One of my favorite posts to write last year – even if no one read it – was the 2018 in Review post. This was a review of the year, followed by some plans and goals for the next year. My shooting year is basically complete at this point, barring a couple of matches, so I think it’s time to start looking back so I can move forward.
USPSA Match at NRA HQ Range – 12/17/2019
It was 5:30AM on Tuesday morning, and I had just been woken up by the soft sound of my smart alarm clock telling me it was time for another day of earning a living. I rolled out of bed, turned off the alarm, and grabbed my phone to do a quick overview of the day’s events. While perusing Facebook, I noticed that a 6PM slot at the USPSA match had opened up literally minutes earlier. I posted that I wanted it, then politely asked my wife if I could shoot it. This is perhaps the wrong order of operations for a happy marriage, but, fortunately, she acquiesced.
That is the story of how I wound up shooting this USPSA match. You want to know how it went? Keep reading.
IDPA Low Light Match at NRA HQ Range – 12/10/2019
A spot opened up in the IDPA low light match on Tuesday, and I decided I’d take it (after begging the wife for permission). I’m kinda moving away from IDPA, but a chance to shoot in the dark is an opportunity worth taking.
Continue reading IDPA Low Light Match at NRA HQ Range – 12/10/2019
Green Ops Defensive Pistol Clinic I AAR
I had the pleasure of attending the Green Ops Defensive Pistol Clinic this past Sunday. I was looking through my blog to refresh my memory about it, and it turns out that it has been a full year since the last time I took this clinic. This was kind of a surprise! I go to a lot of these clinics, but it seems I’ve branched out quite a bit. It did make me excited to see how it has evolved since then, and I was not disappointed!
Read on for the AAR!
Federal Syntech 130gr “PCC” 9mm Ammo Review
I was recently contacted by the TargetBarn company – an online ammo and targets retailer – and asked to do an ammo review for them. I was humbled by this opportunity, and we spent a couple exchanges deciding what ammo made sense for this and what protocols I’d utilize for such a review. Obviously, reviewing some bulk blaster 115gr was not going to be terribly interesting to anyone involved (including my readership), and I lack the facilities and time to do proper gel testing on JHPs and similar self-defense ammunition.
We landed on Federal Syntech 130gr “PCC” 9mm ammo. Did you know Federal made PCC-specific ammo? I did not before encountering this ammunition! I am broadly familiar with the “regular” Syntech ammunition, having successfully shot about half a case of the 150gr 9mm variety in competition and classes, but have never used this stuff before. I felt that that made it a good candidate for a review.
Continue reading Federal Syntech 130gr “PCC” 9mm Ammo Review
USPSA Match at NRA HQ Range – 11/20/2019
I finally got myself back to the NRA HQ range for a USPSA match last night. This was my first one in like seven months.
It was not my finest hour – I’m out of practice. But I absolutely noticed substantial improvements to my shooting, and lost it more on unforced errors and equipment problems more than simply bad shooting.
Silencerco Omega 36M Announced
In some industry news, Silencerco announced the Omega 36M yesterday. I am a SiCo guy, and own a bunch of their products, so this was of interest to me. I will say that I was slightly disappointed by the final product, at least in the sense that it was not quite what I expected it to be, but on the other hand, it appears to be a pretty worthy upgrade to the current Omega 300 that provides it much more versatility without much of a weight trade-off.
To explain my disappointment: it’s modular, but unlike the Switchback, you don’t have the option of using the front baffles as your entire can. Recall that the Switchback has a serialized rear end module to prevent you from splitting it and using it on two rifles. The serialized portion on the 36M is the rear tube; the front tube is essentially a Charlie endcap with baffles and a Charlie endcap interface on the front. This is cool, but prevents you from using the front module as a K-length suppressor. Modular is a bit overdone in the current market, but being able to go K-length, standard-length, and extra-length with the same can would have really been a selling point. Perhaps we’ll see a Switchback 36 in the future.
Modern Samurai Project 2-Day RDS Pistol Course TD2 Thoughts
Six months ago, I took a Modern Samurai Project red dot pistol class – really only a single day of it – and it totally blew my mind. I have been shooting red dot-equipped pistols almost exclusively ever since. I immediately signed up for the next class when it became available, which I took this past Sunday. This class was hosted by Green Ops.
Since I was only able to take one-day of the class (as I am Sabbath observant and can’t shoot on Saturdays), I will refrain from calling this an AAR and instead just call them “thoughts”. Read on for what I thought!
Continue reading Modern Samurai Project 2-Day RDS Pistol Course TD2 Thoughts
Sig Optics Whiskey5 1-5×24 Review
As part of my Sig 556 platform modernization project, I wanted to replace the old Nikon P-223 3x scope I had on my Sig 556 SBR with a more modern LPVO. I selected the Sig Optics Whiskey5 1-5x based on a careful analysis of my gun’s use and requirements. The review focuses not just on the optic itself, but how it fit those requirements.
Read on after the break!
Green Ops Defensive Carbine Clinic I AAR (Sig Edition)
I talk a lot about pistol skills on this blog. There’s a reason for that; when it comes to actually shooting stuff, pistols are the hardest of your options to use at anything beyond about 15yds. Pistol skills also tend to go away the fastest.
But… that is not the same thing as “you can neglect your other weapon skills”. Don’t shoot enough rifle or shotgun, and your skills in that arena will degrade just as surely, if not as quickly. The realization that I had not been doing enough carbine work lately inspired me to sign up for the Green Ops Defensive Carbine Clinic I even though I was already doing another class this month. What did I think? Read on.
Continue reading Green Ops Defensive Carbine Clinic I AAR (Sig Edition)
The Hebrew Hammer 