THE PRETTY PISTOLERA

Oklahoma!

Here is some video from the Oklahoma State IDPA Match last weekend. There is an Oklahoma YouTube Playlist on the Pretty Pistolera YouTube Channel, too. You can see more video of both me and John, and you can check out some of the stages.  Before you break out the popcorn and enjoy all of the super-fun gunny video goodness, please note the following:

• John is sporting a nuts hat.  He thinks it is hilarious and distracts the other shooters.  (Bet you can guess what I think).
• Hot pink ear protection rocks. So do plaid scarves.
• The camera adds ten pounds.  Be sweet.

Pretty Pistolera's Weekend Update

A very long week is now over. 

I was on the road Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday was somewhat normal.  Thursday and Friday I was sequestered in all-day meetings.  I've barely seen sunlight.  And, the weekend was another two days holed up in a classroom.  At least this weekend was gun related.  I took the NRA course to become a certified trainer.  Two whole days.  8 AM to 6 PM, Saturday and Sunday.  I could blog on and on about my 20 hours of NRA indoctrination, but I am just too tired. 

It was kinda like Public Speaking 101 meets Marksmanship 101.  That's not in the college course catalog.  Although it should be.  Details later...

Inaugural Shots

Here is the video of the AR's inaugural shots.  I was desperate to have some trigger time on Tuesday night after IDPA.  I have to say a big thank you and shout-out to John and the Hi-Tech Ammo team for getting the ammo together at the last minute.  Hi-Tech got John the components quickly.  John was reloading as he was headed out the door to meet me at the range.  Thanks, guys!

Firing the AR was quite fun.  However, I would be remiss if I didn't gripe and moan a little.

1. It was colder than crap at the range.  I could see my breath.  My fingers were numb.  The gloves didn't help.  (But, the gloves were super cute.  Notice the fur trim?).  
   
2. John, honey, you must stop yelling "Go!" every time I pick up a firearm.  Every video on the Pretty Pistolera You-Tube Channel is littered with "go" commands.  Where does that habit come from?  I will ask your mom, she'll know.  (Hey Loretta, where does this "go" thingy come from?  Did he do this as a child?  You think he picked up the habit in the Marines? Or does it simply stem from his utter impatience with the world?  Maybe the latter?  Please let me know.  Thanks.)
3. We didn't have a lot of time after IDPA.  I only shot one magazine.  I wish had shot 50 magazines with the way I felt afterward.  Om.

Gunny Math

I've had a rough couple of weeks at work, so shooting last night was a much needed distraction.  John always tells me that inhaling cordite relieves stress.  I agree shooting is a great outlet, but I normally pound a treadmill several times a week to help manage my stress (and to stay in shape).

Last night at the indoor range John and I managed to steal a few minutes to try out the new AR.  I am very excited about my new mathematical epiphany regarding stress management:

One AR 30 round clip = 45 minutes of treadmill running

I was officially stress-free last night.  No sweating necessary.

Pretty Pistolera's Weekend Update

I am so happy to be home... I've been to The Big Apple and a machine gun fest all in the same week (hilarious, huh?).  John has been on the road for almost two weeks... Philly for the IDPA nationals then he left again on Thursday for Knob Creek.  He should be home in a couple of hours and Winston will be back tomorrow afternoon... then we should be back to normal for a few weeks.

The Machine Gun Shoot at Knob Creek was an interesting experience.  I've never seen anything quite like it.  I was told about 13,000 people visit the three day event.  I have lots of video to share!  John bought me a nifty new Flip camcorder to make shooting video and uploading much easier.  This is the perfect camcorder for a range bag.  The camera plugs into the USB port of the computer and voila...  super-easy uploaded videos.  I will put them on YouTube this week. 

Here is a pic I snapped Saturday morning at the range.  Shooting on the upper range had just started and the sun just came up over the hills.  It didn't take long for gunpowder to fill the air. 

Originally uploaded by prettypistolera

Stay tuned for videos of me shooting a Sterling, Browning 1919 (aka Grandpa), Glock 18, Thompson, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, Grease Gun, H&K MP5 PDW, and an M60.  Fun stuff!   

Pretty Pistolera's Weekend Update

I have been on the road for almost two weeks. Two weeks!  I am so happy, happy, happy to be home. By the way, I have travel stories to share later (American Airlines, you suck!). 

I have not been to the range for over two weeks and, quite frankly, was terrified that some of the progress I've made would evaporate.  This morning John and I shot an IDPA match - five stages and about 90 rounds.  I was nervous, but I still forced myself to slow down and move with intention. This approach has helped me improve my accuracy over the past month... and today it paid off! 

Today's trigger time was truly happy time.  I had many small victories.  Let's review:

Yippee #1:   No procedural errors.  I usually do not get a lot of these, but today there was a lot of running and gunning.  I usually do better when I don't have to move much.  For example, I had to shoot in tactical sequence and retreat at the same time.  The stages that require simultaneous walking and chewing bubble gum can sometimes rock my world.

Yippee #2:   No "hit on a non-threat" penalties.  Normally my bullets are attracted to the no-shoot targets like a moth to a flame. There were lots of tricky target arrangements at each stage (thank you, nutty Match Director). These pesky penalties add five (FIVE!) whole seconds to the total time.  I usually rack up at least two or three during a match. Not today! 

Yippee #3:  No "failure to neutralize" penalties.  This is huge!  In IDPA at least one round must hit in either the zero or -1 part of the target for it to be considered properly "neutralized."  I've been fighting a nasty habit of trigger jerking for a while now... with this habit the bullets hit low and left.  I am so sick of hearing "down six with a failure" I could hurl.  Ninety rounds and not one FTN!  These pesky penalties add five whole seconds to the overall time, too.  Between yippee point #2 and yippee point #3 it is obvious why I come in last.

Yippee #4:  Points down were way down.  I normally have the most points down in any given match (I actually hold a record). Today, I was above average!  Above average!  The average points down for the match was 42.6.  Please do not snicker at my geeky analysis.  My total points down for the match were 38!  Hot doggies!

Yippee #5:  I did not come in last!  Granted, I was the tortoise in today's match, but because my accuracy improved and my pesky penalties were zilch I made up some overall time. 

After a subtle post-match happy dance, I shot the IDPA classifier.  John and I are headed to Michigan for their state match next month and I needed an official classification... another 90 rounds of trigger happy time.    

Final Yippee:  I am no longer a novice... I'm now a marksman! 

I am so excited about my progress! After two weeks of trigger deprivation and exhausting travel I am tickled pink to be home, and also to be on the right track with this new hobby!

Now, I just need to figure out how I can get marks-chick put on my classification card.   

You Don't Need to Tell Me Twice...

Actually, I need to be told three times. 

• Setting: This morning at the gym.  I was doing my daily cardio, listening to a podcast of Gun Talk.  Tom Gresham was talking to his guest about attracting new shooters to the sport, especially women. 

• Setting: Lunch time at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  John tells me that it's a shame more women are not involved in shooting sports.  He urged me blog about the subject and be a help to guys that want to get their wives/girlfriends to the range.

• Setting: This evening surfing the gun blogosphere.  I see Cowboy Action Shooter Jose at Amigos Cantina said something similar.  "If only more wives were interested in shooting..."

Got it loud and clear. 

Just for the record, I am the most unlikely chick to enjoy shooting (ask my friends). There is not a tom-boy bone in my body. I do not enjoy the outdoors, and pretty much despise any activity that is to be done outside. I did not grow up around guns. I do not have even one family member that shoots. Guns came into my life via my wedding vows... Do you, Tracy, promise to uphold and never speak ill of the Second Amendment? I do.

For years, I looked at John's passion for shooting the same way he looked at my shoe collection. So how did this gun thing happen?  Three factors came together one day - curiosity, empowerment, and pestering.  Let's explore each of them:

• Curiosity - I grew up watching the Mandrell Sisters. I loved to watch Irlene shoot clay pigeons. I had no idea what she was doing at the time, but I thought it was so cool when she yelled "PULL," and then blew the disc to smithereens. Never thought much of it after the show was canceled, but her confidence made an impression on me. After I confessed my Irlene secret to John, he often reminded me "if you come to the range with me you can yell 'pull,' just like Irlene."  See also: pestering.

• Empowerment - We were in Vegas a few years ago with friends and the group wanted to go to The Gun Store.  I succumbed to the peer pressure and shot three different machine guns. At the time I did not enjoy the guns themselves, but the feeling of being in complete control resonated with me. Since I have a strong desire to protect myself, The Gun Store experience empowered me to explore concealed carry and self-defense classes. Dirtbags are everywhere... look up your zip code in the National Sex Offender Registry, it's frightening!

• Pestering - John finally wore me down.  He begged to me "come meet the guys" at one of their  IDPA practices at the indoor range (no bugs, climate controlled).  I agreed to hang out and socialize. That did it!  I saw that I could satisfy my curiosity, have that great feeling of control and empowerment, learn how to protect myself, and (bonus) get him to stop pestering me.

So you asked me what time it was and I built you a clock, sorry. 

Bottom line, if I can plug into this sport and enjoy it, anyone can!  Every girl that's been invited to join their guy at the range has different reasons for not going. Stay tuned and we will talk about the do's and don't's to get your girl to the range (that is, if you want her to join you). It is possible that she will grow to enjoy shooting almost as much as she does shopping.

Advantage Arms

Not long ago I started shooting a 22 Advantage Arms conversion kit to get the safety rules and shooting basics down pat.  It also allowed me to get used to handling my Glock 17 without the recoil of "Big Boy" 9 MM ammo. 

For the record, this is a great idea for two reasons:  9 MM ammo is not cheap and there is little recoil with a 22.  The Advantage Arms kit was perfect for a new girl in training.  Boys, I whole-heartedly recommend this for the new female shooter in your life.  We've talked about not scaring her to death with the Tackleberry guns... save those for later.

After I was comfortable with the Advantage Arms kit, we put it away and I started working my way up in 9 MM power factor.  I slowly got used to the recoil and finally got promoted to "Big Boy" 9 MM ammo last week.  Woo hoo!  With that said, I shot a steel match today, 200+ rounds with my new "Big Boy" ammo. 

The steel match was a lot of fun.  Eight stages with five rounds each.  You shoot each stage five times.  200+ rounds and 40 draws later I came in last.  Yep, I still suck.  BUT... I finished the match safely, I finally shot "Big Boy" ammo, and got in some great practice.  I will take the small victories.

Fireworks, Schmireworks!

We celebrated the Fourth by going to the "50 range."  I actually shot a 50 caliber rifle from 500 yards.  And, (bonus) I hit the target!  I was so nervous... not because of the potential recoil, the loud bang, or the aftershocks, but because I really, really, really had to pee. 

The power of the rifle is incredible.  I cannot explain it in technical terms, and to be quite honest, I am not even sure of the specific make and model I shot, so here is what Wikipedia has to say about the power of a 50 BMG (close enough): 

"A common method for understanding the actual power of a cartridge is by comparing muzzle energies. The Springfield .30-06, the standard caliber for American soldiers in World War II and a popular caliber amongst American hunters, can produce muzzle energies between 2000 and 3000 foot pounds of energy (between 3 and 4 kilojoules). A .50 BMG round can produce between 10,000 and 13,000 foot pounds (between 14 and 18 kilojoules) or more, depending on its powder and bullet type, as well as the rifle it was fired from. Due to the high ballistic coefficient of the bullet, the .50 BMG's trajectory also suffers less "drift" from cross-winds than smaller and lighter calibers, making the .50 BMG a good choice for high powered sniper rifles."

Holy firepower, Batman!

PS - The round that I shot was extra-special.  It was loaded with love and care by the Hi-Tech Ammo team especially for me.  You guys are rock stars!  By the way, the shell casing is now a paper weight on my desk.