So, these last several months (April-September) have been epically horrible for my shooting. Between finishing up school, trying to get machines, refinishing the shop, electrical/electrician issues, injuries, and equipment issues, shooting has been about the least of my priorities (and that is the wrong answer). Dry fire has been inconsistent, but happening none the less. I can count the number of range sessions I’ve had on my two hands, and the number of matches on 1/2 of one.

Finally, yesterday I got my ass to the range for a solo practice session. It was rough, to say the least, but still good. It’s very easy for us to get caught up in everything going on around us and neglect our overall and long-term goals. I remember running into Kerry Pearson at a match and him remarking how little he had seen me as of late. As he said, “Life gets in the way.”

My wife and I were having dinner and discussing why I hadn’t accomplished literally any of my shooting goals over the last year. I listed off all the “reasons” why I hadn’t been getting to the range. She said, “Wouldn’t it just be better to grab a gun and go shoot no matter what gun it is or division? I mean, it’s still shooting!” Damn, she’s right.

There are tons of variables in my gun/division choices. Being a custom gunsmith, competitive shooter, shooting instructor, and carrying a gun everyday have tons of variables and don’t all play well together. But at the end of the day, I’m not getting any better or going anywhere by not shooting.

Sometimes, you just need to grab any gun out of the safe and go shoot it.


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