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u/anonymouscuban

r/TeslaSolar r/CAguns r/2011 r/Aphantasia r/reloading r/CompetitionShooting
▲ 9 r/Aphantasia

My Mon Died & I Should be Sad

So this is gonna be a long, rambling post. I don’t really know why I’m sharing. Let’s see where this goes.

I recently lost my mother. This Wednesday she would have turned 95 so she lived a long, fruitful like. I’m trying to understand more about myself with how I’ve dealt with her loss compared to my siblings.

Let’s start with some honesty… I haven’t been devastated by my mom’s passing.

Well, not to the extent that that I believe most experience. Definitely nothing like my siblings.

I haven’t really cried about it. I haven’t thought about my mom anymore often that normal. The realization that I’ll never see my mother again does seem “odd” to me. Nothing more.

This is sort of the same experience I had with the passing of my grandfather and my father. The only two other significant people in my life that have passed. I’ve always felt like I should’ve mourned their passing more than I did. I now feel the same way about my mom’s passing.

To be honest, I’m not bothered by this. What I’m really bothered by is the thought that I don’t have the ability to mourn. What if my daughter passes… or my wife? These two people are intwined in my life. Will I mourn them? Will I be devastated? Or will I just trek on with life? Would that mean I didn’t love them?

I wasn’t too close to my mom. My brother cared for her; she lived with him. Maybe this allowed me to be distant. My parents were immigrants and as I’ve come to understand that’s the norm for many immigrant parents, they were providers but were really not emotionally available. I don’t fault them for this. It is what it is.

When my mom had her stroke… when she passed, I almost felt like showing any emotion would be phony. Seriously. Like I had no right. I had every opportunity to call and visit my mom when she was alive but I didn’t. I had no desire to. For me to now feel sad seems dishonest. Again, I’m not saying this is why I’m not devastated but it is how I feel. I also have tried very hard to understand why I had no desire to connect with my mom but I have never come to any conclusions.

I don’t say this for sympathy. It’s how I truly feel. And I don’t think it’s because I’m suppressing my true feeling. However, I sort of feel like I’m incapable of caring for someone… if I’m not sad about my mom passing, does that make me a psychopath?

I really am super fearful that I won’t mourn if someone truly close to passes. Someone that I believe I truly care about.

There’s a ton here to unpack. Lots of other thoughts. But let’s start with this.

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u/anonymouscuban — 3 days ago
▲ 81 r/CompetitionShooting

“Then Volunteer” Isn’t an Answer to Criticism

Something I’ve noticed in USPSA: whenever someone criticizes a match, stage design, or how something was run, one of the first responses is inevitably:

“Then volunteer.”
“Come design some stages.”
“Come help build the match.”

I understand the sentiment. Matches require a ton of volunteer labor, and those people deserve appreciation.

But volunteering isn’t the price of admission for having an opinion.

Shooters pay a match fee. They’re customers, and they’re entitled to provide feedback about the product they paid for. That doesn’t give anyone permission to be an asshole, but respectful criticism shouldn’t require a volunteer résumé first.
And I’m saying this as someone on the receiving end of that criticism.

I’m the RM for our club matches. I design stages, help build them, work the match, tear them down, and handle plenty of the other stuff required to put on a match.

So when someone complains about a stage or how something was run, there’s a pretty good chance they’re criticizing something I personally had a hand in.

And I want to hear it.

I don’t pretend every stage I design is great. Sometimes something looks good on paper and doesn’t work once 100 shooters attack it. Maybe I disagree with the criticism. Maybe the shooter simply doesn’t like the kind of match we’re intentionally producing.

Or maybe they’re right and I can do better next time.

Our club deliberately caters more toward higher-level competitors and shooters who want to become higher-level competitors. We design for the 20%, not necessarily the 80%. That’s the product we’ve chosen to offer, and it won’t appeal to everyone.

But even then, difficult doesn’t automatically mean good.

If our response to criticism is always “volunteer or shut up,” we’re judging feedback based on who provided labor instead of whether the feedback has merit.

That’s how clubs stop getting better.

Appreciate your volunteers. Be respectful when criticizing their work. But listen to your shooters. They’re your customers.

/end rant

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u/anonymouscuban — 10 days ago
▲ 59 r/CAguns

Where Practical Shooting Was Born

Did you know California is the birthplace of practical shooting sports?

Both USPSA and Steel Challenge originated right here in Southern California… and the founding club is still active today.

The Southwest Pistol League continues to host monthly USPSA and Steel Challenge matches, carrying on a tradition that helped shape the sport nationwide.

California also has one of the most competitive shooting scenes in the country. The level of talent is incredibly high… but so is the level of camaraderie. It’s competitive, friendly, and welcoming to shooters of all skill levels.

There’s a lot of shooting history here, and we’re proud to still be part of it. The next time someone gives you crap about being a gun owner in California, remember this history and remember that this state is home to shooters who can hang with the best from any “free state.”

u/anonymouscuban — 23 days ago
▲ 112 r/CAguns+1 crossposts

Squad Vibes

I knew I was in trouble when they started calling me Tito Balut. 😍

u/anonymouscuban — 23 days ago
▲ 22 r/CompetitionShooting

The Range is Truly My Happy Place

I go to the range every Thursday. I have for the last seven years. It’s rare that I miss. It’s become my therapy. I joke that it’s church for me, but there’s more truth to that than I’d like to admit.

When I’m shooting, nothing else is on my mind. And at 55, it’s one of the few opportunities I have to get outside, run around, and play like a kid again.
Today’s session was especially meaningful. My mother passed away this past Friday. She was just shy of 95. While she lived a long, wonderful life, her passing was sudden. She was remarkably healthy for her age.

It was nice to have a little time to myself… to work on my shooting, burn off some energy, and focus my mind on something other than everything that’s happened over the last few days.

Today reminded me that sometimes the best therapy isn’t talking. Sometimes it’s simply doing something you love. For me, that’s all the medicine I need.

u/anonymouscuban — 27 days ago
▲ 1.1k r/CAguns+1 crossposts

Getting Ready for Coastal Classic

Hope this stuff makes chrono! 🤞🤣

u/anonymouscuban — 26 days ago
▲ 59 r/CompetitionShooting

Fun Match for a Great Cause

This past Sunday we hosted a USPSA charity match celebrating America’s 250th birthday while raising money for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. I designed the stages, helped oversee the build, and served as Range Master. We had an incredible turnout—160 shooters from across Southern California.

Thanks to generous donations from Taran Tactical, Holosun, SureFire, Howitzer, and others, including four pistols which we raffled off, we likely raised well over $10,000 for a great cause.

Days like this remind me why I love this sport. Great people, great competition, and a chance to give back. 🇺🇸👊

u/anonymouscuban — 2 months ago
▲ 98 r/reloading

Odd Sentimental Value for Spent Primers

At one point, I had saved every spent primer I’d ever removed… about 3–4 years’ worth. Eventually, I gave them to a friend who sold them for scrap. At the time, they were just trash, and I figured I had no use for them.

What I didn’t expect was to miss them.

I realized they were more than a pile of spent primers. They were a visual representation of my journey in reloading and competitive shooting. Every one of them was a round I had loaded, a trigger I had pulled, and another rep in developing my skills.

I’ve started another pile. I don’t know if I’ll keep it forever, but I’m not ready to part with it just yet.

u/anonymouscuban — 2 months ago
▲ 165 r/CompetitionShooting

My Legacy is Complete

They say we all die twice:

Once when our heart stops beating.

And again when our name is spoken for the last time.

Fortunately, USPSA has ensured neither will happen anytime soon.

One of my stages is now two classifiers.

Long after I’m gone, shooters will still be standing in a dirt pit wondering, “Who the hell designed this?”

And that, my friends, is legacy. 🥸

u/anonymouscuban — 2 months ago
▲ 201 r/CompetitionShooting

I DQ’d Today 😑

Happened on our 6th stage of 8. This is my 2nd DQ. Last time was 6 years ago. I broke the 180 as I was exiting. I lost my balance as I was shooting the second target. I tried to exit. Hand and gun hit the wall as I moved out. Got yanked and broke the 180.

u/anonymouscuban — 3 months ago
▲ 1 r/TeslaSolar

LADWP Net Metering

I think I’m looking at this correctly but I could be wrong. I’m a on the Tiered Rate plan with LA DWP but when they credit me using TOU for the electricity I send back.

Found this interesting and it actually works in my favor. Again, maybe I’m reading my bill wrong.

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u/anonymouscuban — 3 months ago
▲ 41 r/2011

12lb Recoil Spring is Nice

Had been running the stock 10 lb recoil spring in my 2k11. Always felt under-sprung, but the gun ran and I was lazy.

Tested springs from 10–14 lbs today, and 12 lb was the clear sweet spot. I’m shooting 130gr bullets at 130 PF, and the gun felt noticeably better with the heavier spring. Less muzzle rise. Returns faster and with less input from me.

These guns are definitely under-sprung from the factory—especially if you’re running factory ammo.

u/anonymouscuban — 3 months ago
▲ 175 r/reloading

Love This Thing

There’s no real part of reloading that I like but picking primers with a tube I absolutely detest. This thing was a game changer. I think these units may be hit or miss but mine has worked like a champ after some tweaks. I’ve probably loaded 40k+ primers with it and not one upside down.

That all said, I can’t wait to get my Primer Bowl. Drop 500 in hopper and go.

EDIT: this I made by Dillon. It’s the RF100. Double Alpha makes a knock off for a bit cheaper but I don’t know how well it works. Zero experience with that one.

u/anonymouscuban — 3 months ago
▲ 55 r/reloading

DAA Auto Case Luber

Received the DAA Auto Case Luber. Pretty simple install. Just had to trim about an inch off the top section of the case feeder drop tube. It’s supplied with it. It’s thicker walled than the Dillon which is nice.

It has 4 small pieces of rope that are frayed on the ends. They serve as wicks. Minor adjustment to how far they come in contact with the case as it drops passed them. This is how you control how much lube gets on the case. Then I just sprayed OneShot into the reservoir and I was set.

It seems to do what it’s meant to… lube the case. Saves me some time and keeps the lube from gumming up the case feeder over time. For $40, seems like a good value so far.

u/anonymouscuban — 3 months ago
▲ 181 r/reloading

Posted my camera setup on my automated RL1100 about a week ago. At the time I had it running slow, and someone asked if I could show it at full speed—so here it is.

I got a new toolhead on Monday, got everything dialed in, and loaded a few hundred rounds for tomorrow. Figured it was a good time to share a video of it running.

This is at 1500 RPH with a 100 ms dwell at the top and bottom. I can push it faster, but this is the pace I prefer… smooth and consistent. At this speed I can knock out about 500 rounds in ~20 minutes, which is plenty fast for my needs.

I did forget I’ll need LED lighting for this toolhead, so it’s a bit dark under the hood for now. That’s already on order… always something 😄

u/anonymouscuban — 4 months ago