So, beautiful weather for the range yesterday...
MCF&G was busy for a weekday. Of course, it's beautiful weather for July, and around lunchtime to boot...
The south bay was occupado, but I had the north bay to myself. I had paper targets in the trunk (I always keep some there so I won't be caught empty handed) but didn't feel like dicking with tape and backers...
...when there was steel available because, seriously, shooting steel is like a million times more satisfying than shooting paper. This is a proven scientific fact. I unsnapped my CCW holster and put on the Glock 19 in its
Dark Star Gear IWB.
It's hard to lose in the range bag.
This was my second best time from concealment on that 8" plate at ~10ish yards. This
gun burkha
is comfy and wrinkle-resistant and UV-proof and fast-drying... and makes lovely, billowing diaphanous folds that try to get between my hand and the gun. I need a lot more work getting it out from under there fast.
The sun went behind some clouds and I did the last fifteen draws without concealment. This was one of the better times for the series. I had a couple 1.96s but most were in the 2.00-2.25 range, as opposed to the 2.50-2.75 with the shirt on.
So...
I'm embarrassed to admit that until just recently, like chronographs, timers were something that other people owned and I only saw or used at matches or gun school. I mean, I had one briefly, like, twenty years ago, but I never really used it for anything.
If this is the year I'm going to get better at this, I have to measure how I'm doing, or how will I know if I'm actually getting better?
Are those single or double tap times?
ReplyDeleteYou've already mentioned that you don't have much basis for comparison, but what's your opinion of the Dick Tracy timer versus a regular PACT box?
ReplyDeleteAdvantages or disadvantages to actually wearing the thing on your arm?
Cool factor x1000, of course.
Scott J,
ReplyDeleteThat's a draw to an 8" plate at... (Note To Self: Go by Lowe's and get laser measuring doohickey) ...ten-ish yards.
Rick O' Shea,
ReplyDeleteOh, I've used other people's timers (and even had some failed experiments with Android apps.)
The claimed advantage to the ShotMaxx is that it also has an inertia sensor, so it can be used on noisy indoor ranges with more success than conventional timers.
Ten-ish yards is good enough, Tam.
ReplyDeleteMy club has several arrays of them at that range.
They sure look smaller than that from that distance. Much harder to hit than an IDPA/IPSC torso.
Ten-ish, anyone?
ReplyDelete:-P
gfa
*Peeks in. Looks around*
ReplyDeleteWait a minute! I haven't seen a single comment about Tam proving the tactical advantage of open carry. Apparently the internet is broken this morning.
You could have a bit of chain sewn into the hem to prevent that diaphanous billowage.
ReplyDeleteOK, now you did it.
ReplyDeleteOf course Open Carry would require a retention holster. Getting that to release the gun might increase times.
I figure the tactical advantage of a surprised enemy not knowing who to shoot first, vs. drawing from a concealed carry would beat the possible minor advantage in presentation times.
On the other hand, open carry might encourage a clever thug to go down the street, at the cost of tactical surprise. Deterrence doesn't work if the bad guy to be deterred doesn't know about it.
If CC is common, then the clever bad guy can be deterred even when no gun is present, providing an advantage to those not walking in the shadow of a CCW person.
It all boils down to how clever you thing the bad guys are. My experience with criminals is insufficient to make that decision, but I would bet that the average criminal is sub par. That doesn't mean that sub par people are criminals, and the most effective criminals are clever enough to get into government.
Metrics are required to prove change, positive of negative. I would think you might lose some starting and stopping the watch? Or does it sense motion?
ReplyDeletePaul,
ReplyDeleteIts actually a wrist-worn shot timer.
"It's", dammit.:o
ReplyDeleteI didn't know the pro's and con's of open vs concealed carry was about the time difference in a draw. With either carry mode if you are drawing against an armed opponent you are already behind the curve, a couple tenths of a second might not matter much.
ReplyDeleteYou get a random delayed beep after you start it?
ReplyDelete"... chain ..." or as we call it in Colorado 'a Wyoming wind sock'.
ReplyDeleteDon M: When I switched from AIWB to an OWB Safariland ALS holster for my last day at Rogers, my draw-to-first-shot time was pretty much the same after 20 minutes of practice draws.
ReplyDeleteNot every retention holster incurs horrible penalties for releasing the retention device. The ALS and GLS holsters are definitely gunfighter-friendly.
"You could have a bit of chain sewn into the hem..."
ReplyDeleteI was thinking lead shot, or fishing line lead beads. Guess I'm really old school with that thought. :)
Tam, could you provide us with a "buy it now get it tomorrow" link to your gun burka? I've read about it for lo! so long the mind of man remembereth not, but I don't think I've ever seen an indepth description.
ReplyDeleteGun burkha. :)
ReplyDelete"Because we are competitive by nature." The New Games didn't make it out of the'70s...
ReplyDeleteSeriously, that's a cool watch timer thingy. I'm constantly forgetting to recharge my timer, and I'm guessing that one doesn't have the same issue.
Thanks, boss.
ReplyDeleteKurt:
ReplyDeleteStill needs to be charged, but owners comments show it does last a long time before dying. USB charger type connection.
Vendor: (Amozon doesn't carry it)
http://www.cedhk.com/shop/categories/Shooting-Electronics/DAA-SHOTMAXX-Timer/
The ShotMaxx timer is da bomb. No matter what's going on around me, I can time my shooting efforts. Accelerometer baby! The SM doesn't fall off my belt or otherwise hinder my lightning fast draw. (ahem) I clip its neat little container to the range bag so I can't forget it.
ReplyDeleteI bought mine early and got the black display. Judging by the pics on their site, the newer white display might be easier to see.
I keep a Li-ion battery pack in the range bag to charge it up if need be. 'Course, I can always plug it into truck too. I don't think battery life is quite what they promote, but it's adequate and again, it's fairly convenient to recharge at the range.
I purchased some mini-USB plug covers for the SM to help keep crap outta the connector during my HSLD drills on the range. (again, ahem) Amazon has them. Have to buy a bunch though but they're cheap enough.
I also bought the SM silicone skin (yellow) which comes with a screen protector to jazz it up some. Available at: http://www.speedshooter.com/product_detail.cfm?id=DASMT-SKIN&n=
Now, off to the range to run some Sunset Zulu drills on my 8" plate at ten-ish yards. :)
PS Keep your gun burkha. Much too tactical.
ReplyDeleteMuch better:
Jayne
It's a hiking shirt from the most granola company on the fucking planet.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the way grown men fashion police each other over whose clothes are too tactical or not tactical enough like they're a pack of middle school girls makes me laugh my ass off. :D
Which is why we do it.
ReplyDelete