Jim Weaver at the Texarkana Gun Club range.
loading...

2012 - A year that I hope will bring great improvement to my competitive shooting. I'm loading my own ammo now, my gun has been virtually flawless in it's operation with just a hiccup or two here and there. So really, it's all me now.

2010 was the year I started this "match shooting" thing, but it doesn't really count since it was the end of the season when I discovered how much fun the shooting sports are. I only participated in 2 or 3 matches that year. But that's when I was hooked big time. Over the winter I purchased the most economical pistol I could find that still had good reviews and features for the money, my Taurus PT 24/7, 9mm. Literally and figuratively the most "Bang for the Buck". Had I known then what I know now, I would have waited just a bit longer and bought the 5.25 inch barreled version of the same pistol called the OSS model. The longer sight radius would be nice to have for competition, but hindsight is 20/20. So I have the 4" model which is not too big for concealed carry, and can still be used for competition. The only reason I went with 9mm over .40 caliber is simply cost of ammo.

 

Texarkana Gun Club - Texas Star
loading...
Texarkana Gun Club - Texas Star

2011 was the year when I really started learning how to shoot the match, gun handling and quick reloading techniques, the planning and execution of each stage and managing my round count, which can be totally thrown off by a Texas Star (pictured right).

2012 is the year that will hopefully show great improvement in all areas if all goes well. I finally got my first classification from USPSA late last season which I believe is the lowest you can get... D. How disappointing is that! To me, very, but not unexpected. In the Texarkana Gun Club monthly matches we always have a classifier stage, this is the one stage that those of us who get our scores turned in the USPSA for classification should really try and do well on. This, of course, is the very stage that I screw up more than any other. So of all the classifiers I shot last season, only 2 were worth a hoot, therefor my very first classification is "D", which I in my case stands for Dork obviously! I hope this is the year that I bring that classification up, a lot.

This Saturday, March 3rd at 10am is our first USPSA/IPSC club match of the 2012 season. If you're interested in shooting competitively, please come out to the Texarkana Gun Club, observe and ask questions. Just click on the link below to find a map on our website. You couldn't meet a nicer group of people than the shooters of TGC. Plus you never know who might show up. Last season, two of the top pistol shooters on the planet, Jerry and Kay Miculek, popped in for one of our matches. That was a very cool happening on a very hot day.

Wish me luck!

As always, if your looking for a great place to shoot in the Ark-La-Tex, a local instructor or some new friends to shoot with, you’ll find it all at TexarkanaGunClub.org.

Stay sharp and shoot safe.

More From Majic 93.3