Over at Guns.com the boys are a amazed by the trick shooting of Kristen Weiss. The think she may be creating a new fitness regimen for the rest of us.
Is gun Pilates the newest fitness craze? (VIDEO) – Guns.com.
Monthly Archives: October 2013
Those that have…
There is a common expression in the shooting sports. “There two groups in this sport, those that have, and those that will”. Last night I joined the group that “has”.
It had to happen at some point. It will probably happen again at some point. Given the just over two years that I have been playing this sport, I was probably past due to wind up with a disqualification. Embarrassed, very disappointed, and frustrated though.
Thinking back on all the sports I have played in though, I have only had a few game misconducts, maybe one or two red cards, a couple of basketball games where I fouled out… this had to happen at some point, it could have been a whole lot worse. The best and worst part is it happened at a local match, with a group of guys that know me well and were very empathetic about the situation.
Time to put this one behind me and go shoot 3 gun this weekend.
As to what happened, somehow (and I wish I really knew how because this is what is bothering me most) I brushed the trigger enough during a reloading sequence to discharge the weapon. It bothers me that I really cannot reconstruct the event to know for certain where all my digits were at the time, at least then I would know where I was careless and what I needed to fix.
USPSA Nationals
USPSA nationals is in full swing. One of these days, I may consider myself to be “good enough” to compete there. In the interim my friend Les is down there this week and I wish him the best of luck in his quest.
One of Les’ comments earlier this week was “Helluva Range”
To give you just an idea of what the US Shooting Academy in Tulsa is all about, watch this video. This really is a premiere facility.
USPSA Production Handgun Nationals 2013 Over Flight from ErichF on Vimeo.
You can also get live updates from the event in a variety of places including http://liveshots.net/
Footwear
Something that I have been struggling with lately is the proper footwear for matches. There are a lot of opinions out there, and we all wind up shooting in a variety of conditions. What works best for you? What is legal for you sport? What are your concerns as you address this issue?
Conditions
We participate in an active sport where we are negotiating everything from wet, slick, and muddy to dry, rocky, and dusty. Sometimes we are outdoors in an area of grass or rocks or gravel or hard packed dirt. Sometimes all of these things. Other times we are inside, on a smooth or even textured surface. Finding the ideal shoe or boot, that is affordable and comfortable is tough, and there may not be a singe product that fits the bill.
Features
What do you need in a shoe for our sports? Well, that is for you to decide but, my list is broken down below:
Must Haves
- Comfortable: It doesn’t matter if you go to a local match or a multi-day match, you are going to spend a lot of time standing in your shoes. They have to be comfortable to stand, sprint, kneel, and climb in.
- Good Traction: Our sport requires us to move quickly in a variety of directions. Traction is a pre-requisite.
- Durable: shoes and boots are not inexpensive. They need to last.
Should Haves
- Waterproof: Wet socks suck.
- Good on any surface: This is a tough one given all the different surfaces that we see in matches (trails, bays, gravel, mud, concrete, grass, etc.)
- Lightweight: I have enough knee problems without putting a heavy weight shoe on my foot to run in.
Could Haves
- Boot Style for ankle support and protection. I am thinking that I might be moving this to a must have.
Protection you ask? We are playing in the woods and the rocks, so do the snakes. Certainly, take a look at this little essay if you discount this fact. I am also reminded of the copperhead that we found on stage 5 at the AR-15.com Pro-Am this year.
The question for you, the reader is “What have you found that meets your criteria”?
I currently have a pair of low cut Merrell Moab’s that have served me well for a couple of years now. Waterproof, comfortable, good traction, durable, light weight but, no real ankle or calf protection. I have a pair of desert style boots that are almost broken in, and that I like but no waterproof features on these. I am looking for new ideas, and am looking forward to your comments.