Chapter 6

Loren led the way back to the kitchen. Linda stood up and gave her a big hug, and they immediately started chattering away about Loren, Bob, Loren’s daughter and granddaughter, etc. Linda brought her up to date on her health status (about the same, maybe a bit better).

Discretion being the better part of valor, I confined my contribution to nods, and the occasional “Uh huh.” and “Really?”, while I heated up the skillet and fixed a mess of Reuben sandwiches, which I stacked on a plate. That, a big bowl of chips, a tub of dip and a big jar of dill spears, and lunch was served.

We all dug in, and the conversation faltered a bit while we stuffed our faces, but picked back up as we got full.

“So, Linda. I want to really think you for letting Tommy go with me on this hunt. I’d be nervous going alone, and Bob has absolutely no interest in archery or hunting.” Loren said.

“Oh, no thanks necessary. I’m glad Tommy has somebody that’s as interested in his archery and paddling stuff as he is.” Linda grinned. “He’s not getting any younger, and it’s good to have a partner in case something happens.”

Loren’s eyes twinkled. “I can see that. Those old guys need some looking after...”.

“Hey now! I am still here in the same room as you two! And lets not forget who’s the elder in this hunting team!”, I fake-groused.

Loren stuck out her tongue at me. “Oh, now you’ve done it! You just wait!” Then she giggled, spoiling the effect.

Linda was laughing as us both. “Oh Tommy, you know what I mean! It’s a safety issue.”

I grinned at them. “Oh, I know. I’m still going to be soloing some, but I’m smart enough to take precautions, like filing a “flight plan” and carrying a SPOT locator, or something similar.”, I said, a little more soberly, “I’m going to be winding down some at work and taking more time off, and Loren’s too far away to go adventuring all the time.”

“Well, like I’ve told you dozens of times, it’s time you did some fun stuff. You work hard, and you’ve earned it.” Linda chimed in.

“Well, I’ve got a camper now, and also plenty of gear, so I’m going to use it all more than I have been.”

“Good!” Linda and Loren said, simultaneously.

We all laughed.

We kept chatting. Linda and I redded up the table, and I washed dishes. Loren insisted on drying (I usually just let them air dry).

Once done, we discussed what to do the rest of the day. I laid out my idea for having rifles to back up the bows, when we were hunting pigs. Loren was agreeable, but: “Tommy- I’ve never shot anything bigger than a .22, and that was in Girl Scout camp many years ago!”

“Well, you hadn’t shot a bow in that long, either, and a few months later you’re beating people with decades of experience. I don’t see any reason you can’t learn to be a passable shot in a few hours. Anyhow, it’s fun in itself. Linda and I were talking about it earlier today.”

“I suppose you’re right. Are you going to get me hooked on some other outdoor sport?” Loren mused.

Linda laughed. “Oh, probably so! But it’s cheaper than cocaine, and healthier, too. I enjoy shooting, myself, although I haven’t done any for a while.”

“Tell you what, let me get some stuff together, and we’ll all go up to the range and do some shooting. I’ll take the rifles I was considering, a .22 rifle, and the .357 I’m going to carry. Oh, Hell I’ll toss the muzzleloader in too. It won’t be very busy, since its a weekday. Did I mention that I’m off from here on out?”

Loren had to do it. “We know you’re off, but we kinda like you anyhow. Right, Linda?”

“Ha, ha, ha. Everybody’s a comedian. Anyhow does that sound like a plan? We can get dinner on the way back, if we go that long.”

“Sounds good to me”, Linda piped up.

“Me, too.” said Loren. “I guess it’s time for another addiction.”

“Want to help me get stuff together? Linda doesn’t do those steep basement steps too well.”

“Sure thing!”

We went downstairs and I got the guns out of the safe and put them in socks. “OK’s let’s see... 308 rifle, .45-70 rifle, .22 rifle, Hawken muzzleloader, .357 Mag revolver ... I guess that’s it. Lets carry this stuff out to the truck, and we can come back for the ammo, targets, and other gear.”

We went up the outside steps, put the weapons behind the back seat of the truck., and went back for another load.

When we got back in the basement. I got a couple of ammo boxes and loaded them up, along with a gear bag with ear protectors and some targets and frames. Just for fun, I put a bunch of clay pigeons in a box so we’d have some reactive targets for the big guns. A trip to the range always seemed to take a lot of preparation.

“I guess that’s about it. One more load, and we’ll be ready to go. This ought to be fun!”

“I guess so. Anyhow, it’s something new.” Loren gave a lopsided smile. “You have a habit of getting me into stuff, Tommy.” She giggled. Then in a whisper: “And of getting stuff into me, too!”

I gave her my best leer. “My pleasure, my dear!”

“Mine too, Tommy!”

I put one arm around her. “I’m glad you’re here Loren. I’ve missed you. Not the sex, that’s the cherry on the sundae. I’ve missed just hanging out. I’d be enjoying it if Bob were here, and we were all just sitting around chatting.”

“I’ve missed that, too. You and Linda are good company and I’m glad she’s coming along today. We need to try to include her and Bob as much as we can.”

“I agree. Besides, you and I are going to be living in each others pockets for almost a month. We’ll probably have had quite enough of each other by the time we get back!”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve been on a couple long road trips with Bob that got pretty tense.”

“I think we ought to take a day or two someplace and go our separate ways for a while, even if it’s just take in a movie or go shopping. Maybe find a day spa for you.”

“Good plan! I threw in a dress and some nice shoes, just in case we want a nice dinner somewhere.”

I’ll toss in some slacks, a dress shirt, and a jacket. Maybe even a tie...”

Loren laughed. “I know you love me if you’re willing to put on a tie, and it’s not a funeral or a wedding- Bob is the same way.”

I chuckled. “I think it’s a male thing. Anyhow, lets get this stuff schlepped out to the truck, so we can get going and have some fun.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

We gathered up the gear and took it to the truck. Loren went to move her car, so we could get the truck out. I went in through the basement to lock up. I got to the top of the steps and walked into the kitchen, just as Loren came in through the back door.

“All locked up. You ready to go?” I asked Linda.

“Yeah- lets go so we’ll have plenty of time at the range.” She picked up her purse and stood, with a bit of effort. “Damned knees!”, she gritted out, “Doc says he won’t replace them until they’re a bit worse.”

Once up, she took a couple of steps. “Ah, there we go. It’s not too bad once I get up. Have to be careful on the steps, though.” She said to Loren.

We walked to the back door, and out onto the covered porch. It was just two steps down, and Linda took each one carefully.

I helped her up on the running board of the truck, and into the front seat. Loren piled in the back, and off we went.

It was about a twenty minute drive to the shooting range at the state forest. The range itself was pretty nice. A bit over 100 yards with a high backstop, 12 covered shooting stations, and a decent-sized parking lot. The state had put in a wheelchair ramp a year or so ago, so Linda wouldn’t have to climb the five tall steps from the parking lot.

Loren and I lugged the gear up and occupied a couple shooting stations. A little surprisingly, there was no one else at the range. I grabbed the steel reactive targets for the .22 and set it up at 50 yards, then walked out to the 100 yard mark and set up a wire frame with a couple of paper targets for the big guns.

I also set out a bunch of clay targets at various ranges for some fun.

While I was doing that, Linda and Loren had laid he guns out, and Linda was showing Loren how to load the magazine of the .22 (a bolt-action Romanian Army trainer that I’d picked up cheap and refurbished and scoped.).

“Looks like we’re ready to start. Loren, has Linda gone over the safety rules?”

“No, I didn’t. I figured you’d want to do that, and it’s best just to have one coach.”, Linda spoke up.

“Oh, all righty then. There are just three simple rules for gun safety. If you follow them all the time, every time, then you’ll never have a problem. Rule 1: Every gun is loaded. That means, all the time, you treat every gun as if is is loaded, which brings us to Rule 2: Never point a gun at anything you’re not willing to shoot. Be aware where the muzzle of the gun is at all times and never point it at anyone! In fact, up here at the range, it’s best to keep it pointed downrange at all times. Rule 3: Never put your finger on the trigger until you’re ready to shoot. In practice, that means keep your finger outside the trigger guard at all times until you’re ready to let off a shot.” I paused for a few seconds. “Does that all make sense to you, Loren?” She nodded.

“OK, I’m going to be a real stickler for this until it becomes automatic. Don’t get upset if I call you out over something that seems minor. It’s easy to mess up and hurt yourself, or someone else.”

“I understand”.

“Let’s start off with the basics of shooting off hand, which means standing up, without anything to rest the gun on.

I showed her how to load the magazine in the gun and how to mount it to her shoulder and get her face down on the stock. I let her try, and then showed her how to cycle the bolt to chamber a round.

“Now, when you have everything right, and the crosshairs on the target, take a little deeper breath than normal, let it out partway, put your finger in the trigger and squeeze slowly, adding pressure a little at a time, until it goes off. If you wander off target, just ease off a bit, and get your sight picture back. Now, watch me while I let off a round. I’m aiming at the orange spot on the middle swinging target.

I got a good position, aimed and fired. I was a little off-center, but the target rang and spun. Loren clapped her hands, and Linda grinned.

“OK, now you do it.” I cycled the bolt and handed her the rifle. She shouldered it, and got into position. I coached her a little on her head position, and told her to go ahead and try the shot.

She snuggled against the gun and squeezed off a round, narrowly missing the target.

“Crap!”, she remarked.

I chuckled. “I think you were a little low and left. Cycle the bolt like I showed you and try again. Take your time and try not to jerk the trigger.”

Loren did as I said and this time hit the target.

“Bravo!”, Linda cried. Loren laughed and winked at me.

“Again, young Padawan!”

Loren took another shot, and hit the target once more.

“Excellent. Now, lower the gun, then mount it, acquire the target and fire. Don’t hurry, just try to be smooth and steady.”

This time, she missed, but just barely, as I could see the dirt kick up. “Once more.”

Another hit, and a big grin from Loren. “This is fun!”

“Very good! Now, lets let Linda take a few shots. She’ll be sitting, and likely using the sling, so watch what she does.”

I popped the magazine out, reloaded it and put it back in, then handed Linda the rifle.

“Here you go, Hon. Show her how it’s done!” I winked.

Linda rolled her eyes, then winked at Loren.

She sat at the shooting bench, cycled the bolt, wrapped her arm into the sling, steadied, and fired. Hit! A quick cycle, then Hit! Another, and another, and another.

Five rounds, five hits.

Loren applauded. “Dang!”

“Good shooting, Hon!” I grinned. Why don’t you show Loren how to shoot sitting down, using the sling, while I load up the other rifles?”

“All right. Loren, sit down here and let me show you how to hold the rifle steady with the sling.”

While Linda was coaching Loren, I loaded the 742, and the Marlin., then watched as Loren fired off a couple magazines worth of .22s. As I more than half expected, she was getting the hang of it quickly.

“Hey, Tommy, why don’t you show her the kneeling and sitting positions? I don’t bend all that well, or I’d do it.”, Linda said, “She’s really catching on quick!”

“I kinda figured she would. I expect next summer she’ll be out at Camp Perry in the Nationals.”, I joked.

“Oh, pooh!”, Loren said, blushing a little, but clearly enjoying the compliment.

We both laughed.

“OK, let’s show you kneeling first...”

We ran through the kneeling and sitting positions, then I let Loren run a magazine full from each one. She was shooting very well for a beginner, and her actions were getting smoother and more relaxed.

Finally, I handed the .22 back to Linda. “Here you go, Hon. You need to have some fun, too.”

“Let me try offhand at some of those clay targets further out.”

“Sounds good.”

Linda fired away, quickly powdering a few of the clays, and then breaking the bigger pieces. Loren looked stunned. “You’re really good!

“I do OK with the .22. I can’t shoot the bigger rifles anymore, because I can’t take much pounding.” Linda grinned. “You should have brought the AR-15, Tommy.”

“You know, I just didn’t think of it. That would have been fun.”

“Me either, or I’d have reminded you.”

“Oh well, there’s always next time.”

“I’d forgotten how much fun this is!” Linda said, with a big grin. “We’ll have to do this more often.”

“It IS fun!” Loren chimed in.

I laughed. “I see Bob is going to be looking for a place to put a gun safe before long.”

Loren stuck out her tongue at me, as Linda laughed merrily. “Maybe...”

“No maybe about it. Wait til you shoot the bigger stuff- you’ll be hooked even deeper. Poor Bob!”.

“He’d better hope he gets some good-paying gigs, guns are a lot pricier than archery gear.”, Linda teased.

“OK, OK, let’s try these other guns!”, Loren said trying to move past the teasing.

“Nice segue...” I said with a chuckle. “Anyhow, this first one is a Remington 742 rifle in .308 Winchester caliber. It’s gas-operated semi-automatic rifle, with a removable magazine that holds four rounds of ammo. Being gas-operated, it doesn’t kick as hard as other rifles firing the same cartridge.” Loren nodded, as I showed her how to load and insert the magazine. “Now, once you pull this handle back, and release it, the rifle is ready to fire. It will fire every time you pull the trigger, until it’s empty, so you want to be very careful not to put your finger in the trigger, unless you’re ready to shoot.” I looked at her to make sure she was following what I said. She nodded again. “This is the safety- when it shows red around the base, the safety is off, push it this way to put the safety on, push it back to make it ready to fire, OK?” One more nod. “When you fire the last round, the bolt will lock back.”

“Does this kick pretty hard, Tommy?” Loren asked, a little apprehensively.

“I don’t think so. Linda’s shot it some. What do you think, Hon?”

“It kicks some, but not too bad. With my arthritis, I can’t shoot it much. You’ll probably enjoy shooting it so much you won’t even notice it.”

“Umm, if you say so...”

“Let’s all get our ear protectors on. This makes a lot more noise than the .22” I handed out the earmuff and we all got them on and settled in place. “Can you hear me OK, Loren?”

“Yeah- it’s muffled, but I can make out what you’re saying.

“Good, now take the gun, pull the bolt back and let go. Good. Now get in the sling, and aim at the bullseye of the paper target. Make sure you keep your head down tight on the stock, and the butt up against your shoulder.” Loren did as I told her. OK, do you have a good sight picture?”

“Yeah...”

Then put your finger on the trigger and squeeze it gently, just like the .22.”

“OK.”

Loren fired the round. I looked through the spotting scope, and saw she was about an inch and a half from the center of the target. “Good shot! How did it feel?”

“Not too bad! Less than I was afraid of, anyhow...”

“Good. Now, go ahead and fire off the rest of the magazine. Take your time, and try to hit the same place every time.”

“All right...” Loren fired off the last three rounds deliberately, taking time to aim carefully before each shot. When she was finished, she laid the rifle down on the bench and took the muffs off. “How did I do? It looked pretty good through the scope.”

“Looks like you put all the shot in about a 5 or 6 inch circle. Not bad- plenty good for hunting, since I doubt we’ll be shooting at anything like that range. How’d you like the rifle?”

“It wasn’t bad at all. It’s a lot heavier than the .22. I’d hate to have to try holding it up like that for a long time. It was fun to shoot, though.”

“Yeah, you’d get better at it if you did it a lot, but realistically, you’re only going to take a shot or two at game. Anyway, if you’re comfortable with it, then you can back me up when I’m using the bow. Want to try something even bigger?”

Loren gave me a sidewise look and a twisted grin that let me know exactly what she was thinking. “What do you mean?”, she said with a wink.

I winked back. “I mean this lever-action 45-70. Take a look at the cartridge. It fires a bullet twice as heavy as the .308.” I pulled a cartridge from the box and handed it to her.

“Wow- that is big. Does it kick a lot harder?

“Yes and no. It doesn’t throw that heavy bullet as fast, but it does kick pretty good. The lever action doesn’t absorb any of the recoil like the gas-operated one does. On the other hand, I don’t think the recoil is as sharp. More like a push from a shotgun.”

Loren looked a little apprehensive. “I’ll give it a try.”

“That’s the spirit!” I grinned. “Want to walk out there and help me cover up the holes in the paper with these stickers?”

“Sure!”

“We’ll be right back, Hon, then you can shoot the .22 some more.”

“You need to shoot some too, Tommy.”

“I’m going to. I want to run some shots through the 45-70, and the .357. Loren might as well learn to shoot a handgun, too. That will put another hole in Bob’s wallet- especially when she decides to get a carry permit.” I grinned and winked at Linda.

“Oh, yeah!”

“OK, be right back.”

Loren and I walked up the range.

“Want to try something bigger?” Loren giggled. “You’re plenty big, Tommy!”

I chuckled. ““I yam what I yam and that’s all that I yam”, as Popeye once said.”

“That’s perfectly fine with me!”

“Good thing ... Anyway- how are you liking shooting so far?”

“I love it! Not like I do archery, but it’s still fun.”

“Good! I’m glad we could bring Linda along. We hadn’t done this for a while, but she seems to be having a good time.”

“Yeah- it’s something we can do as a group. We could probably even get Bob to come along.”

“Sure- we can do it when you all come up around Christmas. Even if the weather’;s bad, I can get us on the indoor range at the Sportsman’s Club.”

As we talked, I put peel and stick stickers over the bullet holes in the target to get it ready for more shooting.

“OK- that does it. Let’s get back and I’ll show you how the lever-action works.”

We walked back to the firing line, and I picked up the Marlin.

“Ok, this is a lever-action rifle. You push the lever down and forward, and it ejects the fired round, and cocks the hammer. Then you bring it back, and it chambers a new round and locks the action and you’re ready to shoot. The safety is here, and it works like the one on the other rifle.” I cycled the action to load a round in the chamber, set the safety and handed it to Loren.

“Now, remember, this kicks pretty good. Keep the butt tight against your shoulder, and your head down on the stock ... Yeah, just like that. Keep a good solid grip, and squeeze off a round whenever you’re ready.” I patted her on the shoulder.

She settled the big rifle against her shoulder, took a deep breath, let it out and squeezed the trigger. Bang! The big 325 grain bullet went downrange. I didn’t need the spotting scope to see that she was very close to the bullseye.

“Good shot!”

“Wowie! This thing does kick a lot harder, but it isn’t too bad.”

“Work the lever and shoot again. There are four more rounds.” Loren did as I said, and dropped another one right next to the first. The next two maybe two inches away, while the last one was way off, but still in “minute of deer (or hog).

“Woah! Time to stop with that one. You pulled the last shot way off. The recoil’s probably getting to you.” Loren stopped and handed me the rifle.

“Yeah. I love shooting that, but its too much for me to fire often.”

Well, if you like a lever action, you could get a .30-30, or a .35 Remington, or a .44 Magnum just like it that won’t kick as hard. Heck, they even make .22’s.”

“That’s cool! I think I like it better than the other one. I think I could get to be a better shot, faster with the auto.”

“Probably so. You can run another couple magazines through it before we go.”

“That was good shooting, Loren! I can’t shoot that one at all. It would kill my joints. I’d ache for days. I like the 742, but the the AR-15 is easiest for me. I’m sure Tommy would say it was too light for hogs, though.” Linda chimed in.

“Maybe a little light. With the right bullet it would do OK, I imagine. I like the AR, but to be honest, the .308 will do better for almost any sort of hunting. For a few hundred more you could get an AR-10, or a clone, in .308 and be ready for almost anything. There might be some restrictions on some states since it’s a “Evil Black Rifle”, where the 742 isn’t. It’s all personal preference, when it comes down to it.”

“I suppose so.”, said Linda, “I could handle a few shots from the 742, if I had to.”

“Well, if you want to try hunting sometime, I’m sure we could find a place to put a blind where you wouldn’t have to walk too far or climb a tree.”

“Thanks, Hon, but truthfully, the idea of sitting around trying to be quiet and not move while waiting on something to walk by isn’t my idea of fun. Loren, you haven’t done that yet, either. You won’t be shooting very often.”

“I kinda know that, Linda. I’ll just have to see. The only way I’ll know is to try.”

“Not all hunting is sitting around. Even deer hunting, you can still hunt, or spot and stalk. Bird hunting, like grouse and pheasant is a lot of walking, usually behind dogs and shooting the birds when the dogs find them. Dove hunting is sitting, but it can be fast and furious then they get flying!”

Loren laughed. “I swear, you are going to get me totally hooked!”

“Maybe- the point is that there are lots of different kinds of hunting to try, just like there are different kinds of fishing, or paddling, etc.”

“One thing at a time, Tommy”, Loren laughed “Let me get one hunt under my belt.”

I grinned. “All right. Now how about letting me shoot a few with the Marlin? You gals load up the .22 and have some fun.

I loaded up the 45-70 and ran a couple of magazines worth through the rifle. It was shooting very well. Ten rounds was enough, though. I’m no wimp, but that rifle beats you up more than a round of trap or skeet!

Loren and Linda were making the steel target sing. Loren had gotten the hang of it now, and was hitting nearly every shot. Linda wasn’t missing at all. Either one of them could probably outshoot me with the .22, I realized.

I checked to make sure the 742 and Marlin were both empty, and slid them back in their cases. I put the ammo away and got out the .357 Ruger and a box each of .38 Special and .357 Magnum.

I sat down and waited patiently until Loren and Linda each shot off a couple more magazines of .22’s. When they stopped to reload once more, I said “Hey ladies, let’s stop for a minute and let me shoot off a few from the revolver. Loren, you might want to try this, too. I have some .38’s here to practice with, if you want to take a few shots, Linda.”

“I don’t think so, Tommy. Even with .38’s my hands can’t take much pounding.”

“Does it kick that hard, Linda?” Loren asked.

Not really, It’s just that my hands can’t take much punishment anymore.”

“Let me move that target frame in some. The pistol’s more of a close-range weapon.”

I walked out and moved the paper target in to about 20 yards. I also set out some more clay targets at about the same range and some closer.

“Here we go, Loren. This is a Ruger Security-Six .357 Magnum revolver. It holds six rounds of either .38 Special or .357 Magnum. The .357 is just a heavier loaded .38 in a case that’s 1/10 inch longer, so you can’t put it in a .38 and blow it up.” I winked. “This is what’s called a double-action revolver, because you can work it two ways. One, you pull the trigger back, like this, and it rotates the cylinder, cocks the hammer, then lets it fall and fire the gun. Then, when you let the trigger off, everything resets, and you can pull the trigger and fire again. Shooting it this way takes some practice, because it takes more effort to pull the trigger back, and it’s hard to keep the gun on target.” Loren nodded.

“Now the other way is like a single-action revolver, like the old .45’s in cowboy movies, where you pull the hammer back with your thumb, which rotates the cylinder and cocks the hammer. Then you gently squeeze the trigger, which fires the gun. The trigger pull is a lot less, and it’s easier to shoot accurately.” Loren nodded again.

“Now let me show you how the sights should look. You put the top of the front sight so that it’s even with the top of the rear sight, with an equal amount of space on both sides of the front blade. Then you put the sights right under the place you want to hit. You have to adjust that a little for range. If it’s close, hold a little low, if it’s further off, hold a little higher.”

“Gotcha!

“Now you push this button in and swing the cylinder out to load it. You just drop the rounds in like so, then close the cylinder and turn it until you hear a click. Then it’s ready to shoot. There’s no safety. A revolver doesn’t need one, It’s like a fork, you pick it up, and it works.

“Let me show you how to hold it.”

“OK, now you try holding it.” Loren took the gun and held it like I had. “Pretty good, just move your left hand here and get your thumb a little lower- like that ... yeah, exactly.” Loren took a good stance. “All right, now try cocking it with your right thumb.” She cocked the gun. “Now, squeeze the trigger slowly until the hammer drops. Try to hold the gun steady on target.”

Loren did as I said, the barrel hardly moving when the hammer fell.

Very good. Now, try it double-action. When the hammer is just about ready to fall, you’ll feel a little flat spot in the trigger. It will go with just a little more pressure at that point. Just take it slow and try to get a feel for it.

The hammer rose and fell again. The gun wobbled noticeably.

Wow- that’s a lot harder!”

“Did you feel the little break, just before the hammer dropped?”

“Yeah, kinda.”

“Good- now do it again. Try to stop at that break and get the gun on target before you pull it the rest of the way.”

Loren tried again, the gun still wobbled, but not as much.

“Better! Let’s load up and let you fire a few rounds.”

I loaded the cylinder and handed her the gun. “Now, try a couple single-action first, to get a feel for how it kicks. Get a good grip, but you don’t need to get a death grip on it either.” I joked.

Loren hefted the gun and aimed downrange. She cocked it, and leveled it then fired. At the closer range I could see the bullet punch through the target at about 11 o’clock and 4 inches from center.

“Not bad, high and left, if you couldn’t see it. Try another- just run all six rounds slowly and try to aim at the same spot every time.”

“OK-the kick startled me, but it’s not as bad as I was afraid it would be.” She grinned at me. “It’s kind of fun!” She turned back to the target and cocked the gun. Taking her time, she squeezed off five more shots. They all fell within an eight inch circle.

“Not bad for a first effort! Those would have all been it an assailant’s chest, and he’d be having a bad day.”, I congratulated her. “Go ahead and push the catch in, swing the cylinder out and push the plunger down to dump the casings out, and reload, then you can run a cylinder full in double action.”

“OK- I can do that.” Loren fumbled for the cylinder catch for a bit, then got the cylinder open and dumped the casings out. Like anyone’s first time, it took her a minute or so to reload. She closed the cylinder, winked at me, and then turned to the target once more.

The first shot surprised her and went off somewhere besides the target, but she buckled down and got the last three at least on the paper.

“Whew! That’s a lot harder than it looks! I’d need a lot of practice to do anything more than scare someone like that!”, Loren laughed ruefully.