Hen and Stag day

As Kerry and Craigs wedding is coming, this weekend was the Hen and Stag do. They decided to have it on the same day and same place and had an activity day with girls vs boys. So I didn't get any photos of the boys activities. It was all very top secret and competitive. 

The girls first activity was segway. I also didn't get any photos of the segway as there was no way I was taking my camera on those. They were fun though we had to follow the instructor around a track whereas the guys apparently got let loose, which I think is unfair. Mom wasn't much of a fan and had some issues turning so frequently went off on her own.

We then switched with the boys to do clay pigeon shooting.

Looking nervous when seeing us all.

There were 2 stations and 3 different birds. We all hit at least one though for one station we needed help holding the gun. It was really heavy! Though they had no kickback which helped and was an improvement over the last shot-gun I fired.

The Hen started

It was interesting seeing my mom with a gun. She was pretty good too!

My mom. With a shot gun

 Though she did need some help in closing only one eye. So a makeshift eye-patch was used. (Others just used glasses with one lens blacked out but she didn't know this was an option at that point.)

With her makeshift eye-patch

Taking a go

My cousin Marie enjoying guns WAY too much

I preferred the second one I tried as the gun was lighter and I felt I actually hit them myself instead of the instructor helping me. A lot. I ended up getting 6 on one station and 3 on the other. Which, considering I didn't expect to hit any, I think is great.

Let loose

After lunch (which was thankfully indoors so we could warm up a bit), the girls started with sniper shooting. This was my favorite activity. I could have done this all day.

Kerry, sniper shooting

Happy with her time

You had to shoot 4 targets, at different heights, as quickly as possible, with the time starting when you hit and knocked down the first target.

bit scary with a sniper rifle.

Our target range.

Mom with the sniper rifle.

Every one focused on beating the boys.

The last activity was archery. And I think most of us were dreading having to go back outside. The sniper hut wasn't exactly warm, but the wind kicked up and out on the archery range it was freezing!

Cold but ready.

First wave of archers

 I enjoyed it and was reasonably good at it. However we all were so cold at this point, we were quite glad to be finished.
Kerry and Craig had brought some bucks fizz to have at the end and I made some cupcakes. So we all warmer up a bit inside while they sorted out the results of the competition.

Bucks Fizz!

Kerry and Craig.

Unfortunately the girls didn't win anything. Though we think we were swindled as there were only 9 of us and 11 guys. We think there was some fixing going on. But dad was happy as he got a third place and got a medal. And Craig got a silver. Kerry ... not so impressed.

Dad, pleased with his medal.

On the evening, after everyone had a chance to go home and warm up, we had a few tables at an Indian for dinner. The food was ok, but it took ages to get food! Some of them (including my dad) went out after but I was exhausted and already a fair bit tipsy, so went home with mom. 

The day was fun. I loved the sniper shooting and archery. But my arms really ache today! :)

The whole group.

Shooting with SWAT

On Friday, after a meeting with people from the athletics department regarding the issues with the football team and then doing the photography for the Physics Awards Day Ceremony (it was a busy day), I got a lift from a police friend out to the VT shooting range to participate in the range day with the members of the police department and ERT (aka SWAT) as part of the police academy. So much fun!

Thankfully the weather held off though it was really muddy and I was very glad I had brought some rough clothes to put over my smart "I am a photographer" clothes. 

I got there just as they were finishing the pistols and a shooter competition. :-( But I got to do the pistols later. 

Preparing the next lot of guns

Inspection

After the pistols there was a round robin with a shot gun, a AR something (an assault rifle but I can't remember the full name), and an MP5 (which was fully automatic - very cool and scary!).

Showing the shot gun

On the range

Aim and fire!

I stood back a bit and watch first. But Nicole was kind enough to take some photos of me while I shot to super big guns.
I was a little nervous about these. They had some kick, so on Nicole's advice, I started on the easiest one, the AR something.

Shooting

He could tell I was a little nervous.

I think they all realized I was a bit nervous as after one shot I was "ok I'm good". Thankfully they made me shoot some more. After all when am I likely to get this sort of chance again?
I also didn't realize until looking at these photos exactly how curly my hair is these days! (Who sees the back of their head? And no one had mentioned the curl extent.) So here I look like Little Orphan Annie grew up and got very/violently annoyed at the world. Think "Annie" meets "Die Hard".

Practicing holding the MP5.

I was even more nervous about the MP5 after hearing people talk about it. This one likes to kill birds. The barrel really pulls up and tries to escape. Not something that seems like a very good idea. But it was fully automatic (i.e hold down the trigger and it just keeps on going until the magazine is empty.) I regret not taking a little more time with it but seriously I was so scared of losing control and taking out birds, trees and possibly members of the ERT team and students. I imagine I would have a very hard getting another visa after something like that!

Shooting the MP5

The last of the big guns was the shot gun. OH MY GOD!!!! That kicked a punch. I have some nice bruises on my shoulder and my cheek (as you have to put your cheek on the gun to look down the sight - might be using a bit of concealer for the next few days to avoid awkward questions!)
It was crazy powerful and has some serious recoil. But it was very satisfying to see the paper target obliterate!

Aim ... 

Fire!!! (Followed by "Ouch")

As I missed the pistols, they were sweet enough to let me go afterwards with one other person who was also late. I asked Nicole to basically assume I knew nothing (which is a pretty good assumption). I think I am a pretty good shot. My second shot was just above the 'x'. I had a little issue with wincing and closing my eyes when I was about to shoot but sorted that out. And as you can see below, it was pretty good and nearly all hit the target and most within the center (and 5 in the centre circle). :)
Not exactly a sharp shooter but it was only my second try!

My target

Dead!

So the world really needs to realize I am dangerous and stop messy with me! :) 

An evening with SWAT

Well they are called ERT (emergency response team) here but same thing.
Last night I spent a few hours at a talk by the VT ERT team and at range safety. It was run by Detective Daniel Hardy, who was great at the presentation and funny. He showed us some of the equipment such as the bullet proof vests, battering rams, and lots of guns.

The shielding in the ERT vest

How to break down your door.

We could also try the gear on. I did actually wear it as there wasn't time for everyone but I did pick it up. Seriously heavy,  ~50 lb and thats not included all the other gear

Getting kitted out

Armed and ready

They brought along a bunch of guns. There were a few shot guns, a sniper rifle and some machine guns! I couldn't tell you the names though. He also talked about the types of ammo (such as the non-lethal bean bags) and other bits of kit they have such as flash-bangs and tear gas.

the guns

After the talk, we could all go up and look at the guns and equipment. Well, everything except the sniper rifle, which was super highly calibrated so he didn't want anyone touching it.

More guns and a flash-bang

top:shot gun, middle: another gun, Bottom: grenade launcher

And more guns

They also brought some of the protection gear in, the usual shield you see in films and a more flexible one called a Bat shield. Seriously. That's it's name.

the old riot/bullet shield

Testing out the newer BAT shield

BAT shield

I have only been around guns once before (despite having lived in the US for a while now), at the range where Caroline and I did a class and went shooting. And then it was cry much "always treat the gun like it is loaded". Not so much here which made me more than a little nervous. I know they weren't loaded but still.... They were pointing them anywhere and I really didn't want to do staring down the barrel of a gun, loaded or not.

I was a little nervous around all this

ERT vest

The best quote of the night: when explaining the sniper rifle, "We use this when we want to reach out and touch someone. And touch them in a very specific place." I guess that's one way of describing a sniper rifle!

"Ruby", the sniper rifle

The rest of the evening was on range safety. And there was not as much as I personally would have liked but I have a somewhat British dislike of guns. and really don't want to get shot. Ever.
But tomorrow should be fun. I have to turn up late due to a work commitment but tomorrow we get to shot the guns.

Shooting guns.

Last night Caroline and I went to Larry's Pistols and Pawn (yes, that's its real name) to do a shooting lesson. We needed to get hunting licenses (Walmart sells everything) so now we are truly dangerous.

We were a bit nervous but the instructors were really sweet. They started with a video explaining how to handle guns etc which completely freaked me out. Mostly because there was so much information to take in. But then they gave us guns and dummy rounds to practice how to load and unload. Getting the bullets into the magazine is hard. (Near the end he lent me a tool to make it easy. Why I couldn't have that to start with I don't know.)

My Glock!

We rented guns from the shop (the other couple in the class with us had their own) and were both shooting 9mm Glocks, which are semi-automatics.

After the practice, we went to the shooting range to do it for real. You start in a sitting position shooting one round at a time. And I was so glad I was sitting. For the first time, Bill, our instructor, asked us to do it one at a time and Caroline went first. It was much louder than I expected! I jumped out of my seat! And the kick back was impressive. My gun was a Glock 26 which means it is a bit smaller than the 19 Caroline was using. (They only told me at the end that the smaller one has more of a kickback or I would have switched!)

After sitting we moved to standing. My knees were shacking, I won't deny it. And the position they tell you to shoot from ... well it's not the elegant position you see in the movies.
And after a few single shots, they told us to just full the magazine and shoot as much as we liked. So we set to work trying to obliterate the target. :-)

We had brought 2 boxes of ammo each, though only used one. We were going to take photos with us and the guns but were too nervous and didn't want to seem like tourists!

But we did get keep our targets! :-)

With my target and certificate

Caroline, sharpshooter!

I was very impressed with our shooting. I expected to be awful! The first shot was good, in the black. After that I sorted of wondered for a bit. All the ones in the white are due to me wincing in anticipation of the gun going off! So the instructor basically made me play Russian Roulette (with the target of course) so I didn't know when it was actually going to fire and stopped wincing.

The instructor was really sweet. I was a little tense. (Every time I went to shoot someone else did and I jumped. Plus I was being hit over the head with casings - I found a few down my top later.) So he gave me a little shoulder massage to calm me down. But after a while it got better, I got used to the bangs, and I chilled out a little.

Still I managed to get the bulls eye quite a few times. Caroline even managed to shoot hers out (she got around the rim and the bullseye and a red rim was left on the board)!

We were also rather hyper when we got back. It is quite an adrenaline rush.

"Are you talking to me?"

"I'm not sure!"

It was fun though I am not sure it will become my new hobby! I was expecting my arms to really hurt today, but I am pleasantly surprised.

We spent the rest of the evening trying to calm down with mugs of tea, popcorn and more Game of Thrones. :-)