210 yards on steel with my Big Boy

[DAVIDF]

More than amazing shooting, David, especially using the stock sights on your Henry.....great job! And I agree with your bottom line that "it was extremely fun." Isn't it cool to hear the POIs clang the steel?!? Yes, yes and double thumbs up!

Also agree that it is very challenging to see those black steel targets at that distance. I would bet that if you placed even a very small front bead sight dead-on bull, it would wipe out the target completely from your vision....and then some. As far as some long-distance shooting, been there, done that. But not with a Henry centerfire rifle. I had a blast during the two summers I did a lot of long-distance shooting of 1-oz. slugs out of my Benelli 12-gauge smooth bore pump shotgun. Shot at black steel targets similar to what you used. The s/g was equipped with only an 18-1/2" barrel, and rear ghost-ring and front blade sights. Shot at 200 yards and 236 yards. Very much fun! Would do all those range visits over in a minute.

I really hope you continue, and I'd vote go for it. I'll look forward to your future Range Reports whenever you shoot looong again.
Enjoyed everything you shared in your thread.
Take good care...PT7

I have been working on trying to shoot more accurately at 210 yards with my Big Boy.

Wow, those distances with a smoothbore! That is a challenge at a whole different level I definitely will continue shooting at that distance with the Henry. It was fun trying to predict the Kentucky windage required. I saw the weather forecast for the predicted winds and used a ballistics calculator to predict the hold (http://www.shooterscalculator.com/balli ... eate+Chart+) I was holding a little off the right side of the bigger plate most of the time due to the wind from my right. Sometimes just as I squeezed the trigger, the wind would change to my back or completely stop and I would see the impact in the berm where I was aiming. Or, it would gust even harder and it would impact just off the left side of the plate.

[PT7]

The ballistics calculator looks like an evening's math homework assignment from my high school years!

Your Range Report and shooting goals have me wishing I could repeat every hour of those two summers I spent at the range with my 12-ga shotgun; it was an amazingly fun experience! As I said, I like reading about the shooting challenges you've put before you.

Although I paid attention to the Kentucky windage, the greater challenge for me was adjusting the elevation in order to hit the steel at that longer distance. I remember "creeping up" the 4"x4" wood pole the target was hanging from, letting the target completely disappear as the bore covered it, and finally sending the slug downrange. A rear ladder sight on my s/g would have been cool, but have never seen that configuration on a s/g. The ghost-ring is a great rear sight for me --- especially when I could see the target!

For the last couple of years, my son-in-law has been competing in a national long-distance shooting competition. And from my perspective, the distances are really out there. He and his spotter finished the 2017 competition late last fall, and they ended up shooting his Ruger Precision Rifle in 6.5 Creedmore at 1200 yards!! It really is astonishing, as they did, to put 5-rounds into a less-than-4.5" group. I would have like to have been there to watch. Of course, I would have needed a good set of binocs to see those POIs as they happened!

Looking forward to your next outing. Have much fun, and be safe.
PT7

Wow, those distances with a smoothbore! That is a challenge at a whole different level I definitely will continue shooting at that distance with the Henry. It was fun trying to predict the Kentucky windage required. I saw the weather forecast for the predicted winds and used a ballistics calculator to predict the hold (http://www.shooterscalculator.com/balli ... eate+Chart+) I was holding a little off the right side of the bigger plate most of the time due to the wind from my right. Sometimes just as I squeezed the trigger, the wind would change to my back or completely stop and I would see the impact in the berm where I was aiming. Or, it would gust even harder and it would impact just off the left side of the plate.

[DAVIDF]

My wife Olga and I went to the range this morning. Nothing further than 10 yards this time. She got to shoot my sons Ruger 10/22, my friends new Ruger PC and LC9s. Shot all of them on a steel plate rack. We were going to shoot some at the 100 yard range with my Henry and her AR, but decided to cut it short as a friend asked her to join her this afternoon for a Good Friday service. We also wanted to have lunch at a Belgium restaurant we have not tried yet. We love Belgium beers and food. We spent a week in Brussels with Olga's daughter a couple of years ago, spending much of it in Delirium Café.

On the way to the restaurant all our plans changed. A dog was wandering in the middle of HWY 46, a two lane 55mph road. Trucks and cars were coming to a stop in front of us and then slowly going around. We pulled over and he came right over and proceeded to try to attempt to climb into my truck. I lifted him up as he is very old and could barely walk. He has some tender spots and a number of growths. He didn't like me touching his right side as I was trying to lift him and gently mouthed my hand. I finally got him over to the middle seat and we drove back and forth drown the road stopping at a business, a restaurant/bar, & asking if anyone knew him. We also saw a gentlemen who we've seen before walking along the highway and stopped to ask him. No one was familiar with him. We imagine someone just dropped him at the side of the road and drove off. I'll be taking him tomorrow to a vet to see if he has been microchipped. Probably not. Meanwhile, he is at home with us and our two girl terriers. All three of them are very calm. He was very eager to get here and come into our home. As you can see in the background, we like IPA's I am having one now.

[CT_Shooter]

I'll be taking him tomorrow to a vet to see if he has been microchipped.... He was very eager to get here and come into our home.

That's a heartwarming story, David. I hope he has a happy and healthy life with you and your family. Thanks.

[DAVIDF]

I'll be taking him tomorrow to a vet to see if he has been microchipped.... He was very eager to get here and come into our home.

That's a heartwarming story, David. I hope he has a happy and healthy life with you and your family. Thanks.

If we don't find his family (given that his family actually wants him) then we'll keep him. I don't know how much longer he has to live, he is quite old, restless, and has a hard time walking. But, his fur seems to be in excellent condition even with his extreme shedding. My truck is now filled with his fur

Another option may be a foster home. I am not putting any effort yet to look and probably wont. Definitely not a shelter, he seems to be quite used to being inside a home and is well house trained. I want him to live out the rest of his life in comfort and safety.

[DAVIDF]

An update on the old boy we found, turns out his name is "Rascal" and he is 17 years old. The owner, Dan, called me yesterday and picked him up. He was here from West Virginia visiting friends in Geneva FL. He used to live here. He now has a wonderful piece of property with horses, rabbits, chickens, and cattle. Perfect place for Rascal as he, at least in his younger days herded all of them. Rascal is a very gentle dog that used to catch the rabbits that got loose and would pin them down gently until Dan could retrieve them.

On Friday when we found him, we stopped at a restaurant and bar named "The Alibi". It wasn't open at the time and we didn't see anyone around. I was pulling back out of the parking lot but my wife suggested that she walk around and see if she could find someone while I wait with the dog. She found the owner of the bar and he came over and took a look at the dog and got my phone number. A friend of Dan stopped by The Alibi and found out that we had Rascal. If my wife hadn't insisted on looking around more, Rascal may have not been reunited with his family. Definitely not as quickly.

[CT_Shooter]

An update on the old boy we found, turns out his name is "Rascal" and he is 17 years old.

That's a happy ending to the story of Rascal, David; very sweet. Thanks.

[DAVIDF]

When Dan called me, he told me that he had been looking all night thru the swamps behind his friends home using night vision. He also asked me if I needed anything. I told him no, come over anytime to pick up Rascal.

When he got to our home, he asked again whether he could pay us for any food, or if we needed anything else. I said no, and asked him about the night vision. He said he uses them for hunting animals destroying his crops, raccoons, and he may have mentioned predators such as coyotes going after his chickens and rabbits. So I asked him, if he wanted to do anything for me that if he knew people hunting hogs around Geneva and could introduce me that would be great. He said he knew several and that the property next door (a day lily farm) to his friend has been asking them to hunt hogs on their property as they are destroying their day lilies. He said he knew some others and particularly a father and son who lives around the corner from me. Dan also said he has lots of deer on his property in WV and invited us to come up any time and stay with them and go hunting.

Yesterday, I got a call from Dan who thanked me again and then put Travis (the son he mentioned) on the phone. Travis offered to take me out where he hunts, sometimes 3 to 5 times a week, for some stalking. Not only did I really enjoy having Rascal around for the weekend, but I may get to do some nice hunting!

Dan is a stand up guy, very generous, and it is easy to tell that Rascal is quite attached to him. As much as I would have liked Rascal to stay with us permanently, I am very happy that they got reunited.