The line between Cockiness and Competance.

   So, ever since my time in the Marines, I've noticed a trend.  People that do jobs where the primary role is shooting people in the face, or causing other types of death and destruction tend to have a certain attitude about their jobs.  To outsiders, this can come across as being cocky, or arrogant.   Sometimes it just plain IS cocky and arrogant.  But, here's the thing.  In jobs like that you have to be to some extent. Either consciously, or sub-consciously to get yourself into the zone.  Sometimes that bleeds over into your normal life.


 
  My question for YEARS has been, where is the line drawn between confidence, and cockiness?
 My other question, is how much does perspective play a part? 

More on this later.

How CTD tried to save magazine prices... twice...

Panic buying sets in, magazines are purchased in record numbers;



"Hey, we're running out of supply from distributors, we better up the price to slow down orders and catch up".



"Fuck, they are still buying... better up the price to slow down demand.... hell demand is still rising and these guys are paying that much...?"




"Well, see how high you can go before sales taper, then back off a little, we'll drop the price when more things to sell exist, and people forget how we tried to help them by staunching demand. "



See, CTD just wanted to HELP end the craze. If other retailers would have joined in, it would have put the brakes to panic buying.

Comfort and shooting.

 For some reason, people always seem to think "oh, get what's comfortable and fits right".

They then tend to spread this "common sense" around.

The problem is, in shooting what is comfortable is not always fast, accurate or both.


Here's one example.  When I was in the Marines I did a lot of MOUT/ CQB training.  At the time, the position was almost an old school FBI crouch.  It was not comfortable, and would kill your back.  BUT, it provided a MASSIVELY stable position to move and shoot with.  


Same with hand guns. My big EAA Witness has two grip positions.  Comfortable and natural, or accurate.  Grab it the natural way, and everyone shoots low and left.  Grasp it with the strong hand rotated around the grip just a hair, into a very UN natural feeling position, and it shoots like a damn laser beam kicking out under 2" groups at 25 yards.


A third example is my Olympic small bore rifle, and by extension the traditional offhand position.
ABSURDLY uncomfortable, and literally horrible for your back, but lets you maintain very accurate shots.  In the case of smallbore, shooting rounds through the same hole, and high power, fist size groups rapid fire at 200 yards.


So basically it boils down to find out what works.

The grip angle debate.

I've recently saw two opposing viewpoints on ideal handgun grip angles.

It's been said that some grip angles allow different guns to point "naturally" for people.  Some angles point low on some guns, some high.


Others say it doesn't matter.



The TRUTH (because using that word adds a sense of importance to my opinion) is that there is no natural angle a handgun rests in your hand that you don't create yourself through training.  What "feels" right is muscle memory and can be changed.  That's why I can go from sucking at IDPA with a 1911, to sucking at IDPA with a revolver, I have the amazing ability to understand the importance of muscle memory, and that through repetition no matter what I shoot with will eventually always "point right".

I'm a broke ass looking IDPA shooter.

RIA 1911                     $400
Airsoft mag pouch        $15
Fobus Paddle holster    Free





Nipping at the heels of people who have been doing it with better gear, longer on the score sheet?  Priceless.

Competition mindset.

   Shooting is 90% mental.  That's a term that gets bandied about quite often.  If you haven't heard it, you're not hanging around with people that know what the fuck is up, because it's absolutely true.  I see a LOT of people every week that should be phenomenal shooters given their amount of practice, and monthly round counts, and constant attendance of local matches.  But they don't progress AT ALL.  Sure, by default they slowly get better through grinding out rounds.  A lot even go through the motions with different drills or special targets.   I myself have been guilty lately of becoming lax, and letting my mind wander instead of staying on top of things, and everything has suffered for it.

  One thing that I've always hated the whole time I was actively competing was people saying "you're only competing against yourself, don't worry about beating other people".  What the fuck kind of liberal feel good bullshit is THAT!   Who says that at a state finals competition?  I want my name at the damn top of the list with a blue ribbon in my hand!  The only time I ever "competed against myself" was trying to out shoot my score from previous years matches I placed first in.  I didn't get a modest collection of first place trophies and ribbons from the "everyone is a winner" mindset, I got them from wanting to stomp the shit out of other peoples scores, and send them home crying.


  Which brings us full circle, now I'm all old and busted, getting into new venues of shooting and not doing as well as I would like.  I'm partially restricted by gear, having to use firearms I wanted solely as fun range toys, not competition pieces.  I need more ammo and range time also, not to mention buckling down and dry firing more. 


  They say the road to recovery starts by admitting you have a problem.  My problem is I suck right now and know I can do better.  I need to re-light the fire I used to have, get out there, get in some matches and start getting back in the groove.  I need to get out there and steam roll some bitches to get that confidence boost!


I need to start getting some freaking wins under my belt again!

Look the FUCK out!

I'm riding the gravy train with ammo, just picked up a huge box of sketchy gun show reloads!  Actually the ammo runs great, and shows no pressure signs, which is a good thing when it comes to 10mm.

Now, I can actually make it out to practice more.   Having done precision rifle shooting for years, and all the CQB/MOUT stuff in the military, I know that given a high enough round count, and enough good training I can progress in skill very quickly.  Even with extremely low monthly round counts, I can roll up ill equipped, with a unreasonably over powered pistol, and still finish middle of the pack shooting IDPA even butt fucking the course of fire.


Ideally, I can keep running the 10 for awhile till I get pretty good at the little local range shoots, and then get a good 9mm (cheaper, faster).  It'll be like Lance Armstrong training a mile high for the Tour de France when I start going to real matches!

Imagine, getting super fast and mega recoil control with a 10mm, then going to 9?  I'll be able to shoot it like a freaking .22! 

Round counts and training...   Time and money...  It's all I need!