Tag Archives: Scottsdale

Clubs and Ranges

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My work has me on the road a lot and, when possible, I try to get in some range time. Here are the clubs and ranges I’ve visited, both here in Phoenix and while traveling.

  • Phoenix Rod and Gun Club, Phoenix AZ. My “home” range. Except in the hottest summer months, there is an authorized or registered 2700 each month, a practice 2700 each month, and the Tuesday night (6:30PM) Nighthawks where we alternate Bullseye and International targets at 25 yards, and on rare occasions, shoot a Police L-Match.
  • Usery Mountain Range, Mesa (Metropolitan Phoenix) AZ. Good outdoor range in the so-called “east valley” area. [01/07/2008]
  • Scottsdale Gun Club, Scottsdale (Metropolitan Phoenix) AZ. For a while, my office was within a couple of miles of this very nice, upscale, indoor club so I was a member and practiced regularly at this range. Later, when my office moved and it became too far, I dropped the membership. Regardless, it’s a nice place to go shoot especially in the desert summer.
  • Ben Avery Shooting Facility, Phoenix AZ (north thereof). Very nice facility with several sport-specific ranges as well as a public range. But note that public ranges can be scarey. My recommendation is to watch the shooters to your left and right and pay particular attention when they have a gun jam. Invariably, the barrel seems to end up pointed in my direction. And almost always, the gun will eventually fire as the owner struggles with it! My rule is to watch them like a hawk and get ready to yell REAL LOUD. I’ve had to do exactly that more than once at a public range. (I’ll take a bunch of Bullseye shooters over novices any day, thank you.)
  • Arizona Tactical / Arizona Shooter’s World, Phoenix AZ. An indoor range. I visited once but found it depressing and in a less-than-pretty neighborhood. (I was glad I had my guns.) [03/01/2005]
  • My backyard, Phoenix AZ. 10 M air pistol range.
  • Old Colony Sportsmen’s Association, East Pembroke (S. of Boston) MA. Fired a borrowed 22 (thanks, Ron Hawkins) at their indoor range during a business trip. Met Bill Dutton who came down from NH as well as several other Bullseye shooters. [06/15/2006]
  • Arvada Rifle and Gun Club, Denver CO. Shot two NMCs at this indoor range. Received good coaching from Steve “Slocat” Locatelli. [09/21/2006]
  • Square Circle Sportsmen, Gibbsboro NJ (east of Philadelphia PA). Shot an indoor 900 with a borrowed S&W 41 from John Gemmil, Sr. [01/21/2007]
  • Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA), at their range near Kankakee (Metropolitan Chicago) IL. Fired an NMC using Jeff Battaglia’s Hammerli 208s.
  • Sunnyvale Rod & Gun Club, Sunnyvale (Silicon Valley, S. of San Francisco, NW of San Jose) CA. Very nice outdoor Bullseye range. On my first visit, I shot a Hammerli 280 loaned by Liz David and also an Ed Masaki 1911 loaned by Norman Wong (after getting a fabulous, very detailed, and customized-for-Bullseye shooter’s eye exam and prescriptions from Dr. Wong the day before). [05/16/2007] And then on a second visit, I brought my own weapons and, again, shot an 1800 at their 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month evening competitions. [04/16/2008]
  • Canton-McKinley Rifle and Pistol Club, near Canton OH. Site of the annual “Perry Warm-Up” competition, but that wasn’t when I was there. Shot two NMCs with my own S&W 41. [08/23/2007]
  • Port Malabar Rifle & Pistol Club, Port Malabar (SE of Orlando) FL. Outdoor range. Shot a Saturday AM 900 with my own guns. Met Tom Morissey who came down from Orlando to check out the club and to meet me. (Thanks for the novel, Tom. Really enjoyed it!) [02/09/2008]
  • Haltom City Rifle & Pistol Club, Haltom City (Metropolitan Dallas/Ft.Worth) TX. Brought my air pistols for an evening silhouette event. Slaughtered 4 chickens, 5 pigs, 4 turkeys and 6 rams and had a great time. [Warning: Those Texas boys are serious about their shooting!] [02/18/2008]
  • San Bernardino Gun Club, San Bernardino (far east LA basin), CA. Shot an 1800 with guns loaned by Pat Clarkson. [03/02/2008]
  • River Bend Gun Club, Dawsonville (N of Atlanta) GA. Stayed through after a business trip to shoot a 2700 with my own guns. (Hint: Get good driving directions or take a GPS for navigation.) Very nice club. Wish I could’ve stayed longer. [06/22/2008]
  • Newport Rifle Club, Newport RI. Borrowed one of the club’s 22s and shot the “rapid fire” (non-standard Bullseye) and the “fun” (traditional NMC) events on Monday and Wednesday evenings, respectively. [07/14/2008 and 07/16/2008]
  • Marlow (Berkshire, UK) Rifle and Pistol Club. Shot the club’s Gamo air pistol in open practice but was the sole pistol shooter for most of the evening. I did, however, meet the county AP coach who gave me several personal tips which should be of considerable value. [08/11/2008]

Young Bucks

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(Posted in http://forum.m1911.org/ by “edski”)

I often practice at an indoor range in Scottsdale AZ. It’s a very nice place and draws a wide range of clients including many LEOs as well as airline pilots practicing for their qualifications. And while I enjoy observing and talking with these shooters, I must confess there is another moment I enjoy even more.

Here’s the scene. As I enter the range and walk to my assigned firing point, I notice that on my left is a 22 year old man (?) standing at the line and pumping magazine after magazine of 9mm ammunition through his Glock into the man-target at 7 yards. There are a lot of holes in the target’s torso, concentrated toward the center but ranging out to the edge of the paper as well.

Six feet back and directly behind the shooter is the girlfriend he is trying to impress with this flood of death and destruction. She is dutifully watching, she smiles when he looks back at her, but the smile drops as he reloads and resumes shooting. Instead of lead flying downrange, she sees coins, lots of coins, flying away to be absorbed by the shooting range.

So, I methodically set up my box, open it, take out my 45 and its ammunition, tape up a target and send it all the way out to the far end of the range 75 feet away. I unfold the telescope support arms, align it on the target, and then spend a couple of minutes getting my NPA dead set on the target. I dry fire a couple of rounds and then decide I’m ready.

I load my two magazines with five rounds each and then stop and read through the shot plan taped to the inside of my shooting box one last time. Finally, I re-assume my position, check the NPA one last time, raise my arm, hold my breath and then stand there as my trigger finger slowly rolls off a shot. (Well, at least I wish it worked that nicely.) Looking in the scope, I confirm where the round landed versus where I thought it went.

Nine rounds and about that many minutes later, I put the gun down and recall the target with 10 nicely placed holes.

Over my shoulder I notice she is looking.

I wait and, yes, as often as not, she leans forward to her boyfriend, taps him on the shoulder, says something in his ear and points over at my target.

The shooting point to my left is almost always empty shortly after my first target.

Oh YES!

Please pardon my wallowing in the exquisite pleasure I get from tormenting that poor young man but it is oh so true that “old age and bullseye-precision will always beat youth and testosterone.”