Fall To Winter Update

It has been a while since I last wrote on this blog. Things have been crazy in my personal life and I am finally getting my groove back and getting content out there for my awesome viewers and readers. For today I have a few subjects to cover such as practicing to get your proficiency back on point, reloading lessons, and an update on the SAR9 from Sarsilmaz.

First thing I want to cover is the update I have on the SAR9. This pistol has been a tank, with a couple drawbacks such as the lack of night sight options and the fact that it has a manual safety. The safety in the past has caused me some discomfort when shooting, but lately it has not been as much of an issue. However, a big issue is the sights. The white dot painted front sight popped out when shooting this week. I finished shooting the 500 rounds I had dedicated for it, which were some spicy hot loads. The sight picture was kinda difficult to pick up in my peripherals, but it was manageable. The sad thing is that I will have to paint the front sight, and I don't foresee Sarsilmaz or SAR USA producing a single night sight option EVER. That can be a down side for alot of potential buyers, but i still do hold this pistol in pretty high regard.

Next subject on the list of updates is reloading. I have been loading my own ammo for about a year now, or more, and I have found it to be cost effective for sure. I load my ammo pretty hot since I like higher pressures so I can really test my guns and wear them a bit faster. I LOVE WEAR ON MY GUNS! However, the powder I have been using(BE-86) has been not the greatest when it comes to giving me good high pressures without causing reliability issues in some of my guns. The reason I have been having issues is because I have so much powder to burn through, and even with longer barrels, there doesn't seem like every pistol has the chambers loose enough to help the brass cool in time. The brass often would get stuck in the chamber on every, or every other round fired. Not a good recipe for success. So to fix this, I have decreased the amount of this hot burning powder in order to facilitate better reliability, and it worked pretty well. Now I don't think that the kick is even as much as the NATO ammo now, but it does save me on powder and increase reliability so I don't solely practice type 3 malfunctions all the time. So that is a lesson for you gents and gentlets out there. BE-86 is awesome, but you gotta tune it in right so your brass doesn't get too stressed like mine has.

The last update that I wanted to share is pretty well related to my current situation and the chaos that has been currently ensuing. Times like this can damage your proficiency and stress has a way of manifesting itself physically in alot of people. I have recently settled down and gotten back in the game mentally and physically, so I wanted to share some lessons for reacquiring that awesome proficiency and love for shooting you had. First thing you need to know is that it is good not to mix hobbies with hard stress in your life. Shooting takes alot of discipline and it takes alot of concentration during shooting to improve, evaluate, and improve. When your mind is distracted, you may miss out on being able to even maintain your skills. 

Once you are ready to get started with your hobbies again, I recommend starting at your own comfort level, going slow, or at least going at a comfortable pace. I am an advocate of dry fire and laser trainers. I like to combine the two. Best thing is to start out by getting your trigger finger back in the habit of functioning independently without any sympathetic movement. This is vital and will definitely be shown when using a laser trainer. I like double action pistols because of the discipline it takes to remain proficient on the double action pull. Like driving a car, if you are good with a manual, driving an automatic will be a breeze. If you perfect the double action, a striker fired pistol will become a breeze. Talk about an all around awesome trigger action to get you back in the game with your training.

When practicing dry or even with ammo, I recommend combining small and large targets. shoot a few rapid shots into a large  target and then maybe the rest of the magazine into a small target as fast as you can hit with precision. This is a good technique to refine your accuracy and get your body used to its role when it comes to making accurate hits.

Okay, that is all for now. Don't be a stranger to this blog. Feel free to read on and learn some things and leave a comment. I appreciate all correspondence. Also, share this content with your shooting friends if you wish. It is good to spread knowledge. Thank you all for your support and I look forward to getting back in the game and providing good content for your enjoyment and hopefully engaging with you all in the comments section.