On the Firing Line with Matt, Joe and Kanani

The 21 June broadcast of On The Firing Line with Matt, Joe and Kanani.  I've been helping out on the show since late 2013 and have been broadcasting with them since March.  In general, we cover news in politics, firearms and gun laws/regulations.  OTFL is also one of CCLSC's sponsors.

It has been an awesome experience and of late, we have been covering the latest in world news and taking a look at our nations politics.  If you haven't listened to our broadcast before, take the next 55 minutes to listen.  This week's episode we discuss Government Tyranny both abroad and locally.

Thank you for listening!

A CCLSC Mellow Monday

Monday Recap

We had a somewhat mellow Monday compared to other CCLSC practices.  We worked on marksmanship to increase our accuracy at greater distances, played darts and worked on malfunction drills.  There was some discussion regarding shooting faster and staying on target.  The most effective way to accomplish this is to go back to the fundamentals of stance and trigger control.  Adopting an aggressive stance will help manage recoil and learning your firearm’s trigger reset is also very helpful.  Of course practice, practice, practice.

CCLSC ready to through some lead downrange.

Recording your progress is as simple as taking a picture
with your cell phone and dating your target.  Be sure note what
caliber and distance your target represents so you can see if
your practice is paying off.

Nicole getting some dart practice at Monday's practice.

Coming Up

Women’s 101 and Advanced Pistol begin next month.  Advanced Pistol students need to have their gear approved at least one week prior to the start of class.  If you have not purchased your holster/mag pouch, please do so as soon as possible to meet the deadline.  Also, if you have questions regarding what you need, please let me know.  I can help.  If you’d prefer, you can also stop by Tacti-Cool and ask the guys for recommendations.

Lastly, the Advanced² class is closed.  I will be contacting those who expressed interest separately with details and information for participation.  Advanced² promises to be an awesome opportunity for CCLSC members who wish to increase their skills and benefit from additional training.  I also want to thank Brian and Matt in advance for helping put this together and making the investment to train lady shooters.

Handgun Versatility: Cowboy Action Revolver

Erin started shooting only a few months ago, trying the .45 long colt for the first time.

Nice shooting, way to go Erin.

Long Gun Ladies

During our most recent CCLSC practice, members were introduced to the shooting basics of rifles and learned more about different rifle configurations.  A few members had their own AR-15’s to share with the group and we also were able to shoot the IWI Tavor, Bushmaster ACR (chambered for a .223 round) and the AK-47; which shoots a 7.62 round.

In our trend to try new firearms and increasing our shooting skills, this was a great chance to test our fundamentals.  While every rifle is a bit different this was a good review of the basic parts (magazine release/bullet button, charging handle, bolt release, optical sights, etc) which are synonymous to many handgun parts.  Versatility and familiarity with different firearms is a priceless skill.  There are many shooters who do not have the opportunity or knowledge of firearms outside of their personal collection, which in many cases is very limited.  I would encourage each and every one of you to say “yes” when someone offers you to shoot something new.

If you have been following Tacti-Cool Guns & Gear’s Facebook page, you will know they just released the upcoming schedule for Women’s 101 and Advanced Pistol beginning in July through October.  Classes are held Thursday nights, once a month beginning at 6:30 pm each evening, lasting approximately 3 hours.  These courses fill very quickly and will most likely be closed by the week’s end.  If you or someone you know wants to register, you will want to act fast!  For those ladies interested in the Advanced Pistol class, there have been some changes in the course content.  The new material promises to be both challenging and fun.

General Information for sign up can be found here.

Not to be outdone by Advanced Pistol, Women’s 101 also has a new improvement for the next session; a woman instructor.  This past weekend I traveled to Orange County and was certified as a NRA Basic Pistol Instructor.  It was an excellent class and a great experience meeting other shooters, especially two women shooters.  The course tested my shooting skills, knowledge of different revolvers and semi-automatic handguns, and my ability to convey the course information clearly and succinctly.  With my new certification, I will be joining the teaching team for Women’s 101.  This is a prime opportunity for the upcoming class to get a woman’s perspective of shooting and firearms that I hope benefit the students.  As more and more women are getting into shooting for a variety of reasons, this is still a rare opportunity to have a woman instructor.  Please encourage your friends and family to sign up for the upcoming session.

And finally, once you have signed up for either the Women’s 101 or Advanced Pistol courses, this is your gateway to the Central Coast Ladies Shooting Club (CCLSC).  For those of you who want to attend and have not taken the course, now is the time.  There is no minimum shooting skill required to attend CCLSC and you pay for what you “play” at the range. 

Rifle Day with CCLSC! Nice trigger discipline ladies!

Proper stance, grip and sight alignment are just as important as having a good time.

Wait a minute - I thought CCLSC was only for girls!  True, however CCLSC has the added benefit of receiving
advanced training from Tacti-Cool staff who assist with practice to sharpen our skills.

Matt reviewing rifle basics.

Deep in concentration CCLSC watches on while Matt shoots down range.

Julie shooting her AR-15.

Nicole shooting the AR-15, with a nice picture in picture effect.

A close up of Nicole shooting the AR-15.

Shooting the AR-15, Ali noted "it's no big deal".

Nicole shooting the Bushmaster ACR.
Unlike the AR-15 and AK 47 the ACR isn't a
common rifle, but once you have the fundamentals in rifle shooting, it's really no different.

The Bushmaster ACR and IWI Tavor shoots the standard .223 round; it's just a little different configuration. Like with handguns, CCLSC strives to equip each member with the versatility to shoot a wide variety of different rifles. This is a valuable skill to pick up any firearm and shoot.

Now you're just showing off, Matt.

Julie shooting the AK-47 like a pro.
When she finished, she let out a much deserved
"WOOOO! That was fun!". That's what we like to hear!

Shellie earning her "badassery" credentials shooting the AK47.
That's the way we do it in CCLSC!

Handgun Versatility: S&W 460es

As promised, the video from Monday night's practice.
A big thank you to Nicole for taking the video and posting for us.

We will always have Monday's

Monday night CCLSC members focused on becoming familiar with different handguns.  Surprisingly, each member owns a different brand of handgun, so this was easy to accomplish.  It was interesting to see how each shooter reacted to the experience and how they preferred different handguns to others.  I believe this variety adds to a shooter’s experience and provides them with the ability to handle different firearms regardless of what they prefer.  In my opinion, it’s a valuable part of shooting.

To further emphasize this experience, we were privileged to be exposed to one of the largest handguns available; the Smith & Wesson 460.  The diameter of the round is not much larger than a 9 mm, but is three times longer and a significant increase in powder. We took a short video of the experience which I will update on the blog in the next few days.

 Our most recent Women's 101 and Advanced Pistol classes have completed and the final class competition revealed a few things.  First, practice makes a dynamic difference in one's performance and confidence. Second, the comradery among CCLSC teammates was evident as each took their turn.  Finally, CCLSC took the top spots in the competition and it wasn't a coincidence.

Practice is important for any sport, hobby or life skill you want to learn and improve upon.  Getting better means that we must raise the bar after every skill we achieve.  The small amount of added pressure as other club members watched when we shoot helps us to perform under pressure.  When someone asks me “how do I shoot better?” you will always hear me answer “practice”.

Upcoming Events

Memorial Day Event at Tacti-Cool Guns & Gear

This coming Memorial Day, Monday May 26, the BEAST will have some friends on display with her. In honor of our Military and Law Enforcement brothers and sisters we've invited all local agencies to bring out special department vehicles to have on display. We will also have a free BBQ going around noon that day. To thank our local Veterans and Law Enforcement we will be waiving all range fees for them that day too. — at Tacti-Cool Guns & Gear, Inc. (via Tacti-Cool Guns & Gear Facebook Page)

Tip of the Week

This week’s tip focuses on keeping a log of your progress.  My method of recording my training is to take photos of each target and save them with a date, distance and round count.  This way I can look back at what I’ve done and calculate the percentage of success.  Below is “my first target” with my latest target and it’s amazing to see the improvement.  How did this happen?  Practice, lots and lots of practice.

The top picture is the first time I EVER shot a handgun last
August at 5 and 7 yards.  The February date is
a significant improvement.  However, the head shots on the bottom
picture is what I shot this last Monday at 15 yards.
That green circle measures 4 inches.

Line Up Those Shots!

CCLSC took a break from “regular training” to do some shots on Cinco de Mayo.  Our custom target was a combination of tacos, margaritas and tequila shots.  Each shooter was instructed to take five shots to hit five shot glasses, while avoiding the tacos and margaritas.  This was a great exercise in hitting the right target, while avoiding the wrong ones.  Our winner for the night was Shellie with four shots.

CCLSC is growing.

Shellie working on her marksmanship.

Kanani encouraging Erin to do her best!

 

CCLSC members watch while Nicole takes her "shots".

Nicole taking her shots - don't hit a taco!

Ali lining up...

Katie sporting her new CCLSC shirt and doing shots.

Julie clearing her weapon after her turn at this week's Cinco de Mayo shots.

Julia, last shooter of the night, lines up and shoots.

Ali working on her 9mm skills. It can take a little adjustment
when increasing caliber, but all the basics still apply.

Erin, working on her fundamentals and getting some extra instruction from Matt.

We had a lot of fun yesterday and had another record setting attendance.  Although we didn't have any new members, everyone was focused on getting the best score for the last night of the Thursday classes. I hope you have all been practicing, since those ladies who have been attending CCLSC have taken advantage of the extra practice and mentoring CCLSC offers.

Did I mention that CCLSC now has t-shirts?  Thank you to everyone who was involved with getting our shirts printed.  Everyone loves their new shirts and we've been getting a lot of compliments on the design. This would not be possible without your support!