Stop, Or My Kid'll Shoot!
Dude, I fucking kick ass. I just got back from a morning spent at the fireing range with my dad and his partner José. Dad brought his two weapons, a 9mm Compact that is his primary service weapon, and his personal 9mm Full Size, which I used. Because it would be illegal for me to use his compact service weapon. So I didn't. Because that would be illegal.
I'm really quite proud of how well I did. I knew I had at least decent aim from when I was a kid, Geoff and I both had BBGuns, and I've shot a 22mm Rifle before. I've even shot George's old-west 6-Shooter a few times, but that thing has such a fucking wild recoil I didn't feel safe using it. And my aim with bow 'n arrow is enough to keep me fed in a pinch, so I knew I was okay at least. This was my first time in an actual range, though, and my first time shooting 9mms.
I gotta say, though, I really did quite well, both of them kept complamenting me on it, even when I thought I was doing pooly. Using the full size, though, kinda sucks for me. My hands are small, compaired to the hand size of someone who would usualy use that gun, so I have to pull the trigger with my first knuckle, instead of the pad in the center of my finger. This meens with the full size, I have a definate tendincy to pull down and to the right. If I had shot dad's compact (which I didn't, remember, because that would be illegal...) then my aim would have been as close to spot on as an amiture could be. My aim also would have been better with the compact (If I had shot it...which I didn't...) because it has a much smoother spring, and no where near the recoil strength of the full size that I was using.
We're gunna go back again while mom's gone, but I need to rest my hand for a few days first. With the full size, I can't get my thumb all the way around the stock (handle), so the stock grip (which is a very hard, dimond shaped, very very sharp patterned grip) rubbed the top of the bottom thumb joint raw. The pad of my thumb is swolen and brused, too, for the same reason. Wearing a glove in the future will help with this, but really the only thing that'll prevent it is to A) build calluses, and B) use a smaller weapon. When we do go up again, I'm thinking I'll ask about maybe renting one of their guns (you can rent any gun imaginable up at the range in Tacoma short of a fully automatic uzi). Not sure how much that'll cost though, and then I'd probably have to buy ammo too, where as if I use Dad's, he gets ammo free though work, because his going to the range qualifies as work (they have to re-qualifye every six months, so practice is encuraged).
The only downside to going today (other then my incredibly sore hand, which was totaly worth it) were the assholes shooting their fucking shot guns. It's an in door range, only six lanes per room (two rooms in the building). Do you know how loud a fucking shot gun is when fired inside an enclosed space? Oh. My. GOD. Talk about small dicked fuckers. The blasts were so loud, the shook the ammo in the boxes as the opisate end, and you could feel the heat from each shot from two lanes over. I meen, on one hand, hehehe, big bang cooooool, big bang that makes a three in hole in target coooool! But on the other hand, WTF!Loud, WTF!Pointless, and WTF!Show-A-Little-Fucking-Consideration-For-The-Other-Range-Users,-Asshole. ::eyeroll::
Oh, and turns out, one of them after he was done with his shot gun did some targeting with a 22mm with a silencer...which is so fucking illegal I can't even tell you. Turns out, that was the same guy who tattled on Dad for having a little fun and shooting both guns at once for a round. Jose did too, but when we went out, the Poser Behind The Counter (oh my GOD what a fucking poser) only called Dad out on it, telling him (in front of a group of about half a dozen people) "Oh, dude, no doubble fisting. I'm not gunna get you in troubble this time, but no doubble fisting. Or rappid fireing, either. Not gunna punish you this time, but no doubble fisting". ::eyeroll:: And also? Never tell a cop "No rapid fire", they're fucking trained to rapid fire. They're suposed to rapid fire, it's one of the qualifiers. ::eyeroll:: Small Pricked Poser.
So other then the annoying shotguns, and the Poser Behind The Counter, it was a blast! I really am proud of myself for how I did. I definatly gotta work on my left-handed shots, though. First shot I tried with my left hand, I nearly took out the cealing with the recoil, gun went everywhere, pretty dangrous, really. So I defiantly gotta work on my wrist strength on both hands, but really badly on the left. Anyone who trains to fire weapons in self defence should always be able to do it with both hands. So I'm gunna focus more on left-handed we when go back. And keep thinking about renting a smaller weapon.
Oh, and one more funny thing? We brought our own targets, of course, because again, Dad and José get them for free, but they sell all difrent sizes and styles of targets there, too. And they have them desplied all around the store. But the "full size" ones they had desplied behind the counter were: Guy holding a woman hostage, Guy holding a kid hostage, Osama Bin Laden holding an Usi, and Barney. I kid you not, Barney the Purple Dinosaur was right up there next to Osama Bin Laden. ::snicker:: If I had two bucks cash handy, I probably would have gotten it for Dad.
ETA: The Explosion - Yes, I was in Tacoma for most of today. No, I did not see/hear the explosion. Yes, I am okay, and as far as I can assertain, so is everyone I know who lives in the area. ::crosses fingers::
ETA 2 : The Explosion (12:40am 10/7/'07) - I'm not sure how long the link will be good for, but here's an artical off a local new station explaining what happend, and has a few amiture photos of the initial explosion, definatly worth checking out for more info: http://www.komotv.com/news/10288352.html
I'm really quite proud of how well I did. I knew I had at least decent aim from when I was a kid, Geoff and I both had BBGuns, and I've shot a 22mm Rifle before. I've even shot George's old-west 6-Shooter a few times, but that thing has such a fucking wild recoil I didn't feel safe using it. And my aim with bow 'n arrow is enough to keep me fed in a pinch, so I knew I was okay at least. This was my first time in an actual range, though, and my first time shooting 9mms.
I gotta say, though, I really did quite well, both of them kept complamenting me on it, even when I thought I was doing pooly. Using the full size, though, kinda sucks for me. My hands are small, compaired to the hand size of someone who would usualy use that gun, so I have to pull the trigger with my first knuckle, instead of the pad in the center of my finger. This meens with the full size, I have a definate tendincy to pull down and to the right. If I had shot dad's compact (which I didn't, remember, because that would be illegal...) then my aim would have been as close to spot on as an amiture could be. My aim also would have been better with the compact (If I had shot it...which I didn't...) because it has a much smoother spring, and no where near the recoil strength of the full size that I was using.
We're gunna go back again while mom's gone, but I need to rest my hand for a few days first. With the full size, I can't get my thumb all the way around the stock (handle), so the stock grip (which is a very hard, dimond shaped, very very sharp patterned grip) rubbed the top of the bottom thumb joint raw. The pad of my thumb is swolen and brused, too, for the same reason. Wearing a glove in the future will help with this, but really the only thing that'll prevent it is to A) build calluses, and B) use a smaller weapon. When we do go up again, I'm thinking I'll ask about maybe renting one of their guns (you can rent any gun imaginable up at the range in Tacoma short of a fully automatic uzi). Not sure how much that'll cost though, and then I'd probably have to buy ammo too, where as if I use Dad's, he gets ammo free though work, because his going to the range qualifies as work (they have to re-qualifye every six months, so practice is encuraged).
The only downside to going today (other then my incredibly sore hand, which was totaly worth it) were the assholes shooting their fucking shot guns. It's an in door range, only six lanes per room (two rooms in the building). Do you know how loud a fucking shot gun is when fired inside an enclosed space? Oh. My. GOD. Talk about small dicked fuckers. The blasts were so loud, the shook the ammo in the boxes as the opisate end, and you could feel the heat from each shot from two lanes over. I meen, on one hand, hehehe, big bang cooooool, big bang that makes a three in hole in target coooool! But on the other hand, WTF!Loud, WTF!Pointless, and WTF!Show-A-Little-Fucking-Consideration-For-The-Other-Range-Users,-Asshole. ::eyeroll::
Oh, and turns out, one of them after he was done with his shot gun did some targeting with a 22mm with a silencer...which is so fucking illegal I can't even tell you. Turns out, that was the same guy who tattled on Dad for having a little fun and shooting both guns at once for a round. Jose did too, but when we went out, the Poser Behind The Counter (oh my GOD what a fucking poser) only called Dad out on it, telling him (in front of a group of about half a dozen people) "Oh, dude, no doubble fisting. I'm not gunna get you in troubble this time, but no doubble fisting. Or rappid fireing, either. Not gunna punish you this time, but no doubble fisting". ::eyeroll:: And also? Never tell a cop "No rapid fire", they're fucking trained to rapid fire. They're suposed to rapid fire, it's one of the qualifiers. ::eyeroll:: Small Pricked Poser.
So other then the annoying shotguns, and the Poser Behind The Counter, it was a blast! I really am proud of myself for how I did. I definatly gotta work on my left-handed shots, though. First shot I tried with my left hand, I nearly took out the cealing with the recoil, gun went everywhere, pretty dangrous, really. So I defiantly gotta work on my wrist strength on both hands, but really badly on the left. Anyone who trains to fire weapons in self defence should always be able to do it with both hands. So I'm gunna focus more on left-handed we when go back. And keep thinking about renting a smaller weapon.
Oh, and one more funny thing? We brought our own targets, of course, because again, Dad and José get them for free, but they sell all difrent sizes and styles of targets there, too. And they have them desplied all around the store. But the "full size" ones they had desplied behind the counter were: Guy holding a woman hostage, Guy holding a kid hostage, Osama Bin Laden holding an Usi, and Barney. I kid you not, Barney the Purple Dinosaur was right up there next to Osama Bin Laden. ::snicker:: If I had two bucks cash handy, I probably would have gotten it for Dad.
ETA: The Explosion - Yes, I was in Tacoma for most of today. No, I did not see/hear the explosion. Yes, I am okay, and as far as I can assertain, so is everyone I know who lives in the area. ::crosses fingers::
ETA 2 : The Explosion (12:40am 10/7/'07) - I'm not sure how long the link will be good for, but here's an artical off a local new station explaining what happend, and has a few amiture photos of the initial explosion, definatly worth checking out for more info: http://www.komotv.com/news/10288352.html