Even a bad day at the range is better than sitting at the desk all day!
I have a light schedule this week. Monday and Tuesday it was nearly 60 degrees - wild for MN in November. I rode my Harley to work!
One thing I do in an effort to get to the range more often is run up at lunch for a quick shoot. In fall I teach 4 nights a week so lunch makes a good alternative. The range is 10-15 minutes from my office, so we can grab sandwiches, run up and eat then shoot for half an hour. One of my assistants is a student of mine and we shoot what we carry that day, and it is also good practice to train wearing our work clothes - suits, etc.
Monday was a nice day - sunny, 58 degrees. I carried my BHP for the day, and we also shot .45, compact and full size.
Today, we carried J frames. The range is on top of the ridge and at lunch it was:
40 degrees
30 to 35 MPH gusts
It SNOWED just a little
And we were wearing suit jackets, etc.
And I was wild - usually from 10-1 yards with the J and working from the holster I stay in the 9, 10 or X ring on a torso target. Today, I was all over the place. I hit outside the scoring zone entirely a couple of times, hitting shoulder and hip, while "aiming" center mass.
I did a drill of shoot to empty on 2 targets, move to cover, reload and re-engage. Mr. Murphy assisted. My reload time was over 40 seconds !(although the wind blowing a round out of my hands should be considered).
My eyes were tearing from the wind, my hands were cold. And it was a great day - even a bad day at the range beats an office day. Good training, too - for when conditions are uncertain and things are not going as planned.
I have a light schedule this week. Monday and Tuesday it was nearly 60 degrees - wild for MN in November. I rode my Harley to work!
One thing I do in an effort to get to the range more often is run up at lunch for a quick shoot. In fall I teach 4 nights a week so lunch makes a good alternative. The range is 10-15 minutes from my office, so we can grab sandwiches, run up and eat then shoot for half an hour. One of my assistants is a student of mine and we shoot what we carry that day, and it is also good practice to train wearing our work clothes - suits, etc.
Monday was a nice day - sunny, 58 degrees. I carried my BHP for the day, and we also shot .45, compact and full size.
Today, we carried J frames. The range is on top of the ridge and at lunch it was:
40 degrees
30 to 35 MPH gusts
It SNOWED just a little
And we were wearing suit jackets, etc.
And I was wild - usually from 10-1 yards with the J and working from the holster I stay in the 9, 10 or X ring on a torso target. Today, I was all over the place. I hit outside the scoring zone entirely a couple of times, hitting shoulder and hip, while "aiming" center mass.
I did a drill of shoot to empty on 2 targets, move to cover, reload and re-engage. Mr. Murphy assisted. My reload time was over 40 seconds !(although the wind blowing a round out of my hands should be considered).
My eyes were tearing from the wind, my hands were cold. And it was a great day - even a bad day at the range beats an office day. Good training, too - for when conditions are uncertain and things are not going as planned.