Shooting Log

[Lisa]

I have been keeping a Journal of my shooting practice and my competitions. I find it a useful tool to help look back on previous problems I have had and the solutions I found. It is also a good tool to see my level of improvements over time. Does anyone else use this kind of tool to help develop their shooting skills?

 

[MA-Caver]

I have been keeping a Journal of my shooting practice and my competitions. I find it a useful tool to help look back on previous problems I have had and the solutions I found. It is also a good tool to see my level of improvements over time. Does anyone else use this kind of tool to help develop their shooting skills?

I don't but then I really don't get a kick out of shooting dead trees, ya know? I mean why shoot logs? C'mon!

 

[Drac]

Yep, I use to do it long before I became a cop..Now the Range officer does it for me..

 

[Grenadier]

All the time, although I keep two separate notebooks. One is for actual shooting, and the other is for writing down the results of my handloaded cartridge recipes.

I've tested a wide array of combinations of powders, projectiles, primers, and brass for quite a few calibers, and to try to remember what worked well and what didn't, would be maddening, indeed! Most of the entries have "pros" and "cons" listed on them, although I will say, that my .45 ACP load using Vihtavuori N320 and a 230 grain FMJ projectile, have no "cons" listed in that entry (except for the cost of VV powders!).

One section of this notebook is for very special loads such as my recipe for a standard pressure, 9 mm cartridge that does make Major (147 grain bullet, Vihtavuori 3N38 powder) out of my Glock 34, my 10 mm loads that are well below the SAAMI pressure max, yet still match the old Norma-spec loads, or my 357 Sig loads that use unjacketed lead bullets screaming out at 1400 fps, with no leading (Lasercast bullets, of course).

 

[arnisandyz]

Grenadier,

I'd be interested to hear your findings on a 45 ACP minimum power floor IDPA load. We've tried W231 and Clays...settled on a 200gr LSWC behind 4 grains of Clays.According to published data (don't have a chrono) this makes just over the 165PF. Very light and comfortable to shoot and the big holes have saved me a half-second in scoring more than once.

 

[Grenadier]

Grenadier,

I'd be interested to hear your findings on a 45 ACP minimum power floor IDPA load. We've tried W231 and Clays...settled on a 200gr LSWC behind 4 grains of Clays.According to published data (don't have a chrono) this makes just over the 165PF. Very light and comfortable to shoot and the big holes have saved me a half-second in scoring more than once.

For my bunny fart plinking loads that just qualify for CDP, I sometimes use the following:

230 grain FMJ round nosed bullet (any)
5.6 grains Accurate Arms #2
Winchester large pistol primer
COAL = 1.250"

This gets me around 725 fps out of a Sig P220. For some reason, my Sig P220 is "slow" compared to other Sig P220's by a wee bit, but hey, I'm not complaining; she's a sweet shooter.

Also, the same recipe above, but using a 4.8 grain charge of Vihtavuori N320 and a COAL of 1.260" results in a soft-shooting load, but deadly accurate. If anything, this recipe is my favorite plinking load and gives me better accuracy than the AA#2 recipe. Also, it feeds with complete reliability in my Glock 21, whether I'm using the factory barrel, or the Barsto aftermarket barrel.

The same cannot be said about the AA #2 load listed above. That load works fine in my Sig P220, but will occasionally stovepipe my Glock.

Also, VV N320 has been the cleanest burning powder in the lower pressure cartridges, in my experience. Virtually no muzzle flash, and no unburnt powder granules.


I haven't shot CDP in a good while, and the last time I did was back when 10 mm was still allowed in this division! Most of the time, I hotrod things a bit with the 357 Sig (Glock 31), although some people are wondering what the heck I'm shooting when I make some rounds with Alliant Power Pistol (great powder for higher pressure cartridges; gives nice velocities, less pressure, but dang, a LOUD bang). These days, I tend to hang around the ESP division, having fun blasting away with my oddball calibers (10 mm, 357 Sig).

 

[arnisandyz]

Thanks for the load data. I'm pretty happy with Clays right now but I may try VV and AA2 in the future.

Right now I don't keep a log of my individual practice sessions, but I would like to get a timer to benchmark various drills so I can practice different Par times. Practice shooting under Par for warm up, over par to push the limit, then at par to bring myself back to my natural pace. Hopefully shooting over par will bring my benchmark up gradually.

I do keep the IDPA and 3Gun match results and compare my scores with the notes I took during the match. The match results are in an Excel spreadsheet and I can look at each stage individually. I have them going back to when I started practical shooting. In addition we also video the matches which serves as an audio visual log. With all the new matches, I hope to combine the notes, results and video onto a DVD if I ever have enough time.