There's something satisfying about sending rounds downrange. It's the feel of the recoil, the sound and violent explosion in the moment the firing pin strikes the primer and the resulting ignition sets off the gun powder...the release of energy that sends the projectile hurtling towards its intended target at 1200 feet per second...Then that all-important ding when the copper-washed lead bullet strikes the steel plate and virtually disintegrates. It's just what I need after a difficult week at work.
I'm heading to the range early on Saturday morning and am looking forward to a casual morning of shooting. It's a nice way to shrug off the stresses of the week and, of course, keep my skills on point which is very important to me. It takes so much effort to acquire them and I see no value in letting them backslide. So, I shoot a lot and stay good.
The match isn't one I'm very keen on. It's very basic and involves no running or stragegy which doesn't excite me too much; I prefer to run and gun, to be challenged...that's next week though. This week it's a static match and not much effort is required.
A single shooter stands in place, under command of the range officer, and when instructed loads then holsters and awaits the beep of the timer to begin the shooting stage.
Arrayed at intervals downrange at distances of twenty to thirty metres are five steel plates. Four are rectangular and human torso-sized and one is about the size of a human head and round. That last is called the stop plate as it's wired to stop the clock when impacted. The plates are spaced left to right with about twenty metres between extreme left to extreme right with the stop plate somewhere in between.
The shooter, on the timing beeper, draws from the holster and puts a single round on each torso-sized plate in a predetermined order and then hits the stop plate to stop the clock, so a total of five rounds. That takes me about 3.8 -4.4 seconds depending on how focused I am. The shooter does that five times for a total of twenty five rounds and the first string is over. After all the shooters have transitioned through the plates are rearranged and each shooter goes again for a second string.
For new shooters it's fun, and a good way to learn how to draw and acquire targets quickly, but I find it rather boring and I attend mainly to hang out with a few mates and talk some shit. Like I said, I prefer more dynamic shooting, running and gunning, which simulates real-world military and law enforcement situations but...what the hell, shooting is shooting right? Besides, a few of us will hang around after and run and gun a little for practice so it'll not be a total loss.
I'll probably shoot around two hundred rounds on Saturday morning, be somewhat social and will leave feeling relaxed and looking for lunch which I'm having with a couple friends. It's a good way to kick off the weekend and if you've not done it...You need to get you some! Trust me.
Have a good weekend folks.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
Images are mine
Don't have the experience of shooting a real gun, would surely like to try one day.
But at the moment, I myself am one of the best when it comes to in-game marksmanship hahaha. Cheers brother 🥃
I hope you get to have a shoot if some real guns someday, shooting real firearms. No parallel can be drawn between computer games and real-world shooting.
One day for sure haha. Cheers 🥃
Guess have seen my look-alike.. Hahaha I feel you.
When it comes to games, the way I handle the guns make me feel like I can one of the best in the world but in reality I laugh at myself
You get me brother ahhahaha. For now the guns and bombs are better off in-game, but I sure do plan on trying out some guns in real life.
One day hopefully. Cheers 🥃
Well like-wise but till then Cheers 🥃 let's rock and roll in our own game world
Hell yeah 🥃
We used to live in armed conflict. War is going on everywhere. When it comes to shooting it is our toy time. I don't think you will like how we feel.
You are so cool. You deserve to be an actor.
Thank you but, of course, I disagree. I'm just an old dude whose best years are back somewhere in history.
Those are some badass photos.
I went to the range a couple of years ago. Shot a 9mm revolver and a shotgun. Neither were mine. They chained the 9mm to the booth while I was shooting it. I still felt like a bad ass. I had more freedom and was shooting clay with the shotgun outside which was fun.
I want to go again soon.
It's a lot of fun... Except when the firearm is tethered to the bench....but that's done for safety at those pay-per-go ranges. Mine is all open and free range so to speak, we wander about holstered and all so it's a much different experience.
Either way, having a shoot us a nice way to kick off the weekend and release some stress! I hope you get to have another shoot sometime.
You should get back and do it again. I plan on finding a range closer to my new home to do exactly that. The shotgun is still my absolute favourite but it's very impractical in a lot of real-life settings.
Okay... This is just freaking cool.
However, it's the calmness and normalness in these statements that did it for me:
If not understood in context, someone could mistake you for a psychopath 😅
The calmness and normalness comes from more than thirty years of operating and owning firearms. It has become second nature to me, like breathing, and I guess that comes across in my tone. I'm very proficient with firearms, especially long range shooting with rifles, but also with handguns and that brings a certain attitude towards them. A calmness of sorts I guess.
You look so cool, literally like a movie star in an action movie.
I would love to learn how to shoot but since I can't due to my country's laws, I'll stick to paintballing.
Why thank you...You're kind to an old fellow whose best years are long gone.
Paintballing is fun for sure, I've been many times. I hope you get to go again soon.
Well, I am only being truthful, and yeah, paintballing is so fun, makes me feel badass.
Lol, yeah I understand that. It's often painful when I go paintballing. We turn the pressure up on the guns and those little paintballs can really hurt when they hit the umm...softer parts. 😁
😆 I can't imagine how fun it would be to go paintballing with you.
Dangerous, but fun. 😊
Exactly.
hahahah it's kinda your own fault then if you turn the gas pressure up...and knowing your target history, you're almost 100% guaranteed to get hit in the coconuts.
With my antics over the course of my life my long-suffering coconuts are used to being in harm's way.
lol poor things 😩
I haven't been paintballing in over a decade. You've inspired me, I should make a plan to go again. Just that the bruises take forever to go away.
You should totally go, that bruises are worth it 😊
:) Perhaps.
It's one thing to read about it and quite another to experience it. It is all in your expressed details.
This will tide you over and next week will feed you. Have fun!
You're right, this little episode is like the entree before the main course next week. Still, I'll enjoy talking some shit with the lads ladies and I'm sure it will be agreeable.
You look simply good in the photo sir. Happy weekend.
Thanks mate. Have a good weekend yourself.
Good morning sir, I sent a reply yesterday concerning a problem I have posting on THE WEEKEND , like I said it was a mistake all I just wanted to do was to edit my post not posting it twice and i didn’t get to see your reply to me on time. I am really sorry 😞 for the mistake and I will make sure it never happen again. The weekend is one of my favorite community. Thank you sir🙏🙏
No worries.
Oh my God thank you so much sir 🥰🥰 is it fine now? Can I post now? Omg I'm so happy
You have been unmuted.
Thank you so much sir 💕💕💕
@galenkp sir I think I am been flagged for a mistake i ignorantly did, I didn't realize I made a mistake posting twice. I am so sorry, it has really been difficult posting or contest in the weekend engagement post. I only wanted to edit my post not to post it again, I am really sorry. The post is from 21 days ago. Thank you sir
I was going to ask why you were doing the thing if you didn't find it that interesting but I guess shooting is shooting and you're hanging with friends so it's enjoyable in some regard XD
Hope you had a good time :)
Indeed. It's not that I don't like it, more that I don't like it as much as other shooting disciplines. It was ok. Caught up with some chaps, talked about our 4x4's, tech stuff, and generally hung around for a bit. I was going to go to lunch with them after, some Chinese yum cha place, but I had to have lunch with a friend which is the subject of my next post. She was late. 🙄😳
Oops :S was it a good lunch anyway?
ps - the part about writing a post about it just registered, I'll find that one when I find it ^_^;
It was a good lunch, all three hours of it.
The post will be out in a few hours. It's a post about me making up a new word whist I was waiting for my friend...I'd added some humour. I hope you like it.
That's one hell of a lunch XD
We talked a lot of shit in between eating and coffee's. 😉
If I am a marksman with arrows can be obviously another in guns?
I'm not sure exactly what you mean to be honest.
An archer certainly understands trajectory and the concepts of aiming so some of the principles may crossover I guess. However, just because one is an expert marksman with bow and arrow it doesn't mean they will be so with a firearm. And, of course, this works in reverse.
An example is me for instance. I am a very good long range rifle shooter; above average. But with a shotgun my skills are only passable. You know?
I hope I've understood your question correctly.
100% well answered. You are a genius.
😊