Sunday, March 21, 2010

Rusty slapping

This is what rust looks like.

A long-overdue trip to the range yesterday produced four targets, including this 45-round example at extended personal-defense distance, exposing a variety of flaws with grip and technique -- notably trigger-slapping and anticipating recoil.

I'll never be a competition-caliber shooter, thanks to a physical condition that saddles me with essential tremors. Because I live in suburbia (and will for the foreseeable future), I'm not able to stroll out my back door and log trigger time whenever the spirit moves me.

All the same, a pursuit of mastery makes no excuses. My limits are givens but my rust is unacceptable.


Yesterday's range session is behind me. Today, in an all-day class, I'll be getting a lot more trigger work and playing for something more valuable than table stakes. By tonight I'll know whether or not my rust affected the result.