I took the new XD .40 Bi-Tone service to the range to ring it out and see how reliable she is. And did I ever have fun!
When I told my wife and kids I was going to the range last night at dinner, all the kids almost in unison asked if they could go to. It was enough to melt your heart I'll tell you.:yup: So what could I say? Of course I said we could all go! We made it a family range outing. Fun was had by all!
We took along the following guns:
Ruger 22/45 .22lr pistol
My new XD .40
Wife's carry gun, XD .40 sub compact
Oldest son's Marlin Model 60 .22lr rifle
500 rounds of .40 cal Blazer Brass practice ammo
500 rounds of .22lr ammo
First the XD Range Report:
I LOVE THIS GUN! It fits my hand much better than my beloved Glock 23 (sorry Gaston but pull your head out and modify your design to make it more ergonomic to a wider customer base and you wouldn't be losing market share like a New Orleans neighborhood being swept away) and despite having a higher bore axis, it doesn't have the muzzle flip that the Glock has. Recoil is much more manageable with the XD than the Glock. I am sure that at least part of that is the fact that I have a better grip on the gun because of the better ergonomics in the grip area.
I started out firing slow and steady, just getting used to how the trigger breaks. The trigger for the XD is a bit lighter than the Glock as well. And I like the reset better. I do however like the sights on the Glock better still. I am a real fan of the stock Glock sights.
My first 2 magazines full went into the "X" ring with 2 fliers and I felt them when they happened. The target was set at a distance of 25 feet away.
I did some rapid fire shooting with the target set at a distance of 15 feet and found the XD to be easier to fire quickly than I thought. Obviously, the .40 cal round is not as easy to get back on target for follow up rapid fire shots as a 9mm, but it wasn't as bad as I though. My groups were a little larger when firing rapid fire, but still acceptable to me. My smallest group was 3 inches, my largest was 5 1/2 inches. I am not expert target shooter but that will get the job done in a fire fight.
I put 350 rounds through the new XD with no failures of any kind. The last 50 rounds were the rounds I will be carrying in the gun, Hornaday FPD TAP rounds. They performed flawlessly. The XD is now my primary carry gin. The G23 has now been re-assigned to the role of back up carry gun.
My wife shot the new XD and says she likes it but still prefers her XD sub compact. She is very good with that little gun. I shot hers as well and was struck by the difference in recoil between the XD service (4 inch barrel) and her XD sub Compact (3 inch barrel). The sub compact obviously has more recoil but I was surprised by how much more it was. She loves that little gun though.
All 5 of the kids shot. My oldest son Ryan shot his Marlin Model 60 .22lr rifle and he ran a few mags through the new XD. This is a shot of him shooting the new XD.
Ryan is scary good with that Marlin. With the target set all the way at the end of the range (100 feet I think) he tore the center out of several small bore target bulls eyes. He'd make a great infantry rifleman but he wants to go in the Air Force. He's also a computer nerd.
My daughter April shot the Ruger 22/45, my new XD and her Mother's XD sub compact. She really did very well with the new XD! Her first magazine all but one round went into the "X" ring! She now has that target hanging in her room and has already shown a couple of her friends! This is her shooting Mom's XD sub compact:
Notice, she is a lefty....the only one in the family.
And my middle child, son Chance shot the Ruger 22/45 only. He really loves that little pistol. And he is getting good with it. He put almost 250 rounds down range in the 22/45 by himself. Here is a shot of him shooting:
The Twins, Scott and Brandon also shot the 22/45, 4 mags each. They are 6 years old. I did not get any shots of them as I was helping them with their grip and sighting and remaining very close so as to prevent any safety issues. But they are doing very well for 6 year old little guys. They had a ton of fun and have already asked when we can go again, just like they do every time we go to the range!
It was a fantastic family fun day, I proved my new carry gun reliable, my wife got some practice with her carry gun and made me remember that she is a great shot and one of the reasons I love her so much and my kids all had a great time! I could not have asked for a better day!
When I told my wife and kids I was going to the range last night at dinner, all the kids almost in unison asked if they could go to. It was enough to melt your heart I'll tell you.:yup: So what could I say? Of course I said we could all go! We made it a family range outing. Fun was had by all!
We took along the following guns:
Ruger 22/45 .22lr pistol
My new XD .40
Wife's carry gun, XD .40 sub compact
Oldest son's Marlin Model 60 .22lr rifle
500 rounds of .40 cal Blazer Brass practice ammo
500 rounds of .22lr ammo
First the XD Range Report:
I LOVE THIS GUN! It fits my hand much better than my beloved Glock 23 (sorry Gaston but pull your head out and modify your design to make it more ergonomic to a wider customer base and you wouldn't be losing market share like a New Orleans neighborhood being swept away) and despite having a higher bore axis, it doesn't have the muzzle flip that the Glock has. Recoil is much more manageable with the XD than the Glock. I am sure that at least part of that is the fact that I have a better grip on the gun because of the better ergonomics in the grip area.
I started out firing slow and steady, just getting used to how the trigger breaks. The trigger for the XD is a bit lighter than the Glock as well. And I like the reset better. I do however like the sights on the Glock better still. I am a real fan of the stock Glock sights.
My first 2 magazines full went into the "X" ring with 2 fliers and I felt them when they happened. The target was set at a distance of 25 feet away.
I did some rapid fire shooting with the target set at a distance of 15 feet and found the XD to be easier to fire quickly than I thought. Obviously, the .40 cal round is not as easy to get back on target for follow up rapid fire shots as a 9mm, but it wasn't as bad as I though. My groups were a little larger when firing rapid fire, but still acceptable to me. My smallest group was 3 inches, my largest was 5 1/2 inches. I am not expert target shooter but that will get the job done in a fire fight.
I put 350 rounds through the new XD with no failures of any kind. The last 50 rounds were the rounds I will be carrying in the gun, Hornaday FPD TAP rounds. They performed flawlessly. The XD is now my primary carry gin. The G23 has now been re-assigned to the role of back up carry gun.
My wife shot the new XD and says she likes it but still prefers her XD sub compact. She is very good with that little gun. I shot hers as well and was struck by the difference in recoil between the XD service (4 inch barrel) and her XD sub Compact (3 inch barrel). The sub compact obviously has more recoil but I was surprised by how much more it was. She loves that little gun though.
All 5 of the kids shot. My oldest son Ryan shot his Marlin Model 60 .22lr rifle and he ran a few mags through the new XD. This is a shot of him shooting the new XD.
Ryan is scary good with that Marlin. With the target set all the way at the end of the range (100 feet I think) he tore the center out of several small bore target bulls eyes. He'd make a great infantry rifleman but he wants to go in the Air Force. He's also a computer nerd.
My daughter April shot the Ruger 22/45, my new XD and her Mother's XD sub compact. She really did very well with the new XD! Her first magazine all but one round went into the "X" ring! She now has that target hanging in her room and has already shown a couple of her friends! This is her shooting Mom's XD sub compact:
Notice, she is a lefty....the only one in the family.
And my middle child, son Chance shot the Ruger 22/45 only. He really loves that little pistol. And he is getting good with it. He put almost 250 rounds down range in the 22/45 by himself. Here is a shot of him shooting:
The Twins, Scott and Brandon also shot the 22/45, 4 mags each. They are 6 years old. I did not get any shots of them as I was helping them with their grip and sighting and remaining very close so as to prevent any safety issues. But they are doing very well for 6 year old little guys. They had a ton of fun and have already asked when we can go again, just like they do every time we go to the range!
It was a fantastic family fun day, I proved my new carry gun reliable, my wife got some practice with her carry gun and made me remember that she is a great shot and one of the reasons I love her so much and my kids all had a great time! I could not have asked for a better day!