Range Report: Happy 45 Day! w/VP9, 10y Practice, 4/5/24

[BassCliff]

Good evening everyone,

I was able to get out and celebrate "45 Day"! I got a late start and couldn't stay away too long so I zipped into the closer/older facility. When I arrived my favorite lane, #1, was occupied. So I got my third favorite lane there, #2. But as I was taking my gear into the range the guy on #1 vacated the premises, he was done for the day. What great timing! So I cuddled on into my second home.

The range was fairly busy and got busier before I left.

I brought both of my .45 pistols to the party, Garrison 1911 and XD45 Mod.2 Tactical, along with an old box of Federal. I put 50 rounds through both pistols. I also wanted to get better acquainted with my VP9 and brought along 100 rounds of Blazer Brass 124 grain to facilitate. Yes, that's my Uplula loader.

OH yeah, I also brought along the ARX Inceptor (<< link) defense cartridges to test just so my EDC wouldn't be left out of the party. They are kind of a gimmicky round but fun to shoot, very light, very fast, lots of bang. Today I did all my shooting at 10 yards, 10-shot strings, except for one target at 15 yards with the VP9. Spoiler: I was lousy with the 1911, better with the XD45, and pretty not-too-bad with the VP9. Here's the first B-8 with the Garrison.

Yeah, it's been a while since I've taken the Garrison out for a stroll. It shows. I had printed a bunch of B-8 repair centers with yellow dots in the X ring. I think when I see the target better I can hit it better.

Here's target #2 with the Garrison 1911, 5" barrel, three dot sights.

OK, at least they're all in the 8 ring. I have done much better with this pistol. Use it our lose it, I guess. Here's target #3.

Again, I let two flyers get way low left. I have two 10-round magazines and three 7-round mags. For some of these strings I'd put 7 in one mag, 3 in the other, and do an emergency reload while shooting the string. It's good practice. Here's target #4, with an emergency reload.

Marginally better. I need to get back up to speed with this pistol. Sorry gang. Here's the 5th and final target with the Garrison 1911.

Well, at least they're all on the paper. Glam shot!

Oh hey, let me show you something.

I'm too cheap to buy a roll of the B-8 repair squares. I tear little pieces of masking tape and stick it on the bay wall. I think I left a couple of rows of tape bits on the wall when I left today. Oops.

OK, let's now party with my XD45 Mod.2 Tactical and its 5" barrel with FO front and two-dot rear sights.

All right, this first string was much better than the 1911's first string. I enjoy shooting this XD45. Here's target #2.

Just OK, at least I'm in the ball park, um, staying in center chest area. Here's target #3.

A nice group with a couple of low left flyers. That's the story of my life. Let's look at target #4.

I think I may have over-compensated with my hold. The group is more centered but high, especially that one flyer. One more target to finish up 50 rounds with the XD45. Here's goes nothing.

Oh wow, kind of all over the place. But still, there's only one hit outside of the 8 ring. Can I get a cheer for "combat accuracy"?

I took a ton of pictures during this session. How about if I continue in the next post? Next up is 100 rounds through my new VP9. Stay tuned.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[belladonna]

Yay for combat accuracy!!! Looks to me like you did good Cliff. I find 45s to be easier to control...looks to me you did just fine. How did the VP9 feel? I was amazed myself...but sometimes I realize that it doesn't take much to amaze me . I love the feel of the VP9s, and I'm taking mine to the range tomorrow. Looks to me like you do the 45s very well. All this talk about 45s had me raiding the safe tonight and handling my 1911s. Man, I really need to get them back to the range. Thanks for sharing your range time!

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Shall I continue hogging all the bandwidth? Thanks! I will. Next up is my new baby, the VP9. I had taken it home and cleaned it all up just to get it dirty again. I also installed all the large grip panels. I think it fits my hand a lot better now. I'll try a couple more combinations until I'm sure the grip is perfect. Here's the first B-8 using the VP9.

Um, OK. Not too impressive. I shot it better a couple days ago when I picked it up. But we're still getting acquainted. Target #2 looks better.

Only three hits out of the 10 ring. I think things are starting to click. Here's target #3.

OK, nine hits in the 10 ring. That's pretty good for me, when the "flyer" is in the 9 ring. Glam shot!

Now I'm out of B-8 centers with the printed yellow bullseye. I have some yellow-ish stickers from my favorite breakfast place. That'll do.

Let's send it out to 10 yards and see how it comes back. Here's target #4 using the VP9.

Wow, again with nine hits in the 10 ring, if you would be so kind as to give me a line breaks. Let's see if I can get over this hump. I'm tired of shooting B-8 targets. Let's hang up a reactive silhouette. That big red bullseye is easier for me to see. Here's VP9 target #5.

Hmm, not exactly centered but a nice group. Glam shot!

I'll patch up this silhouette and keep on rockin'. The patch has a really small 1" red bullseye so I stuck on a 2" red bullseye to see if that would help me. Target #6, coming up.

Target #6 has one hit outside of the 4" patch. Dang, not one hit on the actual bullseye. For target #7 I stuck on a few small red dots to make a bigger bullseye. Cross your fingers.

I sent it ten yards away, put some holes in it, and it came back like this.

I guess the bigger red bullseye helped. Still, one flyer low/left just outside the 4" circle. Drat. Let's patch it up again and call it target #8.

I don't know, maybe I'm getting tired or I'm rushing. This one had two hits outside the 4" circle, none directly on the bullseye. Let's stick on an 8" circle, it has a bigger bullseye, and see how we do. Target #9 in 3..., 2..., 1....

I don't think that's too shabby. Eight hits in one ragged hole with a couple of "flyers". I'm feeling a little more confident. I'm going to send target #10 out to 15 yards and try my luck.

Target #10 came back looking like this. (BassCliff hangs his head.)

The only consolation I can take is that there's only one hit outside the 8" circle. I'm sure with a little more practice this pistol, and me, can shoot better at this distance.

In the next post I'll talk about the defensive ammo I brought to run through my XD9. Thanks for coming along. You guys are great.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[BassCliff]

Hi all,

I know it's getting late but I want to finish up the report on my little range trip on 45 Day. I brought along a box of this "Inceptor" defensive ammo. (LINK: https://inceptorammo.com/inceptor-product/preferred-defense/ ) The bullet looks like a three-fluted Phillips head screwdriver. It's non-expanding but the Venturi effect is supposed to wreck havoc on soft tissue. From their website:

I think they're neat looking cartridges. I think Paul Harrell review these in one of his videos. Let me see if I can find a link. I found them quite fun to shoot, light (65 grain) and fast (1650 fps) and a less recoil than the heavier bullets.

Since there are 25 cartridges in a box, I put 15 in one mag and 10 in another. Then I did a couple of quick mag dumps performing an emergency reload there at the table. I sent a fresh target out to 10 yards and it came back like this.

Here's a glam shot with my XD9.

I'm sure this ammo would be much more accurate if I slowed down a little. Still, it's easy to shoot this stuff fast. Getting back on target is quicker due to the lighter recoil.

As I left the range the whole gang showed up. I guess folks like to stop by on Friday after work before they go eat fish fry.

Here's a video of Paul Harrell talking about the "Inceptor" bullet along with some others.

Paul uses the "meat target" at about 14:35 to test the destructiveness of the Inceptor ammo.

I know I've been putting a lot of lead downrange these last couple of weeks. I'll probably hit the range one more time before Mrs. BassCliff returns, twice if my schedule allows. I hope y'all don't mind that I'm having so much fun and sharing it with you. I can't help it. You know I'm still a neophyte when it comes to all this gun stuff. I appreciate all of you sharing your experience with me. You've made me a better shooter. Maybe not more accurate, but at least better at everything else. OK, that's it. I'll quit wasting your time. There's another beer with my name on it around here somewhere.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[SimonRL]

I recognize a VP9 group anywhere! Something about those guns is magic. I think it’s the ergos.

I had my 226 X5 at the range again today. I changed out the optic and made some adjustments to the trigger that were phenomenal, but like you I was getting tired and having to aim above the target at 25yds because I was having trouble holding 3lbs of Sig steady.

 

[Belt Fed]

Good shootin Cliff, You definitely shoot the VP9 the best but that's probably true for most people shooting a 9mm over a 45. i've used tape many times to patch a target. have a roll of it in the shooting bag. again, all dead bad guys.

 

[wolfpack076]

Great Shootin SIR