So myself and friend Dave take the longest route to get to Prague from Birmingham Airport, but are the first to arrive. BHX to Brussels, Brussels to Prague.
We get to the airport, both our first times in the Eastern Bloc, both with images of the movie "Severance" going through our heads, thinking just how long it will be before they drop us in the woods and tell us to run... whilst waiting around off the airplane for our ride to show up. We didn't see our names on any plaques and really didn't know what to expect, so we did the only thing we could and headed to the supermarket to buy cigarettes and liquids.... When we came back to the arrivals lounge we were approached by a burly French/Czech fellow by the name of Lubos asking us if we're here for the shooting course. Relief, we haven't been forgotten!
We headed to the hotel and awaited the arrival of the rest of the group, where else, but in the hotel bar/restaurant... Just as myself and Dave were about to crash for the night, I got a phonecall off Froggy saying they were arriving and would be with us in 20 mins.... so we stayed in the bar and waited.
Everyone arrived an got aquainted around the table of beer (40Kc a half litre... around £1.10 ..!) and we went to bed to see what awaited for us.
Waking up at 6:30... (Seriously, the only thing that will get me out of bed early in the morning is the promise of shooting... not even work or women have the same effect...!) We had breakfast and got mini bussed by "shoomy" (nicknamed for his clear ambition to become a driver like schumacher, he even dressed similarly...! :lol: ) the < 10 min drive to the range....
note shoomy on the right.... :lol:
We were given chest rigs and dump pouches to attach to our bodies, and then given 6 mags and told to fill them...
mmm, 7.62x39mm goodness...
Then it was off to grab a rifle and a sling, and attach the sling to the rifle... So we were left looking like this (well I was, everyone else had much less hair...)
We then went down the range and ran through procedures, how to hold the rifle, and various positions, and how to safely (on the range) keep the barrel always towards targets whilst transitioning from back to front, aswell as loading and unloading the rifle. We also went through checking a round was chambered and a few other drills, such as how to pass the rifle to someone else and also what to do if handing over a loaded weapon.
We then went through some prone transitions from standing to prone and putting a few shots on target, then kneeling, and finally standing.
I was target 6...
I think by this time it was getting toward lunchtime so we took a break and headed back to the hotel for a bite.
After our "charades" to find out what the meat was we were eating... "bah" as it turned out... we headed back to the range and continued shooting....
My memory is a little fuzzy as to what was done on Saturday Afternoon and Sunday (Drinks were CHEAP!) So I shall try and sum up the final part as I can... Maybe Dave, Ray or Froggy can fill in the gaps...
I do remember shooting the glock 17 of one of the instructors as I'd asked Froggy if it was possible just to have a mag when arranging the shoot, as we don't get to shoot any pistols in the UK. He went out of his way to make this happen for myself, Dave I took with me, and Dave_303 got a shoot too.
As most of the shooting took place one after another on the firing point with no gaps, I didn't get many photos throughout the first day except in breaks, but during this pistol shooting, I did manage a few videos...
Me Shooting the Glock:
2 groups, I adjusted after seeing where the group was going whilst aiming for centre mass… Headshots keep the Zombies down….
Dave T shooting Glock:
Dave's grouping:
Dave_303 shooting Glock:
Dave's group is at the end of the video at the top of the target Dave T shot at.
...More after the break...
