Even in the best of times, which these COVID-19 days are certainly not, I need to get out and make a little noise from time to time to keep my sanity. For a long time, I’ve referred to this as Recoil Therapy.
The firepower I take to the range depends on the amount of annoyance I’m dealing with. The bigger the annoyance, the bigger the recoil. But if I have the ability to get out to the range regularly, I don’t have to abuse my shoulder quite as badly. This time of year, the weather’s usually nice enough to get outside nearly every day, and I’m fortunate to have a shooting range right in my back yard. I can go weeks just taking the .22 out to do a little plinking.
But with this pandemic and all the upheaval it’s causing, I’ve found myself venturing to the range with bigger guns more often. A 1911 is always a good, therapeutic option, when the .22 isn’t getting the job done. If the situation is more dire, maybe the Model ’94 is needed, or possibly a round of trap with the 12 gauge. And when the worries of the world are really getting to me, I might head out there with the .300 Win Mag and a few jars of Tannerite.
That’s the secret weapon in the war against frustration. The kick of a good gun usually does the trick, but sometimes you just need a little extra noise.
No matter what I’m shooting or what I’m shooting at, it doesn’t take long to forget my worries and start concentrating on honing my shooting skills. And that’s the added benefit of recoil therapy. It’s fun, it’s cathartic, and it makes you a better shot.
By the time this pandemic is over, I ought to be a heck of a marksman.
