Targeting Targets

h/t Oleg Volk Studio

Oleg presents a new target with a rational for its appearance.
Visit his site for a downloadable pdf.

"VCA" Violent Criminal Actor Target

Seem to recall that Germany outlawed "humanoid targets ...
leading to double-headed ipsc targets.
Anyone know the truthiness of that? Or urban legend?

Deutschland legal?

I've collected target graphics for some time.
To compliment Olegs new one, a review of a few classics ...

FBI target ... "The suit" Reworked for cover of "Print" annual

Old School Thug

The full thug target with crotch area is always popular for a range date.  Shots to the genitals are always fun for some gals. Not sure why.

The crazy Magpull folks

 
Zombie matches ... of course require zombie targets.

http://www.zombietargets.net/

Nothing beats a simple bulls eye for basic handgun work.

courtesy reloadbench.com

Lee made a diagnostic version to point out shooter errors based on where you're hitting.

courtesy reloadbench.com

This target gives the shooter a precise point of aim.

SigArms factory test target, artists reproduction

 Speedwell is a large supplier of all kinds of targets.

Calm hostage with boogerhook'n bad guy

I could do this all day. There's thousands of printed targets available out there.
Next time, I'll have to break it down into sub-groups ...

you gots yer political targets, yer photo realistic targets, of course yer hi-viz targets, yer exploding targets ...

Saturday Practice League

Another Saturday. Another round of practice.

Midwest Rod & Reel 'ait & Tackle

Good size crowd.
Twenty guys maybe?

Shot my Colt LW Commander. Serpa CQB holster. Hand rolled reloads, 200 gr Rainier FMJ RN over 4.5 grains of Titegroup.

Ol' Jack ran variations on two scenarios. Here's an example of Stage 1.

Stage 1; artists rendering

Shooter stands ready, facing targets, at position "A", approximately 5 yards from target 1. Engage targets 1, 2 and 3 with two hits each. Mandatory reload anywhere during stage. Keeping muzzle pointed downrange move to position "B". Engage target 4 with two hits. Move to position "C" to engage targets 5 and 6 with two hits each.

Stage 1, position A; 3D temporal reality

Stage 1, position B; JR gettin' it done

Jack varied how we ran this stage each time. Second run, shooter had to backpedal while engaging targets 1-3. Targets 4-6 same as before. Third run, shooter started with back to targets,  turn 180º, engaging targets 1-3, strong hand only, 1 body shot, 1 head shot. Targets 4-6 same as before.

As usual, my times were abysmal. About double what most of the guys got.
I did manage to shoot one stage clean. Progress! The biggest lesson is that I ain't the deadeye tacticool combat shootin' hombre my massive, yet fragile ego would like to believe.

Interesting note; Just last week, I wrote about phone app shot timers. As guys were waiting and watchin', phones were drawn, apps were downloaded and tested as other guys shot. Carteach0 writes about his experience with phone apps here. I sense a meme.

Friday Range Run; There's an app for that!

Spent a couple hours on the pistol range last Friday. As always, it was an interesting outing.

Been trying to get at least one range run a month this summer. I know ...'tis pitiful. That's actually an increase from years past.

Wanted to run some FAST drills ... to get a baseline of where I'm at. I mean, I know I'm slow. But how slow? 

courtesy of pistol-training.com

When shooting at a club match, there's all kinds of perks you don't get when practicing solo. Like a Safety Officer, running a timer. A FAST drill without a timer is ... meaningless. 

I ain't gots me a timer. What to do? Wait. I've got an iphone. I KNOW there's a gotta be shot timer app, right? Sure enough ... there's a handful. Surefire has one fo' free!

So downloading and installing app went on the list for range run prep. That went off without a hitch. Cool. Print out copies of FAST target. Done. Collect guns, ammo, range pass, etc., etc., and we're off.

Range was fairly busy. There was still plenty of room available. As I was carrying gear to the line, there was one guy shooting near the sign-in shack. At the far end of the line, a foursome of older teens, under adult supervision, taking up four lanes. They appeared to be having a lot of fun. Watching them from a distance, gun handling habits appeared to be up to par, muzzles kept pointed downrange, actions open when on bench, etc. Good to see.

Pic confirms my refurbed Nikon Coolpix no longer focusses. !@$!#

The "Barrister o' the Berms" showed up. After some warm up targets, it was time to see if the shot timer actually worked. Since this was an informal test, I strayed from the FAST drill just a bit. We were already set up with targets at 10 yards. We left the targets there rather than call the range cold and pull the targets to the specified 7 yards. Drawing from the holster is allowed, as long as all other safety rules are being observed. However shooters unfamiliar with IPSC, or IDPA, tend to get a bit nervous. As a range courtesy, we elected to just pick the handgun up from the bench at the buzzer. We also shot a total of 5 shots/string vs. the usual 6. We did include the reload after 2 shots.

Looks slick ... but does it work?

 
Operation of the app is simple and straight forward. Hit the START button. You can adjust the mic sensitivity on the fly. This allows you to filter out unwanted shots from down the line.

Adjust settings, enter email address, etc.

 
The settings screen allows you to enter your email address. The app can send each strings results to your mailbox. You can tweak the start delay option, from 1 to 3 seconds, for solo training or enable the Par Time mode and try to beat the clock. Adjustments can be made to filter out unwanted shots, calibrate microphone, etc. Further instructions can be found at the "Help" screen.

Displays the elapsed time and the split time for every shot fired

Bo'b shot the FAST drill while I ran the timer. The first drill, I was picking up shots from all the shooters on the line. I was able to adjust the sensitivity easily to pick up only Bo'b's shots. We each ran the drill a half dozen times or so. After each string, I hit the "email results" button. Wasn't sure this was working til later.

emailed results!

One bug I quickly noticed, the app added a shot at the beginning of each string. It consistently added shot1 at 0.10 secs. Once added this at 0.29 secs. Not sure if this is a sensitivity issue, software bug or what. Further range runs will tell.
All in all, I liked shootin' with this app available. While it won't replace a dedicated timer, it fills the niche for a shooter that doesn't own one. After one use, I'd give it a B+. As a free app, I've got no complaints. The mysterious added shot is the only thing keeping it from being an A+. I'll keep ya posted on further use of this cool app. SureFire is offering the ShotTimer application free for a limited time ... if you don't have a dedicated timer, and have an iphone, grab it now!

On future drills, I'll adhere to the FAST drill parameters more accurately. To answer the question of "How slow am I?" ... umm ... 10+ seconds being the floor for Novice ... well ... whats below novice? Doofus?

Full disclosure: SureFire LLC provided zero remuneration or consideration for this blog post. Just thought I'd share my results of using this app. YMMV.

In Great Britian, 6000% increase in sales ...

Of aluminum bats that is.
H/t cnn.com

Seem that when one kind of defensive weapon is outlawed, the peasantry and other assorted serfs and peons default to arming themselves with the next level of weaponry. Self defense is a God given natural right. All God's creatures share this right. Even if your elected officials tell you they'll take care of that.

Grant don't get it

H't Revolver Liberation Alliance.

Grant Cunningham has a backlog of gunsmithing work, so deep (2 years!), he's not taking any new orders. In this economy, that's admirable as well as enviable. I guess that's what happens when you've built your reputation on quality work. His blog is a must read.

Grant confesses that he doesn't understand zombies. Read it here.
How about "just becuz". I've heard zombie match participants rave enthusiastically about "high shot count" matches. It's a "politically neutral" humanoid target. At least until the zombies organize, and start a political action committee.

Shoot a zombie this week

h/t Caleb/GNM & Cheaper Than Dirt
You have until Sunday August 7 to enter this E-Postal Match

ZOMG! Zombie! With a knife!

Download the target!
Read the rules!
Make a range run and have some fun!

Click on the pic caption above to go to the CTD site for all the above.

E-mail it all to E_PostalMatch@CheaperThanDirt.com,

If you see something, say something ...

h/t HuffPo

Banging the Fear Drum ... Daryl Johnson, former DHS Apparatchik, Finds Full Employment in Fear-mongering.

Think Progress article

Domestic Terrorism Analyst ... Lets define terms, shall we?
Domestic; Easy enough, eh? Shall we just call it America? That's the Fatherland in Homeland, right?

Terrorism; Now it gets sticky. What is terrorism? What does Wiki say?
There is no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition of terrorism.^[1][2] Common definitions of terrorism refer only to those violent acts which are intended to create fear (terror), are perpetrated for a religious, political or ideological goal, and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (civilians).

So ... "those violent acts, perpetrated for political, religious, or ideological goals, intended to create fear and deliberately target civilians ... Sound ok?

Now ... who is creating fear? Maybe this vid will help.



Precursor to criminal activity?
Writing notes? Taking pictures?
 
Who is targeting civilians?  

Who's political goals are enhanced by this report?

One more Prime Rib dinner may be this guys greatest danger

This is perfect Orwellian Double-Speak. Like the PATRIOT Act ... The oligarchy fears you. An armed populace is dangerous and hard to control.

I'm seeing ASSWIPES* everywhere. Talk about precursors of crime!


*Assorted Self-appointed Security Whores In Positions Escaping Scrutiny

First zombie apocalypse shotgun, Which one?

Buddy called.
He was giving me the match schedule update. Thanks!
Shared that he was chatting up the salesman at the gun shop, expressing his needs regarding long guns.
Specifically, his first long gun.
Seems that the salesman pulled out some Kel Tec's to peruse.

I may have found my "motorcycle gun! Kel Tec SU16A, .223 cal., folding stock

Chatting about a shotgun, led to the presentation of a box magazine fed shotgun from the shelf.
Was told the mag could hold 30 rounds.
There's not many to choose from in that configuration. Wonder if this was one?



Or maybe a Saiga?

Saiga 12 gauge, box magazine fed

 Not box mag fed, I'm not sure this Kel Tec shotgun is even in the retail stores yet.

14 rounds; 7 in each tube(s)

I dunno. That's all tacti-cool 'n stuff. However, bull-pups take some getting used to.
I would consider all detachable mag smoothbores to be "special use" guns. Given the proper scenario, say manning a road block, they might make sense. But all these are relatively new designs.

Some would argue for a single shot or double barrel. An easy to learn Manual of arms. Simple, sturdy, old-as-dirt design.

NEF Pardner Single shot

The argument against these are lack of follow up shots.  Another "special use" gun.

My first 12 guage was a Mossburg M590. Simple pump action. The Remington 870 is another popular option. Both are refinements of designs that have been around for multiple decades.

Top: Remington 870 Bottom: Mossburg 590

Bud had to hang up before we could finish the conversation.
If'n I was ax'ed ... I'd steer Bud towards a proven, time tested platform, like the Mossburg or Remington.


Regarding the choice for a first rifle?
That's a topic worth any number of posts.

Dillon@rest

Like Tam says, it's summer. It's warm out. Hittin' the century mark on the old Ace Hardware thermometer in the garage/woodshop/reloading bench. No reloading til things cool off a bit.
 

last week

Time to cover the press ... can still get a couple hours of woodwork done. I could've bought the official vinyl/lockable zipper dealy.

RL 550B Cover; $23.95

The bench. A vision of order and cleanliness.

 But a repurposed t-shirt serves. Too grungy to wear, too cool to throw out. It'll keep the sawdust off. How green is that!? I re-used, recycled and repurposed with 1 t-shirt.
I mean how many carbon credits is that worth?

Tune in ... Turn on ... Drop out.

The title was a mantra of the hippies. Where have all the hippies gone?

Finally tuned into Mr. Codrea's new "radio" show. Hooked up to the link for Monday Show (heart you internetz!). Lead in sounded excellent. The show has high production values. Yay. Nothin' worse than trying to listen to something that sounds like it's being broadcast from the bottom of a garbage can. No ... this sounds good.

Dave starts with introductions of the topics at hand, and it all sounds good.
I'm a lissenin' ... thinking this is gonna be soooo cool.

Dave gets to the end of his first segment. His final tease is; "Coming up later in the show, Stewart Rhodes of Oathkeepers, is going to tell us why disobeying orders can be the patriotic thing to do." This is The War on Guns, notes from the resistance, join the resistance..."

As God is my witness ... The very first commercial, after the musical bumper of Johnny Cash singing "No, I won't back down ..."

No ... HE won't back down

"Attention Parents ... if your son is 11 to 17 years old, and exhibits oppositional or defiant behavior patterns,  we will offer you our best selling child behavior program, "The Total Transformation" for free! As part of a national market research project. By sending in your results, you'll get our $300 program for free! Call Now! Repeat 800 number 3x for effect!

Total Transformation ... Totalitarian ... In a good way!

My subconcious, it tripped. I mean there it was just chugging along, then one foot tangled with t'other, and BLAM! Face-plant on the cee-ment.

I had to stop the feed and rewind (heart you internetz!).
The juxtaposition! It's delicious!

My subconcious makes excuses for it's clumsiness. How can programming thoroughly espousing resistance, carry advertizing for "programs" freely promoting  to wipe resistance out in your progeny?!

I dunno. Mebbe, like the "age of consent" 11-17 years olds haven't reached the legal age of bellicosity.

Still like the show.
Subconcious last seen stumblin' around the ratsnest, somewhere around here.

Saturday practice league

a target rich environment

So ... for the first time in months, I made it to Midwest's Saturday Session.
About 20 other shooters.

The skillz atrophy was readily apparent. Dropped 5 on my first string.

There were some interesting drills.
One of Jacks favorites ... the car-jacking scenario. Shooter must reach into vehicle seat to retrieve weapon.

With a group this size, there's alot of shoot 'n wait. Took us about 3 hours to run everybody through 5 drills. Some weeks, we go almost 150 rounds. Yesterdays went closer to half that.
Celebrity shooters got nothing to worry about from me. Felt like I'd just gotten warmed up.

New IL License Plate

h/t Of Arms and the Law

A pictures worth ... a couple felonious gasbags

Babes with Bullets

Closer to home, Chicago Trib has a story featuring the Oak Park Sportsmen's Club.
Actually, it's the venerable John Kass bringing it on in his column.

Wow. Non-criminal use of Firearms!

One of the organizers, Deb Ferns is quoted "What we want is for women to get involved."


John writes, "They were serious women, taxpaying women, law-abiding moms and sisters and daughters and friends. And they're the women who have the audacity to believe that the Constitution applies to them, too, even in Illinois."

This is high profile, positive stuff. Thank you Mr. Kass.
I can almost feel the choke-hold loosening.

Wall Street Journal; Gun Rights Activist

It's not often that "Gun Rights" are mentioned in the WSJ.
This mornings edition was one of those times.

http://online.wsj.com/public/page/news-world-business.html?mod=WSJ_topnav_us_main

The short vid mentions a few hot button issues, "State Sovereignty" being one.
Gary Marbut brings the suit to the courts.
It's worth a watch.

WRSA has it all

I started my cruise through my bloggy aggregater this morning.
Western Rifle Shooters Association has already done a yeomans job.

He must o' turned the Quality Filter turned up to 11.

WRSA

I realize that I've got nothing to add.

Congratulations Cheeseheads

ChiTrib story here.
Today's the day.

Once Wisconsin's Gov. Walker signs the law, Illinois will be the last bastion of gun-free safety.

Just for historical amusement ... Illinois once had it's own Governor Walker. And YES! He was also a guest of the penal system!

... he received over a million dollars in fraudulent loans for his business and repairs on his yacht, the Governor's Lady ...  ILL RULES!

Rahm moves to legalize Chi-Town Shooting Ranges

Story at the Chicago Tribune here

My theory is similar to the first commentor's at the Trib site.
Why fight a losing battle in court, when you can snarl real progress with regulation red tape.

It's still nice to know that the ISRA lawsuits are starting to sting.

Celebrate Independence Day

'round these parts the fireworks began a couple days ago.
Not the township sponsored displays, but the sporadic, private launchin' of innumerable bottle-rockets, firecrackers, m80's and what-not. It'll reach a crescendo about sunset tomorrow.

The. BEST. when I was 10.

O 'course, here in the Land of Lincoln, that's illegal. To protect the children. Oh you can have yer sparklers, and yer smokebombs. But nothing that goes BOOM! I'm glad to see that for the most part, the law enforcement community turns a blind eye to these infractions. Maybe they have to ... far too many scofflaws. Hmmmm ... there's a thought. Massive disregard for law.

I grew out of firecrackers as I grew older. Now-a-days, when I feel the need for BOOM, I head to the range.

BOOM-shacka-lacka Maximus

Irregardless, all the above is an off-topic rambling preamble to the titled topic "Independence".
Definition from The Random House Dictionary of the English Language (Unabridged Edition) 1967


in•de•pend•ence (in/di/pen/dəns), n. 1. state or quality of being independent. 2. freedom from subjection, or from the influence of others. 3. exemption from external control or support. 4. archaic. a competency.

Interesting that the Wikipedia entry speaks only of the nation/state mode:
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory

As I go through the events of the weekend, I'll be mulling over the state of my independence.
I hope you're able to thoughtfully celebrate any independence in your life.

Chicago Trib covers "Fast and Furious" story ...

Oh wait. Not that Fast and Furious.

This one.

The JackAss-ification of the Nation continues apace.

Range Run Report, June Afternoon

Temps in the 80's. 100% sunshine. What's not to like?

I was surprised to see a large ... I mean very large tent still set up behind the pistol range. This puppy took up almost the entire parking area. Range Officer told me they were still squaring away the range after last weeks open house. He estimated attendance near 1,000 folks.

Pic from '05 Open House. Maybe 1/3 the size as this years cover

My friend, the Barrister of the Berm, rolled in and we proceeded to the sign-in shack.
Next to the shack was a Norman Rockwell-ish scene of Grandpa and Grandson taking a S&W M29 out for some fun. Out of 50 lanes, two (2!) were occupied. This was gonna be good. Plenty o' elbow room. This is why I try to make range runs in the middle of the week.

Target at 10 yards for some sort'a close work.

I had brought a S&W M36 to play with. @#$%@ autofocus fail.

Bo'B brought his SIG SAUER X-CHANGE Kit™ with the ability to switch out slide and barrel, from 9mm to .22lr ... a sweet set-up. The shooting commenced and was truly unremarkable. Meaning that everything worked as it was supposed to.  No surprises, no malf's, (well 1 failure to extract with the Sig). The Barrister of the Berm, who's a new-ish shooter, hadn't shot a snubbie before, so he took a turn at it.

No scootin', no runnin', no watermelons allowed ... just the basics.

After a leisurely hour and a half of working on basics, we headed over to the 100 meter range.

Oddly shaped bench in foreground is for handicapped accessibility

ISRA range has 100 YARDS and 100 METER ranges. We picked the 100m since there was only 1 other shooter there. As we set up, I half-jokingly remarked that I want my boys to spread my ashes here after I'm gone. Really. I love this place. On a Wednesday afternoon in June, we had, for all practical purposes, a private range. About an hours drive from Mordor on the Lake.

Meanwhile, an hours drive away ... no fun

Bo'B and I took turns firing the M1A from a sandbag on the bench. After my recent case separation snafu's, I just wanted to confirm the rifle was running right. So ... I brought some new, store bought ammo, as well as reloads. Again, I'm happy to report that the session was unremarkable. Factory ammo worked flawlessly. Reloaded ammo was some old stuff that I just wanted to burn off. Some of the soft point tips were slightly deformed from storing bullet point down (D'oh!). Didn't expect great accuracy from these, and that's exactly what I got.

We took our time at a sedate pace. Barrel stayed cool. Conversation was shared. Current events were discussed between shooters turns. Iced tea was poured, and cancer sticks burned.

Bottom line on the whole outing? Sometimes it's not about the guns. Sometimes it's not about how small the 5-shot group is on the target. Sometimes its about just relaxing, having fun and socializing.