Jimmie's No-Shoot Range Day
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2023 9:16 pm
I thought I'd go to my local gun range I'm a member of to see how my most recent reloads for the 30-30 might happen to group today.
Loaded up the truck, drove the lengthy 10 minute drive down to the range. Cool; nobody else there, had the whole place to myself, sunshine, temps in the upper 30s. Good day for shootin', I thought. Our range has a locked gate that you are given a "credit card" like deal to open the gate. Once you're inside, we have a key we're given to unlock the locked cabinets that contain stuff we need to hang targets, sandbags, and stuff for shootin'. I keep my gate card & that cabinet key in a ziplock baggie. I grabbed the baggie to get the gate card, not knowing the baggie had come "unzipped" before I grabbed it. As I grabbed the baggie to get the gate card, I heard a "clink, clink, clink" sound, but didn't yet connect the dots about the sound. Unloaded my rifles and ammo and stuff I keep in a range toolbox, signed in, and went to unlock the cabinet. Where's the stinkin' key for the cabinet????
At that moment, I kinda figured out the source of that noise i heard earlier. It might've been my key clinking. Had no idea whatsoever where it went. Hadn't seen it fall; only heard a clinking metallic noise. After looking around the parking lot to be certain I hadn't dropped it there, I looked around in my range toolbox, and then inside the truck. Nothing turned up, so I gave up. Reloaded my rifles & range junk in the truck, and pointed the F150 back home. Got home, grabbed a flashlight, and began searching under the seats and such. Hmmm. Sure are a lotta old french fries under here. I began pitching those out, but thought that if a bird or other animal decided to eat one, it could get lodged in their throat sideways, the animal might choke on it, and then I'd be the leading story on our 5 oclock news. Picked the stupid things up and put 'em in the trash.
Next layer was old candy. Kraft carmels I had no clue how those got there? Ditto for the "Dots" candy. Old wrappers, receipts, safety pins, paper clips, dog hair, Doritos, and etc.. I began fearing what might turn up next as my imagination went wild. A casserole from the church potluck dinner? 8-track tapes?? Classified documents? Them things do seem to be turning up everywhere lately, huh?? Anything might possibly be under there, and I grew concerned.....
Next out came the screwdrivers and wrenches, along with searches for youtube videos and internet advice about how to dismantle the interior of a 2013 F150. Not too successful with that, and with half the interior dismantled that I was able to "Cave Man" apart with a rock, I decided to to give the flashlight and mild swear words another shot. Finally caught sight of the key inside a "tunnel" for the console's hinge, near the driver's seat belt, but how does that stuff come apart? I tried "fishing" for that goofy key with a coat hanger with chewing gum for bait (it's worked before on other such "fishing expeditions..... ), a long pencil magnet (no luck there; its brass or something else non-magnetic), and back to my mild swear words (Shucks, gee whiz, Awww Poop, and etc.).
In desperation, I grabbed one of the plastic trim panels for the console/seat belt, and tapped it with a screwdriver handle. Out plopped that key onto the rubber mat of the floorboard! Success!!! Dance of Joy, Dance of Joy!!!! Only took 2.5 hours!!! Another half hour or so, and the truck was pretty much back together, with no leftover or broken parts! I next spent some quality time with my Shop Vac, mostly getting rid of the buffet dinner under the seats, wrappers, and God-Only-Knows-What else was living there. I believe I'm scarred for life now.
At that point, with the truck mostly back in one piece, and with daylight fading and temps dropping, I got out my Lever Action BB gun and shot some cans. All in all, one of the better Tuesdays I've had lately.
Loaded up the truck, drove the lengthy 10 minute drive down to the range. Cool; nobody else there, had the whole place to myself, sunshine, temps in the upper 30s. Good day for shootin', I thought. Our range has a locked gate that you are given a "credit card" like deal to open the gate. Once you're inside, we have a key we're given to unlock the locked cabinets that contain stuff we need to hang targets, sandbags, and stuff for shootin'. I keep my gate card & that cabinet key in a ziplock baggie. I grabbed the baggie to get the gate card, not knowing the baggie had come "unzipped" before I grabbed it. As I grabbed the baggie to get the gate card, I heard a "clink, clink, clink" sound, but didn't yet connect the dots about the sound. Unloaded my rifles and ammo and stuff I keep in a range toolbox, signed in, and went to unlock the cabinet. Where's the stinkin' key for the cabinet????
At that moment, I kinda figured out the source of that noise i heard earlier. It might've been my key clinking. Had no idea whatsoever where it went. Hadn't seen it fall; only heard a clinking metallic noise. After looking around the parking lot to be certain I hadn't dropped it there, I looked around in my range toolbox, and then inside the truck. Nothing turned up, so I gave up. Reloaded my rifles & range junk in the truck, and pointed the F150 back home. Got home, grabbed a flashlight, and began searching under the seats and such. Hmmm. Sure are a lotta old french fries under here. I began pitching those out, but thought that if a bird or other animal decided to eat one, it could get lodged in their throat sideways, the animal might choke on it, and then I'd be the leading story on our 5 oclock news. Picked the stupid things up and put 'em in the trash.
Next layer was old candy. Kraft carmels I had no clue how those got there? Ditto for the "Dots" candy. Old wrappers, receipts, safety pins, paper clips, dog hair, Doritos, and etc.. I began fearing what might turn up next as my imagination went wild. A casserole from the church potluck dinner? 8-track tapes?? Classified documents? Them things do seem to be turning up everywhere lately, huh?? Anything might possibly be under there, and I grew concerned.....
Next out came the screwdrivers and wrenches, along with searches for youtube videos and internet advice about how to dismantle the interior of a 2013 F150. Not too successful with that, and with half the interior dismantled that I was able to "Cave Man" apart with a rock, I decided to to give the flashlight and mild swear words another shot. Finally caught sight of the key inside a "tunnel" for the console's hinge, near the driver's seat belt, but how does that stuff come apart? I tried "fishing" for that goofy key with a coat hanger with chewing gum for bait (it's worked before on other such "fishing expeditions..... ), a long pencil magnet (no luck there; its brass or something else non-magnetic), and back to my mild swear words (Shucks, gee whiz, Awww Poop, and etc.).
In desperation, I grabbed one of the plastic trim panels for the console/seat belt, and tapped it with a screwdriver handle. Out plopped that key onto the rubber mat of the floorboard! Success!!! Dance of Joy, Dance of Joy!!!! Only took 2.5 hours!!! Another half hour or so, and the truck was pretty much back together, with no leftover or broken parts! I next spent some quality time with my Shop Vac, mostly getting rid of the buffet dinner under the seats, wrappers, and God-Only-Knows-What else was living there. I believe I'm scarred for life now.
At that point, with the truck mostly back in one piece, and with daylight fading and temps dropping, I got out my Lever Action BB gun and shot some cans. All in all, one of the better Tuesdays I've had lately.