Something to be proud about… Good Work!!!

Great class, nice work ladies!

Doing some personal range shooting at a great NRA (member’s only) range. This distance is 25 yards down range. Because the targets are stationary, there’s a cease fire alarm and light that notifies everyone to stop shooting and take a safety break. Shooters then go down range to their targets, make the necessary adjustments then come back to the bench and restart. Outdoor ranges are different from indoor ranges in several ways. A notable few would be, 1) the noise is more dissipated and not quite as loud as a concentrated indoor range but still loud, 2) the lead also is more dissipated, 3) there’s no button to push to bring the targets back to you to change, 4) sometimes the wind can affect the bullets depending on distance, and the target’s stability, etc. 5) you’d need to be even more cognizant of where you bullet goes if your bullet goes over the Burm. 6) wildlife can sometimes share the space with you, and you should not shoot them. They have a right to live, and, in some areas, you’re required to report an accidental shooting of the wildlife to the game authorities. I would personally recommend that every serious shooter have access to at least one outdoor range to go along with an indoor range to experience the differences. So as always, put safety first…

This is the Shot Gun range. Clay pigeon shooting for practice and competition.

This range is in the process of hosting a Black Powder Rifle gun competition.

One of our NRA range classrooms in between classes. Angle #1

One of our NRA range classrooms in between classes. Angle #2

Getting the rust off after not going to the range for several months. It is vitally important that all gunners who are depending upon the use of their firearms for self-defense, to practice (yeah I’m talkin about practice) regularly at least monthly.

Grouping of shots are fine, now to focus on adjustments that will help shooter to center shots better.

Important “point and shoot” exercises based on their natural point of sight and not using their rear sights while doing it within two seconds from a drawn or low ready position. Shooters have to be able to 1) hit their target anywhere on its center or lower mass as a defensive response from a realistic distance, and 2) doing it in as natural a motion as possible.

Practicing trigger discipline starting with a shorter range using a Red Dot sight.

Having a great and peaceful day at the gun range. There are so many wonderful people who are like minded about their 2nd Amendment rights. They simply want to come out to the range and shoot their firearms and enjoy each other’s company.

Even seniors come out and sit down and try their skills at firing at a target that could be up to 50+ yards away. There’s no pressure and no one boasting, just folks having fun.

These two are having fun sharing a target (at the same time) with their handguns. Who says that you can’t have good safe clean fun at the range? There’s room for handicapped folks, folks of all ages and genders with no judgement. We simply have to practice Universal Safety Rules at ALL times.

There are also clay pigeons down range at the berm that long gunners can shoot at (if you bring your own). Stand up or sit down, it’s just as fun for everyone.

Member is zeroing in a rifle …five shots at a time.

What we have here is a couple of lessons well learned. The shooter had a new Red/Green dot MOS sight and had someone else zero in the sight for them. When the owner used the sight, the hits were consistently high and right. One could argue that it’s not the dot but how the shooter is “heeling and anticipating recoil,” which of course could be the case and was addressed. Nevertheless, the owner realized that they needed to learn how to adjust and zero their own sight, because what’s good for one shooter may not be satisfactory for another. Furthermore, the original professional used a stationary rest which is preferred when zeroing in the Red/Green dot MOS which can increase the accuracy and consistency of your shots. The owner was making adjustments free handed without a stationary rest. On one hand the groupings are always a good sign even shooting freehanded. However, whenever possible try using a stationary rest when you’re zeroing in your dot so as to increase the probability of knowing that when you place your dot on a target (particularly in a self-defense scenario) that it will more likely than not hit the target where the dot is.

There are a couple of things that I want to point out about this target. The first is that this shooter was using +P (overpowered/high capacity) loads. In other words, this is a more powerful cartridge that has a stronger kick to it. The shooter will feel the recoil. It’s the kind of cartridge that maybe someone in law enforcement, the military or even a hunter may have. It’s not necessary to use if all you’re doing is punching holes in paper. My personal bias obviously however, I know that I’ve seen even with experienced shooters develop a flinch when they’re using this load in anticipation of a shot. New shooter not knowing what their purchasing can be easily turned off from the sport if they’re scared away from this type of load. However, the positive side here is that it does have greater stopping power if used in a self-defense scenario. Potential problem (if you want to call it a problem) is that you should at least practice with this load if you choose to use it for self-defense. The general rule of thumb is that you should practice with what you’re going to defend with. The negative is that not all guns can handle the powerful loads, wearing out your gun prematurely. This of course is a personal choice that the shooter has to make on their own.

More specifically regarding the above target, what I want to draw your attention to is the groupings. There are two specific groupings in the #9 zone. These shots characterize when the shooter takes their time, using the proper gripping techniques, etc. but also shooting not more than five (5) shots at a time. Many magazines today have about ten or more rounds, and the shooter feels obligated to shot all of them at one time. Ironically, the shooter is comfortable shooting the first 5ish but fatigue and anxiousness causes the shooter to hurry up and shoot the rest of them. You then have the first 5ish well grouped with the others scattered throughout because of sloppy gripping, slapping the trigger, etc. That is why Sigma recommends especially new shooters who are learning to shoot, load only five rounds at a time, and take approximately two seconds in between each shot. Then drop the magazine and place the gun back on the bench. If the magazine is already fully loaded, then we recommend only five shots, drop the magazine and then place the gun back on the bench. Yes, for Sigma, the ultimate goal is to teach the shooter how to hit an offensive target when being attacked, however, proper disciple developing strong fundamentals has to be our foundation.

This is a target of a head shot. At Sigma, we don’t recommend that new shooters plan to defend themselves against an attacker by first aiming at the attacker’s head. Why? Because the head is a smaller area of the body and you could very easily miss your intended target and hit an unintended target. Always remember, that you are legally responsible for EVERY bullet that leaves your gun regardless of the circumstances in which you’ve used it. So, if you’re learning how to defend yourself from an attacker then first start by aiming at the center mass (Chest/trunk) area. After you’ve become proficient in adequately hitting your defensive target, you can develop your skill in aiming at the head area, however, we’d still recommend that it would only be for practice and not in real life and death situations. Please remember, that the skull is one of the hardest bones in the body. Not only can you miss your target even at close range, but bullets have also been known to bounce off skulls and continue to fly in another direction; and yes, you’re still legally responsible for where your bullet goes after that. So, please, headshot targets only for practice and not real-life defense purposes.

This chart is from the HF&G range website. It provides a helpful insight into the tendencies that we see on our targets.