TargetTalk

Currently, that seems to be the choices I have.

For this latest block of 10 matches in my bullseye league I decided to set aside the Pardini .22 and take up my M9 Beretta National Match pistol.

The idea was to prepare for the President's and National Trophy matches at Camp Perry this summer. I had not fired the Beretta since 2008, and that was the first time I had ever fired it. It was during the President's and NTI matches at Perry, because I'd recieved the pistol the day before the matches.

Last season I averaged 521-8X with the Pardini after having been away from bullseye since the summer of 2008.

So far, my highest score with the Beretta is a 377-1X. Wednesday night I turned in a dismal 263-0X. I do not seem to be improving. Out of six matches so far, I think I only have two targets, both slow fire, in which I manage to put every bullet into a scoring ring of some sort.

I cannot shake the feeling I might be doing better with an M1911 instead.

This weekend I'm going to compare group sizes from the M9 to some one-handed groups from my Colt Special Combat Government Model. It has been tightened and tuned and is the closest thing I have to a "hardball" gun in .45.

The outcome my decide if I buy a dedicated M1911 hardball gun...

CC , the M9 is not the most accurate unless it is tricked by Sams or someone similar. Ammo, unless equally tricked, is an issue as well. I tried one box of USA white box, a 100 round bulk pack in my stock barreled 92FS. It was in the black mostly at 25. At 50 I was lucky to hit the scoring rings. Headstamp is not the "WIN", but is WCC 09 and the primers are crimped. Past boxes of "WIN" white box were mostly in the black at 50. Handloaded ball with recommended components shoot in the black as well. (all this is offhand shooting) I do find my Beretta very unforgiving. Errant shots are very errant. I am not encouraged.

My M9 was tricked out by Mountain Competition Pistols. I don't want to give the impression it is a stock gun.

The 115 grain ammo I'm using is no great shakes, but I'm only shooting at 50 feet, not 25 and 50 yards.

Last Wednesday's low score was probably the result of being four days into the Atkins diet. It seems to be harder to hold a pistol steady when you've all but eliminated carbohydrates from your diet.

But that doesn't explain my coming down from an average score of 521-8X with the Pardini to a 377-1X best with the M9. I haven't shot this poorly since my first season when they had to explain to me I only get to use one hand.

The only thing to do is...dry fire.