Range time

Just back from the backyard shooting range with some reflections:

• Shooting

*It's impressive watching a water-filled plastic bottle explode upon the impact of a large caliber pistol bullet.

*It's perhaps more impressive to watch a clod of dirt the size of a softball go flying into the air at impact.

*The exchange students we've hosted, girls and boys, without exception, have been enthusiastic shooters during their stay here. Most outstanding memory: watching the five-foot-nothing, 100-pound German girl we hosted in 2001 blowing up pop bottles with a demonic grin and a pistol-grip shotgun. Our current German boy, Fabian, loves to shoot all manner of weapons and is a serious airsoft afficianado at home. We've taken him to the local skeet range for some clay pigeon shooting and done some bench shooting with .22s.

Today, he got to shoot some handguns: a Ruger SP101 .357 caliber revolver (loaded with .38 special ammo), a Sig Sauer P220 .45 caliber semi-auto and a Kimber CDPII .45 semi-auto. Fabian, son and heir Mason, and yours truly, the Rantmeister, combined to shoot about 150 rounds. There was some good-natured kidding as Fabian was unable to hit a pyramid of 5 cans despite emptying the revolver's chamber from about 15 yards. The Rantmeister, of course, downed the stack on his first shot.

Fabian liked the looks of the Kimber, but liked shooting the West Germany-made Sig better. The Kimber is kind of punishing on the hands - it's a lot of power packed into a little gun and has a sharply crosshatched backstrap. Son and heir is partial to the revolver.