ARCHIVE - ISSUE TWO - JUNE 2013 - FEATURE PICTORIAL - TRAINING - LIFESTYLE - ARCHIVE - ISSUE TWO - JUNE 2013
California Über Alles
[continued from cover story]
I find that many OC residents keep their firearms ownership very much under wrap, unless they are in good company. Even I have been surprised when I discover gun owners that are, at first glance, not seemingly so. Orange County’s gun community disguises itself as Hollywood big wigs, computer programmers, top dollar attorneys, and teachers….all of whom pack up their bags after work and head to the range on the weekends. Their co-workers would never have guessed that they were a part of this hidden circle of charismatic, passionate gun owners. It only takes making a connection with one person that is connected to the community here to sponsor you and let you in the “circle”. To this day I am still amazed when I meet unsuspecting people out at the range! From my hometown in central Orange County there are approximately 39 ranges within a 60 mile radius…and if you know anything about So Cal traffic a 60 mile drive can sometimes take you 2+ hours. Also not all of said ranges are open to the public, a vast majority are private clubs, so that narrows your options drastically. With that being said, there are about 7 ranges within a reasonable, driving vicinity; and there are only 3 that are even open past 4pm for you to hit up after work for a quick trip before last call at 7pm, for they shut their doors at 8pm. So, realistically, there isn’t much time for socializing or having a large group gathering, like the Sure Shots, which makes it difficult for us to share time with and meet people who share the same interests in firearms. To my knowledge there is nothing that even remotely resembles what is The Sure Shots here in So Cal. With shooting not being a regular, acceptable topic of conversation, and going to the range being a logistical nightmare, women are hesitant to get involved with shooting- whether it be for protection or otherwise. In the last month alone, I have had the opportunity to take 5 different women to the range to shoot a gun for their very first time. They were all in their mid to late 30’s and employed as everything from a hair dresser to a banker, and even a Police Officer’s wife! They have all known me for years, but it has taken this long for them to put themselves out there and actually admit that they want to learn how to shoot and protect themselves. The truth is: California gun laws suck. There is no way around it. CCW’s are not easy to get nor is anything else for that matter, and I think that discourages a lot of women from moving forward with their education on firearms, let alone even purchase one. As the laws become more and more restrictive here in California, things are only going to get pushed further underground making it more difficult for those of us who support our Second Amendment rights. We will continue to lurk in the shadows, as silly as that may sound. I love it when people say “Screw California” or “Boycott California” etc. every time news comes out of some new bill or law that us legal gun owners here are up against. California is home not only to many gun owners but to quite a few companies that many of you know and love such as: SureFire, SoTech, Oakley, Centurion Arms, Off The Grid Concepts, EchoNiNER, US Optics, Orca Industries, BattleComp, Triple Aught Design, TNVC, and the list goes on and on. We, as gun owners, need to stick together and help those across the country who are fighting for their rights rather than telling them to just get out of said state. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to just pick up and move. Would I love to move to Texas? Absolutely! Am I able to do so? Not anytime soon. So I stay and try to stand up for what little we have left here. Typically, what becomes law here in California will be seen by other states as they try to follow in our in footsteps. The more support we can get, the better! As a pro-gun community, we should be in this as a whole and for the greater good. It doesn’t help our cause when we are alienated by the rest of the 2A community; it only makes our fight harder. I know that my rant doesn’t make California look very glamorous for gun owners, and I’m not going to lie: it’s not glamorous in the least bit. And although we are outnumbered, we make do. There is so much going on in California when it comes to our rights, that it’s difficult to write on the topic wholly. Especially given that we are currently in a new battle for law makers want to restrict our right to own guns even more. In the end I will leave you with this: Don’t write California off…there are plenty of like minded, legal gun owners here working hard to take back and restore our rights. It’s not easy and it will take time. But we need to stand and fight together as a community. Just because someone lives in California doesn’t mean they are less entitled to the Second Amendment as someone who lives in Texas. Maybe one day we will be able to rise from the ashes and come out of hiding. Train hard, practice often, and most of all stay safe. Nikki Raye is a mother of two boys (three if you count her husband). She has a law enforcement and musical theatre background....huh? Yeah, you read that right! She enjoys working in the shooting community and encouraging other females to get involved. When she's not at the range or spending time with her family, you can find her obsessing over Boba Fett or watching Star Wars. Sure Shot Original Gangsta by Karen Ziegler
This is me, many years ago, right after I learned to shoot. I began by taking a handgun safety course, taught by two of the greatest guys on the Army Reserve Marksmanship Team. It was winter in Tennessee, so we shot inside the clubhouse using air pistols. The pellet gun truly taught me sight alignment and follow through, as the pellets exit the barrel much more slowly than traditional ammunition.
I found that I enjoyed the experience, and wanted to continue shooting – with a “real” gun. I purchased my first firearm, a Ruger Mark II. After practicing with my coach, he suggested I just jump on in and start shooting in matches. The matches I started with were “Bullseye” or 2700 Pistol Matches. The first stage is slow fire at 50 yards (2 10-shot strings, 10 minutes per string), 20 shots, timed fire at 25 yards (4 5-shot strings, 20 seconds per string), 20 shots, rapid fire at 25 yards (4 5-shot strings, 10 seconds per string), and the National Match Course (10-shots, slow fire at 50 yards, 10-shots timed fire, and 10-shots rapid fire). 20 shots, timed fire at 25 yards (4 5-shot strings, 20 seconds per string), 20 shots, rapid fire at 25 yards (4 5-shot strings, 10 seconds per string), and the National Match Course (10-shots, slow fire at 50 yards, 10-shots timed fire, and 10-shots rapid fire). This match consists of 90-shots for a possible aggregate total of 900 points. For a 2700 aggregate this match is fired once with each gun; .22 caliber rimfire, centerfire, and .45 caliber with a total of 900 points. The match shooting is very precise and shot one-handed. I was the only female shooting at the club, which made me at times a novelty or an anomaly. But every single shooter I met was friendly and helpful. That is the nature of the shooting community. When I was asked why I never finished a match, I told the guys I didn’t own a 45. I believe in a few moments I had at least 10 offered to me (with ammo) so I could finish the match! One of these guns I shot with for almost six months until I finally could get my own. Even then they pitched in and had “Gunny” at Ft. Benning build it to competition specs for me. Talk about being grateful! I have many fond memories of this period in my life, I learned so much. I would take down each gun after a match and clean it. I started reloading to save money, as I could easily go through 1K rounds a month when practicing. The guys I shot with had zero tolerance for unsafe handling of a firearm, and they taught me well. They critiqued my shooting, stance, grip and even attitude (I get annoyed when I am not shooting well). And…with that love of guns and shooting well instilled in me, packed up and moved to Texas and we all know what happened after that! Karen Ziegler is the co-owner of Red's Indoor Ranges, and "Mom" to 300 Sure Shots, 20 Red's employees, and 3 cats. |
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect
by Cass Mascorro
Training and practice. It is challenging to have one without the other, and we are not always presented with both. I began shooting at a young age, with little training and many opportunities to practice. During my teens, I started receiving instruction and my practice improved. I was on target more consistently, and remained an active shooter into my early 20s. Several years found me with little time for practice, and even less training or instruction. Enter the Sure Shots. With a few practice sessions, my groups were tighter and more consistent. I began working on my issues: anticipating recoil and poor trigger work. Several months later, I found myself enrolled in my first official training course, Defensive Pistol I, presented by BSG Security Services. I was confident I would receive some uplift in the course based on previous experience with BSG coursework, but I had no idea of the course structure or focus, beyond the name itself. One lovely May day, my shooting world shifted. Defensive Pistol I was here. Some aspects were new to me, such as a pistol stance and trigger reset. Some aspects were not new, but challenged, such as anticipating recoil and sight picture. As a group, we worked on one piece of the puzzle at time. I’ve put many more rounds down range with a long gun, be it rifle or shotgun, than with a pistol. This experience created an interesting pistol-shooting stance for me, what I now know to be based on a Weaver stance: feet staggered, shoulders offset with my dominant-side shoulder back, almost cross-body shooting. One’s shooting stance is a very personal thing, but there are so many common elements. It almost feels to me like a fighting or boxer stance: your feet parallel and apart, and maybe a little staggered front-to-back, weight in the balls of your feet, and knees slightly bent. It was amazing to me how adjusting even the lower portion of my stance helped me build a great base to shoot from, as well as be prepared for a defensive situation. Another surprise in my day came during the discussion on sight picture. I’ve known for years that I only shoot pistols with one eye open, from my years of long gun shooting, and logically I know it’s not ideal. Why, you may ask – well, close one eye. How much of your current surroundings just disappeared? If you were in a defensive situation, would the danger be increased by losing that much of your field of vision? The determination of the day was that I am left-eye dominant, which is an interesting combination with my right-hand dominance. I have been closing my left eye to shoot pistols for at least half my life, and have become pretty accurate with only one eye. This is an ongoing struggle that I will be working on for weeks to come! That’s half the fun of practice though, right? Practice. Practice can be greatly improved after training. My first Sure Shots practice after Defensive Pistol I was completely eye-opening. Mentally stepping through the training points from the course, I set up a great stance and solid grip. I brought the pistol on target, acquiring good sight alignment and sight picture, then worked breath control into my trigger press along with the mental game of anticipating recoil. The results were amazing. As I have heard, practice does not make perfect … but perfect practice is another story. My mindset was focused on the pieces of the puzzle, not getting every shot in the 10-ring. Accuracy is a result of a solid foundation of skills, not a factor of your shooting abilities. Training. Get it where you can, from reputable and respected sources. And above all else, make your practice count! 
April 10, 2013 - “before” ------------ May 22, 2013 – “after”
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The Girl Can't Help It [continued from cover story]
Another important thing for an instructor to understand and use, is that female students use those emotions during their interactions inside the class. A female student is much more likely to care about the instructor’s opinion of them and their progress in the course. While many males consider the instructor’s opinion of them to be a moot point, female students require a more one on one feel to training, and are much more appreciative of feedback while on the firing line.
To a male instructor, this is a foreign concept. Men are generally taught from a young age that emotion is to be avoided. As such, some instructors find it difficult to to “reach across the aisle,” so to speak, and connect with a student on a more personal level. But, simple things like calling a female student by name or by giving personalized feedback can do wonders for a female student’s confidence and her enjoyment of the course itself. Even a smile is a big help, as cheesy as it may sound. Male instructors must take caution not to overdo it however, for fear of sexual harassment allegations or even just being improperly perceived by the student.
Another key difference is the way that women process information. After all, the point of “instruction” is instructing, right? In order to be a successful instructor, you must know how your students learn, and be able to teach to that.
Details, details, details. While men are known to take in information at a high level, women are much better adapted to take information in at a much more detailed, granular level. Ive seen it time and time again. Look around at the students when you start spitting out extremely detailed information… Women perk up and men’s eyes start rolling back in their heads. For a coed classroom, finding the right balance is key. This can also be accomplished by a Q&A section after each section of material covered. For female only courses, the more information, the better.
Over the years, I’ve found exceptions to every rule. The differences between training males and females are no different. I’ve certainly trained women who broke the mold and defied everything that this article says. While modern thinking has instructors believing that we should train all students in the same manner, I disagree. Recognizing the differences between males and females is the right way to train.
P. Petersen is a law enforcement officer who is currently assigned to an investigative role. Former positions include Field Training Officer, DWI Unit and SWAT Sniper as well as Designated Marksman in both Iraq and Afghanistan as a civilian contractor.
To a male instructor, this is a foreign concept. Men are generally taught from a young age that emotion is to be avoided. As such, some instructors find it difficult to to “reach across the aisle,” so to speak, and connect with a student on a more personal level. But, simple things like calling a female student by name or by giving personalized feedback can do wonders for a female student’s confidence and her enjoyment of the course itself. Even a smile is a big help, as cheesy as it may sound. Male instructors must take caution not to overdo it however, for fear of sexual harassment allegations or even just being improperly perceived by the student.
Another key difference is the way that women process information. After all, the point of “instruction” is instructing, right? In order to be a successful instructor, you must know how your students learn, and be able to teach to that.
Details, details, details. While men are known to take in information at a high level, women are much better adapted to take information in at a much more detailed, granular level. Ive seen it time and time again. Look around at the students when you start spitting out extremely detailed information… Women perk up and men’s eyes start rolling back in their heads. For a coed classroom, finding the right balance is key. This can also be accomplished by a Q&A section after each section of material covered. For female only courses, the more information, the better.
Over the years, I’ve found exceptions to every rule. The differences between training males and females are no different. I’ve certainly trained women who broke the mold and defied everything that this article says. While modern thinking has instructors believing that we should train all students in the same manner, I disagree. Recognizing the differences between males and females is the right way to train.
P. Petersen is a law enforcement officer who is currently assigned to an investigative role. Former positions include Field Training Officer, DWI Unit and SWAT Sniper as well as Designated Marksman in both Iraq and Afghanistan as a civilian contractor.
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