long distance hole punch

Note: I wrote this article some time back but for some reason did not publish then. It looks fine to me today, so I am sharing it as I found it. – Ted –

I am taking liberties in the title comparing the hole punching I did yesterday with the implied office implement.

The subject of this post is a carbine at 35 yards (front target) and 50 yards (back target) – a distance for that tool considered to be SHORT RANGE.

I have not operated this particular hole punch for years.

THAT is not good. Shooting capabilities are high among those ranked as PERISHABLE SKILLS.

Each gun, tool, particular defensive platform compared to the next offer differences that also should be practiced and familiar.

…

This negligence is not unique in my world. I have the same problems with trombone, bass, amateur radio, welding, carpentry, painting, gardening, household maintenance and so many more of those things I dabble in

… Jack of all trades / master of NONE.

Ah, but yesterday I fired up the carbine and punched holes reasonably close to where I wanted them to go.

Turns out that this particular practical exercise is actually FUN. I highly recommend you find a time and place on your calendar and in your neighborhood for such activities.

On this particular bullet launcher the sights are more than a little crummy and adjustable only for gross elevation changes – no fine left/right, up/down adjustments – and sure-as-heck no scope cross-hairs or optical magnification on this peasant-class gun.

Moreover its tiny bar/slot rear sight and itsy-bitsy post front sight will help nobody achieve any medium-range accuracy. That is not what it was built for.

So the first shot was low / left. Okay, not a TON low/left, but this is only 35 yards with a kind-of rifle.

That is short range for the class of tools in question.

Up a bit.

Take a second shot

Kentucky Windage Up a bit more. Right a bit.

Shoot.

Shoot … shoot … shoot

Up a skosh more … shoot

Okay. I think I’ve got it.

Do three “head shots” to see if I really have the appropriate Kentucky Windage down. It would appear to be so, at least at these rather short-range distances.

I am way-better with the cheap carbine than any handgun I use.
Know your tools.

At 50 yards the 7.62 x 39 carbine is a much better choice than any handgun.

Apply the right one to the job at hand.

handguns are only useful to fight your way to your rifle.

Kentucky Windage

* The colloquial term “Kentucky windage” refers to the practice of holding the aim to the upwind side of the target (also known as “leading” the wind) to compensate for wind drift, without actually changing the existing adjustment settings on the gunsight.[3]

Among shooters I was acquainted with, this was an expression that the shooter was aiming a bit right, left, up, down or all of those to compensate for in increase or decrease in wind or that the sight was not quite adjusted perfectly to point-of-aim, point-of-impact.

In a population of shooters above my modest level it was making minor adjustments left or right for slight changes in wind direction/velocity. Taking the time and effort to calculate real sight or scope adjustments was/is not worth the time when Kentucky windage is “close enough”.