belladonna
Hellcat
Well, at last I think I’m ready to submit a range report. Never done one before, so bear with me please.
It had been too long since I did any live fire training, and dry fire is just not the same. I have a few work friends who carry, but there is always a reason why they can’t go, and if I wait for my husband to take me…well, I should live so long. Anyway, I bit the bullet (lol, pun intended
) and made a commitment to myself to attend Ladies Night every week at my local range. I have to go after work, before I commute home, and the range is close to the plant where I work. It’s convenient, so no excuses.
I started out with a Sig Sauer P365XL. I rented this one because it felt good when we stopped at Cabela’s on the way home from the Cities last weekend. I am kind of looking at a XD-M Elite, but the Sig felt better. I rented the Sig and am glad I did, because I was less than impressed with the trigger, as the one I fired felt mushy. I also have an issue with my hand (maybe the shape, IDK), anyway it seemed that every time I went to press the trigger, the mag would drop. I like to think that I’m not stupid, but hey, there is something about the way that gun (or my hand?) is configured, that when I went to press the trigger, the magazine would drop. Nice gun though. I ran 50 rounds through it with nothing but that issue.
Then I went with the M&P9 2.0. Oh, my gawd…. That gun is my best friend! Now, I know that I need a lot of work on my rudimentary skills, but this gun was awesome. The trigger is crisp with an awesome audible reset, and I was able to control recoil easily. I put 100 rounds through it. I even wrote down all the ammo in my log, but I was so excited at the time that it all pretty much felt the same. I do understand that I have to concentrate on one thing at a time, but my nature wants me to do it all, all at once!
Last but not least I shot my new Equalizer. While the gun is almost as impressive as the M&P9 2.0, it has its drawbacks that I didn’t even realize would be drawbacks until now. Number one…the grip safety thing. While I liked it on the Shield EZ, I think I have already outgrown it. I found that interfered with my grip more than anything. It shot nicely, but the trigger was not nearly as nice as the 2.0.
So all things being said, I know that I have lots of work to do…with the right gun(s). I am drawn strongly to the 2.0. I loved the way that gun felt. It’s big for me, but I can carry it in the winter. I will continue to train with it and the Equalizer (to see if I can get past the safety thing). Still love my Hellcat, snappy as she is, so I’ll take it too. I will concentrate on the basics before I worry about the ammo. Everything I ran through those guns ran fine, no hiccups. I ran Winchester 115gr, Remington Range 115gr, Federal American Eagle 115 and 124gr - all FMJ. I also ran Federal Punch 124gr, and Hornady Critical Defense 115gr - all JHP. Like I said, I really lost track on what was in which mag, and it all felt similar. In my own defense, at the end of a long day…a 10 hour production shift and commuting, I think I did okay all things considered.
The only target not marked was the Equalizer. Like I said, I need lots of work, but I did manage to Swiss cheese the paper in some not so bad spots.
It had been too long since I did any live fire training, and dry fire is just not the same. I have a few work friends who carry, but there is always a reason why they can’t go, and if I wait for my husband to take me…well, I should live so long. Anyway, I bit the bullet (lol, pun intended
) and made a commitment to myself to attend Ladies Night every week at my local range. I have to go after work, before I commute home, and the range is close to the plant where I work. It’s convenient, so no excuses.I started out with a Sig Sauer P365XL. I rented this one because it felt good when we stopped at Cabela’s on the way home from the Cities last weekend. I am kind of looking at a XD-M Elite, but the Sig felt better. I rented the Sig and am glad I did, because I was less than impressed with the trigger, as the one I fired felt mushy. I also have an issue with my hand (maybe the shape, IDK), anyway it seemed that every time I went to press the trigger, the mag would drop. I like to think that I’m not stupid, but hey, there is something about the way that gun (or my hand?) is configured, that when I went to press the trigger, the magazine would drop. Nice gun though. I ran 50 rounds through it with nothing but that issue.
Then I went with the M&P9 2.0. Oh, my gawd…. That gun is my best friend! Now, I know that I need a lot of work on my rudimentary skills, but this gun was awesome. The trigger is crisp with an awesome audible reset, and I was able to control recoil easily. I put 100 rounds through it. I even wrote down all the ammo in my log, but I was so excited at the time that it all pretty much felt the same. I do understand that I have to concentrate on one thing at a time, but my nature wants me to do it all, all at once!
Last but not least I shot my new Equalizer. While the gun is almost as impressive as the M&P9 2.0, it has its drawbacks that I didn’t even realize would be drawbacks until now. Number one…the grip safety thing. While I liked it on the Shield EZ, I think I have already outgrown it. I found that interfered with my grip more than anything. It shot nicely, but the trigger was not nearly as nice as the 2.0.
So all things being said, I know that I have lots of work to do…with the right gun(s). I am drawn strongly to the 2.0. I loved the way that gun felt. It’s big for me, but I can carry it in the winter. I will continue to train with it and the Equalizer (to see if I can get past the safety thing). Still love my Hellcat, snappy as she is, so I’ll take it too. I will concentrate on the basics before I worry about the ammo. Everything I ran through those guns ran fine, no hiccups. I ran Winchester 115gr, Remington Range 115gr, Federal American Eagle 115 and 124gr - all FMJ. I also ran Federal Punch 124gr, and Hornady Critical Defense 115gr - all JHP. Like I said, I really lost track on what was in which mag, and it all felt similar. In my own defense, at the end of a long day…a 10 hour production shift and commuting, I think I did okay all things considered.
The only target not marked was the Equalizer. Like I said, I need lots of work, but I did manage to Swiss cheese the paper in some not so bad spots.
. I know it’s tough, but someone’s gotta do it.
