Lance0812
Bearcat
I'm not one to pat myself on the back (except for shamelessly promoting my books) and I hope no one will think I'm doing that now, but...
Recently, I made three range trips trying to break in a new pistol (which shall remain nameless) and after 300+ rounds of FMJ and LSWC, the holes were still all over the targets.
I'm sure some of it was me; I'm equally sure the pistol did not like the one box of Federal .45ACP I put through it.
But on the last trip, I also took along the SP101. I haven't fired it for a while (didn't do all that great when I did fire it) but I'd bought 300 rounds of reloaded JHP .38SP from a friend and thought it high time I started burning them up.
So after final disappointment at the highly regarded auto, I loaded the Ruger. I'd just grabbed a box of ammo at random and these were 125gr. Never shot those before, always bought 158gr.
With the first cylinder fired, I brought the Orange Peel target close enough for a good look and all the shots were in the midsection of the siloughette target - 4 in the 10 ring and one in the 8.
Well, that was better than I'd ever done before so I knew it was a fluke...until I repeated the feat with the second cylinder-full.
Now by golly, this is fun! I thought. OK, I'll try some double-action shooting just for grins.
Went well. Then I tried shooting strong hand only. Still doing great (compared to previous outings with the 101, anyway).
So then I tried some with my weak hand.
Ha! Shots all over the place (which surprised me only because it looked like the pattern I'd been getting from the vaunted automatic earlier.)
By the time I finished the box, I was wishing I'd brought more ammo for the Ruger (did I mention I can shoot that thing darn near forever, whereas the lightweight snubbies beat me up before I've finished a box of ammo?)
Anyway, consider these things: Was it a matter of breaking in the Ruger?
Or was it the lighter-weight ammo?
Or was it me that made this too-brief performance the best I've ever done with the SP101?
P.S. When I left the range, I stopped by my son's house. Like me, he'd been impressed by the nameless pistol's reputation - until he held it in his hands a few minutes. However, he did offer to keep it for a few days and take it to the range to see whether it was me or the pistol causing the erratic performance. But when I told him how to break it down and put it back together, he threw up his hands. "Hell, I'll just run a boresnake through it!"
Instead, I took it home, cleaned it and traded it on a pistol whose track record I know personally.
PPS: For those who may have wondered: I had the heart and bypass surgery on March 2, left the hospital on the 15th and I'm doing fine.
And a final question for any medical types on the forum: Now that I have a new heart valve, can I get an extended warranty?
Recently, I made three range trips trying to break in a new pistol (which shall remain nameless) and after 300+ rounds of FMJ and LSWC, the holes were still all over the targets.
I'm sure some of it was me; I'm equally sure the pistol did not like the one box of Federal .45ACP I put through it.
But on the last trip, I also took along the SP101. I haven't fired it for a while (didn't do all that great when I did fire it) but I'd bought 300 rounds of reloaded JHP .38SP from a friend and thought it high time I started burning them up.
So after final disappointment at the highly regarded auto, I loaded the Ruger. I'd just grabbed a box of ammo at random and these were 125gr. Never shot those before, always bought 158gr.
With the first cylinder fired, I brought the Orange Peel target close enough for a good look and all the shots were in the midsection of the siloughette target - 4 in the 10 ring and one in the 8.
Well, that was better than I'd ever done before so I knew it was a fluke...until I repeated the feat with the second cylinder-full.
Now by golly, this is fun! I thought. OK, I'll try some double-action shooting just for grins.
Went well. Then I tried shooting strong hand only. Still doing great (compared to previous outings with the 101, anyway).
So then I tried some with my weak hand.
Ha! Shots all over the place (which surprised me only because it looked like the pattern I'd been getting from the vaunted automatic earlier.)
By the time I finished the box, I was wishing I'd brought more ammo for the Ruger (did I mention I can shoot that thing darn near forever, whereas the lightweight snubbies beat me up before I've finished a box of ammo?)
Anyway, consider these things: Was it a matter of breaking in the Ruger?
Or was it the lighter-weight ammo?
Or was it me that made this too-brief performance the best I've ever done with the SP101?
P.S. When I left the range, I stopped by my son's house. Like me, he'd been impressed by the nameless pistol's reputation - until he held it in his hands a few minutes. However, he did offer to keep it for a few days and take it to the range to see whether it was me or the pistol causing the erratic performance. But when I told him how to break it down and put it back together, he threw up his hands. "Hell, I'll just run a boresnake through it!"
Instead, I took it home, cleaned it and traded it on a pistol whose track record I know personally.
PPS: For those who may have wondered: I had the heart and bypass surgery on March 2, left the hospital on the 15th and I'm doing fine.
And a final question for any medical types on the forum: Now that I have a new heart valve, can I get an extended warranty?
