Sunday, without much Sun...

Slept in well, which make my day start so right, and the dreams are good, the blood pressure just fine. Church is good, stay to help clean up in the kitchen, help the kids make macaroni and cheese (kindergarten sized), then off to the range. Now it is cold, there was snow waiting outside my home but it is melted already, so this isn't the bone chilling cold like Indiana has, do you know what else Indiana has? Miss America, according to Wyatt Earp. Anyway I go out to shoot, trying to make sure I fire a rifle seriously at least once per month, I checked it out I could become a Master Hunter, certified by the State of Washington for my shooting proficiency and answering questions and doing twenty hours of service for Fish and Game somewhere in this state. Twenty hours of hunting feral hogs?

Anyway back to Fort Lewis and Range 15, pay my fee, set up and fire away. One shooter came over to ask if I re-loaded my 30-06, and I had to confess that I hadn't started yet but it was my intention. I didn't mention that my wife has already outlawed re-loading in her home. He asked about my rifle and if I had gotten it through CMP, and I said I had and that it was Correct Grade.
I fired eight rounds and then watched other shooters on the pistol side, where I see the young man (they are all young men) firing a .45, and he stops and come over and shows me his reloads for it. He casts his own ball with lead found around, and reloads at about $17.00 per five hundred rounds. Which is super cool, and he was doing alright with his pistol while I was there.

I check my target mostly low right, paste the holes and change my sights when I get back, but they are loose. My next eight are low left, paste them, change my sights one last time. I should be close. I wonder about American shooters, they seem to always want sitting and a bench to fire from, and I liked the military a bit better. Firing from firing positions (foxholes) gives one a firm start, both for excellent tactics (if you had to choose between cover and concealment - go for the cover) and a supported position. When moving: then standing, sitting, kneeling, squatting and prone positions are better than sitting at a bench. Nothing is perfect in life, we will take what we get, and should practice all those positions, dry fire and live fire. With sling and without, but lots of practice. Well, I fired my last eight rounds, took the target down I am close enough for today and Redmonkey Zombie-paras. If they stand still and don't bounce around, I do need to start that practice, too.

Something made me look up WWII and the cartoon is one of the truest ones from a war zone by Bill Mauldin, who must have been an excellent political cartoonist - Patton didn't like him. But even before I got a chance to go to war I understood a certain reality of it, because I had read his book (Up Front) at my grandfather's home - and my grandfather was a working Peace Activist.