My List of Basic Rifle Range Etiquette

• Be on time. It really ticks me off when everyone is ready to start shooting and someone shows up at the last minute or late. If I were the Range Master, that person would be waiting till the next ceasefire to begin shooting. Very often the Range Master tries to be nice and holds everyone up until this guy brings in his stuff, signs in, assembles his stand, mounts his targets and sets out his frame. That could hold everyone up an added 10 - 15 minutes! Do everyone a favor and leave a bit early.
• Your rifle should be carried to the range unloaded, in a case, and with the bolt / receiver open. When you arrive at your shooting bench, do not remove the rifle from the case or handle it unless the range has been declared 'Hot' by the Range Master (people are shooting).
• Don't forget to sign in and read he range rules if this is your first visit.
  
• If you have been shooting and a ceasefire is called, stop shooting immediatly. Open your bolt or receiver, lay your rifle down and do not touch it until the range is once again declared "Hot!" by the Range Master. Some ranges will require that you remove your clip and totally unload your rifle. Resist the temptation to start handling it or showing it to people. Do not touch it for ANY reason. If you have a problem, call the Range Master for assistance.
• During the Ceasefire, listen for instructions by the Range Master. That will require that you remove your ear plugs, ears, or turn up the amplification on your electronic ears.
• Once the Range Master declares, "The Range is Clear!", go forward and change your targets. You don't have to rush, but move it along fast enough so as not to hold everyone up. Try not to be the last guy back to the bench.
• Once the ceasefire is over, the Range Master will tell you to put on your eye and ear protection. He will then call out, "Ready on the right? ... center? ... left?". Call out "Yes" or give a thumbs up so he knows he can proceed.
• The Range Master will declare, "The Range is Hot!". You may now handle your rifle, remove your cased rifle, load it and begin firing, being sure to keep you muzzle pointed down range AT ALL TIMES.
• All shooting must be done from behind the firing line.
• Shoot only at your target. Do not shoot at rocks or the target frames.
• Watch where your brass is going. If it is hitting the guy next to you, immediately stop shooting and put up a screen to block the flying brass.
• Walk lightly when others are shooting. Your footsteps are guaranteed to shake the cross-hairs in the scopes on either side of you. This is not the time to walk around picking up brass.
  
• You are not at a keg party. You and those around you are handling lethal weapons. Save your loud, obnoxious, distracting talk for the bar once the guns are put away. No one wants to hear it.
• When done shooting and the range is declared 'clear', bring in your target frame and leave it for others or break it down as instructed by the Range Master.
• Pack out all of your brass and trash before leaving. Leave it cleaner than you found it.

I'm sure you'll find that following the rules makes the range safer and more fun for everyone. Feel free to let me know if I missed anything. Thanks.

A Pro-Ears Discovery for Shooting in Extreme Noise

I went to the range this morning with my 17HMR and the 10/22 and positioned my target frame at 100 yards. As I walked back to the benches, I noticed that EVERYONE was set up at 25 yards. That was a first and it meant one thing; everyone else was shooting pistols. Pistols are loud, especially when someone decides to step to the right side of their bench and fire a couple feet from my head. Wonderful.

ProEars usually suppress gunshot sound to a manageable level, but when someone shooting a handgun next to me decides to step back a few feet from the normal firing position and fire that close to my head, it often rattled my head and my ears would ring. If I couldn't come up with a quick solution, this morning was not going to be fun. An idea came to me. I quickly went to my Jeep and grabbed a pair of ear plugs and put them in (I always carry a few pair in the vehicle). Then I put the ProEars over them and turned the amplification up all the way. The result was that all of the painful gun shot sounds were filtered out, yet the ProEars boosted the other frequencies so I could hold a conversation and hear the range officers. The gunshots remained quiet no matter how close they were to me, and I assure you that they were very close. The first round from the guy at my left ejected brass right into my face. I told him to put up a screen, which he did immediately, and from that point on the noise and flying brass were not an issue. My 22 was almost the same volume as the pistols firing on both sides of me. Most of the time the ProEars alone work great, but in extreme situations, this is a method to keep in mind. Carry an extra set of plugs with you just in case.

I wrote ProEars and Mark responded as follows:

"Yeah BR,

We recommend that you double plug with any NRR less then 28 on indoor and covered ranges. I double plug when shooting pistols or big bores on our covered range, just to be sure. Have a great day!" ~Mark

Shot at the range with my new Predators

I started the morning off at 4:30 and headed up to Roraback to hunt dogs. Just as I arrived at the DEP building it began to rain, and by he time I had reached my spot and parked, it was pouring. I practiced my calls for about a half hour (with my new PredatorPro ears on so as not to go def) , then headed home followed by a trip to the range. I brought both my Henry and SKS because I wanted to try the new Predator Pro ears while firing both calibers. As I expected, they worked great, and details are on the PRODUCTS page. For the first time I was able to hold a conversation while shooting, so I talked for quite some time with Dan Peace. Come to find out, he's a Pastor and a commercial photographer. I posted photos and links to his web sites on my FRIENDS page. My Henry was off a bit, but that was back on target within a few rounds. I changed the gas valve setting on my SKS to shoot semi-auto because the last time I was out I shot in grenade launch, single shot position. I plan to use the SKS for coyotes when hunting on private land because I'm told there's a cougar out there and if I see it, I want more firepower than the 17HMR. The SKS worked OK, but it had 4 misfires out of 50 rounds! The primers were hit solidly, so everyone I showed the cartridges to believed that the ammo was to blame. It's Wolf by the way, and I'm hoping I just picked up a bad box. I don't like when that happens. If a big cat came at me and my rifle didn't fire, I'd be toast. The last 20 rounds shot fine, so I'm hoping it was a fluke. Maybe I'll shoot it again next week using ammo from a different lot to see what happens.

By the way, check out the camo tape on the Golden Boy.

Shooting w/ Bill and Brandon

Yesterday while hunting in dense brush the thought came to mind; what happens if a coyote comes out of the brush right in front of me when my rifle is sighted in at 100 yards? I set up one target at 20 yards and another at 100. I first checked my rifle at 100, then fired at the 20 yard target. I hit about an inch low of the X ring, which is quite acceptable. If I can see him in my sites, I've got him.

If you look at this ballistics chart, the red arc represents a 17HMR and the blue a 22LR bullet (I added the straight red lines). Note that at 20 and 100 yds the bullet is almost at the same height. Also note that with a 22, if you preform the same test, your bullet would be about 4" high at 20 yds. This is the advantage of the 17HMR over the 22LR.

I practiced shooting off the stick today and I was getting groups of a few inches at 100 yards. I found that it I wrap the stick's strap around my hand, grab the sick and pull it in towards me so everything is nice and tight, it's not that difficult to stay on target.

Bill and his grandson Brandon set up to my right. This was Brandon's first day at the range, and he had a great time as his brother Travis did a few months ago when he shot with us. As you can see, the Range Officer was being very helpful. It's good to see a new generation take up the sport.

A Fantastic Morning at the Range

The weather was perfect at the range today. Low 70's, not a cloud in the sky and no humidity. Vlad was shooting and came over to say hello. A guy named Billy who comes out just about every week was shooting at my right. Billy has an incredibly beautiful (and expensive) bolt action rifle with scope. His groups at 100 yards are smaller than a dime. Today he brought a hi-tech gadget to guage the speed of his bullets (he reloads so I'm guessing that has something to do with it). He set up a large tripod about 10 feet out with 2 'V' shaped gizmos and a thigamajig that he shoots through (I'm really knowledgeable about this, don't you think?). It's all hooked up to a laptop-type computer that appeared to be made specifically for the test. I felt like I was shooting a flintlock next to this guy.

My Henry and Yugo were shooting great though. At 50 yards with iron sights, my groups from my Yugo were only a few inches. The 17 HRM was even tighter, as expected. Billy said he was watching my shooting and was impressed by the SKS. What really brought my groups in was shooting the Yugo with the gas selector button set in the grenade position. This makes the SKS behave like a bolt action. Less moving parts means less movement which translates into tighter groups. It's also nice at the end of the shoot because cleanup is quick, not having to clean the gas system.

One last thing. I shot using the MTM target system again. I fired 200 rounds at the backer with my SKS 7.62 x 39 and 50 rounds with the 17 HMR and the back of the CoroPlast looked as if I was only shooting the 17. This material really is self-healing. Everyone was amazed at how well this backer worked. The range officer said he's going to try to purchase some to have on hand when we shoot in the rain and Billy wants to buy 10 sheets off me.

The wind started picking up and a conventional target stand to my right blew over. In time my backer separated from the stand and hit the ground, but it took a lot of wind to make that happen. Maybe I'll try to come up with a system that will secure the 2 pieces together a bit better using some kind of a pin.

Check the PRODUCTS page for today's report

Today I tried out MTM's target frame system. You can see that report on the PRODUCTS page.

As of 1/1/2010 the BRShootingJournal has 109,000 hits, yet I have very little idea who's out there reading it. It would be encouraging to hear from you. Most of the pages now have COMMENTS turned on, so please drop me a line and let me know you're out there, where you're from and what you're up to. I moderate all comments so if you're writing to tell me to burn in hell for being a hunter, I assure you it won't get posted. If you're a normal person it could take a day to appear. If you have a photo you'd like me to consider posting, please mail it to brshooting@sbcglobal.net. I'd enjoy posting a photo of you with your firearm and/or the small game you've harvested with it. If you're shooting 44mag or SKS, I'd like to see what you're taking as well. Photos from the range would be cool if you're shooting an SKS or a Henry. Thanks for checking in, and don't forget to read and post comments! ~Bob

Sighted in the scope again today

I went to the range by myself this morning because Bill didn't call me soon enough to get scheduled. There was a torrential downpour at 9 am, but by 10:00 the rain had slowed substantially and within a half hour it had stopped. Today was the second time I've had to sight in this scope. A couple weeks ago after sighting it in I noticed that the mount was a tiny bit loose. I took the gun back to the gunsmith and he disassembled the mount to locate the problem. I thought it was the upper section of the mount (not the side where it screws into the barrel), but it ended up being a flaw in the Weaver rings they sold me. He hit the spot with a file and now it's as solid as a rock.

Today I started shooting at 50 yards. I was having some difficulty locating my shots, but come to find out I was often hitting the same hole (ya baby!). At the first cease fire, I moved the target out to 100 yards. I was getting groups of about 3", and that's good enough for me so I packed it up a half hour early.

Next I drove to one of my favorite hunting spots to walk the fields. I did get some exercise, but other than that it was a waste of time. The grass had grown a foot and a half since I was there last, and except for the corn fields that were cut and plated, I couldn't see a thing. The bugs were nasty and the place must be full of deer ticks, so that's if for me until hunting season opens in the Fall, unless Arney from work wants to take me coyote hunting with him. He mentioned it again Friday, so I'm sure we'll be hunting together soon. Arney is an experienced "dog" hunter and he knows all the farmers in the area and has permission to hunt their fields. I can learn a lot from this guy so I'd better go shooting with him before he finds a better paying job and disappears. Time to clean my rifle.

First shoot with the new scope

I didn't make a reservation for today, so I took a gamble and headed up to the range in case someone canceled. It wasn't looking good, but after an hour someone left and I took his position.

I shot 100 rounds of Remington ammo, and was very pleased with the results. I first shot at about 75 yards, and within about 20 rounds, I was right on the money (see photo). At the first cease-fire, I moved the target out to 100 yards. No drop what-so-ever. When I was finished shooting, I discovered that the mount was a tiny bit loose. Great! Back to the gunsmith.

No drop at 100 yards

Bill and I shot at the Glastonbury range today and it turned out to be a fantastic day. The weather was perfect and the Henry shot great; 200 rounds without a problem. I first sighted it in at 50 yards. This time I brought a brass screw that I used as a bunch to nudge the rear sight. It worked and I was shooting groups that were about 3". In a couple of weeks I'll be mounting a scope, and I'm looking forward to seeing the groups this rifle gets when I can get a clearer view of the target. Bifocals can be a problem with iron sights. I then moved the target out to 100 yards and I was amazed that unlike my 22, there seemed to be zero drop.

Bill's Winchester 30-30 had a major malfunction with a cartridge getting jammed in the feed. As you can see in the photo, everyone was trying to perform major surgery on the rifle, but they gave it up when I said it's time for a gunsmith. I was afraid that with the cartridge not being chambered, if the bullet went off it would turn into a major disaster. Bill said he was heading right over to the gun shop before doing anything else. One last thing; the new sling worked great. It was good and solid, just the right length to get my arm around to hold the rifle steady. There's photos of it on the PRODUCTS page. That's it for today. I'll likely be shooting my SKS next weekend while the gunsmith is drilling and tapping my Golden Boy's barrel for the new scope mount. In my next post I hope to be shooting with a scope in preparation for coyote hunting next month.

Shot with Dirk Today

Had a good time at the range today. The temperature couldn't have been nicer. 70 degrees, not a cloud in the sky and very dry. I received an email Thursday night from a guy named Dirk (top 2 photos) who stumbled across my SKS page. He invited me out to his range next week where they will be holding 'Camp Garand', so I invited him to my shooting spot today. We met at 10:30 and spent a couple of hours shooting and talking. Dirk had been in the military and was stationed in Korea, so we exchanged some old military stories. While we were there, Dirk purchased one of my SKS's which he adds to his growing collection. Pastor Dan (the gentleman in red) shooting to my right is a regular at the range, and he's also into rimfires. The three of us got into some interesting conversations, and Dirk shot my Henry (his first time shooting a 17HMR). The last photo is of the Range Safety Officer, who oversees the place each week. I was able to get my iron sights sighted in with the help of a small brass hammer I picked up on eBay this week. I'm looking forward to getting a coyote in those sights as soon as turkey season is over.

9/9/07 UPDATE
Dirk bought my remaining SKS and accessories. I'm rolling that money into a Ruger 10/22 for coyote hunting. Thanks Dirk, and have a blast with those SKSs. They are great rifles.

My first shoot with the Henry .17 HMR

EVERYONE WANTS TO SHOOT A 17HMR, SO I LET THIS GUY HAVE SOME FUN

After doing some chuck hunting early this morning I headed up to the range to make a noon appointment. It was 31F when I left this morning to hunt, and 75F, clear and sunny when I got to the range. This is the first nice weekend of the year and it really couldn't have been better, new rifle and all. I was amazed at how well the Henry .17 HMR shot right out of the box. 150 rounds without a jam, and at 50 yards, my groups were so tight that they were covered by a single target patch. I'd be interested to see a group if I could have locked down the rifle. I was shooting a bit to the right and low, which was a little more noticeable when I moved the target out to 75 yards. I simply aimed slightly to the upper left and I was hitting the bullseye once again. I'm going to have to buy a small hammer to tap the rear sight to zero it in. The magnum had a bit more recoil than my 22, which made it more fun to shoot. I've become used to shooting an SKS, which fires 7.62 x 39 rounds, and I expected that the .17 cal. would feel like a toy, but it didn't. The gun is very solid and the barrel is quite a bit heavier than my H001 Henry lever action. It felt good and I'll be confident hunting with it. The guy in the top photo seemed very interested and said that he had never fired a .17 cal., so I loaded the tube, called him over and told him he could shoot away if he let me take his picture for this blog. He agreed and said he enjoyed shooting it. Cleaning the rifle was a breeze, compared to taking down and cleaning my SKS after each shoot, which takes about an hour. The next shoot I'll focus on the sight adjustment.

2006 - Jamie and I shooting our Henry H001

A nice desktop picture from the range

Here's a photo of my Henry taken at the Glastonbury range last year.
THIS PICTURE MAKES A GREAT DESKTOP PICTURE!