Zebulon Vitruvius Pike (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dime_novel_hero) wrote2024-09-15 07:16 pm
dime_novel_hero) wrote2024-09-15 07:16 pm
Entry tags:
Needs Do
Over the weekend I got back to Logan’s Ferry for Cowboy Action shooting and I did. . . OK.
The thing is, I don’t want to do just OK. I want to have more fun and, to do that, I need to shoot and move better. Given my guns and category choices, I will never be truly competitive but I can do better.
Quite a bit better.
So, to do better, I have to do certain things.
Reloading.
I don’t do much shooting outside of the monthly competitions and even then I don’t make it to every month. To get better accuracy, I will need to shoot more. To shoot more I need more ammunition, which is expensive and sometimes difficult to find in 45 Colt. I’ve inherited the machine for reloading from my father but need to set it up to work. I just got a new car that will fit better in the garage so that will necessitate actually clearing the space in the garage for it. That will prompt the additional action of electrifying it and, after that, mounting the machine on the workbench. All those ducks need to get into rows for that to come together to allow me to ultimately send more lead downrange.
Dry Fire.
A lot of things, such as drawing from the holster, transitions, and reloads can be practiced with dry fire. Ideally I should be doing that every day but after spending almost 11 hours out of every day at or going to and from work, it’s hard to get motivated for another hour of hard work. And weekends fill up pretty quick with all the things that the household needs to function. I need to build a better schedule and stick to it.
Cardio.
It’s not that I get winded doing the small amount of movement necessary for Cowboy Action Shooting but I don’t want it to become a factor as I get older. I used to bicycle commute every day and adding 80 miles on a Saturday would be nothing but my commute has changed and I haven’t been riding much at all and I feel it when I’m doing yard work. To counter that, I have been waking during my lunch break. I want to add more energetic activities.
170 Rule
Imagine you have a shotgun up to your shoulder and you are shooting in a given direction. Your left arm is out and your left foot is probably a little bit forward. But once you’ve done that, you need to move to your right to do something else. Easy. You are already turned a little to the right so you just move to the next station. But, if you have to move to the left instead of the right, you have to turn around to move there. Congratulations, you have just pointed your gun at all of the people standing behind you.
I’ve done that before. And this past weekend, even though I thought to point my gun straight up instead of sweeping the crowd, I did it wrong and got a severe finger shaking. I must break myself of that habit. Those Dry Fire and Cardio things could help with scenarios that have shoot, move right, shoot, move left, lather, rinse, repeat.
The thing is, I don’t want to do just OK. I want to have more fun and, to do that, I need to shoot and move better. Given my guns and category choices, I will never be truly competitive but I can do better.
Quite a bit better.
So, to do better, I have to do certain things.
Reloading.
I don’t do much shooting outside of the monthly competitions and even then I don’t make it to every month. To get better accuracy, I will need to shoot more. To shoot more I need more ammunition, which is expensive and sometimes difficult to find in 45 Colt. I’ve inherited the machine for reloading from my father but need to set it up to work. I just got a new car that will fit better in the garage so that will necessitate actually clearing the space in the garage for it. That will prompt the additional action of electrifying it and, after that, mounting the machine on the workbench. All those ducks need to get into rows for that to come together to allow me to ultimately send more lead downrange.
Dry Fire.
A lot of things, such as drawing from the holster, transitions, and reloads can be practiced with dry fire. Ideally I should be doing that every day but after spending almost 11 hours out of every day at or going to and from work, it’s hard to get motivated for another hour of hard work. And weekends fill up pretty quick with all the things that the household needs to function. I need to build a better schedule and stick to it.
Cardio.
It’s not that I get winded doing the small amount of movement necessary for Cowboy Action Shooting but I don’t want it to become a factor as I get older. I used to bicycle commute every day and adding 80 miles on a Saturday would be nothing but my commute has changed and I haven’t been riding much at all and I feel it when I’m doing yard work. To counter that, I have been waking during my lunch break. I want to add more energetic activities.
170 Rule
Imagine you have a shotgun up to your shoulder and you are shooting in a given direction. Your left arm is out and your left foot is probably a little bit forward. But once you’ve done that, you need to move to your right to do something else. Easy. You are already turned a little to the right so you just move to the next station. But, if you have to move to the left instead of the right, you have to turn around to move there. Congratulations, you have just pointed your gun at all of the people standing behind you.
I’ve done that before. And this past weekend, even though I thought to point my gun straight up instead of sweeping the crowd, I did it wrong and got a severe finger shaking. I must break myself of that habit. Those Dry Fire and Cardio things could help with scenarios that have shoot, move right, shoot, move left, lather, rinse, repeat.
These are all the things I have been telling myself to do for quite a while. Again, I’ve got other things in my life. Cowboy Action is not my only hobby. But If I can develop a schedule, write it down, and stick to it, maybe I can be better and, more importantly, have more fun.
