Shooting on MY new range, finally.

[BrokenolMarine]

The Three Stooges Do the Range Thing...

Well Mo....

Some of you may have seen a couple of posts of Miss T and I shooting (finally ) on the new range. It's only been TWO years. This morning the plan was to take the new Ruger Predator down and check the bore sighted scope and see what kind of groups I could put up. Miss T rolled her eyes on that one. NOT interested. She was going to hang out with Miss Fiona and rest up. It has been a long hot week so far.

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I gathered about fifteen rounds of standard surplus military ball 223, and a box of soft point hunting ammo, the Ranch Rifle, which allows the use of AR mags... and headed to the Range House to gather the equipment to set up at 50 yards. Headed down to the berm to set up the target frame and target. The day was overcast and cool at 80 degrees. I'm not complaining.

I set up the target frame and have a bright orange grid target, the "Sighting" target. I'm feeling good. I head up to the 50 yard line and when I touch the folding table in the back of the ranger... ... I hear a crack of thunder. Mother Nature is laughing. The skies open and heavy rain starts to fall. I have the spotting scope in on the tripod in the back of the ranger, but covered by spare cardboard targets. I jump in the driver's seat and run back to the berm and pull the target frame.

I race back up the pasture road and thru the gate and park in the garage. The target on the frame is soaked, but the spotting scope is dry. As I close the garage door, the rain stops. I start to curse Mother Nature, and a light rain starts again. WE NEED THE Rain... Thanks Mom...

I'll sight the rifle in another day.

Don't tell mom, but I really was looking forward to sighting in that Ranch Rifle.

[BrokenolMarine]

It's supposed to rain for the next five days, but maybe I can catch a break and sneak in some range time.
We REALLY need the rain, I'm Not complaining.

[fortyshooter]

Same thing happens when I fire up the grill or Mustang and do neither when rain chance is more than 20% or skies really thick and gray!

[Vaquero]

Same thing happens when I fire up the grill or Mustang and do neither when rain chance is more than 20% or skies really thick and gray!

We grill several times a week, rain or shine.

RP

[BrokenolMarine]

The day was overcast again today, and had been rainy early in the morning, but the sun kept peeking thru. I think mother nature was trying to tease, but I decided to give it a go... I slipped down to the range house and loaded up what wasn't already in the Ranger, and headed down to the berm to set up.

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I headed up range once the target was up, and I had given the target from the other day plenty of time to dry, so all was not lost. It was a little wrinkly, but this wasn't a match, I was just going to shoot it. I decided to go for it. I set up the table and make do chair at 60 yards. Good Coyote shootin' distance.

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Good thing there is a scope on the rifle and a spotting scope to check the target. Hoo Whee, that's a long way to the target.
I brought 15 rounds of surplus military ball ammo and shot five shot groups to check the scope. I was NOT happy with the table, but made do. The first two shots were high and right, but were tight. I called it a group and made a sight adjustment.

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Two more shots and I had moved a little more left than I wanted and not much DOWN.... (red circled)





I fired my fifth shot and it was centered but too low. (blue circled)

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I made the adjustments, and reloaded the mag. Two more shots and the rounds looked good, just an bit low.

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A tiny adjustment and fired three for effect.

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I moved up to the squared sighting area in the upper left corner and fired four.

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This is what the Corps used to call "Chasing the Bull." You were sighted in, and going all around the aiming point. I didn't mess with the sights, I just dropped back down to the center of the target and squeezed... one... off... and pulled it.

I was out of military ball.

I loaded three rounds of hunting ammo. This stuff is expensive. I sighted in on the upper RIGHT corner and put one in the center. Yes.
I sighted in and followed it. Alright....
and the last of the three, is in there. We're good.

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An overview of the entire target.

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That last shot of the Military Ammo I pulled can be seen here. Look at 5 o'clock below the center of the target for the round with the box around it.
Yup, that's it. Not a bad shot, just NOT in the center of the target where it should be. New Rifle, new trigger...

Overall I am very pleased with the rifle and the scope. I'll shoot again and set up a better platform to shoot from. My right elbow was dangling in space the whole time and not anchored. Poor base, poor shooting. I know better, but didn't feel like looking for a stool or better table.

[BrokenolMarine]

For some reason it won't let me delete the extra copy of G1b at the bottom of the post... sorry.
pretend it's not there.
bom

[BrokenolMarine]

If you look at the groups as I called them individually as sighting adjustment pairs, the gun actually did pretty well for a first outing. With the exception of called flyers, most of these groups were between 1/2 - 1" off a shakey makeshift bench with a wobbly old shooter. Tighten both up, you got a winner.

I'm good with that.

[Hatchdog]

Well now you’ve gone and done it. You took a target that was merely wrinkly and made it wrinkly and holy!

I enjoy chasing the bull and dialing in scopes. When I shoot.223 at 100 I have to use the splat targets to see my impacts. Helps as when I’m at the range it can be quite a bit of time between cease fires. Sure do envy you (and others) having your personal ranges where you can go down range at will.

Looks like you had an enjoyable time at the range.

[BrokenolMarine]

Don't think I could see that thru the rifle scope. I have a nice spotting scope from my competition days. I can see flies on the targets at fifty yards.

[Rifletom]

Good day at the range Marine. All things considered, new rifle, semi woobly bench, things turned out pretty good.
What's the yellow paneled box in the range house. Neat box.

[BrokenolMarine]

Good day at the range Marine. All things considered, new rifle, semi woobly bench, things turned out pretty good.
What's the yellow paneled box in the range house. Neat box.

That was a show tack box Tina won showing Arabs. When I started shooting PPC at state level, she gave it to me to use as my "support" box. It had my brass range rods, sight pushers, gunsmith screwdrivers, other tools, spare shooting glasses and the like in it. It also had the can of carbide for blackening sights, and other supplies.

My range box was an open tray like the wives carry around the house with cleaning supplies in them, but actually made for competition, sized to hold speedloader trays, etc.

[clovishound]

On the one hand, I'm jealous that you have a range in your own backyard. On the other hand, I feel lucky that I have a range available less than 10 min from my house that charges a $125 a year for membership that allows both me and the Pup to use. Plus it's indoor, which isn't so great for rifles (25 yd max), but means rain, cold, hot, mosquitoes, aren't a problem.

[BrokenolMarine]

If I open the door to the range house, I can shoot 80 yards with an extension cord from the coop running adequate heat in the winter. Close the door between shots. In the summer, I just... Sweat. If it's raining, I'm retired.

Although, I may put in a covered shooting position later.

[BrokenolMarine]

Still working on the berm. Over the last week Miss T and I have moved more dirt from the pile as the weather loosens it. The berm inside the berm wall grows thicker and taller. We will continue to move the dirt from that pile until it's all BERM.

The pile is concrete until the rains or moisture loosens it.

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Once it does, we use the tractor to move it over to the berm and try to evenly distribute it across the berm to raise the level and thickness. I'll continue to do so as long as I can, and if necessary, remark the range lines to reflect a new ZERO because the berm got too thick to use the old one.
Happily remark the line markers.

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Slow and steady, no rush since we can shoot on the berm now. There is another pile twice as big at the neighbor's he wants moved. We just need to get a dump trailer or dump truck to do it. To far to make trips with the tractors.

[Sir Henry]

Great report! We have all chased zero. I’ll be looking forward to some winter reports.

[fortyshooter]

Will you seed it with some type grass to prevent erosion?

[dave77]

Will you seed it with some type grass to prevent erosion?

Some kind of low growing, drought resistant ground cover would be better. Wouldn't need mowing or much watering.

[BrokenolMarine]

Once we finish adding dirt and get it shaped well plant low ground cover of some sort. No point until the dirt is all in place. But good advice. I had grass come up naturally on the Virginia berm as all the dirt was recycled ditch dirt or topsoil.

[DsGrouse]

Look at finding wood chips locally. You know the stuff that is collected and ground up from storms. Usually, they will deliver for free.

[clovishound]

Just start woodturning. If you turn much you will generate a TON of shavings. DAMHIK

It's amazing how large a pile of shavings comes from a small chunk of log.