Sunday, April 22, 2007
Range Report (Model 29)
Thursday was range day. I initially seemed like a quiet affair that would only involve the Old Man and me, and maybe my brother. As it ended up, a soon-to-be private citizen army guy we know showed up at the office. After loading up and hitting the range we found that my brother was shooting with two friends as well, bringing the party's total to six.
Needless to say, we started by sighting in the Model 29. The factory sights were pretty close but took some adjusting to get a solid zero. Damn near everybody out there shot this gun (it's easier on the hand than the Ruger .44 Redhawk) and the reports even drew witnesses from another nearby range.
The range we were on was about 40 yards long, allowing you to sight while other people plinked at the same time. A mistake was made in that a frame was allowed to sit 20 yards beyond the plinking targets (plastic coffee cans, waterballs, etc.) None of us geniuses realized that the hopping bullets would rip the shit out of the target frame. By the end of the day, my brother's friend's target stand had been shot to shit.
In total, between six of us, we had an AR, a combat shotgun, 2 1911s, an XD 9mm, a CZ P-01, the aforementioned 29, Glock 21, Glock 19, and one or two other pistols that I didn't shoot.
As an aside, the P-01 is pistol I've never taken that seriously. After watching several people perform with it and trying it at longer distances myself, it is a very able sub-compact gun. It has been my office desk-drawer gun and will remain so.
Also, the Smith and Wesson SW1911PD was out. Xavier has a much better review than I can provide here. He makes me feel a lot better about the external extractor that had initially so worried me. Additionally, the light-weight canard about recoil and durability seem to be in effect. Also, the PD is extremely LH friendly.
All in all it was pretty much a good plinking day. I didn't plan on shooting with so many people I'd never shot with before, but it turned out alright. They want to do it again on Thursday at the 800 meter range and focus on AK, AR, FAL, M-14, and accurized bolts. Seeing as Boomershoot is coming up and I will not be in attendance, that may be apropos.
Needless to say, we started by sighting in the Model 29. The factory sights were pretty close but took some adjusting to get a solid zero. Damn near everybody out there shot this gun (it's easier on the hand than the Ruger .44 Redhawk) and the reports even drew witnesses from another nearby range.
The range we were on was about 40 yards long, allowing you to sight while other people plinked at the same time. A mistake was made in that a frame was allowed to sit 20 yards beyond the plinking targets (plastic coffee cans, waterballs, etc.) None of us geniuses realized that the hopping bullets would rip the shit out of the target frame. By the end of the day, my brother's friend's target stand had been shot to shit.
In total, between six of us, we had an AR, a combat shotgun, 2 1911s, an XD 9mm, a CZ P-01, the aforementioned 29, Glock 21, Glock 19, and one or two other pistols that I didn't shoot.
As an aside, the P-01 is pistol I've never taken that seriously. After watching several people perform with it and trying it at longer distances myself, it is a very able sub-compact gun. It has been my office desk-drawer gun and will remain so.
Also, the Smith and Wesson SW1911PD was out. Xavier has a much better review than I can provide here. He makes me feel a lot better about the external extractor that had initially so worried me. Additionally, the light-weight canard about recoil and durability seem to be in effect. Also, the PD is extremely LH friendly.
All in all it was pretty much a good plinking day. I didn't plan on shooting with so many people I'd never shot with before, but it turned out alright. They want to do it again on Thursday at the 800 meter range and focus on AK, AR, FAL, M-14, and accurized bolts. Seeing as Boomershoot is coming up and I will not be in attendance, that may be apropos.
