"it’s WWIII, the Russians are coming..."
So I was stalking through the fieldhouse at the Shelby Police Department shooting range last week.
With a gun.
Specifically, a little air pistol the officers were using to teach folks about what they do as part of their Citizen’s Police Academy. I’ve got some video linked from my blog: jderrickstar.blogspot.com.
You strap on a vest, holster and training weapon and are tasked to investigate an unexpected disturbance in the building. Up pops a poster of some guy aiming a pistol at me and I nail him.
As the next guy is popping up I register he’s holding some big black thing aimed at me with a strap hanging down…
When I was training with an M-16 in ROTC (before I got kicked out for having bad eyes and then became a photographer….), when the target popped up 300 meters away I didn’t have to positively identify exactly who they were, what they were doing and their mother’s maiden name. I didn’t have to know the exact make of the large black dangerous-looking machine they were aiming at me… it’s WWIII, the Russians are coming and everyone in front of me needs shooting before they shoot me.
So I instinctively light up the second pop-up target like Christmas tree.
It was a photographer.
The attending officer did compliment my marksmanship, though.
The exercise shows the stresses and split-second, life or death decisions officers face. Such are the difficulties of having to simultaneously serve as a soldier and diplomat and such is my corresponding level of respect for the brave folks who do.
The drill also shows why you shouldn’t sneak up on me in a dark room.
After I got photos and video of a few more folks going through, including our cops reporter
Graham (who also shot the photographer), I asked one of the officers if they knew of any local ranges where I could fire my kit-built flintlock muzzleloading black powder Kentucky rifle. Long terminology for a long rifle.
He suggested a place in Kings Mountain that it turns out has a pistol range, but not one for rifles.
But the helpful fellow there recommended another place within an easy drive of Shelby.
So I had a great, safe time one recent morning putting smoke down range. Though I’ve been out shooting the .50 cal with my Dad and officemates Chris and Chad, this was my first time on a defined range and I had a blast
Three out of five rounds into a 15 x 20 inch piece of cardboard at 50 yards is hardly sniper-like, but I’m still figuring out how this piece shoots (a little low, I think. Photos on the blog….), getting used to the distractions of a smoking, flaming flintlock and am still pleasantly surprised when it actually goes off.
And yes, the target was drawn up like a photographer.
With a gun.
Specifically, a little air pistol the officers were using to teach folks about what they do as part of their Citizen’s Police Academy. I’ve got some video linked from my blog: jderrickstar.blogspot.com.
You strap on a vest, holster and training weapon and are tasked to investigate an unexpected disturbance in the building. Up pops a poster of some guy aiming a pistol at me and I nail him.
As the next guy is popping up I register he’s holding some big black thing aimed at me with a strap hanging down…
When I was training with an M-16 in ROTC (before I got kicked out for having bad eyes and then became a photographer….), when the target popped up 300 meters away I didn’t have to positively identify exactly who they were, what they were doing and their mother’s maiden name. I didn’t have to know the exact make of the large black dangerous-looking machine they were aiming at me… it’s WWIII, the Russians are coming and everyone in front of me needs shooting before they shoot me.
So I instinctively light up the second pop-up target like Christmas tree.
It was a photographer.
The attending officer did compliment my marksmanship, though.
The exercise shows the stresses and split-second, life or death decisions officers face. Such are the difficulties of having to simultaneously serve as a soldier and diplomat and such is my corresponding level of respect for the brave folks who do.
The drill also shows why you shouldn’t sneak up on me in a dark room.
After I got photos and video of a few more folks going through, including our cops reporter
Graham (who also shot the photographer), I asked one of the officers if they knew of any local ranges where I could fire my kit-built flintlock muzzleloading black powder Kentucky rifle. Long terminology for a long rifle.
He suggested a place in Kings Mountain that it turns out has a pistol range, but not one for rifles.
But the helpful fellow there recommended another place within an easy drive of Shelby.
So I had a great, safe time one recent morning putting smoke down range. Though I’ve been out shooting the .50 cal with my Dad and officemates Chris and Chad, this was my first time on a defined range and I had a blast
Three out of five rounds into a 15 x 20 inch piece of cardboard at 50 yards is hardly sniper-like, but I’m still figuring out how this piece shoots (a little low, I think. Photos on the blog….), getting used to the distractions of a smoking, flaming flintlock and am still pleasantly surprised when it actually goes off.
And yes, the target was drawn up like a photographer.
posted by John Derrick | 2:55 PM
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