Newbie on the range

As most of you know I've started a new job.  Unlike my last one, where I mentioned that I shoot in the interview, I didn't really tell anyone.  However when I was in Brisbane for the induction my boss found out that I shoot as he offered to drive me back to my hotel, when I really needed to go and visit Queensland Gun Exchange.

He was fine with the fact that I shoot - he's done some clay target shooting in the past.  What I didn't realise though was that he told others in the team about my hobby.

Fast forward to this week.  My boss and another team member came to Perth for the JuiceIT (an IT convention sponsored by my company).  During the day I was chatting to the team member and she in a round about way asked me a question which ended up with me saying that I shoot.  She then mentioned that our boss had told her and then she asked to come to the range!

(Um, okay, sure!  I was a bit concerned because I thought I was out of 9mm ammo - however, luckily there were a 100 rounds still in the safe.)

We organised to go after work yesterday and I had asked hubby to bring the guns up to the range for me.  We got to the range before he got there and I was actually surprised to see 5 other people on the range (it's normally quite quiet during the week).  Luckily one of the guys had some spare earplugs that we could use.

We went over to the group that he was shooting in and discovered a wide range of firearms.  When we got there one of them was shooting a (now I might get this wrong - let me know in comments) S & W 460 revolver.  I think the size, noise and recoil scared my colleague a bit but I reassured her that she wouldn't be shooting anything like that.  I however took up their offer to have a go.  I was actually surprised to find that the recoil wasn't that bad.

They then offered my colleague a go with a .22 magnum revolver.  So I showed her how to hold it - explained that it would be nothing like the one she has just seen - and she pulled the trigger ... 7 times :) .  She seemed to enjoy it, but the guys didn't have any targets up so she wasn't aiming at anything which made her feel a bit unsettled.

By this time my hubby had arrived with my guns etc.  So we got them out the car and headed off to a spare range.  We put some targets up and then I started her off with my Ruger 22/45, then my Springfield 9mm.  She seemed to enjoy both of those guns.

It was at this point I noticed that they guys on the range next to us (not the ones we had spoken to earlier) were running stages (IPSC).  So I asked if they minded if we watched.  So we did that and then decided to go and see how the other guys were going and offer them a shot of my Tuffy (.410).

We had another bit of a chat to them and they offered us a shoot of whatever guns were there.  So my colleague shot a 9mm Glock, 38 super Kimber, 9mm Tanfoglio and another 9mm.  She really like the Tan (? - well at least it wasn't the Glock!).

We then went back to the range we were set up on and the three guys had a go with the Tuffy! ... I then convinced my colleague to give it a go ... which she did ... I think she was glad that that was the last round I had for it (note to self: buy Tuffy ammo).  The guys had also brought across with them a 12ga pump action shotty.  Which, of course, I had to have a go with - great fun!  We also convinced her to have a go with it too.  She seemed to enjoy it as well.  Found out later that the guys had put solids in it for me (thanks! ... Did I mention two of the three guys were ex-trainees of mine!).  We then took turns shooting whatever.  The guys quite liked the trigger on my gun and the guy with the Kimber had to test out my 10 round mags as he was looking for some.  One of the guys hadn't shot a .22 in a long time so he put a couple of mags through my Ruger.  I also got my colleague to shoot off the last of my 9mm and the .22 ammo.

By this time it was nearly dark and I was out of ammo so we packed up and I dropped my colleague back at her hotel!

Now I MUST remember to reload some 9mm before Saturday's shoot!

I think she's going to want to come shooting again when she's next in Perth.