Well, last weekend I attended my second Appleseed Pistol Clinic, and this time I approached it a bit differently. I checked my ego at the door and started with the .22, with a plan to only switch to the Hellcat Pro once I’d conquered the course with the Buckmark.
In preparation, I’d given the Buckmark a proper overhaul. I replaced the slide with a newer, non-California version that uses a different spring and allows for a racking loop. I also binned the “Amazon special” red dot and replaced it with a Vortex Venom I’d pinched off my Springfield XD (a perfect excuse to upgrade that one to a Holosun!). This setup gave me a much lower height over bore, and I found it far easier to get the dot settled and on target.
I also mounted the dot slightly further forward this time; in my experience, it made alignment much more natural, though your mileage may vary. I decided to swap the Aguila ammo for CCI Mini-Mags as well, having suffered a few too many FTFs with the Aguila last time out.
I actually missed out on the Sacramento clinic—it sold out before I got my arse in gear—so I booked a spot up in Red Bluff. It was a five-hour drive each way instead of the usual three, but it was well worth the trek. The range sits right on the edge of Lassen National Park, and the scenery was absolutely stunning!
I’ll skip the blow-by-blow, other than to say Saturday was a bit of a learning curve, but by Sunday, it all started coming together. I ended up sticking with the modified Buckmark for the entire weekend and racked up scores of 196, 203, 208, and finally—a 213!
Pistoleer achieved!
It was well worth the drive, though it’s clear I still need to put in some serious work on my one-handed shooting. A Rifleman—and now a Pistoleer—knows there’s always more to learn!
—EnglishBob