First real range experience with my new XD

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I'm new to handguns, but did my best to adhere to what i've been shown/studied on proper techniques for weaver stance and grip. I'd like to say that it's working.

Before hitting the range tonight, i'd shot approx 100 rounds through my XD40sc, and felt quite inadequate in my shooting ability. I think the types of 'ranges' that i've shot at with my XD are partly to blame (local crowded outdoor range was uncomfortable, and deseret blasting at cans and bottles). Doug's Shoot'n Sports in Murray UT has a far better atmosphere to focus on what you are doing rather than going to the Lee Kay shooting range. This is my observation from a beginner point of view.

My first 50 rounds were garbage reloads, think economy ammo of the economy ammo ~ garbage. 6 out of the 50 didn't even fire, and several emitted large amounts of smoke. My next 100 rounds were the next level up in economy, and all 100 fired flawlessly. Doug's even charged me for the cheapest ammo on the slightly nicer stuff. I didn't mind the kind gesture.

Before this range time, the most that I had shot my XD40sc was aiming at plastic bottles etc. I found that to be quite disheartening because I couldn't always determine how far I was off target. When you notice that you're hitting the bottle 1-3 out of 10 rounds at 10 feet, you start to beat yourself up. But the shots on a paper taget help to gauge what's going on.

I shot targets ranging from 5 feet, to 20 feet. I did several rapid fires at 5 feet, and 10 feet; As well as slower-aimed shots at 5-20 feet. I found that even my rapid fire at 5 feet had all rounds on target, which boosts my confidence immensely. I noted that I have a tendancy to shoot a few inches low at 10 feet, which I think is partly due to muzzle flip. My buddy Brian noticed this same pattern with his new Sig Sauer P250 2-sum in the subcompact setup.

After 150 rounds I had zero fatigue in my wrist, but for some reason my forearm got a bit tired. Overall, a much needed confidence booster. Apparently I don't suck... Too bad.

I'm making it a weekly/bi-monthly ritual to hit the range Tuesdays since my wife is off at a dance class till late.

Here's 4 out of maybe 15 or so targets from the night.

5' - slow 12+1


5' - rapid 9+1


15' - slow 12+1


10' - slow 12+1


This is how I was gripping the firearm.. This is not me or my gun btw. I found this to be a comfortable way to grip the gun, and kept my thumb from hitting the slide lock..




Practice, practice, practice......


-Jason

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I have the same gun it took about 100 rounds to get use to the gun. I think I have had 1 jam and that was due to bad ammo orlimp wristing it one shot!

It is a gret gun for CC or OCing. Next time you go shooting have a friend or another shooter load a snap cap in the mag, this will help determine if you are fliching before you shoot, or your trigger control is a little off.

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I noticed on a few of the dud rounds that I was indeed flinching. Ithink I had more of a shockfrom realising Iwas flinching, than the misfired dud round.

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I took my XD-9 subcompact shooting for the first time yesterday too

I was surprised with how well it shot and how accurate rapid fire was as well, when you said you shot from 5 feet and 10 feet away, did you mean 5 and 10 yards? 5 feet is SUPER close.

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yep, 5, 10, 15, and 20 feet.

The FBI, in the Uniform Crime Report (UCR), tells us that most shootings – about 80% – occur in low or reduced light. Most shootings involving police officers and civilian concealed carry permit holders happen at a distance of less than ten feet with average distance at three feet.

Aside from that, i've been instructed by several to start out close.. As I get more comfortable, and familiar with the gun, then i'll move the target further out and so on..

I suck at 10 yards right now.


-Jason

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SAMI wrote:

...I suck at 10 yards right now... -Jason

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Trust me, we ALL sucked at 10 yards at some point. Practice, practice, practice.

I was once at a range in Miami, FL - I couldn't hit the broad side of a bus at 7 yards: The guy in the stall leaned over to me and said ,"Don't worry bud, if we all didn't need the practice, we wouldn't be here shooting paper."

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yup, I know the stats... pretty wild, huh? The furthest I shoot is usually 10 yards, most is about 5 yards, and I practice 7 feet from the hip... Like you posted, with the average shooting happening at 3 feet, you aren't even going to be able to extend your arms to aim... you just have to draw and shoot pretty much. So, as you get used to the gun, I would spend some time shooting from the hip (or wherever you carry the gun (mid chest for shoulder holster, etc...)

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YoZUpZ wrote:

yup, I know the stats... pretty wild, huh? The furthest I shoot is usually 10 yards, most is about 5 yards, and I practice 7 feet from the hip... Like you posted, with the average shooting happening at 3 feet, you aren't even going to be able to extend your arms to aim... you just have to draw and shoot pretty much. So, as you get used to the gun, I would spend some time shooting from the hip (or wherever you carry the gun (mid chest for shoulder holster, etc...)

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Also, most people don't think about this, but you instinctively back away from a threat in a real-world situation. Most will not even realize it, but you will try to put distance between you and your aggressor as you draw and fire. You can't practice this at an indoor range, so you might want to go back out into the desert to practice once you feel confident enough with the gun. It's one thing to stand in one spot and shoot something, but it's a whole different can of worms when you are drawing and shooting while moving backwards away from something.

Kevin

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LovesHisXD45 wrote:

It's one thing to stand in one spot and shoot something, but it's a whole different can of worms when you are drawing and shooting while moving backwards away from something.

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Or moving toward it. The instinct is to back off, but Gabe Suarez says that's not the best way to move, because it doesn't force the opponent to change his point of aim. His argument is that if it's possible the other guy has a gun, you want to move in the direction that makes his sight picture change the fastest, which would be to move to the side, actually to follow a circular path maintaining constant distance.

However, people don't walk sideways very well, so he suggests moving at a 45-degree angle, either forward or backward and to one side. On the theory that in a fight the more aggressive combatant usually wins, he actually recommends moving at a 45 degree angle to the side and toward the opponent. It also has the advantage that you can see where you're going. When you back up you're more likely to trip.

Suarez claims that extensive force-on-force simulations prove that this is the most effective direction to move, especially when the opponent doesn't expect it, but even when he does.

Of course, this has nothing to do with the most common three-foot engagement range scenario, but I thought it was interesting food for thought when considering longer ranges. When you get out to the desert where you can play with this stuff, it's worth some experimentation.

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swillden wrote:

Or moving toward it. The instinct is to back off, but Gabe Suarez says that's not the best way to move

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This led me to do some further research on Mr Suarez. I didn't know that he had courses here in Utah. Now I'm seriously thinking about attending his Basic/Advanced Point Shooting combo course:

BothclassesinSaltLakeCity,Utah

I noticed that in their FAQ <http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/studentpolicies-faq.aspx> that they specifically ban the Blackhawk Serpa holsters. Those are much loved on this forum, and I personally own 5 (for different guns). Anyone else felt like they were dangerous (for the reasons they list on their FAQ)?

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Leelando wrote:

swillden wrote:

Or moving toward it. The instinct is to back off, but Gabe Suarez says that's not the best way to move

Click to expand...

This led me to do some further research on Mr Suarez. I didn't know that he had courses here in Utah. Now I'm seriously thinking about attending his Basic/Advanced Point Shooting combo course:

BothclassesinSaltLakeCity,Utah

I noticed that in their FAQ <http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/studentpolicies-faq.aspx> that they specifically ban the Blackhawk Serpa holsters. Those are much loved on this forum, and I personally own 5 (for different guns). Anyone else felt like they were dangerous (for the reasons they list on their FAQ)?

Click to expand...

Your link to the FAQ didn't work for me, here is the link: http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/studentpolicies-faq.aspx
Out of all the times that I have drawn my weapon from the Serpa I have never had my finger inside the trigger guard. If you operate the holster as it is supposed to be operated, you will have no problem. You need to keep your finger straight, flat against the holster, and you depress the button with the pad of your finger. This way when you draw the gun, your finger is right where it should be. If you were to have your finger bent in a half moon shape, and use the tip of your finger, there might be a chance of having your finger in the trigger guard. But it wasn't designed to be used like that. Use it correctly and you will be totally fine.

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If you draw your gun from the Serpa other than the way it was designed to be drawn from, yeah... i could see it happening... but with the Serpa, you are supposed to keep your finger indexed, and if you do, the gun will come out with your finger indexed on the side (thats how the holster was designed to work)



Obviously if you have the tip of your finger pushing in on the release, it could lead to the gun coming out with your finger on the trigger, but if you have your finger like that, the same would happen with any holster... The only difference is that with the Serpa, is that it happens more frequently because you do need that finger there to draw the weapon (and sadly not everyone draws it correctly) ...But if you draw the weapon how it is meant to be drawn, then you will not have to worry about an AD... It sure isn't going ot stop me from using my CQC Serpa...

Its not a "dangerous" holster, the people are just drawing the weapon in a dangerous (improper) manner.

On a side note, it is just like saying "people shouldn't be able to carry a gun because they're dangerous,you might accidentally shoot someone." The gun isn't randomly going to shoot someone, the user/handler who doesn't know how to properly use/operate/carry one may however... same goes for the Blackhawk Serpa, if you don't use it properly, it may cause an accident... same goes for a car, a saw, etc...

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Here is the proper use of the Serpa holster.






Also, back to the topic... Nice shooting. The XD's are great guns. I have shot the XDsc in 9mm before and liked it.

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Leelando wrote:

I noticed that in their FAQ <http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/studentpolicies-faq.aspx> that they specifically ban the Blackhawk Serpa holsters. Those are much loved on this forum, and I personally own 5 (for different guns). Anyone else felt like they were dangerous (for the reasons they list on their FAQ)?

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I don't think they're dangerous at all.

Suarez, like anyone, has his blind spots. In this case, the Serpa solves a problem he doesn't care about and creates a couple of possible problems.

Specifically, it solves (or helps to solve) the problem of retention for civilian open carry. But his focus is on civilian concealed carry and on paramilitary operations (that's the sense I get from his newsetters, anyway).

The problems it potentially creates are negligent discharges when used improperly, and an inability to draw quickly if you haven't practiced with it enough. Both problems are easy to overcome, but he sees the situation as one of possible negatives and no positives.

I really like the Serpa. Were I to take his class (and the Serpa ban wouldn't deter me), I'd take both the Serpa and another holster. If I couldn't convince him to let me use the Serpa, I'd use the other.