I didn't get the message that the range was flooded, so I went to the match and found out at 07:00. The message was sent 10 minutes earlier while on route. Who reads their messages while driving? I don't.
Well, this gave me a chance to check out my S&W 617 with a couple of loads I wanted and to practice my new grip and see if it is any better. I tried Remington Golden Bullets and Federal AutoMatch, firing 140 rounds of each.
I kept the targets close so that all I concentrated on was my grip. Didn't care how my groups were until the end. As it turns out I think this is the new way I'll shoot, holding my hands much tighter on the gun with my right thumb crossed over my left wrist and my wrist locked forward. Recoil issues seemed to go away and I felt more comfortable as the day progressed.
I fired the Reminton fodder first. 140 rounds using my DS-10 speed loaders to recharge the cylinder each time. All shots fired and cases easily exited the chambers with a slight push of the ejector.
Federal AutoMatch did not work as well, giving me 5 misfires out of the 140 rounds. One didn't go off even after rotating it 5 times. The Federals also started sticking in the chambers after 10 reloads, while the Remington's just kept going.
Each of the loading block boxes holds 140 rounds. This is a good way to go through a lot of ammo in one sitting.
Here's my 617 and the loading blocks with one of my DS-10s.