Getting ready for the season

[Camille Eonich]

Here in NC shooting never goes out of season but when it gets cold and rainy I don't go to as many matches so now I am "getting ready for the season"


When I first started cowboy shooting my shotgun was my strongest gun.  Well, now it's my weakest so I'm doing a little practicing in the afternoons with my shotgun.  I set a par time and then try to beat it with a ceratin number of shells.  When I first started, last week, I kept just almost getting there.  Now I'm making it more and more often.

In addition to speeding up the way that I regularly load the shotgun I'm trying a couple of different techniques.  I usually single load from the right. Now I'm working on pulling two and loading over the top as well as pulling two and loading from the right.  I have found that even with bobbles from not having done it as much I can start at port arms, load two over the top and then keep loading two from the right and my time is almost right up there with single loading from the right.  Now to just get it worked out and get some live fire practice in with it.


I'm also practicing with single shot drills.  Getting the pistols drawn and hosltered quickly and making sure that I'm drawing one while putting the other away.  I saw myself on video and had no idea that there was as long of a pause as there is between pistols.

One other thing that I'm doing is practicing getting the rifle up and into my shoulder firmly and quickly.  This sounds a bit backwards but I'm good at this when the rifle is staged low but not so good when it is staged higher like in a window or something.  Oh and I'm working on anchoring my thumb on the reciever and working the lever just by opening and closing my hand.


So do you know where your strong points and your weak points are and if so how are you working on improving them?

[Ozarks Ranger]

Our Jan shoot I whs having a heck of a time getting my shotgun shells out of my belt and fumbling around. I need to put a new hole in it to draw it up. ( usually its the other way around) I would like to get me a new belt  leather with double holders.  I also am shooting before I get a good site picture trying to hurry. Ive had a time the last couple of years with my bifocals but its better this last 6 months I changed mp RX back a little.

Snake Eyes

[Camille Eonich]

No one wants to talk about practicing?   

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy Camille

I thought you were talking about getting ready by reloading enough ammo start the season up.

Seeing as the Mid Winter Ammo Replacement Program and the Late Winter Ammo Replacement Program never really got off the ground here at the Johnson spread, it is probably time to jump start the Early Spring Ammo Replacement Program. I plan to have the inaugural session this weekend. As for practicing, why in the world would I do that? It would just mean more ammo to reload.

[Camille Eonich]

Driftwood, we're on the ammo stocking up thing too!  We've got all of our old brass loaded up now and have run out of just about everything.  Time to restock.


Unfortunately I don't get to do much live fire practice but it does help on the ammo situation to just dry fire.  And yanno, I have never ever missed a sticky note.














Well, I lied, I have missed a sticky note or two.  It's just that I'm the only one who can tell when I miss a sticky note.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Sticky note. I like that.