A challenge for you defensive handgunners...
- Thread starter GC
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Zastava223rem
Member
Ive got a pack of those dot torture targets. They certainly show your weaknesses quickly. Havent done it in a couple years, definitely a little rusty
GC
Well-known member
Not sure how I missed this, Dirty Dog that is a solid working rig! I'm a recent convert to the dot sights. So far, so good I really like the optic sight.
On the training side of things, once getting the new pistol with the dot sight I have put about 1400 rounds through it running various drills in the last month or so. Feels good to be shooting centerfire again instead of being in the "save what ammo I have" mode from the past couple of years. I shot a lot of rimfire the last couple years. Because of the ammo situation I milked the centerfire stuff and shot it very conservatively. Things are slowly getting better and I am taking advantage of the availability and lower prices.
On the training side of things, once getting the new pistol with the dot sight I have put about 1400 rounds through it running various drills in the last month or so. Feels good to be shooting centerfire again instead of being in the "save what ammo I have" mode from the past couple of years. I shot a lot of rimfire the last couple years. Because of the ammo situation I milked the centerfire stuff and shot it very conservatively. Things are slowly getting better and I am taking advantage of the availability and lower prices.
GC
Well-known member
364 days after the last post here. My son and I were out yesterday evening shooting drills. I have that new Sig XMacro carry pistol...
I have the EPS Carry dot sight, Streamlight TLR7 Sub light, and a Vedder kydex holster. Working from concealment on this drill...
I like the XMacro. I was shooting that drill clean with totaled times of sub 18 seconds from concealment.
I have the EPS Carry dot sight, Streamlight TLR7 Sub light, and a Vedder kydex holster. Working from concealment on this drill...
I like the XMacro. I was shooting that drill clean with totaled times of sub 18 seconds from concealment.
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GC
Well-known member
I have been on a journey to find that ccw gun that satisfies my needs best. The big requirement is that it has to be a gun I can be comfortable with concealed HOWEVER, most importantly I want a gun I can fight with. I love my five-shot S&W J-frame Airweight snubby. But that isn't a fighting gun. The G19/M&P Compact size guns fight well but are just a little chunky.
Enter the guns you mentioned. Small enough and big enough at the same time. I don't care for the Springfield offering. For whatever reason it just does not resonate with me. I like the 43X. I like the 43X a lot. But I am a little turned off by the need for the SA magazines. And, I have had a couple of those that were not reliable in the 43X I had. I swapped the mag release to the metal version and did what I was supposed to do but two of the seven magazines I had didn't cut it. That always was in the back of my mind and I never felt I could 100% trust the combination.
That leaves the XMacro. With only 700 rounds through it in the month or so I have owned it the only real criticism I have is the slide catch is too small. If you're the slingshot the slide kinda guy it probably isn't too big of a deal. I prefer to hit that with a thumb. I will be swapping that out for a slightly extended version. The XMacro has been 100% reliable. It is also accurate. Resting my arms over my shooting bag I was able to hit a gallon milk jug pretty consistently at a lasered 124 yards. So for me at this time 365 gets my vote. Plus the Sig P365 is like a LEGO pistol for big kids. Lots of aftermarket support. And that is always fun!
Enter the guns you mentioned. Small enough and big enough at the same time. I don't care for the Springfield offering. For whatever reason it just does not resonate with me. I like the 43X. I like the 43X a lot. But I am a little turned off by the need for the SA magazines. And, I have had a couple of those that were not reliable in the 43X I had. I swapped the mag release to the metal version and did what I was supposed to do but two of the seven magazines I had didn't cut it. That always was in the back of my mind and I never felt I could 100% trust the combination.
That leaves the XMacro. With only 700 rounds through it in the month or so I have owned it the only real criticism I have is the slide catch is too small. If you're the slingshot the slide kinda guy it probably isn't too big of a deal. I prefer to hit that with a thumb. I will be swapping that out for a slightly extended version. The XMacro has been 100% reliable. It is also accurate. Resting my arms over my shooting bag I was able to hit a gallon milk jug pretty consistently at a lasered 124 yards. So for me at this time 365 gets my vote. Plus the Sig P365 is like a LEGO pistol for big kids. Lots of aftermarket support. And that is always fun!
@GC one of the links from 8 years ago is dead 
. Youtube link is still good though!
I have just very recently taken up pistol shooting. Never been any good with a pistol. Never spent much time on them. Long story short, my Wife and Daughter decided they want to carry. Got them P365 .380s and had to look for solid info on how to actually shoot the durn things, since I really knew not how. We'll all get some real training and instruction in the spring. Anyway... After a month of going out with them to learn the .380s I decided to get me one too. I got an .9mm XL Spectre Comp about ten days ago. Put 150 rounds through it with the irons last weekend, then put an EPS Carry on it and put another 150 rounds through it yesterday.
Not even competent yet. Beginner Level!
But. Being beginners has made it more fun for all three of us so far. Doing trigger stripe and dot drills and just focusing on grip and trigger control, we've all seen a lot of improvement in a short time. We all still suck, but we suck noticeably less than we did six weeks ago.
Anyway, appreciate this old thread! My Daughter booked me for next Sunday morning to go pistol shooting. I just printed off some Dot Torture targets I googled up. I'm looking forward to seeing how much room for improvement we have.
- DAA
. Youtube link is still good though!I have just very recently taken up pistol shooting. Never been any good with a pistol. Never spent much time on them. Long story short, my Wife and Daughter decided they want to carry. Got them P365 .380s and had to look for solid info on how to actually shoot the durn things, since I really knew not how. We'll all get some real training and instruction in the spring. Anyway... After a month of going out with them to learn the .380s I decided to get me one too. I got an .9mm XL Spectre Comp about ten days ago. Put 150 rounds through it with the irons last weekend, then put an EPS Carry on it and put another 150 rounds through it yesterday.
Not even competent yet. Beginner Level!
But. Being beginners has made it more fun for all three of us so far. Doing trigger stripe and dot drills and just focusing on grip and trigger control, we've all seen a lot of improvement in a short time. We all still suck, but we suck noticeably less than we did six weeks ago.
Anyway, appreciate this old thread! My Daughter booked me for next Sunday morning to go pistol shooting. I just printed off some Dot Torture targets I googled up. I'm looking forward to seeing how much room for improvement we have
.- DAA
GC
Well-known member
@GC one of the links from 8 years ago is dead
I have just very recently taken up pistol shooting. Never been any good with a pistol. Never spent much time on them. Long story short, my Wife and Daughter decided they want to carry. Got them P365 .380s and had to look for solid info on how to actually shoot the durn things, since I really knew not how. We'll all get some real training and instruction in the spring. Anyway... After a month of going out with them to learn the .380s I decided to get me one too. I got an .9mm XL Spectre Comp about ten days ago. Put 150 rounds through it with the irons last weekend, then put an EPS Carry on it and put another 150 rounds through it yesterday.
Not even competent yet. Beginner Level!
But. Being beginners has made it more fun for all three of us so far. Doing trigger stripe and dot drills and just focusing on grip and trigger control, we've all seen a lot of improvement in a short time. We all still suck, but we suck noticeably less than we did six weeks ago.
Anyway, appreciate this old thread! My Daughter booked me for next Sunday morning to go pistol shooting. I just printed off some Dot Torture targets I googled up. I'm looking forward to seeing how much room for improvement we have
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- DAA
Dave,
That's awesome. Good choice on the handguns also. One of the best tools you can get now is a timer. I use the PACT timer but there are others on the market. Use the timer and some baseline assessment drills as a metric for your progress. Plinking is fun but it doesn't increase skill and gives you no metric to measure your skill improvement. I like Tom Givens baseline assessment drill...
Put a dot sight on my daughters .380 and today was first time shooting it with the dot.
We ran a few shorter drills before shooting these. First time either of us shooting these pistols with one hand, let alone weak hand. Baby girl killed me on the weak hand. Lots of room for improvement!
This was fun. And felt like good learning. By the end of all the drills and another 100 rounds or so each of practice bullseye type shooting, we both feel confident we shoot better today than we did yesterday.
- DAA
We ran a few shorter drills before shooting these. First time either of us shooting these pistols with one hand, let alone weak hand. Baby girl killed me on the weak hand. Lots of room for improvement!
This was fun. And felt like good learning. By the end of all the drills and another 100 rounds or so each of practice bullseye type shooting, we both feel confident we shoot better today than we did yesterday.
- DAA
GC
Well-known member
Dave, that is good shooting. That is what skill drills are for, learning and improving your skills. Learning how to manipulate the weapon, shoot weak hand, or clear a malfunction in the middle of a gunfight is a bad time. Good on you and good on your daughter for spending this time together. The young lady appears to be doing well. Great smile also!
Went out with my Wife this morning. Her first go with the green dot on her P365 .380. I expected she would struggle with it at first. So, got her the Vulcan reticle on the 507K, We shot about 70 rounds of drills. And she did struggle at first. But by the end of the drills, was shooting better than her last time out with the irons and she is pretty enthusiastic about the dot sight.
Watching closely, I think the 70 rounds of drills is why she was shooting noticeably better. It was all grip and trigger control and I was watching her hands not her target and she definitely improved her grip from her first mag to her last.
That said, I also think the Vulcan reticle is helping her pick up the dot easier and faster right from the first day. Heck, it helps me when I tried it.
And, after the drills we shot freestyle for awhile and by the time she was done because her hands were hurting after 120 rounds she really was grouping tighter and more accurately than he has ever shot before.
Today was mostly about her. But I did some shooting too. Ended the day with shooting the 10 yard, 10 inch gong and hitting it with ten shots in ten seconds twice in a row. Definitely not "The Test", but it was a lot of fun and felt good. And I think I'm going to get the real "Test" passed eventually.
Anyway, super crappy video quality. My Wife took it on her phone and texted it to me. By the time youtube got done with that lousy input, it output an even lousier rendition.
But me, my last mag of the day this morning.
- DAA
Watching closely, I think the 70 rounds of drills is why she was shooting noticeably better. It was all grip and trigger control and I was watching her hands not her target and she definitely improved her grip from her first mag to her last.
That said, I also think the Vulcan reticle is helping her pick up the dot easier and faster right from the first day. Heck, it helps me when I tried it.
And, after the drills we shot freestyle for awhile and by the time she was done because her hands were hurting after 120 rounds she really was grouping tighter and more accurately than he has ever shot before.
Today was mostly about her. But I did some shooting too. Ended the day with shooting the 10 yard, 10 inch gong and hitting it with ten shots in ten seconds twice in a row. Definitely not "The Test", but it was a lot of fun and felt good. And I think I'm going to get the real "Test" passed eventually.
Anyway, super crappy video quality. My Wife took it on her phone and texted it to me. By the time youtube got done with that lousy input, it output an even lousier rendition.
But me, my last mag of the day this morning.
- DAA