Monday, January 23, 2012
Springfield XD
I put a few rounds through a friend's Springfield XD 9mm at the range a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Grains
In my continuing quest to get all the ittle thing I'm learning put up here too...
Today, I talk about grains. As always, I'm so far from being an expert it's not even funny. But writing these things down helps me assemble them in my brain and might help other new gunnies reading this.
So, grains still confuses me after lots of reading. I think this is because the term is used to refer to BOTH the weight of the projectile (bullet) AND the weight of the powder in the round.
A grain is a unit of measurement, with 437.5 grains equaling one ounce or 64.79891 milligrams. (This where I start bemoaning our use of the imperial system rather than the much easier to understand metric system.)
History of the term grain is a bit ambiguous, but seems to come from England:
When your ammo box indicates grains, it is only the weight of the bullet, not the powder load. Different brands will use different amounts of powder, but this may not be readily available on the box. Hence why different brands of ammunition with the same bullet weight (grains) shoot differently.
So, how does bullet weight affect my shooting?
Light bullets move faster (given equal powder) and have a flatter trajectory. This should make them easier to aim, especially at close range. Because they are lighter, they will have less impact force at longer distances.
Heavier bullets will have more resistance and thus more arc to their trajectory, thus needing more compensation in aim point at longer distances. However, thir weight allows them to retain speed and power at longer distances.
(For those archers out there, this is similar to differences seen with different arrow weights, lengths, and points)
As to the grains of powder, more is not always better. Increasing the powder results in more force applied to the bullet upon firing. This results in more velocity to the bullet, but can also cause more recoil. Most powder loads will be similar across brands from what I understand. The exception is in +P loads that will have havier powder loads.
That's the basics. I tried reading more details, but I ended up more confused than when I started. Maybe in the future... I know lots of you out there are more familiar with this than I. So, please correct me if I'm off somewhere or missing some crucial point in this explanation of grains.
Today, I talk about grains. As always, I'm so far from being an expert it's not even funny. But writing these things down helps me assemble them in my brain and might help other new gunnies reading this.
So, grains still confuses me after lots of reading. I think this is because the term is used to refer to BOTH the weight of the projectile (bullet) AND the weight of the powder in the round.
A grain is a unit of measurement, with 437.5 grains equaling one ounce or 64.79891 milligrams. (This where I start bemoaning our use of the imperial system rather than the much easier to understand metric system.)
History of the term grain is a bit ambiguous, but seems to come from England:
"where it referred to the weight of a barleycorn. This made the English grain larger than the corresponding grain units of France and other nations of the Continent, because those units were based on the weight of the smaller wheat grain."
When your ammo box indicates grains, it is only the weight of the bullet, not the powder load. Different brands will use different amounts of powder, but this may not be readily available on the box. Hence why different brands of ammunition with the same bullet weight (grains) shoot differently.
So, how does bullet weight affect my shooting?
Light bullets move faster (given equal powder) and have a flatter trajectory. This should make them easier to aim, especially at close range. Because they are lighter, they will have less impact force at longer distances.
Heavier bullets will have more resistance and thus more arc to their trajectory, thus needing more compensation in aim point at longer distances. However, thir weight allows them to retain speed and power at longer distances.
(For those archers out there, this is similar to differences seen with different arrow weights, lengths, and points)
As to the grains of powder, more is not always better. Increasing the powder results in more force applied to the bullet upon firing. This results in more velocity to the bullet, but can also cause more recoil. Most powder loads will be similar across brands from what I understand. The exception is in +P loads that will have havier powder loads.
That's the basics. I tried reading more details, but I ended up more confused than when I started. Maybe in the future... I know lots of you out there are more familiar with this than I. So, please correct me if I'm off somewhere or missing some crucial point in this explanation of grains.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
My thoughts on the Candlelight Vigil.
Well, when I started this blog I had no intention of ever touching the pro/anti gun controversy except in facts, statistics, etc related to why I personally was choosing to be armed. But recently I found myself reading about the candlelight vigil and couldn't help but form an opinion that decided it needed an outlet. Thus, you get this post.
Some background:
----------------------------------
Here are my thoughts:
It is about the victims. No, really! Even for most gunnies that I know and respect. We're not mocking the vigil, we understand the need to remember and grieve for friends and family who have been injured and killed. However, for us it's also about the desire to solve the problem.
Not by weakening ourselves, not by blaming the system*, and not by removing the tools**. But by refusing to be the next victim. For us (or at least me) it's about being aware that bad people exist and that each of us is responsible for our own safety.
I have never expected anyone else to do my homework, pay my bills, or generally smooth the path (though both of those positions are available if you want that job). I am an adult, and part of that is personal responsibility and accountability. Part of that responsibility is my own safety.
If we lived in a perfect world, I probably wouldn't be a gun girl. Or at least not one interested in carrying regularly. But we don't and I don't think we will in my lifetime. It's been shown time and again that most of the time the police aren't there when you need them. I have no intention of looking over my shoulder every moment, or being afraid to go somewhere alone. Thus, I'm going to do the responsible thing and be ready and able to protect myself.
Do I want to shoot someone? No way! I hope I am never faced with the need to make that decision, or even to have to draw my weapon in defense. But I have no intention of relying on a system that has been proven to fail when people need it.
Yes, the vigils are important, the victims and loved ones have suffered. The best way I know to reduce the number of people who show up at these vigils is by not becoming a victim or letting those around me become one. I choose not to be another loss. I choose to carry a gun.
*Though I do think there are undoubtedly some problem with the methods by which some people slip through the cracks (mental patients who don't make it to the list are not getting guns bay fault of the dealers). But that's a thought for another day.
**That hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried.
Some background:
- Jan 8th, the Brady campaign sponsored candlelight vigils to recognize and remember the victims of shootings.
- In response, the gun blogger community hosted a 'Counter' vigil of guns and candles started by Weer'd
- Response by pro-gun control community was less than understanding.
----------------------------------
Here are my thoughts:
It is about the victims. No, really! Even for most gunnies that I know and respect. We're not mocking the vigil, we understand the need to remember and grieve for friends and family who have been injured and killed. However, for us it's also about the desire to solve the problem.
Not by weakening ourselves, not by blaming the system*, and not by removing the tools**. But by refusing to be the next victim. For us (or at least me) it's about being aware that bad people exist and that each of us is responsible for our own safety.
I have never expected anyone else to do my homework, pay my bills, or generally smooth the path (though both of those positions are available if you want that job). I am an adult, and part of that is personal responsibility and accountability. Part of that responsibility is my own safety.
If we lived in a perfect world, I probably wouldn't be a gun girl. Or at least not one interested in carrying regularly. But we don't and I don't think we will in my lifetime. It's been shown time and again that most of the time the police aren't there when you need them. I have no intention of looking over my shoulder every moment, or being afraid to go somewhere alone. Thus, I'm going to do the responsible thing and be ready and able to protect myself.
Do I want to shoot someone? No way! I hope I am never faced with the need to make that decision, or even to have to draw my weapon in defense. But I have no intention of relying on a system that has been proven to fail when people need it.
Yes, the vigils are important, the victims and loved ones have suffered. The best way I know to reduce the number of people who show up at these vigils is by not becoming a victim or letting those around me become one. I choose not to be another loss. I choose to carry a gun.
*Though I do think there are undoubtedly some problem with the methods by which some people slip through the cracks (mental patients who don't make it to the list are not getting guns bay fault of the dealers). But that's a thought for another day.
**That hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried.
Friday, January 6, 2012
My first pet peeve...
Ok, so I have a lot of pet peeves, just ask my husband. But this is neither the time or place to go into my mania about shower curtains. I have however, found my first firearms related peeve.
I'm not really sure that's something to celebrate, but who cares. Any excuse for a good party right? Lets break out the noisemakers and paper hats. Whith this celebration comes yet another terminology lesson.
I'm not really sure that's something to celebrate, but who cares. Any excuse for a good party right? Lets break out the noisemakers and paper hats. Whith this celebration comes yet another terminology lesson.
These are clips:
This is not:
A clip is an ammunition retaining device. It is used to hold rounds for insertion into a magazine or cylinder. A magazine loads the round into the chamber of the firearm. Your pistol does not use a clip. It uses a magazine.
Minute man review has also written about this terminology difference. And does a much better job than I at explaining the difference.
In all honesty, it's not a big thing (what pet peeve ever is?), but I think th scientist in me gets twitchy with imprecision terminology. You wouldn't want to confuse the many types of pipettes or get the wrong reagent when mixing a solution right?
Although, now that I tihnk about it, missusing vocabulary bothers me in all aspects of life. Perhaps that's why this video is one of my favorites. No, not firearm related, but humorous none the less.
*pics from wiki commons, no clips in my house....
Thursday, January 5, 2012
A Girl and Her Gun: The Give-A-Way
A Girl and Her Gun is doing an amazing give-a-way contest for money towards training. If you are a newish female shooter, go enter!
This contest just keeps getting better! Look at this list of prizes. I think it's growing every day!
Don't forget to read the blog while you are there. She has a great story and good advice on many topics for women shooters, espcially those who are coming in from a victim standpoint.
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