Range Report: this is the life!

[Sir Henry]

It’s 11F up from a low of 3F so I thought I would venture out and do some plinking. This time it’s the Charger Mares Leg and CCI 40 grain SV.

64E42C68-0874-40A7-B966-A7133225F4F3.jpeg (2.66 MiB) Viewed 582 times

It’s really nice to make a decision to “go shooting” and literally be squeezing the trigger a minute later. My only wish is that my targets (traps) were smaller. Hitting an 11”x11” target offhand at 50 yards isn’t all that challenging.

[daytime dave]

That sure is a great life.

[Hatchdog]

Looks cold, brrrrrr. If you’re hitting an 11” square target at 50 yards with that modified charger you’re doing great.

Sure are a lot of birds in your sky.

[Sir Henry]

That sure is a great life.

Happy days are over. I have to put my snowshoes on and walk up to the top trap. The last shot I made knocked it off the stand.

21C15F1F-778F-44AD-A3C0-8336C8B48700.jpeg (840.7 KiB) Viewed 572 times

The range and hoppy room are so close I had visions of shooting in my slippers all winter. I load a magazine or tube inside and shoot outside. Then come back inside to warm up and reload.

3125812A-54B3-46AE-B95A-70500FA6793A.jpeg (3.53 MiB) Viewed 572 times

I keep all my daily shooters in the Snap-On chest. My main gun room it upstairs where I keep the majority of my firearms. It’s rare to shoot something besides the dozen I keep in the chest.

[Sir Henry]

Looks cold, brrrrrr. If you’re hitting an 11” square target at 50 yards with that modified charger you’re doing great.

Sure are a lot of birds in your sky.

That’s snow.

[Sir Henry]

I reset the target on the table and checked the other two. I impact from .22 SV is pushing them back.

3535CFBC-217A-4213-B176-4C16F8387993.jpeg (3.56 MiB) Viewed 569 times

This trap is set on a used mailbox hanger and is very secure.

54314D1C-EA22-4E5F-BBC5-C6EA9F2D2AE8.jpeg (2.36 MiB) Viewed 569 times

The view from the targets back to the house and shooting area.

C1A8E626-4F0A-48DA-8DE8-6C2E7756ECBD.jpeg (2.91 MiB) Viewed 569 times

[North Country Gal]

Any reason you are not setting up those traps with a paper target? That's what they are designed to use. of course, I do understand if you're not too eager to wade out through that snow to put up pier targets at 50 yards. I really hate that chore, too. You could, though, rig up a metal swinger in front of those bullet traps or even hang a heavy steel plate from it.

Here's an example. I have a heavy steel hanger target, actually rated for centerfire pistol use hanging from the mesh wire. It's the yellow target with ears to the center/left in the pic. Be a cinch to hang it to that bullet trap at the lower right, but I use paper targets on that bullet trap. That would get you a more challenging target for rimfire work, but you'd still have the safety advantage of using the bullet trap. I think this is a 3" or maybe 4" plate, but I'm sure you could larger or smaller. Anyway, just a thought.

[fortyshooter]

Much fun on a snowy Sunday! 11 degrees.... Going out around here 42 with some wind stopped my decision to go down to my range today to spread some deer feed around plus have work to do around the home today.New refrigerator coming tomorrow and might have to grease it up to get thru the back door....going to be tight! Think I remember seeing a door jamb spreader down at Harbor Frieght!

[Sir Henry]

Any reason you are not setting up those traps with a paper target? That's what they are designed to use. of course, I do understand if you're not too eager to wade out through that snow to put up pier targets at 50 yards. I really hate that chore, too. You could, though, rig up a metal swinger in front of those bullet traps or even hang a heavy steel plate from it.

Here's an example. I have a heavy steel hanger target, actually rated for centerfire pistol use hanging from the mesh wire. It's the yellow target with ears to the center/left in the pic. Be a cinch to hang it to that bullet trap at the lower right, but I use paper targets on that bullet trap. That would get you a more challenging target for rimfire work, but you'd still have the safety advantage of using the bullet trap. I think this is a 3" or maybe 4" plate, but I'm sure you could larger or smaller. Anyway, just a thought.

I want to be able to use the traps for both paper and as gongs. Right now I can’t really do that because it’s winter. Next summer I will set it up so I can shoot smaller objects without walking out to the targets in the winter. I had the berm pushed up late in the year and it went from mud directly to snow. Next spring and summer I’ll have more time to prepare for winter.

I’m finding Wisconsin has two seasons -winter and preparing for winter.

[Sir Henry]

Much fun on a snowy Sunday! 11 degrees.... Going out around here 42 with some wind stopped my decision to go down to my range today to spread some deer feed around plus have work to do around the home today.New refrigerator coming tomorrow and might have to grease it up to get thru the back door....going to be tight! Think I remember seeing a door jamb spreader down at Harbor Frieght!

Door spreaders are also known as shot guns.