I'm all for cameras and photos, for those who have that capability, I'm not sure that all of us do, but, a cheater is a cheater and I'm not about to spend any of my retirement time trying to catch 'em. If the honor system will not work here, well, that's just plain sad. Nonetheless, if someone wants to volunteer to be our "quality control" moniter, that's fine with me and the job will go to whoever volunteer's first. How about that for fair?
I wrote the following response to a comment over in the Rifles section of this web site. Much of what I wrote there also applies to handguns. So, I've modified it accordingly and will now repeat it here:
I didn't mention it before, but I have all of the targets from the groups that I've listed in the initial records post. They are all dated and many, if not most, have at least one witness to attest to them. I don't think we have to go that far for what we are doing here but I'm bringing it up so you younger shooters, who are just starting out, can give some thought to not only saving your targets but writing relevant notes on them with respect to: Weather, wind, range, handgun, load or cartridge, bullet, feet per second, if you have a chronograph available, sights, sight adjustments, if any, and how, if you made any, that sight adjustment effected your bullets point of impact, and, if possible, who was present and saw you shoot the target. As time goes by, these targets will help you remember things that you might otherwise forget and also give you some interesting history to go with your handguns.
One of my mistakes was to throw away or give away targets when I sold or traded a handgun. Today, as a semi serious amateur writer, I wish I still had that data.
For me, after half a century of doing it, it still feels good to know, by calling my shot, before I look, where my bullet has hit the target. On the flip side, if my bullet is not where I thought it would be, trying to figure out what went wrong. Also, for every one bullet that I have fired at a big game animal or varmint, I've probably fired hundreds, if not thousands, into paper. As many have said before me: The more I practice, the luckier I seem to get when it comes to shooting.
One more thought. What we are doing here, with these records, does not address accuracy so much as it does consistency. Once we are shooting consistent groups, we can adjust our sights so as to move our bullets point of impact to where we want it to be. But, for our records to reflect accuracy, we would have to go one step further, one that I don't think is practical: We would all have to be shooting at the same type of target. And, based on my experience, that's just not realistic. But it would reflect accuracy because we could, in addition to group size, report scores.
For example: A group, of any size that will fit in the 10 ring, would, for 3 shots, yield a total score of 30, out of a possible 30 point score.
Recording scores as well as group size would reflect both accuracy and consistency. But, for now, let's just stick with recording our group size. That will be way easier, for all of us. Heck, I'm cheap. If someone gives me free targets, as a Sheriff, who is related to my best friend, is sometimes willing to do, I'm gonna use 'em. I suspect most shooters are like me. We will spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on a handgun and sighting system. More top dollars on ammunition, either factory or hand loaded. Yet, when it comes to targets, shoot at whatever we can get the cheapest. I know guys who make more than $100,000 a year who shoot at paper plates and have yet to buy their first "pay for 'em" targets.
But, I'm open to suggestions. This post is for you folks more than it is for me.
CJ
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CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS - BEST GROUPS
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