Henry Rifle Forums

For the last couple of years, our back yard air gun range has been located in a low, swampy, boggy area. That worked, okay, for awhile, but this last year has been very wet, so I actually had to put on rubber boots just to post targets. That, and the mosquitoes have made sitting at the bench miserable. Definitely time for a move.


The range is now up on higher ground on our lawn, with the one lone backstop just off the edge of the lawn a few feet back in the woods. The backstop consists of some old lumber we collected around the place, mostly from an old dock. Nice to get the old lumber cleaned out and recycled, so to speak. No need for a backstop with the bullet traps, of course, but the backstop will do nicely for keep pellets from getting sprayed all over the woods with the other targets. Don't care to fill up our woods with lead.


Have two benches setup to use with the one lone backstop. One bench is at 35 yards and one is at 50 yards. The 35 yard bench will be used the most because I consider 35 yards to be kind of a home base for air gun shooting. At 35 yards, most of my air guns are fully capable of shooting one ragged hole groups under a variety of shooting conditions. Can pretty much count on that kind of performance unless the weather turns very nasty.

That extra 15 yards out to 50 yards, though, turns air gun shooting into another game, completely. My better guns are still capable of shooting one hole groups at 50 - have done it with them - but it takes a day of perfect shooting conditions and me at the top of my game to get it done. Never something I can count on doing. At 50 yards, my more usual groups open up to half inch to inch and a quarter. Still a lot of fun, though, and, as always, the challenge is irresistible to me.

I also have to confess to adding a luxury feature to my new range. By design, the distance to the backstop from our elevated deck, just a step outside our kitchen door, is also 35 yards. Yup, I can just walk out our kitchen with a cup of fresh coffee, sit down in a lawn chair and do some shooting. Doesn't get any more decadent and sinful than that.

So, to break in our new range, I chose one of my favorite air guns. It's the Air Arms (made in England) ProSport underlever springer with a Nikon Prostaff EFR. Great offhand rifle.


Did a quick sight adjustment from a rest at the 35 yard bench, then proceeded to have fun with the metal targets, shooting offhand, of course.


"Home on the range" now takes on a new meaning. Life is good.

That's awesome. I would love to shoot at home but it would have to be BB guns. Neighbors are not exactly close but enough to hear the Henry go bang. Good looking range ya got there.

Good to see you will be on dry ground. Nice to get a view of your north woods.
The bark on that birch tree is beautiful.
And the gun.....beeeutiful.

RanchRoper wrote:That's awesome. I would love to shoot at home but it would have to be BB guns. Neighbors are not exactly close but enough to hear the Henry go bang. Good looking range ya got there.

Just curious RR but have you ever approached your neighbors about shooting? They may not be as against it as you think. I bet my neighbors are a lot closer than yours and I shoot the .22s.

You might be able to set up a little rimfire range there and have some fun. BTW, I stick to subsonics and quiets.

Henry makes a good point. 22 LR quiet loads or 22 Short CBs are actually quieter than my spring piston guns or even my pneumatics when shot out of a 22 rifle. In fact, makes me nervous to shoot them in a rifle because I wonder if I got a squib load. They are that quiet. Prefer to shoot them out of my Contender pistols or revolvers and, even there, no louder than my piston guns. The only thing quieter is a good PCP air rifle that has been properly shrouded, which most are, and, even then, not much difference in noise.

Those bullet traps you see in my pics are rated for 22 LR, too.

That new range looks like it will function much better. The other one had a better view.

Great shooting results as well. I look forward to seeing more results from the new range.

Looks to me like the yard work might be minimal to. Nice set up. City folk are jealous. Al

Thanks, folks. Have to admit that I'm getting a little greedy, now. I dream about having an enclosed and heated 35 yard indoor range for winter shooting. I shoot at 10 meters in the basement, now, in winter months, but 35 yards would be nice. Or maybe even 50 yards.

North Country Gal wrote:Thanks, folks. Have to admit that I'm getting a little greedy, now. I dream about having an enclosed and heated 35 yard indoor range for winter shooting. I shoot at 10 meters in the basement, now, in winter months, but 35 yards would be nice. Or maybe even 50 yards.

Living room/dining rooms are highly overrated. Go for it!

RanchRoper wrote:

North Country Gal wrote:Thanks, folks. Have to admit that I'm getting a little greedy, now. I dream about having an enclosed and heated 35 yard indoor range for winter shooting. I shoot at 10 meters in the basement, now, in winter months, but 35 yards would be nice. Or maybe even 50 yards.

Living room/dining rooms are highly overrated. Go for it!

True, but where would I store all my bikes?

Looks like you need Trump there to drain the swamp .

Love your range

I must admit, I am a little disappointed that NCG is not just shooting those mosquitos. I thought she'd have a trophy room of tiny half-wings and little needle noses....

The only way I could win against the mosquitoes is if I was shooting a full auto air gun equipped with a thousand round magazine and, even then, I don't think I'd win.

Speaking about mosquitoes when shooting, just like to remind everyone about being careful with mosquito repellants that use DEET. DON'T get any on your gun stock. DEET is actually a very effective finish remover. Have actually used it in a pinch when refinishing a stock. Will gum up a nice stock finish in a hurry. It's why I prefer to wait to shoot for a time of day when the bugs aren't so bad, rather than lathering myself up with repellant.

North Country Gal wrote:The only way I could win against the mosquitoes is if I was shooting a full auto air gun equipped with a thousand round magazine and, even then, I don't think I'd win.

Speaking about mosquitoes when shooting, just like to remind everyone about being careful with mosquito repellants that use DEET. DON'T get any on your gun stock. DEET is actually a very effective finish remover. Have actually used it in a pinch when refinishing a stock. Will gum up a nice stock finish in a hurry. It's why I prefer to wait to shoot for a time of day when the bugs aren't so bad, rather than lathering myself up with repellant.

I did not know that. Thanks!

I live in a semi-desert area . There no water near my house . So no skeeters . I don't think I got bit 20X in 7 yrs I've lived here . My part of Tx is hot , dry and windy . My house electric is 100% from windmills here in part of TX and blows all the skeeter here in Tx north to NCG house .

I used deet repellent to help unfrost my headlight covers. It really eats up the finish.

A neat trick we learned from fly fishing...

A grouchy old friend told me to take a dryer sheet, "bounce" I think is the brand we used, and stick it inside your hat. If the skeeters or little biting flies show up, rub your arms, face, back of your neck, etc; with the dryer sheet and tuck it back in your hat. Not only will your hair NOT suffer from static cling, but the nasty little biters, won't... bite.

I know, I know.... I was skeptical too. But wading a creek, years ago, through clouds of the little "bass-tards" and throwing a three weight fly rod after tiny wild trout... ... I realized I hadn't stopped to swat one bug, nor been bitten. Plus, I smelled like a spring morning.

(If you use this trick for fishing... wash your hands before tying on baits, unless you find the new earthworm scented dryer sheets. )

Anywho... I recalled this trick on my way down to my range last week to shoot the henry carbine, and with the heat and rain... the gnats have been bad the last month. Dryer sheet in the hat. No bites, and very few flying near me.

Actually, I have tried that trick and it really does work. Thanks for reminding me. Sure beats spraying yourself with that smelly DEET stuff.

Reminds me of a visit from a friend in London. She claims they have no mosquitoes, over there, and was very apprehensive about visiting our north woods because of all the stories she heard about the mosquitoes. She, too, had heard about the dryer sheet trick, so when she arrived, she had stuffed several boxes worth of dryer sheets in all her pockets, down her pants, in her socks, in her bra, basically anywhere she could stuff a dryer sheet. Hate to say it, but the dryer sheet odor around her made your eyes water. She did survive her north woods visit, but she stayed indoors most of the time. I felt sorry for her and did my best to make her comfortable. So hard for outdoor people like me, though, to understand how very different life must be for city folk like her.

North Country Gal wrote: So hard for outdoor people like me, though, to understand how very different life must be for city folk like her.

X2

I think it is easier for the country mouse to survive a week in the city than it is for the city mouse to survive a week in the sticks.