A Day on the Chickahominy

Spent about six hours on the Chickahominy Reservoir, which is now a tidal River. Lots of hits, one pickerel that weighed about 3 pounds. Fun day, but the bight was slow. The lake is interesting. The tide was in at 7:30 AM so I had no problems launching or getting upriver. At 2PM it was a bit rough getting the boat to the launch.

The lake was getting pretty weedy before the dam broke. Now it is getting choked with weeds in places. The low water is making it worse.

Range Day

Took the Glenfield Mod. 60 to the range today. Fired about 150 rounds. Shoots nicely. Had four rounds that didn't feed quickly enough and ended up bent in the chamber. Otherwise the rifle fired fine and I shot reasonably well (for me) at 50 yards.

Fired the P22, Buck Mark, Single Six and M&P9. I may have figured how to shoot the M&P!!!!!

P22 Fix

Fired about 200 rounds from the P22 today. It doesn't need the mag safety spring, but doesn't seem to feed as well without it. Had several rounds not load, usually the second round in the mag.

Seems the slide is different from the one I sent in. Sights were way off and the extractor threw ammo straight back at me. One round down the shirt. The prefix ejection was either straight up or weakly right.

The barrel replacement may work. I think I was a bit more accurate with the P22 after getting the windage adjustment correct. Still not as good as I think I should be with the pistol.

P22 Back from Repairs

I noticed problems with slide wear on my Walther P22 and returned it for a fix. It took 3 weeks and the repair order said they replaced the barrel and fixed the bolt stop. They also included a note that the wear was typical. I don't call this typical. Called and was told that the pistol slide was zinc and I could expect this. I"m not a happy camper.

I asked about the barrel and was told that they check them over completely and fix any problems they find. Wonder if the barrel had anything to do with the fact that I don't shoot this well. Decided to take matters into my own hands and do a bit of polishing. Interesting pistol to take apart.

A Good Day at the Range

Today was mostly popgun day. All shooting at 25 yards.

MKIII Hunter with red dot: Groups were about 3". My target-site allignment is not consistent. Very few rounds off by faulty trigger. 140 rounds of CCI SV 40 rounds of Federal Value pack and 20 rounds of RGB's.

Buck Mark Standard: Took some sight adjustment but the pistol put CCI SV on center. A few rounds were required to adjust to the heavier trigger compared with the Ruger. Pistol shot well with CCI, Federal Value Pack and RGB. Stovepipe and FTF with RGB's. I like the way the Buck Mark shoots.

M&P9: Fired about 30 rounds at a 11x14 paper at 25 yards. All rounds on paper. Need a touch of left rear sight adjustment.

MKIII 22/45: about 100 rounds CCI SV federal and RGB's. Shot well, as expected.

Single Six: I need to work on accuracy and precision. It did ok, but I need more work.

Handguns: Which .22 to buy?

The first handgun buyer should try out as many as possible. The decision is fit, feel and what the buyer wants to do with the pistol. My recommendations would first be a 5.5" Ruger either with standard grip angle or the 22/45. You can grow with the pistol. The next is a tie between the 22A and Buck Mark standard. The Walther P22 is last on the list because of quality and accuracy issues.

Centerfire recommendations are much more difficult, too many good ones out there.

Handgun Evaluation: Taurus PT1911

I bought the PT1911 at the Richmond gun show in May on a whim. I've wanted a 1911 and the price and reviews for the Taurus were too good to pass up.

Positives: High-end features for under $500. Very accurate shooter with junk ammo. If I don't get into the trigger snatch I'm sometimes prone to do, the PT1911 will make one ragged hole in the x-ring at 15 yards. Great trigger.

Negatives: The pistol is too new to develop much of a list. The only "negative" I've found is that I didn't like the stock grips. This was fixed with by a set of Hogue wraparounds.

Overall: The PT1911 may not be as "good" as the high-end 1911's. It seems to match them for accuracy and feel. I'd strongly recommend this pistol for anyone considering a 1911.

Handgun Evaluation; Ruger GP100 4" Stainless

I bought the GP100 one week after firing my son's. His shot great and I decided I really "needed" one.

Positives: Built like a tank. Accurate up to 25 yards. The pistol is capable of 1" groups when I am. Shoots wells in both single action and double action. Handles recoil very well.

Negatives: A little big for a summer concealed weapon.

Overall: The stock trigger is not as good as the stock S&W 686 trigger. The GP100 is worthy of consideration for anyone looking for a medium frame .357/.38 revolver. High on my list of recommendations.

Handgun evaluation: S&W M&P9

I purchased the M&P9 about 10 months ago. I wanted a centerfire semiauto and decided on 9mm. I compared it to the Glock 17 and XD9. First impressions was that the M&P felt better.

Positives: Adjustable backstrap makes the ergonomics of the pistol great. Mine has fired a couple thousand rounds without a hiccough. Easy to field strip and reassemble for cleaning. Trigger is good. Handles recoil very well.

Negatives: The pistol fired low and left out of the box. S&W fixed the front sight problems in a week. I don't shoot this pistol as accurately as other handguns. The M&P is not a bullseye target quality pistol, but is is fairly accurate. I think I'm the main cause of the accuracy problems with the pistol.

Overall: for those looking for a plastic SD pistol, the M&P is worthy of consideration. I liked it better than the two I compared with, but I'll leave the recommendations to the experts. I like the pistol, just need to get better shooting it.

Handgun Evaluation: Buck Mark Standard

I've had it a day. Decided on the Standard model over the Target Model because the target model just didn't light my fire.

Positives: Very accurate at 15 yards out of the box. Trigger is good, sights are easy to use.

Negatives: The only one I can find is difficulty in disassembling the pistols for cleaning. This is not a big deal.

Overall: My first impression is that the Buck Mark is a good pistol for new shooters as well as those who have been shooting for a while. Time will tell if this evaluation holds.

Handgun Evaluation: Walther P22

I bought a Walther P22 on a whim at a gunshow in March. I'd spent a while looking at them.

Positives: The P22 is light, small and in the "fun gun" category. Seems to shoot about anything, but best accuracy is with 1000 fps ammo.

Negatives: I can't shoot this pistol as accurately as I can the other .22's I have. Windage is adjusted as is typical with a plastic adjustable rear sight. Elevation is adusted by changing the rear sight and, therefore is not as precise as handguns with adjustable sights. Casing ejection is weak and goes straight up, in your face or down your shirt. Overall quality may be an issue. At 600-900 rounds, the trigger ears decided to start eating the slide. The pistol is back at Walther for a fix.

Overall: I like the pistol. However, I would not recommend it to a serious shooter, or a first handgun shooter. It looks like Walther could make a better quality pistol. it is not up to their standards for other handguns.

Handgun Evaluation; Ruger MKIII 22/45

I purchased a 22/45, blued, 5.5" bull barrel last December because Gander Mountain had them on sale for $200. I added the VQ target trigger and sear.

Positives: The pistol has the Ruger accuracy and reliability. The polymer grip frame makes it a bit lighter than the steel versions. The grip angle is a match for 1911's. It shot with great accuracy and precision out of the box.

Negatives: The grip is thin, making it not as good as fatter grips. I question whether the polymer grip frame will last as long as the steel Rugers.

Overall: The skinny grips turned out to be a non-issue. I like the target sights a bit better than the sights on the 22A. Shoots darned well up to 25 yards. If you like the feel, you can't go wrong with this pistol.

Handgun Evaluation: Ruger Single Six

I have a new model single six. The pistol is blued with a 6" barrel. I've had it about 8 months.

Positives: Comes with .22lr cylinder and .22 magnum (wmr) cylinder. Sights are good, grip is good and trigger is good.

Negatives: it may not be as accurate with .22lr as the wmr.

Overall: Single action revolvers are different beasts. You certainly won't zip off rounds to give you a high ammo account during a short range stay. If that is your intention, don't buy one. Also, you have to like shooting wheel guns. Anyone looking for a .22 revolver should consider the single six and have one in inventory. Just darned fun to shoot.

Ruger MKIII Hunter-Evaluation

I've been shooting the MKIII Hunter for about a year. I added the VQ trigger/hammer/sear upgrade. Most of my shooting lately has been with a Bushnell Trophy red dot.

Positives: Typical Ruger solidly built pistol. it is accurate, reliable, after a couple of practice runs easy to field strip and reassemble. There are a plethora of aftermarket upgrades. The best in my opinion are the target sear and trigger upgrades. With the red dot, I shoot this pistol more accurately than any other I own. Everything in the pistol is easy to get to. It was built to take apart and tweak. The Hi-Viz sights are great for aging eyes, but I don't think they are as good as target sights.

Negatives: Ruger hasn't figured out how to put screws into stainless steel pistols and have them hold without loctite. The Hunter is a bit heavy.

Overall: If you like the weight and length, the Hunter is a terrific pistol. Not sure how it compares to the GC model, but it is a pistol that will last a long time and will close in on high end .22 target pistols for accuracy and precision. The Hunter is a great pistol for fairly serious shooters.

Smith & Wesson 22A1-Evaluation

Pistol: 22A1 with 5.5" barrel and 7" barrel.

Positives: Accurate and precise with standard velocity ammunition up to 25 yards (the longest I've shot). Feeds ammunition without problems. Fires and ejects without problems. The trigger is reasonably crisp and good. Easy field strip and reassembly. Rail for scopes. I can shoot 1" groups at 15 yards on a good day (two hand hold, unsupported.) S&W lifetime warranty and service is excellent.

Negatives: The only upgrades available are grips and barrels. No S&W or aftermarket upgrade parts. One problem with a broken firing pin. Fixed at no cost by S&W. Next time I'll get the parts and fix it myself. Slots on the weaver rail may not be adequate for all scope mounts.

Overall: The positives outweigh the the negatives by an order of magniture. The pistol is very accurate, reliable, easy to clean. For the cost, one of the better buys on the market. Great first pistol or long term pistol for folks who don't want to tinker.

New Buck Mark Standard

The will was stronger than the won't. Stopped by the Richmond gun show and didn't find much to excite me. Since DeGoff's was on the way to the range, I stopped by to get a set of Hogue grips for the Taurus PT1911. Had to look at the gun case and decided to seriously look at the Buck Marks. I liked the Target model and couldn't see much difference between the other models. There was something about the Target model that didn't excite me enough to drop over $400 on yet another .22 semiauto. I decided to buy the Standard.

The standard fired darned well out of the box a bit later at the range. I shot it a bit high and left. it took about 9 rounds to get it on center. The pistol grouped well with CCI SV, Federal value pack and Remington Golden Bullets. Not complaints about the trigger, sights, feeding ammo or accuracy and precision.

Cleaning was interesting. The two screws holding the sight base were put in with a threadlock. I thought I was going to bend the allen wrench getting them loose. I also had problems with the recoil spring. I couldn't get it out. The pistol definitely needed cleaning to remove the packing oil and grit inside the action.

Fishing the "tidal" Lake

The broken dam on the Chickahominy Reservoir has changed the fishing I was accustomed to on the lake. It now fluctuates with the tides. Still, for the third time this year, I didn't do badly. One bass was 4.7 lbs.

Fished ribbit frogs and got loads of strikes but no hookset. Changed hook to one recommended and no more strikes.

Loading the boat on the trailer at 2PM was fun. Between the wind and the low tide, there was almost no water in the launch. Nice to have a light tin boat.

Saturday Shooting

Fired the 22A, MKIII Hunter and MKIII 22/45 at 25 yards. All three gave groups slightly over 2". A one click windage adjustment threw the shot placement of the 22/45 about 4" left. I was adjusting sights to bring the POI on target. No clue as to why this happened. When I moved to the 15-yard range, the 15 yard target was taken and I discovered I didn't know how to shoot at 10 yards (M&P and Taurus PT1911).