How many of you have become liabilities since December?

General General Discussion
1

No, this isn’t some gotcha question, or something I heard a liberal say.

This is a serous question that I just answered after firing about a hundred rounds doing a handful of drills. I would do more, but I want to conserve ammo as I had gone through my stock at the latter half of last year between my first carbine course, three-gun, and keeping my skills up.

Since December, I have not gotten out to shoot due my low ammo and my busy college schedule. The panic happened at the wrong time for me. I was going to use excess funds and my tax returns to restock over the winter and do reloads. Between the gauging and now the non-existent ammo, or even components, I have nearly stopped shooting altogether except some of the .22LR and the pistol shooting.

I am NOT looking for sympathy, but I am giving you all a heads up if you are like me: low on ammo and not wanting to dip into reserves because of…whatever. I just came down two rungs on Haley’s latter of excellence. Have I became a liability? No, but see where I am and where I was last year is like a kick in the nads. If I keep up with, well, not keeping up with shooting, I might become one.

What have I lost in software?

[ul]
[li]My shooting stance is not squared but bladed. I had to take time and get myself back into Isosceles.[/li][li]Target acquisition is slower.[/li][li]Groups are not as tight as they could be.[/li][li]I had one or two fliers while shooting at the 5-15 yard line.[/li][li]I’m fumbling for my gear. I’m also second guessing when to transition and it is slowing me down.[/li][/ul]
At least I am still engaging the safety after each drill is complete, and before movements. I did, however, miss a double feed when my trigger went slack. Thought it was an empty mag.

Call it a rant, call it what you will, but this is my experience, and I am wondering if others on here have experienced the same thing as I did today? Have some of us become liabilities? I use my carbine/rifle where I live in rural Tennessee as my primary weapon, and I am a little disheartened that I could achieve the same level of proficiency with it today.

Oh, yeah, and FBHO!

I’ll post pics sometime later of my targets.

2

Dry fire more, it helps a lot.

I’ve shot less since January, but that’s because I’m on med profile and I’m not supposed to do anything besides walk, sit, and lie down.

3

I have been, especially for trigger control. At some point, you have to go out and throw some lead down range to put it all together.

I’ve shot less since January, but that’s because I’m on med profile and I’m not supposed to do anything besides walk, sit, and lie down.

Damn. Hope you get to feeling better.

4

You can accomplish a lot with dry firing, practicing manipulations, transitions, drills with snap caps and a mirror. Practicing the basics, economy of motion, slowly, then increasing speed can benefit you more to keep you at your peak than most think. Practicing different shooting positions, a timely draw stroke, one, and two handed, support side, shoot on the move with a laser grip, etc…even an airsoft AR, setup like your carbine is another way of maintaining proficiency while allowing you to break the shot. There are lots of ways to skin this animal. Just because an individual is ammo poor doesn’t mean the training stops. These are just suggestions to prevent slop. You’ll be surprised at your smoothness and performance after doing it daily or a few times a week when you get back to a real range. I’d say all of the above is more important than most think.

5

I had my work quarterly rifle qual class. I noticed during qual that my shot grouping was definitely larger. However I still score one shot less than perfect. However by the end of the 4 hour training I could see a marked improvement in my form and accuracy. Not back up to where I was a few mo the ago but still better than most of the guys on my department.

6

Last time I went to the range… Garbage, complete garbage. Groups everywhere, slow, fumbling.

I agree, dry fire only gets one so far.

I wanted to take a class this year, but unless ammo really starts pouring in, its just not feasible.

7

Still shooting the same number of matches. Practice a bit less but still practice just use my ammo more conservatively. Have plenty right now always try to keep at least 1 years worth on hand after last scare.
Pat

8

Too be honest…this is my first scare. I was OTR trucker during the first one, and practically away from everything.

9

Sigh, count me in. Mine has less to do with ammo and more to do with having a one year old son and a new job with more requirements.

10

Atleast you guys have ammo. I can’t find any at all.

11

I finally hit the range after a while, and yes I noticed an incredible lack of ability that annoyed me.

Then again I also learned something that distressed me for being on a non adjustable bench. I discovered that I have a degenerative spinal condition, so light is king in the field so I am saving for a DD Mk 18, but the bench caused me to contort my body in such a manner that almost made me quit. It is harder for me now to get into certain position too boot. Won’t stop me, but that was not fun to learn either.

I need to get a check riser for a better check wield for one. I need to practice more often. I want this panic to go away.

12

My wife now understands why I was stockpiling ammo over the years. Though I don’t have a huge stash, I could weather the storm until next year. I am reluctant to shoot what I have needlessly.

I agree that draw stroke, dry fire and other stuff can still be accomplished.

13

I went from shooting twice a month to having shot twice since Sandy Hook.

Thankfully I’ve been shooting a long time so I didn’t really notice any drop in performance.

14

Still shooting three-four times a week. Loading makes things much easier.

15

Dry fire, dry fire, dry fire. If your form is not perfect when you dry fire how is adding live rounds to the equation going to help? You can practice mag changes and working with your kit in your living room. Most pros do this.

And, start reloading. This will open a new word of ammo to you.

16

Mike Seeklanders books for comp and defense break down what can be done in dry fire, and what needs real ammo.

sent from mah gun,using my sights

17

I have not took my first carbine course yet. So I have only been trying to get better at the basics. Mostly shooting on the move, support side shooting, etc.

Recently for me, practicing my marksmanship on the bench at distance has taken up most of my time. I know it is not really realistic compared to more “dynamic” shooting that shitty situations get you in, but I have noticed better shooting skills since I have started doing it.

I have also came to the conclusion without proper instruction, and given the knowledge of knowing what exactly to work on alone, as a carbine class would teach you, until I take my first class I will focus on hitting what I aim at, before I through in highspeed.

18

I am not picking on you Steyr. I promise. I only say that because I quoted you in a different thread a moment ago.

My shooting has been a bit less. All the same I noticed a drop when unlike most time I could ring the bull with my M44. (Yes, I can usually do that with that Mosin-Nagant carbine.) I could not even set steady enough, but this may all be due to health reasons, my friend’s newly built 22 rifle for a zero. I kept shaking all over the place and wasted several of his rounds trying. We have been shooting many of a time and he was shocked.

Perhaps I am frustrated for the wrong reasons? I have not even expended my plinking ammo and got a some 75 grain Hornady match to burn into at some point. I would not say a years worth, and I am being very reserved since even the first panic.

As for reloading. Finding anything for it is a pain. I snagged the last pound of rifle power at Bass Pro the other day. I have no .223 carbide die and none are even to be found from the retailers. I do have a bunch of 5.56 match grade CCI primers. Sadly my funds are expended for a while . . . which is good enough for this panic because most nothing is ever available anyway.

19

Saying that you are a ‘liability’ is a bit of a stretch.

Certainly your performance will go down from lack of practice but it is not like you have reverted to someone who has never fired a firearm before.

20

I have been “keeping up” by shooting nuisance turtles out of the lake behind the house with my M&P 15-22. Shots ranging from 35 to around 90 yards.

I don’t get 100% of the shots perfect, but I am hitting more than I miss and it requires shooting from improvised shooting positions sitting/prone/kneeling. Not quite the same as shooting a real AR, but it is shooting and it is reducing the number of fish eating turtles in the lake. :smiley:

I really didn’t shoot that much rifle before, so I am no more of a liability now that I was before. :stuck_out_tongue: