I don’t carry a gun anymore.

[Half Moon]

I might suggest varying that up with different size targets at 7.

It’s not the distance that’s difficult, it’s the mechanics.

Hitting a 1-2” circle at 7 scales out to a good hit at 25.
...

You are the better shooter but partially disagree here. Scaling is great but doesn't necessarily equate to ballistics at range. I can get consistent A zone hits at 33 yards (max distance at our old indoor range) DA with an airweight j-frame snub but point of aim needs to be about the base of the target's neck. Granted a lot of handguns and cartridges don't have the ballistic arc of a catapult. Still knowing that arc is important for holdover depending on equipment. Scaling won't teach you what it is or build an intuitive feel for it on demand.

[JCN]

You are the better shooter but partially disagree here. Scaling is great but doesn't necessarily equate to ballistics at range. I can get consistent A zone hits at 33 yards (max distance at our old indoor range) DA with an airweight j-frame snub but point of aim needs to be about the base of the target's neck. Granted a lot of handguns and cartridges don't have the ballistic arc of a catapult. Still knowing that arc is important for holdover depending on equipment. Scaling won't teach you what it is or build an intuitive feel for it on demand.

I agree with you. We are on the same page.

There are absolutely holdover and ballistic considerations.

It was just my plea to the “7 yard” shooter crew that didn’t want to shoot at distance that they can at least work on semi-surrogate trigger mechanics at closer distances if they hold themselves to higher standards.

As an aside, I personally zero red dot 9mm at 25 so even at ranges out to 50, I’m still within a couple inches of POA with POI.

[Totem Polar]

I’m pretty much the bi-polar opposite of the thread topic OP premise. I’d love to increase my ability to carry—albeit, I will most likely never be in the “All The Gat, All The Time™️” camp. Since my profession—which I love, and have dedicated my life to—takes place almost entirely in fireable (or arrest-able) NPEs, meaning schools, universities, 21+ establishments (NPE in my state) and the occasional post office or airport, it makes little sense to kit up for the rare occasion where I’ll just be running to Trader Joe’s and back again.

Ironically, I carry much more religiously when I’m away from civilization; I come a lot closer to ATGATT when I’m hiking, biking and camping, because I can, without holding a lit match next to my entire way of life and core identity. Make no mistake: being made on the job would be a seriously life-changing event for me, so I have to look at other options.

It’s too bad, really: from LFI-1 in ‘94 or ‘95, up to ECQC a couple of months ago, I’ve had some good training. And, whatever weaknesses I may have in my skill set, anyone who’s trained with me knows that I can pretty much hit what I aim at, on demand. I’m the kind of guy that most places would net benefit from giving a bit of free reign, but it is what it is.

It’s against my religion to not be armed and to not be able to defend oneself, so I have to go with the tools I can get away with. That’s why my considerable cool-guy class time expenses also go from Eric Remmen in ‘93 through guys like Bram Frank and Mike Janich and up to EWO and, last month, some EP-to-the-stars guys that nobody has ever heard of who were easily on the same level.

You play the hand you’re dealt; you assess your risks/choices, and you press on and deal with it.

But, yeah, if I could, I’d choose the more effective tool. As is, I choose to work the tools that are available.

JMO.

I still *love* a good shooting class though. And I still typically have a G17 and a gauge laying around the house, with mag capacities that would make my governor and AG pee down their legs a little. Because I can.

[wvincent]

@Duke, I'll tell you what, I won't carry a gun any less, so that should even things out and and help quell the disturbance in the force that occurred when you first posted this.

Beautiful thing about choices, they're yours to make, and sometimes yours to own. I say with all sincerity, I hope your plan works out for you, I wish you nothing but the best.

I'm curious though, with you cutting back on training, how much degradation of your uber skills will occur. I mean, you shot at such a high level, I wonder how long to degrade to "normalcy".

Sooo, does this mean the winner of the PF raffle gets a "mad-minute" to grab anything they want out of your safe, You won't need all that stuff anymore, right?

[Clusterfrack]

...I'm curious though, with you cutting back on training, how much degradation of your uber skills will occur. I mean, you shot at such a high level, I wonder how long to degrade to "normalcy".

I've been impressed by how little degradation occurs in high-level shooters. A friend and former USPSA teammate is a Production Master, but hasn't been competing or practicing at all for the past 3 years for family reasons. We went to the range recently and he was obviously not at his personal best. However, even though he kept talking about how out of practice he was, I was impressed by how little his skills had decayed. I'd say he was shooting at a solid A level.

[wvincent]

I've been impressed by how little degradation occurs in high-level shooters. A friend and former USPSA teammate is a Production Master, but hasn't been competing or practicing at all for the past 3 years for family reasons. We went to the range recently and he was obviously not at his personal best. However, even though he kept talking about how out of practice he was, I was impressed by how little his skills had decayed. I'd say he was shooting at a solid A level.

I hope that carries over to us "normies" too.
Ain't enough hours in the day right now for anything other than work.

[feudist]

But when it does collapse, Tesla technicals with M2s pulled out of abandoned National guard armories would be so California.

Only with "green" ammo though. Gaia must be protected.

[feudist]

You’re missing the point. If you live in Pleasantville, you might go 3,000 or 5,000 days before you’re a victim of a crime. And that crime might be a teen vandalizing your mailbox. In a reasonable area in SF that would be like 1/30 days for a small, annoying crime, and 1/500 or 1000 days for a felony (car burglary, residential burglary, or assault).

The fact that you spent 10 trouble free days in SF does not impart the stress of actually living there, dealing with the bullshit day after day. Your number WILL come up.

I have a rental house that I rent to a cop buddy. I was hanging out there last year when he heard gun shots. I thought it was fireworks, so he turned on the police radio he had (came home from an off duty job) to see who was right. We heard the dispatch and how the call progressed. Double murder drive by shooting; death declared on scene by responding officers upon arrival in 3 minutes. That’s very rare; must’ve been visible brain matter or decapitation on both victims to have been declared that quick.

At the time my house was worth $1.7M on Zillow (I paid a small fraction of that). So it’s not a crappy area. This is in a suburb nowhere near SF. That’s life in the Bay Area.

Can you imagine being an Apple/Facebook/Google engineer putting down $340k and paying $7500/month plus $20k/year in property tax for this shit? I should mention the house is tiny, on a postage stamp lot, and built in the 1950s. No wonder everyone’s moving to Tennessee or Texas.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is a greater danger than urban yutes.
Could other states create a tax break for Californians to stay in California? Hell, I'd go so far as a UBI. Or build a wall.

[EMC]

This thread is actually quite a refreshing discussion. My own anecdote of lifestyle choices are similar. Guns are a hobby that happen to have a relevant side benefit of preparedness.

I work from home now and have several long guns within arms reach if needed. The pistols are in the bedroom bio safe. Potential threat assessment is done for outings and if I feel like gearing up based on that I do it, but not for every small trip. Like others have said, if the family is along I am more likely to carry.

Air travel, I don't bother because of the extra TSA burden, risk of damaging or losing a firearm in someone elses care, and I rarely travel by air. I might bring the OC spray along in checked luggage.

I still work to refine my EDC items and methods but I don't let the concept control my life.

I was RO volunteering at the local range for off hours access and brass collection, but I got burned out by the task of watching the public shoot, listening to too much inane extremist tribal prattle from the holster sniffers, and just wanted more time for my kids and other hobbies.

Now I just strap hang on SecondsCounts range access when he invites me. Especially if YVK is along with cool new things to try. [emoji1]

I also think there is a psychological identity component to being a serious gun person and maybe that is why one would feel their choice to give it up would be offensive to others. If someone bases their whole identity on this they might feel threatened or insecure as a result of your lifestyle change.

[Cory]

Good thread.

@Duke, that's cool man. What watch has you excited though?