Make sure you moisturize!

[Pond James Pond]

After an odious year, I finally managed to eek out the last match points I need to remain in the IPSC league here in Estonia.

Sadly, however, life has meant that I didn't even have time to reload enough for the last comp'.

I packed all the .44Spl's I had and realised I fell far short of the minimum number, so I dug around my stock and found a few more .44's.

Mag's, that is!

Yes indeed! I did the first stages with .44Spl's and finished off with a long stage packed with full-house magnums. Some were hot 1350fps (from a 4") 240grs and some 1150fps 300's!

That last stage was eye-watering. The RO pointed out that his ear-muffs had been utterly worthless. Still, I got a decent score and I felt very awake.

Only later did I realise that hot .44 recoil out of a mid-szed Redhawk and dry "Estonian-winter" hands do not mix! Big chunk of skin missing from my thumb-web!

So, as much fun as the shooting was, I say "moisturise"!

 

[Jim Watson]

We had an IDPA BUG match on Sunday afternoon.
I shot my Colt Government .380, a dinky little thing with a lot of corners. My hand is kind of chewed looking, too.

 

[Pond James Pond]

My hand is kind of chewed looking, too.

Welcome to my disfigured world!

I will say this, though: my .44Spls were louder and heavier than the auto-loaders to begin with, but the .44Mags sounded like rutting brontasaurae!!

Serious resonance in an underground shooting range!

 

[armoredman]

Full house magnums in an indoor range? Ouch.

 

[OzeanJaeger]

I love Estonia and Estonians. I admire the culture, the kindred defiant streak, and the refusal to be ruled. My family hails from Denmark with no hunters or marksmen in that side of the pond since my grandfather passed, but I’m your brother on the Baltic by blood.

 

[Pond James Pond]

I’m your brother on the Baltic by blood.

Well, I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm not an Estonian by birth. I hope that doesn't change your views!!

I do feel comprehensively adopted, though: definitely my home now.
All the more so now that I am the proud father of two native Estonian beauties, and this country paved the way for me to won, experience and enjoy firearms ownership!