My First In 34 Years

[ACC]

These were my first reloads in 34 years. They were 166 grain Lee SWC that my brother cast and lubed. The load was from his data. Eight grains of Accurate No. 5 with a Federal Small Magnum Primer in Star .357 magnum brand new brass in my Ruger New Model Blackhawk with the 4 3/8 inch barrel.. The range chronograph said that they were moving along at just under 1200 FPS. The chronograph said an average of 1190. These shots were standing at 30 meters.

[Bazoo]

Dang that's good shooting for that distance off hand.

[ACC]

It's because my grandpa taught me to shoot with both eyes open.

Really helps, but is hard to learn.

ACC

[slim1836]

Nice group, congrats. I could never do that.

Slim

[sonoransixgun]

Whoa!....Somethin good is happenin....

[Winger Ed.]

Hah! Ya finally fell off the wagon,,,,,,,,,,,, You just thought your addiction was cured.:kidding:

[Bazoo]

I can't hold that tight off hand, but can off me knees. I shoot with both eyes too.

[charlie b]

That's better shooting than I could do 34 years ago :)

[ACC]

I teach a class at the local range for people who have never fired a handgun and want to get there LTC. I try to teach them to shoot with both eyes open, but it take a lot of practice. Some get it some don't.

ACC

[charlie b]

But that isn't the whole reason you shoot well. I've shot with both eyes open for all my life and still was only that good when I practiced a LOT.

[Jniedbalski]

I usually can’t do that good shooting from a bag on a bench . Only once in a while when everything is just right

[Three44s]

I am just not a “paper man” when it comes to handguns it seems. Give me a reactionary target and I can make some hay.

I started with soft sided plastic bottles, switched to cull fruit, then tennis balls and finally my holy grail ..... golf balls!

It sounds like I am bragging but I am not.

When I made the switch to them it was far easier than you might expect because in my fruit shooting time as I blew apart the say an apple or a pear I got lazy and with limited target items I began “chasing the pieces”. Those pieces were often more challenging as a whole balls are.

Further I call a well exercised or animated golf ball “a hit”. A well centered hit with a 44 means you are either out of luck or in for a search.

You ask just how far? About 45 yards for the ones I could find. Better have a mess of them instead!

Enjoy

Three44s

[ACC]

I teach a class, so I end up shoot between 500 and 700 rounds a week. Practice make perfect. My brother used to get all steamed up when he would buy a new fangled gun and I would out shoot him with it. No brag just fact.

ACC

[charlie b]

Yep, that's a lot. :) I only shot that much way back when someone else was buying the ammo ;)

[osteodoc08]

Good shooting and welcome back after all these years. Some things are the same but a lot has changed.

[tazman]

I teach a class, so I end up shoot between 500 and 700 rounds a week. Practice make perfect. My brother used to get all steamed up when he would buy a new fangled gun and I would out shoot him with it. No brag just fact.

ACC

That happens to me a lot. I never have been a really good handgun shot.
If I want to see how well my gun will perform, I use a rest or give it to any number of shooters at my club that are better than I am.
There is always someone out there who is better on a given day.
I learned to shoot with both eyes open when I first started. My dominant eye(right) is weaker than my left eye. If I closed one eye, I could not see the target, only the sights.
Now I even shoot scopes with both eyes open.

[Alferd Packer]

I used to take a person to a berm or dirt hillside and let them shoot at a target just 3 feet away.
They see the bullet holes and correct automatically to.make hits.
They always seem to shoot with both eyes open
.
Gradually back up 3 feet at a time till they start missing.
Explain the sights and bullet trajectory.
Now, most ranges will not allow this.

[tazman]

I used to take a person to a berm or dirt hillside and let them shoot at a target just 3 feet away.
They see the bullet holes and correct automatically to.make hits.
They always seem to shoot with both eyes open
.
Gradually back up 3 feet at a time till they start missing.
Explain the sights and bullet trajectory.
Now, most ranges will not allow this.

The club I belong to has a set of walled off berms where this kind of instruction can take place.
Our walled ranges are in use by individuals or small groups that want to do a particular thing, such as close range, draw from holster, or shoot while moving drills so no one else gets endangered.
These drills are not allowed on the general use ranges.
These ranges are all no longer that 35 yards. The berm is cut in the base of a very tall hill. The reinforced concrete walls are around 10 feet tall and run from the entry into the hill.
There is room on the target boards for around 4-6 silhouette targets side by side.
There is room for about 4-6 people to shoot side by side if that is what is wanted.
We have 5 of these and they are open to any club member to use whenever they wish during daylight hours as long as that particular range is not occupied.
This is an excellent place to take a beginner for private instruction.

[Texas by God]

I have always shot everything with both eyes open. The lone exception being shotgun left handed because I am right eye dominant. I could shoot really well with most any handgun when I was competing and practicing.

[Eddie Southgate]

Nice shooting. Ruger barrels are 4 5/8" .

[Petander]

Fantastic shooting.

My both eyes are open,too. I'm 56,changed to both eyes in early 90's when I noticed much better results in long range rifle. It transitioned to all shooting quite naturally. Also the extra tension on the face,keeping one eye closed, feels very disturbing and unnatural now.

My reasoning about it was: vision is the most important thing in shooting. Why give up half of it?

[Bmi48219]

There are lots of people that can’t shoot a rifle off-hand that well at 30 meters (98 feet).

[atr]

nice shooting !
both eyes open here too

[ACC]

I do shoot a lot almost every week I have a class. The only time I didn't shoot any was when I was in the hospital for four months.

I do shoot a lot, that's why I have to get back to handloading!

ACC

[fcvan]

Definitely good shooting, it has a lot to do with good practice. 30 years ago, a guy I went to the academy with (36 years ago) was on our pistol team and bought a S&W 686 with adjustable front and rear sights. We were just starting to use H&K 94s at work and the original course of fire was only out to 50 yards, later changed to 100.

Anyway, we went out to the 50 yard course where he took the H&K and I took out his 686 with wad cutters. He was pissed that I out shot him with his own gun. Later, he and a few other range masters were shooting at an aceteline bottle hanging from a tree limb at 250 yards with the Mini 14. They could only hit 50% of the time whereas I took 4 shots with his 686 to get the front sight adjusted for the elevation with the wad cutters. Again, he was less than pleased. I told him 'that's what happens when you shoot 1250 rounds a week, every week.' He knew I cast and reloaded and asked me to show him how.

Next thing I know, we dug up 6 five gallon buckets of lead from the berm. Within days, he had smelted it all into ingots. I showed him how to cast with molds. I came back a few days later and he had cast those 6 buckets of ingots into 3 buckets of 38 and 3 of 45 boolits. Then it was on. He was shooting as much and as often as me, often beating me.

I don't shoot as much as I did, but when i was training I had slow fire and rapid fire drills I practiced every week, all with both eyes open. I would shoot more but my also retired brother has a hard time getting motivated to just go shooting. Even at that, he still out shot me when we re qualified a few months ago. I need to shoot more and not just do draw drills. That and I need to get my airsoft G17 clone back from a friend. Same weight, same trigger pull, just less recoil and slide pulse.

I can set up a 15 yard course inside my house, the wife was none too happy if I didn't pick up all the ASBBs. She didn't mind shooting down the hall though :) However, she still hasn't let me set up room clearing drills with multi targets for hard 90 shots and El Presidente 3 target shooting. I don't miss working, but I do miss training days with our version of 'swat.' The best part was I didn't have to buy the bullets or load the boolits.