What Did You Shoot Today?

[CWLONGSHOT]

2=day Palma match where I shot F-Class for the first time was more of an adventure than a shoot. Never saw so many SEB rests in one spot before. It's almost like a right of passage to shoot F-Class. Some nice eye-candy too, in the form or rifles. Jim Hart of Hart barrels was shooting and another shooter had a rifle that Jim just finished. Real wood stocks, but with laminated cores. The rifle the other shooter was shooting had a curly maple fore end and some dark figured, looked like burl, stock. Told the guy he could miss all day and still look good. He agreed. The rifle Jim was shooting had a similar stock only with a machined and polished aluminum plate that wrapped around the sides of the fore end. I never got a chance to look at it closely.

Weather was brutal on Sat. If we did not set records in the area that day, we got damn close. Temps in the 80's and killer humidity. I had jeans on and they were like the pants version of a straight jacket. Black cap, red shirt and jeans... I cooked. Shorts, white shirt and white had made today much more pleasant. Temps were better today, but humidity was up as it rained last night.

As for my performance, my goal was to not come in last. There were 39 shooters on the line. They were shooting Palma (iron sights/sling), Anyany ( any gun, any caliber, any sights) also shot with a glove and a sling. Then there were the F/TR (bipod .308 or .223) and F/O (rest and any caliber). I shot a borrowed 6mm BR in F/O.

Course of fire was unlimited sighters at 800 yds and then 15 rounds for score. 22 minutes. Then 2 sighters at 900 and 15 for score. Last was 2 sighters at 1000 and 15 for score. Second day was a repeat of the first.

My first relay on the first day at 800 was a major ego boost. I shot 149-10X. I was shooting off a friend's SEB Neo rest rather than my $75 Caldwell POS. I have to say that I think I was amazed as the guys I was shooting with. But humility was right around the corner. I shot a 120 at 900 and a 132 at 1000. Conditions were tough for those two yardages and I watch experienced shooters struggle. So, I did not feel too bad. Today, I decided to shoot off my Caldwell. I shot at 139 1X at 800, 140 at 900 and 132 1X at 1000. Conditions were a little better because we got a late start yesterday and the sun was higher and drove some serious mirage. So my aggregate was 812/900 -12X.

Did not meet a single shooter that I did not like. Great bunch of folks. Lots of gray hair. But no shortage of working age folks either. In spite of the weather trying to kill me and the other shooters, I had a good time. I have not shot any prone in years and my back ain't what it used to be.

So, I still need to decide if I need another shooting sport. The two guys I shoot with both have Autotricklers for loading. That's about $1000 in power measuring equipment. But if you are going to do this regularly, (Ian hinted at this when he suggested a Chargemaster), it's mandatory unless you have nothing else to do and are not bothered by boring, repetitive and tedious activities. Then there is the rest. The SEB is around $1800. SEB makes others that are a bit less. The joystick for fine adjustment does make life much easier. I might make a joystick top for my Caldwell. Shadetree makes one for it as well. The rifle... well, that's the real commitment. My partner Steve is trying to get me to build my own. I have to admit, it would be fun. But my concern is my experience and knowledge level on what is required is minimal. The machine work is not the challenge. It is what and how to machine it that resides in the brains of the experts like Jim Hart. We'll see. In the meantime, I have a few ideas for mods to Steves 6BR that might remove a few of the challenges I have to deal with while shooting.

Here's a couple of picks. Took these from the 1000 yd firing line. We were on the 1st and 2nd relays. The guys shooting were on the 3rd or 4th.
View attachment 27462

Here is the view from the 1000 yd firing line to the targets. You can see the giant numbers over every target but you can't see the targets, which are below them. There is berm between the numbers and the targets. There are 15 shooting points at Forbes.

View attachment 27463

Match this weekend on my range as well. Both days!

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Monday night Summer 900's are back to my local range!!

Momma wants to just shoot rimfire this year. Probably smart saving 1800 primers every Monday!

 

[L Ross]

Worked on getting ready for the .22 BPCR silhouette ad Boy's Rifle Match with more actual range prep, brush trimming, string trimming and painting. Two of my shooters came over to help.

After lunch Jon and I confirmed zeros and I fired 12 rounds to check my notes from last year. For fun I tipped over two rams at 200 from seated with x-sticks. I aimed at old bullet chips in the paint and either hit them both or so close as to only make the chip bigger. Perfect no wind conditions. Wyoming Armory rebuild of 1913 Winchester Model 1885 Special Sporting Rifle, Green Mountain 3 weight octagon barrel, match chamber, close coupled double set triggers, with Eley Target ammo and 6X Fecker scope. I know, 6X doesn't sound like enough magnification but it is actually fine. I saw both impacts as the rams toppled as confirmed by Jon on the Vortex spotting scope. When I went down to the rail to reset the rams there was the perfect results. Certainly a confidence booster for Saturday's Match.

Jon shot his CPA Stevens .22 with MVA irons including the ode to Pope pin head front sight. He and I both had no problem toppling rams with his rifle and irons from sticks. I may have to reconsider scope or irons but I'm running out of time and Sue and I are going fishing today.

 

[Snakeoil]

Monday night Summer 900's are back to my local range!!

Momma wants to just shoot rimfire this year. Probably smart saving 1800 primers every Monday!

You shoot 900 rounds at one match? Holy moly!!

 

[462]

Well, that was a wasted trip --arrived at the range to find it closed due to an "unexpected emergency".

I could've called first, but why make life easy.

I was going to experiment with the Vortex Crossfire II 3-9X40 scoped Plain Jane and pretty much box-stock 10/22 and five different flavors of .22 RF from three different manufacturers -- Remington bulk Golden(?), Winchester Wildcat and Ten-X, and Eley Target and Club. It's been so long since I last shot it, and I've never logged its past results, but I think Ten-X was its preferred flavor.

Hopefully, the "emergency" will have ended and the range re-opened for a Friday session.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Naw 900 would be a perfect score. 90 rounds x2 people 180 rounds.

CW

 

[glassparman]

Range closed?? Why, how dare they!!

The only thing that closes "my range" is when someone has been shooting steel core, steel jacketed or Tracers and catches the canyon on fire.

Tracers are a felony in Kommiefornia . . . For good reason. Most public ranges won't allow Milsurp ammo that is steel anything.

Mike

 

[Rick]

Range closed?? Why, how dare they!!

The only thing that closes "my range" is when someone has been shooting steel core, steel jacketed or Tracers and catches the canyon on fire.

Tracers are a felony in Kommiefornia . . . For good reason. Most public ranges won't allow Milsurp ammo that is steel anything.

Mike

Yep, not only tracers but steel jacketed too. When a steel jacket hits rocks there are sparks galore and then half the world burns down.

Which range do you use?

 

[Snakeoil]

Naw 900 would be a perfect score. 90 rounds x2 people 180 rounds.

CW

That's what I thought initially. But then you typed 1800 primers. I figured you must be knee-deep in primers if you can pop off 1800 per match.

 

[popper]

Dang Snakeoil, just mowing the shooting lane would wear me out. Where is that range?

 

[Snakeoil]

Dang Snakeoil, just mowing the shooting lane would wear me out. Where is that range?

In the Albany, NY area. http://forbesrifleandpistolclub.org/index.htm

The club has a tractor for mowing the non-firing line areas and a small lawn tractor for the firing lines.

Forbes Club is adjacent to the Watervliet F&G club. Forbes actually owns Rifle Range Rd which is the road into Watervliet. Their skeet, trap and 5-stand fields shoot across the 1000 yd range.

Here is an aerial view of the property. There is no clubhouse for Forbes.

 

[david s]

[url=https://postimages.org/] [/URL] So, I took a rifle for a walk in a gopher field on Sunday. The rifle was a CZ 527 in 17 Hornet. When walking I shoot over a Bog Pod tripod and sit in a folding camp stool and carry what ever else I need in a small day pack. This isn't a stable as a benchrest but it's better than cross sticks or trying prone over a daypack.

 

[david s]

First nice day in way to long. The trees in town are about two weeks behind in leafing out the weathers been so cool and overcast. This is a view over the shooting pod. Basically, you shoot until the gophers get educated and begin to stay down, then you move to a different location. There's still snow up higher but not enough for the coming fire season. Sorry about the two post but for some reason I'm having trouble getting things to work correctly today. I honestly think my wireless mouse may be wearing out.

 

[glassparman]

Yep, not only tracers but steel jacketed too. When a steel jacket hits rocks there are sparks galore and then half the world burns down.

Which range do you use?

Yeah, the canyons by my house burn at least twice a year. People from L.A. come up here and trash the desert bringing TVs, washers and anything else they want to shoot up and leave it all behind.

I have not used a public range since my oldest was in 4H shooting sports. Back then we used a range called "A place to shoot" in San Francisquito canyon.

 

[Pressman]

Indoor range, custom Norinco 50BR rimfire rifle and S&W 22 revolver. Mostly plinking as the rifle has a bad scope. The Smith on the other hand is good, the more I work with it the better it gets.

Life gets in the way now and no shooting for another month or so.
Ken

 

[462]

Rick,
Don't know if you were asking Mike or me what range, but mine is Laguna Seca.

Four or five years ago, some idiot fired his handgun into an area that was way outside the shooting range proper. His bullet hit a a section of concrete culvert and started a fire. It's clearly posted that steel jacketed and tracer ammunition is not allowed.

As soon as the grasses start to dry out and turn brown, the Bureau of Land Management closes the areas that are otherwise open to shooters.

 

[Snakeoil]

Basically, you shoot until the gophers get educated and begin to stay down, then you move to a different location.

Do the gophers not respond to a whistle? Woodchucks out here in NY stand right up when you whistle.

 

[popper]

IMHO he is mixing gopher and PDs. Gopher pretty much stay underground.
Range day with AR10 308W and softer alloy. Not to bad, 168gr PC GC 40gr IMR 4895. Much better with 311 vs the 309 they came out last time. Shot the cva BO, 145 PC PB, lighter load than scope set for so I adjusted it. Not to shabby either but not F class comp.
308, noticed some neck tension diff when loading. Got some excessive white smoke, assume PC residue. Recoil still getting me.

 

[david s]

Do the gophers not respond to a whistle? Woodchucks out here in NY stand right up when you whistle.

Gophers will respond to a whistle. I actually own a gopher whistle just to show how goofy a hobby can get. It's a cut off piece of aluminum arrow with a brass end that makes a high-pitched chirp. Gopher shooting is just that shooting it's not hunting. You shoot them when they're out running around feeding chasing each other and every once in a while, they will stand up to look for predators and as long as there not behind a tuft of grass or a log or gopher hole you get a shot. It's when they stand to look about you get a shot, unless they go off running again. I have however hunted gophers. With a friend walking an old logging road that was now a Christmas tree lot. One of us would stand back and whistle back at an unseen gopher's whistle while the shooter would stalk ahead. The gopher would stand still at the edge of its burrow, and it was the shooters job to locate it. There really hard to see if not moving even when right up on them. About the time the shooter spotted the whistling gopher the varmint would decide the jig was up and dive down the hole. Thats as close to hunting them as I've come. We call Columbian ground squirrels' gophers here. Prairie dogs are pretty scarce locally. PD's are also quite a bit larger than gophers. We do have rock chucks in certain areas, what easterners call ground hogs or woodchucks. I don't think our rock chucks get as big as wood chucks generally.

 

[david s]

There is a gopher in the very center of the upper photo. He was about 30-35 yards away wondering who was making all the noise. The lower photo is just a blow up of the center of the previous photo. All the dirt in front of the gopher is where the gopher hole is. There's no point in shooting them this close. Sometimes they'll just stand and whistle at you to let other gophers know your in the area.