Today's photo is really for two days because it played out over that length of time. Shooting is one of my favorite hobbies. This is not meant to be the start of a gun control debate, rather it is a statement of facts. Shooting has been a hobby of mine for over 60 years. I got started with my grandfather's instructions. I am not a hunter, my passion is punching holes in paper. I also like the technical aspects of the hobby. I am not a very good shot but I really relish the trips out to the range.

So what's the point. Well I have decided that getting more firearms is not in my best interest because I have plenty as it is. I don't get to shoot many of them very often. So I decided to get the best out of what I have. One project just finished and tested was putting a proper set of aperture sights on my Winchester Model 94, a .30-30. I got to finally take it out to the range and test it today. As part of the whole thing I did some careful case preparation when I reloaded the shells. Well, the new sights worked very well. My accuracy significantly improved. The case preparation didn't work so well because I got poor muzzle velocity reproducibility, which was the object of the exercise. But I had a great time.

The other star of the show was my vintage Thompson/Center Contender pistol. It is chambered in 7mmTCU, a wildcat round that is made from a necked up .223 Winchester. I got this nearly 40 years ago when I had an interest in competing in the International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association (IHMSA) matches which were put on at my club. I did that for a couple years and got pretty good at it. Then the children started arriving and that was the end of that. I really don't have an interest in picking that up again. Shooting a match takes a lot of time. Stand around for hours for a few chances to shoot. As with the Model 94, I decided to see what I could get out of the gun accuracy wise. With a short sight radius and open sights, the pistol has limitations. Also with me as the marksman, there are additional limitations.

I thought the answer to my prayers just might be a telescopic sight. After months of looking and reading all I can, I settled on the Burris Handgun 3-12X32 sight. So I ordered it along with the mounting rings and a Weaver style mounting plate. They all arrived Thursday and I spent the evening setting the gun up for a trip to the range. It is a straightforward procedure to get it all assembled. Sometimes you have to hold your tongue just right when getting things aligned. But I got it done to my satisfaction.

I got to the range early to set up my chronograph and did the Model 94 shooting first. As mentioned above, good accuracy but poor reproducibility on the muzzle velocity. Then it was time to try the Contender. The first thing I learned is that the scope sight requires steady alignment. It is long eye relief and you have to find the sweet spot to get a full field view. After getting sighted in I tried a few groups and was quite happy with the accuracy. Then I noticed the the Weaver mount starting to come loose and I had to call it quits. When I got home I took it apart and tightened things, now I am ready for another trip to the range.