I just arrived at the family cottage in Port Mcnichol. I am beat from all that excitement today. And to top things off, that four hours on the road sure was tiring.
I can't imagine how you did that. I was beat, physically drained. Hope ya had a great Family Day vacation tho!
As fer the rest of you CQB clinic lovers; what are you taking away from this I I. Aside from some Frog Lube fun?
Since I'm only 15min away from the Club, I was home pretty quick. The girls were making dinner (Irish Boxty, highly recommended after a cold day at the Range) so I had a chance to decompress before dinner. Before I crawled into a warm shower to wash the range debris off, I sat down by the fire and cribbed some notes (along with a good shot of *ahem* medicinal Scotch) about the event. In no particular order:
1. Hungry has a wicked, evil and absolutely hilarious sense of humour. If he's telling "stories", best ye lend an ear. At one point, I was fighting for air I was laughing so hard. But all of his stories have a point, pay attention.....lest you be be the subject of the next story.
2. The price of the course is inconsequential compared to what you will learn! Being in the same room with 15 other noobs is worth the price of admission alone. Its priceless. No amount of CGN surfing can replace the comradery and "Hey, lets try this and see if it works!" experience.
3. Take copious notes. Write down everything. Take (with permission) photos of everything.
4. Bring what you have. You can make do. Fancy gear adds convenience and speed, not necessarily function or safety. Hungry and your classmates will help you get it all sorted out. You need not have the latest designer gear or even the coolest AR with all the toys. See point 5.
5. Blsonne (sp) shot the entire clinic with a .22rf rifle and a .22 rifle pistol. It worked...mostly. What he learned (the hard way) about immediate action drills to clear stoppages made for a long day.....but that experience will make him a fearsome competitor in the future. He now knows how to clear stoppages and get back in the game. And he has the confidence to do so.....
Hungry should think about adding IAD's to the course. (granted, we packed a 2 day course into 1 day)
6. A 9mm rifle matched with a 9mm pistol makes a decent combination, simplifies logistics and is a joy to shoot. Just make sure the guy/gal scoring knows you're shooting the same round in both rifle and pistol. Running a .38 special revolver and and .38 special lever might be fun.
7. 5-6 competitors on a relay can safely be run through a CQB match on a 50mx14m wide indoor range. (other indoor ranges take note! Executives, PM me for the details, BRRC has raised the bar!)
8. Once you have your gear set up, beat the hell out of it. It has to work under stress, duress and extreme cold. Try, test, try, test again. Dont be afraid to experiment. Ebay gear is cheap and plentiful. EXPERIMENT!
9. You need 5 rifle mags, two pistol mags and a way to hold them. That is all. Just be sure to function check your rifle and pistol! F-class, TR and..ah...Clays shooters don't use safeties. Know how your rifle and pistol work, and know how to use them wearing gloves! Practice everything with gloves on!
10. You can never have enough ammo. I went through 150+ rounds of 147gr 9mm....wish I had time for more. Next time, I will book the range for 2 days!
11. There is no range too hot or too cold. There is only inappropriate clothing. (sorry for the bad paraphrase, but its true
)
12. Bring band-aids, Tylenol (tm) and a snack for the ride home. And drink lots of water. The time flew by, but I forgot to hydrate!
13. Dress in layers. One the line, you will sweat. Bombing up, you will freeze. Trust me.
14. Write down the contact (CGN or email) information of all your fellow classmates. Your notes may be good, but they wont be perfect.
15. Join the ORA. And the DCRA too!
Other notes:
When we run the ORA winter training series for F-class, we bring in lunch. Eating with fellow classmates helps breaks the ice and increases the classroom bond. It also increases training time. We'll do this for the next CQB clinic at RB.
I've been "point man" for 2 M14 clinics and one CQB clinic at BRRC.....if I can do it, you can do it too! What the hell are you waiting for?!?!? Make a CQB clinic happen at your range. PM Hungry NOW and get on the list!
Best quote of the day: "Will this work? I don't know...but I have zap-straps and duct-tape so lets try it!" (it worked!)
2nd best quote of the day: "Skeetgunner, you don't look anything like your Avatar! I thought you were an Otter!" (Sorry MapleSugar!)
3rd best quote of the day: "Christ am I sore!" Hungry worked us ragged, then changed the match, and worked us ragged, then changed the match, and worked us ragged. I think I lost 10 lbs on the range.
Best Day Ever!
Cant wait for the first outdoor CQB match of 2014!
