Unexpected result

So, the match results for the conventional pistol sectional I shot last weekend have been published. Even though my aggregate score was pretty poor (537/900), as it turns out, I was actually the number one shooter for the .22 slow fire stage for the tyros (i.e., those who'd never competed before.) I shot a 146 to beat out the 143 for the second-place shooter.

So there's something I can be happy about.

Armed self-defense during the civil rights movement

Over at the Volokh Conspiracy, David Kopel recounts some stories about how armed self-defense prevented a number of deaths during the civil rights movement. Interesting reading.

First bullseye match

I shot my first bullseye match this past weekend. This was actually an NRA conventional pistol sectional, so as soon as the results are in from all the sectionals, I'll actually have a national ranking. Given that I'm currently unclassified, I was officially competing in the master class. Which is pretty funny considering how I did.

My performance was piss-poor. My aggregate was a 538 (out of a possible 900.) I knew I was unlikely to be scoring an 850, but I thought I had a reasonable chance to score in the 600's, and it wasn't unreasonable for me to think that I would break 700. The scores I've been getting in the USRA postal match I've been shooting range from 225 to 241 and have mostly been in the 230's. The bullseye match was effectively just three times as much shooting, so it's reasonable to assume I could just scale these scores up and shoot somewhere between 675 and 720.

I did notice that I was grouping low on my timed and rapid-fire targets, to the point of scoring a number of misses. (One of my rapid-fire targets actually scored a 33, as embarassed as I might be to admit that.) This in spite of the fact that I thought I had a good sight picture for all of those shots. It's unlikely that my sights suddenly broke in the middle of the match, so it's probably something I'm consistently doing wrong. At least, for being misses, they were consistent misses, so I can figure out what to pay attention to.

Frustration

So, this evening I went to the range. The main reason was the USRA competition I'm shooting (.22 National Match course), but I had plenty of time, so I first shot my usual light rifle practice. Not horrible, a 364, but I looked at the targets later at home, and something hit me.

I shot a number of 7's and 8's. I also shot a bunch of 10's to bring my score up to that 364. But I counted up the points I lost on those 7's and 8's, assuming I'd shot them as 9's instead. I lost 14 points by that calculation. So if all those had been 9's, I'd have shot a 378. That skips right past expert and lands solidly in master (376 for off-hand light rifle.)

So all I have to do now is eliminate those 7's and 8's.

Weird McDonald v. Chicago dream

Last night, I dreamt that McDonald v. Chicago had been decided, in our favor. But all I knew was the decision, none of the details. I kept going up to people to ask, "But was it due process or P or I?"

I think I've spent too much time reading amicus briefs.