A Shoot - In Texas

 

Do you even remember how to shoot, so-called LSP? Good question and I loaded up some guns in the rig and drove out to the range with Fr. C to find out. There we were, out in the field with a collection of guns, a few old pumps, a CZ SxS, a single shot 20, a no name Italian O/U and a collection of Rugers.

OK, all these guns, awesome, but could we shoot them? Sure enough we could, with C opening up handily with his Ruger .357 Mag revolver against steel plates. Bang. Watch those plates swing. Then it was onto shotguns.

C kicked off with his older Remington 870, which worked flawlessly, then I followed on with a Mossberg 835 Ultimag, smoke those skeet! Big fun and it was good to see the  old workhorse doing its thing, that gun's shot a lot of dove. Then my Remington 870, which worked well enough but has a rough cycle, it's newer than C's and not as good.

Next up, my CZ .20 SxS and C's 20 single shot 20, I think it's Turkish. The single worked just fine in C's capable hands and knocked our biodegradable enemy outta the sky every time. The CZ was great too, though you have to remember to sight right down the barrel, if you see the rib you'll miss.

Great result and as always, remember kids, it's important to actually aim your shotgun, firing in general direction, whilst enjoyable, tends not to hit the target. There is, perhaps, a moral in that. A box of White Flyer down, we finished off with Rugers, a .22 American, a Mk. IV 22/45 and a .357 Mag revolver.

The latter two belonged to C and I'm jealous, I want those pistols, even though I didn't shoot the Mark IV particularly well. Obviously need one to get more practice in. And it was all plinking enjoyment from thereon in, nice one.

So there you have it. Yes, both of us remembered how to shoot and shot pretty well, see those skeet smoke and explode like Focke Wulfs over the Oder. Great result, what a boost to get out and shoot, just you, the guns and the country of the great state of Texas. It clears the head, I tell you.

#2A,

LSP

Smoke That Skeet

 

Someone once said, famously, Speed is fine. Accuracy is final, and skeet shooting's a bit of both, not that I'm any kind of expert. The orange bird zips out fast and you have to be on to get it. A typically quick, accurate, snap shot.

And how good when you connect and smoke the clay challenger. There's something especially satisfying about hitting that small moving target and watching it dust off. Big fun, but here's the thing, readers.

You may think, because shotgun, that pointing in the general direction and letting loose is going to work, street sweeper style. Think again. It helps to aim. Seriously. Don't forget, in the shotgunnery excitement of all, to aim.  Put that bead on the bottom edge of the clay, "popsicle" it, and squeeze the trigger. A fast movement for sure, but an accurate one.

But what am I saying. All you competition shooters out there have forgotten more about the sport than I will ever know. Regardless, the misnomered White Flyers took a right beating today, not least from the kid. Great result.

Then, after a headshot plinkathon against small steel at 150 yards, .22 WMR, we headed back to base. And what a good day out in the country with guns, just sheer enjoyment. Thanks, CR, for the invite. And now?

Pork chops, Yorkshire Pudding(!), roast potatoes and all the rest. A delicious end to a great day's shoot. It's raining too, another plus. Thank you, Climate Change.

Your Pal,

LSP

Happy Juneteenth!

 

I don't know how you celebrated Juneteenth or even Kwanza, but here at the Compound it just seemed right to clean a couple of shotguns which had cleverly swum back from their watery grave in the mighty Brazos.

And what filthy beasts they were! You see, it's all very well to have guns but if you don't clean them they don't work, they jam, seize up and fail. Just the other day I watched a friend unleash his Remington 870 on a clay. Boom, smoked it, and then what? 

A Gun

Nothing, the gun failed to extract, and all because the chamber hadn't been cleaned in a years worth of Sundays. Net result? Shell stuck in chamber, gun useless except as Zulu style club. And we all know spear chuckers can be deadly but properly functioning firearms deadlier still, so set about those guns with Juneteenth fervor. Let's see 'em shine, inside and out.

A Juneteenth Angel

And shine they did. Excited, I texted a friend in England who had been in the Army (TA) and he asked if it brought back memories. It did, of course. Weapons cleaning, running, endless shaving and ironing, a Sergeant directing our parade attention to a "Colour" ambling largely along the edge of the Square, "Look at that, boys. Too fat to F***ing fight. Get OFF MY SQUARE. YOU'RE F***ING TILTING IT." 

Another Gun!

"That story," remarked my pal, "has stuck with me, indelibly." And same here, but of course I was there, back in the mists of time. Text convo over, Eduardo tipped up on the porch, he runs a chicken operation behind the Compound and has bad English, "Mi Padre, favor?" he asked, eyeing gleaming shotguns. "Car no good, drive to liquor store?"

Yet Moar Gun

Off we went, and he bought a case of beer for Fathers Day. Well done that man. And with that, all three of you gentle readers, all was well with the world on this great, awesome, holy and wonderful holiday that is... Juneteenth. Gun rights.

Your Pal,

LSP

The Shoot Before Christmas

"Up for a shoot, old chap?" The Private didn't need much prompting and sprang out of bed, eager to show off his skills. "I reckon I'll smoke you on the AR," he quipped in a merry two days before Christmas kind of way. 

"I reckon there'd be something wrong if you didn't," I replied in the famously understated way of irregular cavalry, "But first I have to walk the Blue." The Blue being a dog, obviously.

That done, off we went to the range with a couple of .45s, an AR, a 20 SxS, and a big box of bullets courtesy of CheapAmmo.com; thanks, guys, great result. And what a good day for it, the sun shone, the ground was firm, the air clean in a big Texan sky, and all was well. 

CZ 20

First things first, we set up a silhouette along with a few playing cards and warmed up on the .45s. I kicked off with a Glock 21 and pounded five rounds into an approximation of the X Ring. OK, for a rusty shooter. The kid followed on and did well with a PX4 Storm, the green terr was definitely down. We moved onto playing cards at 10 yards.

Hmmm. Rusty.

I know, nothing outrageously skilled, unless you're out of practice like me, but we put the paper beast back in its box and had plenty of fun to boot. Nice. Then onto the 20 and a box of skeet, which we hurled redneck style into the sky. They mostly got smoked. 

Go Army

Next up? AR, and disaster struck. The battery'd died and the helpful red dot was no more. Good thing the weapon had back up iron sights. We blasted away like good 'uns, mostly against steel plates which swang like fury at the impact of the small but forceful 5.56. 

Did the kid "smoke me on the AR"? No, but I feel he would've if the shoot had gone on much longer and he got the feel of weapon. More training, you see. But what a neat little beast, Hipertouch trigger, Bison barrel and lightweight furniture. Far better, thought the Private, than issue. Such, perhaps, is the value of being irregular.

Boom!

We finished off with .45s against steel plates and had a blast knocking the adversary about. Boom, off you go. And then it was time to head for home, mission accomplished.

I love shooting, I scorn the DNC. And thanks, CheapAmmo for making the whole day possible. Great result, and your bullets worked too, like fury. Result.

Gun Rights, 

LSP

PS. Look, they helped the Compound out so I want to return the favor. Check out CheapAmmo, they support our troops. Good, right?

Double Up!

OK, fishing's great but you have to shoot too and part of that involves shotguns, yes, double barreled shotguns or "doubles." Thanks to a friend who's moving overseas, I was able to pick one up today, a CZ Bobwhite.

It's a handy side by side 20 gauge, Jeff Quinn calls it "svelte," with double triggers, 3" chambers, extractor-only action, straight English stock, case hardened receiver,  and 28" barrels.

For a budget SxS, I'd say it's attractive and it certainly seems to handle well, coming quickly to shoulder and putting your eye straight down the rib. But does it work?

If my friend's testimony is anything to go by, yes, he's had all kinds of success in the field with this gun. 

Now it's my turn, right in time for predove season warm ups against the clays and then the avian acrobats themselves.

Thanks, TC. God bless your trip to the Emerald Isle.

Gun rights,

LSP