Shooting, Shooting and More Shooting - IPSC Practical Shooting

So how about a very exciting weekend in my life. 
Who ever said that a Gran has to knit and sew. Not this one. I am now the "Shooting Nan"
This weekend there were two firsts for me.

ISPC Club Instructor

If you have been following my blogs you will know that we had looked into the sporting disciple of IPSC and that we had purchased handguns. I had to do my Competency Certificate as I had never owned a gun before but all the legal side and paper work was completed late in 2012 and now it was time to start shooting at the club.
We joined Golden City Gun Club in Johannesburg and on Saturday was our first induction shoot.
Rules and regulations were explained to us and safety which is a major issue at the club was drilled into us. Some target shooting and getting used to our rigs was the order of the day.
I absolutely loved it. Many times I had to be corrected (not life threatening offenses) as the adrenalin pumped through me but slowly I became more comfortable with my handgun. 
Richard and I both are shooting in the standard division with 40mm pistols.

STI - Edge 40

Now we are eagerly awaiting our second lesson and then it will be onto the range for our first club shoot. Fortunately we can get some practice in as we live on the farm most of the time which is a great advantage for us.


So that was Saturday. Then came Sunday.
Richard and the youngest son normally go to the "Maglite Shoots" which is a clay target shooting competition, shot in Babsfontein just outside Johannesburg. Unfortunately the son could not accompany Richard so I made a wild suggestion that I would go along and try my hand.
I have on a few occasions shot at the Christmas Shoot and a few shots on the farm, but never an official competition.
Here I was with seventy other shooters - all men - entered into this Sporting shoot, wearing Richard's old shooting jacket, my pockets filled with ammo and my gun (sorry Richard's gun) over my shoulder. I tried to look the part as naturally as possible. 
With the first few clays I was at a complete loss but soon I started picking up a few and whatever Richard had taught me started coming back and so the morning went on. By the time I had shot at sixty clays I could feel the strain in my arms and shoulder, but there was no way I was going to show it. Not in front of the men. I completed the hundred clay course and then seeing that I was the only lady I was even in line for a prize.
All I wanted was not to be bottom of the leader board and with a score of 45 there were four shooters (men) below me.
To great applause I went up and received a lovely lantern (Maglite manufactures torches and lamps, etc) which will always remind me of my first Clay Target Competition. 
Who knows, I might even decide later that I would like to shoot this as well.
A Message for all grans - Get out there and try your hand at something new, it invigorates your life, brings smiles to your face and gets your heart pumping.