Bang Bang!!

Most of you know that I enjoy target shooting. I grew up in a family that enjoyed taking a few cereal boxes and pop cans up into the mountains to poke some holes into them. Like most kids, I learned to shoot with a .22 rifle.

I started on a Winchester Model 60 (pic below) which is a single-shot bolt action rifle. What that means is that it only holds a single bullet at a time. You have to open the bolt to insert the round. Then, close the bolt and pull the hammer back to cock it. Pull the trigger, Bang! 

Winchester Model 60

Not sure what a .22 round is? Allow me to explain! You've probably heard of a few different bullet sizes before (9mm, and .22 being the two most common). The number refers to the diameter of the bullet. Some pistol rounds are referred to in millimeters (9mm or 10mm), while others are referred to in inches (.17HMR, .22lr, .380, .40, and .45ACP). Assuming a bigger diameter means more power, now we know which rounds are the more powerful ones, right? Not hardly. Here's a picture of a .22lr round next to a .223 round. Same diameter bullet. 

Hmm. So there that is. LOTS of powder in the .223 round on the right! My point is, it's all about the powder. More powder equals a bigger boom. How much force you feel after pulling the trigger depends on how much powder is burned and how much mass is in the gun you're shooting. A heavier gun will soak up more of the recoil and will make things easier on you. Lighter guns leave more of it up to you to absorb with your arms, shoulders, and back. 

So that's enough bullet education for now.As my sister Nicole used to say, back to me! I have a .22 rifle of my own (Marlin Model 60) that I like to shoot, in part, because it is very economical. Bullets are about $.03 a piece. Bullets for my .40 caliber pistol are about $.32 a piece. Here's a picture of a .22 round next to a .40 caliber round. Quite a difference!

 Ever since I bought the pistol, I've been trying to get Heather into shooting. She also grew up in a family that respected firearms but enjoyed recreational shooting from time to time. The trouble is, that .40 caliber round is really powerful, and subsequently delivers a lot of recoil to your body. It's kind of scary for a new shooter! She has done well shooting my .22 rifle in the past, but had only fired a .22 pistol once and it was a very big and heavy revolver. So, a few weeks ago I saw a Groupon for two .22 pistol rentals with targets included at a local gun range. I thought, this is it! What a great opportunity to take Heather to the range to shoot the relatively small .22 round in a pistol that fits her small lady-like hands! So on Saturday, we went to Guns n Leather in Hendersonville, TN. She shot a Ruger SR22 and I shot a Ruger Mark II 22/45.

Surprise Surprise! The Ruger SR22 fit her hands very nicely! She felt comfortable with the controls and shot pretty well! Lookin' good babe with those pink ear muffs!! The gun I shot jammed a lot while chambering the first round of a magazine. Once I got past that, it shot very nicely and had a really smooth trigger.

 I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't hear it with my own ears. As we were walking back to the car, Heather said to me, "Well, I think I want a gun!" BOO YAH!!!! You got it babe. Well, not quite yet. There are 4 or 5 .22 pistols that I want to consider. Unfortunately Guns n Leather only had the 1 model available to shoot that day. I'll be keeping my eyes open for some of the others. Sometime soon, Heather will have her own pistol! It's a win-win for us. It'll mean we can go to the range more often, and start to enjoy another hobby together. 

So that's what we were up to this last weekend! Many of you know that Heather and I are flying to Bellingham on Wednesday to spend a few days with family and friends in a town that is very special to us. I'm sure we'll create a bunch of blog-worthy material, so stay tuned in the next week or two!! Until then, I hope you all are enjoying a nice transition to Fall!