My First Steel Match

Today was my first opportunity to shoot an all steel match.  This is really cool because you get "instant gratification" when you hear your bullet hit that steel.  It's a very different feel from shooting paper targets.  On some steel plates, called "poppers"  you have to actually knock the steel target down.  It's not easy, especially when you're shooting 9 mm or less.  Ok, this isn't me OBVIOUSLY, but it will give you an idea of how fun steel is:

I had the pleasure of shooting with some girls from our local chapter of "A Girl and A Gun".  We were invited to attend this match put on by the Alamo Sport Shooter's Club.  These guys were fun, and very helpful, given that this was my first steel match !

So here is my video.  I wish I could say it is as exciting as the guy in that first video I showed you, but what the hell, maybe you'll enjoy it anyway.  You may want to view it in full screen mode, as those targets are really far.   And by the way, this was a really hard stage!

Hope you enjoyed it, and maybe you too will try a steel match.  See you soon at the range !

TheWomanShootist

Shooting USPSA

Which would you choose?

OR

Last year I had the pleasure of shooting in two local USPSA  matches.  USPSA stands for "United States Practical Shooting Association".  After you've shot in one of these matches, standing in front of a stationary target will never quite be the same.  It's like having to go back to a Motel 6 when you're used to the Bellagio.  Don't get me wrong, Motel 6 has it's place, and so do stationary targets.  But there's something about shooting around barricades,  aiming for moving targets, etc., that gets your adrenaline going.  Join me as I run through this stage !

Introduction to TheWomanShootist

Welcome to my blog !  If you are a woman involved in the shooting sports, or  perhaps are  interested in learning more about firearms,  I hope to share some interesting stories with you.

Why do I call myself a "shootist"?  A shootist is defined as  [shoo-tist] noun 1. a marksman with a pistol or rifle. 2. a gunfighter, as in the Old West.  Yes, that pretty much sums it up.

And then there's John Wayne.  Being that I'm 51 years old, I guess I  can relate to John, and his character in "The Shootist".  And for me, it all started over 30 years ago.

 My first job out of high school was as a police dispatcher with a small local police department.  Next thing I knew, I was attending the local college law enforcement academy.  I was a police officer for the next 4 or 5 years, and although I loved police work, I never adjusted well to working nights, rotating shifts, etc.  But during this time, I came to love shooting  firearms.  Black Hawk Shooting Range, just south of San Antonio, Texas, became my home away from home.

During this time, I met some interesting guys at the range who helped  sharpen my skills as a shootist.  Mr. Jack Sutherland was instrumental  in my progress , and  spent literally  hours with me on the range helping with my stance, trigger pull, concentration, etc.  In his younger years, Mr. Sutherland had competed nationally in the shooting sports.  He was such a gentleman and so patient.

  Another influence was my firearms and defensive tactics instructor at the local college police academy, Ben Lively aka Gentle Ben.  Ben was also a cadet instructor with the San Antonio Police Department.   To this day, if you mention his name to a SAPD officer who was one of his cadets, you get a mixed reaction.  "That MF nearly killed me in the academy"..."What an asshole"...and so on.  But they always remark at the end of their story how his training at some point in their career  saved their lives, and they came to appreciate his "tough love" later.

So this was my initial exposure to firearms.  I remember organizing the first women's shooting team at the range. We called ourselves "The Hit-N-Misses".We enjoyed competing against the guys, and yes, we always came in last, but oh well, it was fun.  The important thing was, we were out there shooting and learning about firearms.

I became a pretty decent shootist during this time.  I remember having to do our yearly qualification when I was a police officer with the Olmos Park Police Department.  I think there were  15 officers with this department, and year  after year,  I had the highest score when we qualified. There was a lot of resentment because some of these guys were old timers, and resented having a woman on the police force in the first place.  I probably didn't help things when I told them that they pretty much "sucked", and should spend a little time at the range.    The officer in charge of qualification and firearms  for the department was Carl Burris.  He was so supportive, and we used to have a lot of laughs over the fact that a woman was out-shooting the entire Olmos Park Police Force, including himself.

Moving forward a few years, I met my future husband, Jack Lively.  Name sound familiar?  Jack was the brother of my firearms instructor from the academy, "Gentle Ben".    Jack was well-known in the local gun world too.  He is a firearms engraver, and served  a five year apprenticeship under Master Engraver Frank Hendricks.   I actually met Jack at the range.  We dated for around 6 months and got married, and we've been together for 26 years now.   Jack's background also includes serving in the military as a sniper in Viet Nam.  He was with a team sent over prior to the U.S. officially  "being there".  Jack has some stories to tell, to say the least.

For the next 23 years or so, life and making a living got in the way of my hobby.  A few years ago, I decided to get involved in the sport again.  I did some research on the internet, and found a local chapter of a club called "A Girl & A Gun".   I joined, and this renewed my zeal for shooting.  A few of our members were involved in shooting USPSA events (United States Practical Shooters Association). I joined USPSA, and have entered several local matches.  Talk about fun....well, I'll save that for another post on my blog.

Hope you have enjoyed learning  a little about me, and I hope to see you at the range !

TheWomanShootist