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Jimmie's No-Shoot Range Day

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Mr. Neutron
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Jimmie's No-Shoot Range Day

Post by Mr. Neutron » 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. :oops: 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..... :o

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..... :roll: ), 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!!! :D 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. :shock:

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. :lol:
6 x
Jimmie

An Okie living in Oregon

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Headhog
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Re: Jimmie's No-Shoot Range Day

Post by Headhog » Tue Jan 24, 2023 11:07 pm

One of those days where you have this little black cloud following you around. I keep looking over my shoulder watching for that cloud and If I see it I'm heading back to bed.

Paul
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Mags
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Re: Jimmie's No-Shoot Range Day

Post by Mags » Wed Jan 25, 2023 12:07 am

Glad you found your key. Good that you did'nt find anything too creepy under the seat. I usually find dead mice.
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UPDATES: OR passes 114, "one of strictest gun control measures in U.S." https://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic. ... 34#p213234

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Mr. Neutron
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Re: Jimmie's No-Shoot Range Day

Post by Mr. Neutron » Wed Jan 25, 2023 12:26 am

Mags wrote:
Wed Jan 25, 2023 12:07 am
Glad you found your key. Good that you did'nt find anything too creepy under the seat. I usually find dead mice.
Man, oh Man! I’m hopin’ you don’t keep the same rigorous type of truck cleaning that I do nowadays, Mags. 😅
I did decide after years of trying to keep my rigs in pristine shape that it was just taking too much time. My last 2 diesel F350s were kept really clean inside, then both got hit and totaled by other driver’s errors. I decided with this F150 that it’s just a truck, not a “shrine” of some sort. It’ll probably get center punched by another driver anyways…..

And I now have a giant key ring for the gate card and the key. I figure the 1958 Chevy hub cap key fob won’t allow the key to slip through the cracks….. 😁

Yeah, Paul, it musta been one of them days I wasn’t meant to shoot the .30-30. I’ll hopefully get to shoot it in a coupla days…….. 🔫 😊
1 x
Jimmie

An Okie living in Oregon

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Re: Jimmie's No-Shoot Range Day

Post by Mags » Wed Jan 25, 2023 12:50 am

The rest of the week is supposed to be as nice as today, so you could still go back to the range and shoot.

My truck isn't a shrine either, but I don't drive it that much. so no garbage accumulation. Well, maybe some loose change. It spent a lot of time just parked outdoors. So squirrels and mice moved in between clean outs. Finally got an end of the shop cleaned out and commercial doors installed. The truck is now out of the weather and literally mothballed. Mothbrick in the engine compartment and mothballs on the shop floor under the truck. I tried Irish Spring soap (minty), but somebody was nibbling on it. So that bit of wisdom from the web is bunk. I at first had some mothballs in the cab under the seats, but that was very unpleasant when I went to use the truck.
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UPDATES: OR passes 114, "one of strictest gun control measures in U.S." https://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic. ... 34#p213234

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Re: Jimmie's No-Shoot Range Day

Post by markiver54 » Wed Jan 25, 2023 9:43 am

Mags wrote:
Wed Jan 25, 2023 12:50 am
The rest of the week is supposed to be as nice as today, so you could still go back to the range and shoot.

My truck isn't a shrine either, but I don't drive it that much. so no garbage accumulation. Well, maybe some loose change. It spent a lot of time just parked outdoors. So squirrels and mice moved in between clean outs. Finally got an end of the shop cleaned out and commercial doors installed. The truck is now out of the weather and literally mothballed. Mothbrick in the engine compartment and mothballs on the shop floor under the truck. I tried Irish Spring soap (minty), but somebody was nibbling on it. So that bit of wisdom from the web is bunk. I at first had some mothballs in the cab under the seats, but that was very unpleasant when I went to use the truck.
Try peppermint oil. Supposed to work better than moth balls.🤷
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Re: Jimmie's No-Shoot Range Day

Post by Rifletom » Wed Jan 25, 2023 10:00 am

Jimmie, that was a heck of a range tale. Think we've all been thru something similar at one time or two. At least the truck works. Right? :shock:
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Re: Jimmie's No-Shoot Range Day

Post by Hatchdog » Wed Jan 25, 2023 10:31 am

That’s a sad story told in a way that had me laughing my a$$ off. Well told.

Reminds me of the day my cousin and I went deer hunting. Got to the place we park and he discovered he had left his bolt at home. Tried to talk him into running back home for it but he wouldn’t do it. Spent the day being my guide I guess and of course a nice buck presented himself. I saw it too but could not get a shot. For him, it was standing broadside in a logging road and would have been an east shot.

Without tales life would be boring, thanks for sharing your misery in a well told story.
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Mr. Neutron
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Re: Jimmie's No-Shoot Range Day

Post by Mr. Neutron » Wed Jan 25, 2023 11:57 am

markiver54 wrote:
Wed Jan 25, 2023 9:43 am

Try peppermint oil. Supposed to work better than moth balls.🤷
Good tip, Mark!!! Thanks for that!
Reminds me of the time my "parked-for-long-periods-of-time" F350 diesel got a squirrels' nest built in the valley of the 7.3l motor. The squirrel happily chewed on various sensor wires, just to pass the time, I guess? Anyway, the downset of it was when I would drive it, the truck would die every tilme I turned left. It would always restart & run then die when it made a left turn. I found 2 chewed on/bare wires that would contact each other on left turns, short out, and kill the engine. Trouble shooting that was a "challenge", to put it nicely..... :roll:
Rifletom wrote:
Wed Jan 25, 2023 10:00 am
Jimmie, that was a heck of a range tale. Think we've all been thru something similar at one time or two. At least the truck works. Right? :shock:
Thanks Tom! Yeah, the truck is all good now. I'll probably use it to take my dog to the Veterinarian today, as he came up gimpy/limping last night after I threw the ball for him. I had the Green Light from my wife to go shooting today, my 67th birthday, but need to go see the Vet first. And my, how that dog hates the Doctor! As soon as he sees the place, his sphincter squeezes shut, as he knows a thermometer is goin' up there soon...... :o
Hatchdog wrote:
Wed Jan 25, 2023 10:31 am
That’s a sad story told in a way that had me laughing my a$$ off. Well told.

Reminds me of the day my cousin and I went deer hunting. Got to the place we park and he discovered he had left his bolt at home. Tried to talk him into running back home for it but he wouldn’t do it. Spent the day being my guide I guess and of course a nice buck presented himself. I saw it too but could not get a shot. For him, it was standing broadside in a logging road and would have been an east shot.

Without tales life would be boring, thanks for sharing your misery in a well told story.


Another good story, Hatchdog! Not to try to "one up" ya, one of my hunting buddies shot his first deer, then realized he'd left his tag layin' on the kitchen counter at home! We were hunting around 110 miles or so from home, and he left to go get his tag. I'm thinking many speed limit laws were broken during his 3 hour drive home and back. Probably like your cousin with his bolt (a strong argument for Lever Guns, perhaps?? :lol: ), my huntin' partner has NEVER forgotten his tag since......
2 x
Jimmie

An Okie living in Oregon

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"Never miss a good chance to shut up." Will Rogers
"It's better to eat yer fruit before ya shoot it." youtuber WHO_TEE_WHO

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Mags
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Re: Jimmie's No-Shoot Range Day

Post by Mags » Wed Jan 25, 2023 12:35 pm

markiver54 wrote:
Wed Jan 25, 2023 9:43 am
Try peppermint oil. Supposed to work better than moth balls.🤷
I have a ceramic disk to put peppermint oil on. By itself it didn't help. I've also tried mint pellet bags. Like the Irish Spring someone was eating the pellets.
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UPDATES: OR passes 114, "one of strictest gun control measures in U.S." https://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic. ... 34#p213234

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