Ramblin’s
of an Old Ranger 1
Western
Action Shooting
by
Capt.
Ira Aten
Some
years ago, an old President of THSS had a sayin’:
“I LOVE to see shooters on the line in Wrangler blue jeans &
sneakers!” There were those that
thought this was a deranged saying from an old fart that didn’t have the
proper grasp on the TRUE meaning of the words “Western Action Shooting!”
They thought this person was not acting in the tried & true “Cowboy
Way” as it pertained to the philosophy of Western Action Shooting.
Well my being there very early on kinda put me on the same wavelength as
Marty Ketchum, Yes…. By the way… He was actually related to the REAL
“Black Jack Ketchum” Hung fro ALMOST robbing a train & really did have
his head pop off when they hung him! Anyway,
what Marty was saying was “Sure is nice to see all the new shooters out
today!”
We
all know of the expense to get a couple of six-shooters, a rifle, & shotgun
with the leather & ammo needed to shoot this great game! So after spending all these bucks on getting equipped to
shoot, most may need a little extra time to get “dressed” in the part.
The next time you see a shooter lookin’ kinda nervous, dressed not a
whole lot in the Cowboy Way, go shake their hand & welcome them to the
Greatest & Grandest ole’ time any where!
They’ll get the duds as they can.
They will want time to build their persona & decide just the
character they want to portray while having all this fun.
In the mean time they are shooting & that’s what we want in the
first place.
Now
I have been down for some time from shooting & the first thing I noticed on
my return was all the new shooters! Does
an old heart good to see that. And
one thing I just can’t seem to do away with is handing out advice & sage
wisdom whenever & wherever I can. The
best thing about doing it this way, for you folks anyway, is you can turn the
page. Anyway, for the new shooters,
the not so new shooters, & the old shooters, some hints to help you into the
game, advance in the game, & to get tuned up for the game!
To
start out we need to reduce the stress associated with new firearms BEFORE the
shoot on Sunday Morning. A good way to start is to become familiar with our new
friend by cleaning it thoroughly (even though it’s brand new), touching,
handling, & spending quality time with our new firearm.
To fine-tune our familiarization with the new firearms, let me offer this
as a suggestion: continual handling & discharge of the new firearm.
If we all lived at a range or a 1000-acre ranch, this would be easy, but
unfortunately we all do not have access to either of these.
I don’t either, but this is one way I get around it.
When you buy that new handgun or rifle, also purchase double handful of
snap caps or dummy loads. Next, put
on your favorite Cowboy movie, get a nice big towel (not your company towels –
keep the Mrs. happy), get in your Lazyboy, drape the towel gently across your
lap, & set the firearm & snap caps gently on the towel.
Now make absolutely sure that
this firearm is unloaded, & that all live ammo is a long, long way from you
& properly secured. Then do this check again.
Start your movie, & start practicing loading, & unloading the
firearm correctly. Always make sure
after each cycle that you have done this absolutely perfect.
If you find mistakes, add to the length of time that you do this exercise
in firearm handling. When you find yourself doing this perfectly every time,
without looking, while watching the gunfight scene at the OK Corral in the movie
Tombstone, I would say you have mastered the skill. Give yourself one more test. Can you do it blindfolded?
If you can, you probably have gotten the procedure of loading &
unloading this firearm safely under your hat.
Please remember that loafing & unloading is never down blindfolded!!!
The second part of the
exercise is the proper control of this firearm while shooting.
I typically will pick a character out of the movie that I know repeats
itself & make this my cue. With
my firearm loaded with snap caps & sitting on my lap on the towel, I sit
comfortably in my chair with my arms on the armrests of the chair fully
extended, palms down. Every time I
see my cue, I reach down, take up the firearm & engage the “cue” with a
shot, & immediately put the firearm back down on my lap.
I continue doing this over & over until my actions become smooth,
fluid & correct. Here again, if
I find myself making mistakes of any type, I extend my training time.
It is up to the individual to decide the length of time needed to
practice in order to make yourself safe. Again
note that ALL live ammo MUST stay a long way away & properly secured prior
to doing these exercises. I would
also suggest that this be done when you are alone.
Practice in handling firearms is an exercise best done when there is NO
one around to break your concentration
I have had folks look at me a little crazy when I
suggest this type of training regimen to them.
But let me recommend you go back to the days of your youth when you were
sitting in front of the TV watching Gunsmoke, Jim Bowie, John Wayne, or whoever
with your Colt Six Guns from Mattel securely strapped around your waist.
Just how many times did you miss the bad guys with that Colt?
I would venture to say that the answer is “never.”
Isn’t what I’m suggesting the same exercise that you did some years
ago that made you the best shot in the neighborhood?
Give it a try.
