Going Hot

The weather was hot…my shooting was not. My performance at Sunday’s USPSA match at Miami Rifle & Pistol Club was slightly improved over last month, but not much. Rushing some shots where I should have slowed down, and some general sloppiness contributed to a lukewarm performance on a ninety-degree plus day. (I went through three and a half quarts of water!)

Have a look…

The first of a couple of especially painful flubs came on Stage 2. In this screen grab, you’ll see the two targets to the right of the swingers at the second position. I rushed those targets a little too much and threw misses on the second shot on each of them. That’s right…I hit the swingers, but missed what should have been relatively easy Alphas on two stationary targets!

Then on Stage 3, you’ll see me engage two relatively distant targets through a gap between two walls. I did not take enough care when shooting the target closest to the wall to the left, and hit the wall instead of the target. Fortunately, I saw the hit on the wall and fired again to make up what would have been a miss, but it cost me a standing reload and valuable time. I would have been better served taking an extra half second or so to make sure I had a good look at the target…clear of the wall…before shooting and wasting even more time making it up.

As is always the case, however…I had a great time. Competitive shooting is good fun, and an excellent way to polish your shooting skills…I just need a bit more polish! Don’t be afraid to give it a try. Next month is National Shooting Sports Month, so let’s go shooting!