is commonly called a fighting stance or defensive stance.  It’s not exaggerated, just comfortable.  And, if you have a firm two handed grip, have driven your front blade fully in front of you at the center of the threat, if your nose is over your toes and you have a solid grip on your handgun . . . you are in the best position possible to allow your body to absorb your handgun’s recoil in the center of your upper body where a major portion of your physical mass is.  It is this that allows you to “manage” your recoil in such a way that if the need arises you can have rapid and accurate follow-up shots. 

Run the Gun . . . is one of the primary reasons you manage recoil as consistently and properly as you can.  If you do not help contain as much of the recoil energy as you can in the gun, it’s just won’t run right and failure to eject will become your new best friend.  Your entire “package” – stance, nose over toes, grip, driving straight out to the threat . . . all allow you the best chance to manage the recoil, insure the firearm functions properly and positions you for the 3 to 5 rounds high center mass that may well be needed to stop a mortal threat barreling in your direction.  These things allow you to run the gun – your gun – to the best of your ability.

Fit . . . is the last piece of this little walk through recoil.  And the most important in my opinion.  We’ve all see YouTubes of the jerk boyfriends who give their girlfriend their .454 Casull revolver that shows her splitting her forehead open on the muzzle of the revolver as the recoil drives it out of her hands and into her face.  An obvious example of a handgun that is NOT a good fit for the shooter.

Other examples are subtler.   For example . . . the LC9S that the hubby buys for his wife because it’s the “right size” for her hand.  That may well be true but if she doesn’t have hands strong enough for a firm grip the results – while not as dramatic as a .454 Casull – will still be frustrating if she can’t consistently shoot her firearm accurately.  The amount of energy generated by 9mm round is exactly the same whether fired from a 17oz LC9S or a 43oz 9mm Loaded Springfield 1911.  However, one will do much more to mitigate recoil than the other. 

Also, smaller grips do not always mean a better grip is possible by the shooter.  All of these things go into whether the handgun is a good “fit” for the shooter.  And to that the ability to “run the gun” – easily load the firearm, work the slide or cylinder release, clear malfunctions – these things also go into the concept of “Fit”.

Bottom line . . . smaller guns are susceptible to a “SNAPIER” felt recoil simply because . . . “smaller gun”.  The only thing that can mitigate that is the shooter through their grip, stance, the way they drive to the threat and getting their weight forward and into the gun.  For most this is a learned process . . . for some it is simply not physically possible for their body to mitigate the recoil enough to accurately shoot it.

And, on other part of this equation.  To be competent with your firearm, you need to shoot your firearm frequently enough to get competent and to maintain competence.  If it beats you up, hurts your hand and is just plain no fun to shoot . . . you won’t.  And, you’ll develop all those crappy training scars that goes along with this as well.

My advice.  Try a bunch of different handguns.  Choose one that fits, that you can run, that you can shoot accurately and one that you can well and truly manage the recoil on.

Additional info and links . . .

Energy of a 9mm 115gr cartridge in foot pounds

http://www.winchester.com/PRODUCTS/HANDGUN-AMMUNITION/Value/Full-Metal-Jacket-handgun/Pages/USA9MMVP.aspx

A Physics discussion on Momentum for the geeks in the crowd . . .

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/momentum/u4l1a.cfm

Newton’s 3 laws explained . . .

https://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/newton.html

Interesting discussion of “foot pounds of energy”

http://www.lasc.us/TaylorHowHard.htm

Kenetic and Potential Energy

http://www.softschools.com/difference/kinetic_energy_vs_potential_energy/124/

Range Trips - They Take Time

The week ended today, the weather is amazing, all the week’s alligators have been slain (I think) . . . what to do, what to do . . .  Range Trip!!!!

 I know you may get tired of my saying it . . . but if you go to the range, have a purpose.  Why are you going?  What do you want to work on?  What will be the weapon/weapons of choice?  What targets should you bring?  Are they “scorable” so you can track your progress?  Finally, what do you have time to do without rushing your range session.  And that’s what I want to spend a bit of time on . . . range trips, they take time.

 Last weekend I was range master for a BSA BB Gun Shoot at our local scout camp.  We had 24 lanes, 400 scouts, 300 parents and ½ hour sessions on the range.  In fact, for all but 3 of the ½ hour sessions from 9AM to 3PM we had to double up on the first 6 lanes to serve all the Cub Scouts that wanted to shoot.  I find I take heart at this for the future of shooting sports!  The kids love it!

 

I have a fondness for likening Cub Scouts to Labrador puppies.  Trying to quiet and calm them so you can get real work done is a challenge to say the very least.  That said, I suspect we’ve all seen adult sized versions of Labrador puppies at the ranges we frequent.  They come in, throw up some kind of target, rip off a handful of magazines in a 20-30 minute session and off they go.  It becomes apparent that the primary purpose of the trip is to make holes, smell gunpowder and hear the BANG!  Like the Cub Scout they’ll take their target home (scouts will literally take the target home for the fridge) either in their hand or as a memory of “boy that was a good string of fire!!”  I’d like to offer another POV . . . slow down, take your time savor each round or string.  Note it, make it mean something and then build on it.

I think my primary efforts this summer will revolve around rifle shooting.  That seems to be my focus over the past 7 months or so and there is surely much more work to do.  So, it was natural that today’s range trip was dedicated to that particular skill set.  I’m still slugging away as much of the foundational elements so the two rifles I chose to take was my 1932 Stevens 53B single shot and my Ruger 10/22 Target with a Nikon scope attached.  And, a “Bucket O Bullets” (how can you beat 1400 rounds for $86).  Tonight was to be just plane marksmanship from the bench.  The Stevens is just held on the bench, not bagged in any way.  The Ruger has an attached bipod.  Both have “firm” triggers that require focus for a smooth trigger press straight to the rear.

I took two types of targets.  One has 5 individual targets that are 3 inches in diameter on it.  I use these for the NRA Rifle Instructor course for their qualification shoot since this is the proper size target for a 50’ range.  They’re of my own design so if anyone wants one let me know and I’ll email you the PDF.  The second target is the free target provided by the Appleseed Project.  It is my intent to attend one of their courses this summer which is another reason for my increased range work.  They are sized to represent a “Red Coat” at 100 yards, 200 yards and 300 yards.  Since this trip was just working on the fundamentals – mounting the weapon, sight alignment, sight picture, trigger press and follow through – I chose to fire 10 rounds on each target for a total of 80 rounds with each rifle.  As I said, range trips take time.

The range session began with the Stevens 53B and the target with the 3” circle targets.  It has a simple set of open sights on the rifle that has served its various owners for pushing 85 years.  Think about that . . . 85 years.  I spend a fair amount of my time with Scouts and their shooting sports programs.  When I bring them to our local Ikes range to work on their rifle merit badge I insist that they shoot at least one qual target with the Stevens.  I do this so they can understand it’s not about a brand-new gun with a good-sized scope on it . . . rather, it is ALWAYS about the fundamentals.  My first string of 10 are in on the upper right target.  While the group fits within the required 3” circle, it is  not with in THE 3’ circle.  And, as it typical, it’s never about the gun but the shooter.  It took me one string to remember that the Stevens is set for 6 o’clock hold.  Once I switched to the upper left target and placed the front blade just below the black dot, things were much better.  One factor that plays into my shooting over the past 10 years or so is that if I wear my glasses the front blade is crystal clear while the target is kind of a fuzzy blob.  I chose to forgo my prescriptions providing a fuzzier front site but a crisp target.  This works best for me.  And, my accuracy and precision picked up notably.  Most the groups were well within a 1.5” group and fairly well centered on the target.  For 50 rounds, I dropped 2.  I’ll take it.

The nice thing about the Stevens – or any bolt action for that matter – is that it naturally slows you down.  You get 50 chances to mount the rifle, stabilize your body, get a good sight alignment and sight picture and then smoothly press the trigger straight to the rear.  Your body needs this time to learn this specific skill set to improve your ability as a rifle shooter.  There is simply no shortcut.  So, take the time to develop your foundational mechanics.

Next up were the Appleseed targets.  For tonight I simply put 10 rounds on each of the 3 targets simulating 100 yards, 200 yards and 300 yards.  On these I dropped 2 rounds out of 30.  If you take the time to read the proper way to use this target that is listed on the left, it requires a pretty solid set of skills shooting standing, kneeling or sitting and finally prone.  We’ll work on those over the rest of the summer looking towards their end of August course offering.

I put the Stevens away and set up took my Ruger 10/22 Target out and set it up.

This was a repeat of the 5-target sheet with 3” targets and 10 rounds on each target.  I have mounted a Nikon Prostaff 4x12 40mm Rimfire scope on the Ruger Target.  It should be noted that the max magnification at 50 feet without blurring is about x7 so that’s what I used.  I also used Target 1 to tweak elevation a bit as well.

The expectation with a scope is that the group size will ALWAYS get much smaller.  While generally true it will never get better if your foundation is poorly developed.  Mounting the rifle, loading the bipod, a solid sight picture, smooth trigger press and a good follow through is just as important with a scoped rifle as it is with a rifle with open sights.  The groups were generally smaller with most being 1” so that is an improvement.  But, there are way too many shooters that use the scope as a replacement for a refined skill set.  If you find you may slip into that category, find an open sight rifle and spend some time with it.  It will greatly increase your accuracy and precision with a scoped rifle.  As you can see by the first 50 rounds, I was down zero with good accuracy and precision. 

On to the “Red Coats”.  The 100 yard and 200 yard targets look pretty darn good.  The 300 yard target is not all that much different from that of the Stevens rifle.  Clear evidence that is you let the fundamentals slide on any group of shots, you will pay the price regardless of the rifle you are using.  For the Stevens, I can maybe pull the “yeah, but . . . open sights”.  With a scope rifle it is ALL foundational stuff.  Perhaps the fact that by this time I’d been shooting for about an hour and a half and I was starting to tire.  But . . . the target simply doesn’t lie.

So what’s the take away.  It takes time and work to build and refine a skillset.  Accurate and precise shooting takes just that . . . time and rounds down range.  As I discussed a few posts back a good .22 caliber rifle with a good scope or set of open sights is a solid training tool costing pennies per round to get really good work done.  If you’re intent on becoming a good rifle shooter – this isn’t a bad place to begin.

Spend the time, get better . . . and then share with those around you!

Training – Are you paranoid enough?

A gun rights group in my region held an “Open Carry” night at a restaurant this week.  As folks do, a handful or so of photos were posted on an attendees Facebook page and one of my Facebook friends was linked in the post.  Two photos stood out to me and, while I realize keeping one’s mouth shut is the best route generally, I felt the safety concerns I had were worth the post.  Here’s the short thread with “J” that followed.  (Names and faces have been changed or blurred.  Not interested in bangin’ on these folks, just want to point how different points of view can lead to unsafe gun handling – IMNSHO anyway.)

William Keller:   Honestly, how does this help us?? And as for the folks with ARs . . . "Guns are always loaded" . . . I assume if these are truly your defensive firearms the magazines are topped off and there's a round in the chamber . . . "Never point your firearm at something you're not willing to destroy" . . . what's in your field of fire? Any folks forward of you? How about the other side of the walls?? SMH . . . not helping, not helping.

J:   You are welcome to your opinion, you are welcome to join us, but to address your concern, tonight almost 20 people peacefully assembled and shared time with each other.

William Keller:   Quite happy 20 folks peacefully assembled. But safely? Not so much, IMO. We are either all diligent in the safe handling of our weapons . . . or we are not. From the photos it would be virtually impossible for someone to have not been muzzled by one or both ARs. I see this as unacceptable.

J:   You are so wrong about this safely concern. When We Gather it is the safest restaurant in the country during that time in which we are assembled. Your paranoia is completely misplaced and objectively wrong.

William Keller:   With all due respect Jim, I'm pretty happy with my safety concerns. As an NRA Trainer, NRA Training Counselor, NAPSI Master Instructor and an adjunct law enforcement trainer, I do not see it as paranoid, I simply see unsafe gun handling and that is unacceptable.

J:   Just because you're an NRA trainer doesn't mean you're not paranoid. Even educated people or wrong sometimes. Feel free to join us, we always explain to people what the rules are , and we've been doing this for over 4 years safely.

What sad to me William , is your clear lack of understanding for those of us who gather peacefully. Nobody is making you join us.

I've already explained to you once that we are just a group of people gathering peacefully and don't hurt or bother others. That is another way that we are helping people in this country experience the freedoms our forefathers gave us. Join us or drop it.

William Keller:   Alrighty Jim, understood. Peace.

There’s a fair amount of meat on this particular bone so let’s just nibble on it and see what we can find.

The general gist I took from “J’s” response is that the place they assembled is “the safest restaurant in the country during that time in which we are assembled”.  I will make the assumption that what he means by this is that while 20 armed folks are in the building some ass-hat isn’t going to come in and rob the place.  On a cynical level this is simply untrue if the robber doesn’t know their gathering is being held.  Robbers are creatures of opportunity.  If they see an opportunity – and have no clue there are 20 armed citizens holding a get together in the back – they may very well decide that today is a good day to take a run at the place.  Ya just gotta wonder how 20 armed citizens would choose to react if a couple armed criminals would hit the place. 

How about the other end of the spectrum . . . say a local bunch of MS13 critters decide they’d like to pick up some more guns?  Couple of members pop in with a their AKs, put the whole “I’m gonna shoot their ass if they come here” thing to the test and then they take the guns and walk out the door.

This attitude is what I call the “talisman effect”.  Because I have a gun on me, I’m safe.  This is wrong . . . wrong, wrong, wrong.  What makes you “safe” is awareness of your surroundings, good gun handling skills and a willingness to use those skills to defend yourself, your family and those around you.  The gun is just the tool you have at hand.  “Murphy” can be a bitch at a time like this, don’t tempt him.

My second take-away is that I’m obviously “paranoid”.

Paranoid:       extremely fearful was so paranoid that he was afraid to walk the streets

characterized by suspiciousness, persecutory trends, or megalomania behaving in a paranoid manner with accusations of persecutions

My response is . . . “Yep, sure the hell am!”  And that is why when I teach a class there is no ammunition in the classroom, I verify that each and every weapon is empty and insure that two others do so.  I insist that if a weapon is on a table top it’s pointed is a safe direction, bolt open or slide locked back, ejection port up so I (and anyone else) knows it’s empty.  It’s why we do an emergence response brief to clearly define what the group that day will do should someone blow out their femoral artery.  It’s why I always have a blowout kit with me.

It’s why I obey “Da Rules”.  When handling firearms on the range, with a group of folks or out in public these, and only these, are Da Rules.  Period.

It’s why I carry every day everywhere I legally can.  We do not get to choose the time or place – the predator does.  Does this make me “paranoid”?  No, it makes me a realist.  Any one of us, at any time, can come up against “their day”, and a gun at home is the safe won’t do you a damn bit of good.  Carry it.  Every day.

Attitude also comes into play here.  Honestly, I have no issue with Open Carry.  I don’t do it.  I believe it gives up a tactical advantage.  I believe it draws an unwanted amount of attention to me.  I believe it makes the risks higher that an aggressive and determined predator would pick me as a target.  I do not see the “coolness” factor of open carry.  Yes, it openly demonstrates my 2^nd Amendment rights . . . but makes me less safe and definitely a “shoot him first” kind of target.  So, I pass on it.

And, I don’t understand the whole open carry of an AR either.  I have a vehicle gun, it is an AR.  It is loaded and in “patrol ready” – 28 rounds in the magazine, chamber empty.  If you see me with an AR slung around my neck there’s a round in the chamber and 27 more in the magazine.  I will have full control of it and it will traditionally be pointed down and on a 2-point sling.  It will NOT be sitting on a table, magazine in, bolt forward and bipod extended.  How the hell do you not muzzle someone when your weapon is in that state??  I’m sure the argument will be . . . “Yes, yes, but it’s not loaded, I just brought it for show and tell.”  If that’s the case – and I pray it was in the instances shown in the photo – it’s still profoundly unsafe to handle a weapon in the manner shown by the photos.  We can all google up hundreds of articles of folks shot by other folks with “empty” guns.  Remove the frickin’ magazine, lock the bolt back, choose a designated area in the room to be the “safe” area and a direction to be the “safe” direction . . . and then I’ll be a bit happier.

I’m not trying to pick a fight here, but if you care about safe gun handling – this is not the way to go about it.  Follow “Da Rules”, insist that those around you do as well and be a good example.

Training - 5x5x5 Drill and 100 rounds

A couple of thoughts came together tonight on the range.  We had a beautiful day, I’d had too much indoor time over the past week with all the rain in the Midwest . . . so . . . RANGE TRIP!!!

One of the things I harp on in my classes it that each January each student should buy 1,000 rounds of ammo, budget 100 rounds per month at a minimum and then “practice with purpose"

Another topic that is making the rounds of various firearm FB groups is the 5x5x5 Drill.  5 Rounds, 5 Yards, 5 Seconds.  It wrings out several items, time to first hit, split times, accuracy, follow through, recoil management, smooth trigger press.  This drill is usually shot on a 3x5 file card.  However, since I’m fond of the LETargets SEB target, I used that.  If has 2 circles, 2 squares, 2 triangles, an ocular cavity triangle and a high center mass and pelvic girdle box.  So, I chose to use the six shapes for six 5x5x5 drills, the high center mass and ocular cavity for Gunsite’s “failure” drill formerly called the Mozambique Drill and finally 5 rounds as fast as I could press the trigger into the pelvic girdle.  Round Count . . . 50 rounds.

Here’s the toys I brought for the evening.  100 rounds of ammo, a Gorillapod tripod for my Samsung 7, Dark Angle Blow Out Kit and range refreshments in the form of a Diet Coke. 

I filmed the first two drills so take about 4 minutes and take a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Th0mcIFqV0

Notice anything?  Yep, did a profoundly crappy job of resetting my shirt after each engagement.  Just a reminder to pay attention to detail when you are running your drills.  Other than that the video is a fair representation of what I was attempting to show and talk about.  This is the value of making videos of portions of your training sessions.  It allows you to evaluate yourself much better than trying to remember what you think you did.

After this I proceeded to complete the set of drills with the following results documented on the target.  Bottom line . . . fired 50 rounds, dropped 19 of them for a “score” of 62.  That sucking sound you hear is the final result on target one.  Of course, I have another box of ammo . . . what to do, what to do.  So, I put up a fresh target and repeat the exact same process but this time from a distance of 3 yards, not 5.  And, as you can see from the target below my score improved significantly.  I dropped 8 out of 50 for a final score of 82.  I’m sure the decreased distance is part of the reasons for improvement.  But I also suspect that the preceding 50 rounds of “practice” didn’t hurt either.

So what’s the bottom line?  Shooting is a perishable skill.  If you are telling yourself that a couple summer trips to the range will keep you in ‘tune’ for the whole year . . . please, stop telling yourself stories.

You can get a lot of good work done with 100 rounds of ammunition.  You will naturally work on the foundational building blocks – stance, grip, sight alignment, sight picture, trigger press, follow through, a smooth draw from concealment and a slow – “all the time in the world” holstering when the engagement is over.

The video is a bonus but it allows me to stress the use of the tech you have in your pocket to document your range trips.  Sharpies make it easy to annotate your target, video lets you see what you’re doing in the quiet of your recliner after your range trip.  And all of this lends itself to increasing your documentation of the practice of your craft as well your improvement as a shooter.

So there ya go.  100 rounds of ammo, about an hour of range time, a bit of video, some ink for target annotation . . . and a fine time was had by all!

Training - Precision Shooting with a 22 cal. Rifle

I am NOT a precision shooter.  Honestly, I’ve spent little time on it.  I’ve taken one Precision Shooting Course, spent 20-ish hours of range work on it . . . and I have made significant improvement.  And I intend to improve this particular skill set.  That said, the cost of the ammunition can be daunting. 

 My go to gun for true distance shooting is my LM-308 as described in the course linked above.  I could easily “ring steel” at 500 yards.  The rub here is that becoming proficient at long range shooting using a .308 is more than a little pricey.  For example, just stock PMC 147 gr, FMJ-BT in 500 round lots runs around .63 cents per round.  If you use Hornady Match Grade . . . 168 gr hollow point boat tail, now you’re talking $1.20 per round.  Real money there.

 An alternative I’ve chosen, to work on the fundamentals, is to equip an AR-223 so that the optic, trigger and bipod are nearly identical to those on the LM-308.  This allows me to use .223 for range ammunition while I am plugging away of foundational stuff.  Now my per round cost PMC .223 55 grain FMJ Boat Tail drops to around 31 cents per round – much better!  Still, what if there was a cheaper way??  Enter the Ruger 10/22 Target Model.   I picked up mine several years ago with an attached bipod and a cheap Tasco scope.  I replaced the Scope with a Nikon Rimfire 4-12x40 BDC 150.  This emulates the Nikon scopes I have on both the AR-15 and the LM-308.  The trigger group in the target rifle also has a very similar touch and feel of the Timney triggers on the other two rifles.  All in all, not a bad surrogate to use while spending range time working on the foundation for precision shooting.  As for ammunition costs?  How about Remington’s “Bucket O-Bullets” . . . 1,400 rounds . . . for $81 . . . or .06 cents per round.  We’re talking 1/5 the price for a single .223 round.  Now we’re talking!

 So, what kind of work can you get done with the Ruger Target?  Can you achieve any real type of “precision”?  That’s what I wanted to work through tonight on my first range trip with the new scope attached.

 I started things out at 50 feet.  I always adjust windage on a new scope first, then elevation.  The key here is to remember that foundational items are exactly the same whether shooting the .308 or the .22.  My position on the bench, how I load the bipod, how I mount the stock, how I place my cheek on the comb, coming into the right position for full eye relief, placement of my finger on the trigger and the smoothness of the trigger press and finally managing my breathing so there is just the slightest of pauses on the bottom of my respiratory cycle as the trigger breaks.  These fundamentals are exactly the same regardless the weapon.  I use a target with 5 each 3-inch targets with 1-inch centers for working with Scouts and NRA Rifle Instructors.  It’s one I whipped up myself and is perfect for what I was trying to accomplish here . . . zeroing the rifle and then beginning some real work.  The following target is the result of my efforts and my final target at 50-feet before I moved to 50 yards.

 I was reasonably happy with the results.  The groups were 1-inch-ish and showed all the characteristics of responding to typical errors regarding trigger press, hurrying the shot, not managing my breathing . . . which is exactly what I am after.  So, I got some really good work done at a reasonable distance for not a lot of money.  Once I was satisfied with the rifle’s zero I moved things back to 50 yards.

One thing that was apparent with the first round . . . the .22 cal bullet hit 2 inches higher at 50 yards.  That was an easy fix, simply dialed things down 8 clicks and I was rolling.  Here too, if I did the foundational things well, my groups were less than an inch.  As you can see by looking at the targets I had flyers, obvious rounds where I rushed things and then a couple nice groups.  Bottom line, the Ruger Target with the Nikon Rimfire scope at 50 yards will be a great tool to continue to develop my precision shooting skill set at a significantly lower cost per round.  I like it!

 A few other things to keep in mind.  6 cent ammunition behaves like 6 cent ammunition.  I had the typical feed issues that I see with the 10/22 (though this particular rifle is in bad need of a good cleaning).  I had a half dozen misfires most of which worked OK if I simply reloaded them in the magazine.  I also had a number of failure to extract issues.  I’m betting on the cleaning to fix that.  I’d love to blame the larger sized groups on variations in ammunition given its cheap price . . . but I suspect it has much more to do with me than with the ammo.

 The other issue here is that a 10/22 does absolutely nothing to teach you about recoil management.  There isn’t any!  That said, the benefit in being able to shoot cheaply while working on your foundational skill set seems to be a good trade off.  I’ll periodically sent 25 – 50 rounds down range with the LM-308 and the AR-15 as well.  Then I can work on recoil management.

 So there you have it.  If you’re looking to work on your precision shooting skill set without putting a huge hole in your wallet . . . dig out your old 22.  Spiff it up a bit and take it to the range.  I think you might be surprised at how much good work you can get done!

Just the Basics – Cleaning your gun . . . just like cleaning your riding boots . . .

I’ve made a lifelong effort to stick to the “foundations” of any particular task . . . be it design engineering, keeping my family first in my life, teaching defensive shooting . . . and teaching folks to clean the firearms that they may call upon to use to defend their lives.  In under all the “tacti-cool”, special tools, special kits, special chemicals, special lubricants . . . there is foundational process the guides us to the end-product.  A clean, lubricated and functional firearm.

Truth is though that sometimes the “gun geek” yells so loud, we can’t hear the logic behind a specific technique or the use of a specific cleaner or lubricant.  The speaker has too much energy wrapped up in their point of view that the volume of the words prevents the clear articulation of the point they are trying to make.  I want to try something different . . . by stepping WAY outta the box and I want to spend some time on process rather than specific items.  I want to discuss how you clean your gun . . . not what you clean it with.  Still, it’s hard to do by posting pictures of a specific handgun, my cleaning kit, the chemicals I use . . . because we all know how to do it “right”.  Much of my foundational information is simply lost in the mental argument of . . . “I can’t believe he uses THAT as a degreaser!!!” “Did you see his crappy brushes?!?!?”  “Holy cow!!  You use THAT as your lubricant?!?!?!?”  Yeah . . . so let’s not do that.

Let’s talk about cleaning boots . . . riding boots . . . dressage boots to be specific.  And allow me to show you that cleaning your gun is just like cleaning your riding boots.

My wife is up and rolling early this morning (literally this morning, she’s about 90 minutes into her 4.5 hour drive as I type this).  She’s off for a week of training with an instructor and the instructor’s “school master” horse to continue to work on her riding.  Honestly, she doesn’t compete, not her thing.  She’s demoed riding techniques to both brand new riders and well as those who ride 4^th Level Dressage and higher.  She’s skilled . . . as she should be after well over 40 years of experience.  In fact one of our first dates in the summer of ’66 was horseback riding.  It ended with my horse stepping on a ground hornet’s nest and bolting full out for his stall.  Memorable to this very day.  I only add this bit about how long she’s been riding in to illustrate that to develop your craft, to become the best you can be and to maintain that level and push the upper levels of your capability . . . training never ends.  Whether you are a dressage rider or a shooter.  This is something my wife understand very well.

Anyway . . . a task I forgot last night was to clean and polish her riding boots.  They were setting next to the door so I gathered them up and took them to the kitchen.  I dug out the cleaning kit and the polishing kit and set to work.

There are five foundational steps to a clean riding boot.  Cleaning off the dirt, deep cleaning the leather, allowing the boot to dry, inspection of the boot for torn seams and finally the application of the right preservative – typically a boot polish or oil.  In this case, as simple black boot polish.  (Hoping you’re seeing some similarities here.)

If you look at the first photo of the boot, you notice that the seams around the sole are dirt filled, there is some mud build up in various areas of the leather and the boot as a whole is just dusty.  Over a long period of time if you fail to properly care for your boots the leather will crack, the seams will break down and a good pair of boots will become so much scrap.  This particular pair is about 10 years old and in reasonably good shape.

I begin cleaning by waiting for the mud to dry and then using a stiff bristled brush to brush off as much of the dirt and mud as I can.  Once this is removed I make a close inspection of all seams to see of some repair is called for.  I never try to remove mud when the mud is fresh or by using a wet rag to wipe it off.  Leather has pores and you would simply be filling these pores with the mud.  Better to brush it off after the boot and mud have dried.

You can see the difference between the dirty boot and this image of the brushed boot.  Next, a deeper cleaning.

This is one point of crossover between the gun geek and the boot geek . . . what’s the best cleaning material and process.  Ours is one we were taught and have used for over 40 years.  We use warm water, a damp natural sponge and a bar of saddle soap.  You want a DAMP sponge, not soaking wet.  You rub the bar of saddle soap with the damp sponge and then use this soapy surface to deep clean the leather.  The soap both cleans and conditions the leather.  It is a gently process not a heavy-handed process.  Once the entire surface of the boot has been cleaned and conditioned, the boot is again inspected and then left to dry.  The same process is used on the second riding boot.

Once they are dry, notice the difference from the first photo to the clean boot.  Quite a difference.  Finally, the boot conditioner – polish – is applied.  The kit shown is the Ziploc has components that are nearly 40 years old.  The buffing brush has buffed out riding boots, low quarters, combat boots, dance shoes . . . I can sit and brush and buff and feel over half my lifetime in my hand.  I find it comforting for some reason and it is a task I find enjoyable.

I take an application rag, stick my index finger in a fold, rub a couple circles in the top of the can of polish and then rub the polish into the boot beginning with the toe and ending at the gusset at the top of the boot.  Again, I let it dry a bit and apply polish to the second boot.  Once I am finished applying the polish I return to the first boot and use the buffing brush to buff out the boot.  I am not looking for a high gloss, we are orders of magnitude from a traditional military “spit shine” but we do end up with a black and slightly shiny CLEAN boot.  Which is the point.

Clean away excess dirt, use the proper cleaning material to clean the boot, inspect the boot and finally polish and condition the boot. 

I’m not going to go into a “blow by blow” comparison of how this all relates to cleaning your defensive weapons . . . but I’m hoping you see the obvious similarities.   Use a firm nylon brush to remove the excess GSR, us a cleaning material that can be fully removed when you’ve done a deep cleaning of your weapon, inspect your weapon for damage and finally apply an appropriate amount of lubricant to protect your weapon and to insure it operates smoothly. 

Cleaning your gun truly is just like cleaning your riding boots.