Thanks for sharing Greg...that looks like a lot of fun.
We all have to have our "thing" and you seem like myself that when you find your "thing" you do it right. It's been years since I've shot anything but have always been around guns and shooting and maybe some day I'll pick it back up again. Super cool that you have a place to do it at so convenient, like racing, a lot of us are NOT that lucky in that regard.
YOU have three of the largest ranges -- best run as well I might add -- right there!!! Mesa has a fantastic range!! I was going there every other day last Feb / March....
I enjoy the long range stuff myself. With my hunting rifle that's 500 yards with off the shelf ammo. Fairly consistent on a 12" gong. That's really the lethal range of my 30-06 on a deer anyway. I have the Leupold CDS system and it works great on a hunting rifle.
I have a friend up North that kills Elk and Deer at 750 yards dead, but that's with a 300 WSM and a break. I had no desire to carry around a gun in the field with a muzzle break and I don't enjoy the kick of a 300 mag so I stuck with a 30-06 with no break. I can shoot it on the range and it's still enjoyable. Muzzle breaks are really hard on your hearing and I'm not wearing ear protection in the field.
When I moved to Chicago and lived in an apartment, I had to suspend my car hobby. I had to tinker with something, and since I worked at Gat Guns, I started modifying rifles in my spare time. It is so similar to cars, in the sense that you start with a "stock" gun, add a few pieces here and there, and the gun becomes better and better. You can also go all out with the aftermarket action, custom from the get-go build. Like cars, you can keep it relatively inexpensive, or you can get into guns that cost 10's of thousands of dollar.
Now I'm back in South Dakota, and I can drive 5 minutes to shoot up to 1000 yards. Great place to be if you appreciate guns, whether it be for hunting or long range practice. There is a few well known manufactures of ammunition, rifles, and stocks here.
I, sadly, don't have time to shoot like I used to. I do love rimfires the most, it's cheaper and shrinks down the necessary yardage. A 200-300 yard shot with a .22 is like shooting 700-1000 with a high caliber, except at a fraction of the cost and time to retrieve targets.
I enjoy the long range stuff myself. With my hunting rifle that's 500 yards with off the shelf ammo. Fairly consistent on a 12" gong. That's really the lethal range of my 30-06 on a deer anyway. I have the Leupold CDS system and it works great on a hunting rifle.
I have a friend up North that kills Elk and Deer at 750 yards dead, but that's with a 300 WSM and a break. I had no desire to carry around a gun in the field with a muzzle break and I don't enjoy the kick of a 300 mag so I stuck with a 30-06 with no break. I can shoot it on the range and it's still enjoyable. Muzzle breaks are really hard on your hearing and I'm not wearing ear protection in the field.
30-06 is a great round! Perfect hunting round!
I actually have 6 Suppressors..... (in possession or waiting on the stamp) use them on everything including the 6.5 Creedmoor....and on down to my little Tactical Solutions .22 rifle. Shooting that little .22 with GemTech subsonic 40 grain ammo is a hoot. It just "spits" -- the loudest thing is the cycling. LOL
GemTech GM-22 for the .22
SureFire SOCOM 7.62 with quick disconnect for the 3 AR's (shoot Atomic Subsonic .223 rounds -- you can hear the bullet whistling thru the air!)
GemTech GM-9 -- for my HK Vp9 "tactical" (goofy threads so is dedicated)
When I moved to Chicago and lived in an apartment, I had to suspend my car hobby. I had to tinker with something, and since I worked at Gat Guns, I started modifying rifles in my spare time. It is so similar to cars, in the sense that you start with a "stock" gun, add a few pieces here and there, and the gun becomes better and better. You can also go all out with the aftermarket action, custom from the get-go build. Like cars, you can keep it relatively inexpensive, or you can get into guns that cost 10's of thousands of dollar.
Now I'm back in South Dakota, and I can drive 5 minutes to shoot up to 1000 yards. Great place to be if you appreciate guns, whether it be for hunting or long range practice. There is a few well known manufactures of ammunition, rifles, and stocks here.
I, sadly, don't have time to shoot like I used to. I do love rimfires the most, it's cheaper and shrinks down the necessary yardage. A 200-300 yard shot with a .22 is like shooting 700-1000 with a high caliber, except at a fraction of the cost and time to retrieve targets.
It's a blast!
I have a Tactical Solutions .22 with a Hogue stock - NightForce NXS 2.5 X 10 and a GemTech GM-22 Suppressor...... That is one of the most fun guns to shoot in my entire lineup!!! I absolutely love that little rifle!!
I like to group it (best you can with .22 ammo) at 100 yds - then we have steel silhouettes at 175 and 225 up the hill behind the 100 yard flat line stuff..... I love plinking those two guys! And then ---- there's clay remnants laying on the hill -- and I take aim at a piece and keep shooting the smaller and smaller piece until it's gone - then choose another one! LOL
This was at the McMillan Firearms Long Range course I took (Near Phoenix) -- this pic shows our position and the 12" by 12" (one MOA) target we were shooting at. Surprisingly -- many of the shooters - even after a 4 day class - just couldn't ring it. I didn't find it hard at all..... but it does take some trigger control and some breathing and getting behind the gun etc.
When I moved to Chicago and lived in an apartment, I had to suspend my car hobby. I had to tinker with something, and since I worked at Gat Guns, I started modifying rifles in my spare time. It is so similar to cars, in the sense that you start with a "stock" gun, add a few pieces here and there, and the gun becomes better and better. You can also go all out with the aftermarket action, custom from the get-go build. Like cars, you can keep it relatively inexpensive, or you can get into guns that cost 10's of thousands of dollar.
Now I'm back in South Dakota, and I can drive 5 minutes to shoot up to 1000 yards. Great place to be if you appreciate guns, whether it be for hunting or long range practice. There is a few well known manufactures of ammunition, rifles, and stocks here.
I, sadly, don't have time to shoot like I used to. I do love rimfires the most, it's cheaper and shrinks down the necessary yardage. A 200-300 yard shot with a .22 is like shooting 700-1000 with a high caliber, except at a fraction of the cost and time to retrieve targets.
It's a blast!
The sweet little (and locally made in Boise) Tactical Solutions .22...... This is so accurate - and never fails to feed -- just a wonderful piece!
Even the girls can get in to it !! Here's Adrienne's birthday gift -- a Black Rain Ordnance in "Muddy Girl" camo... popping the 525 yarder with first round hit. That rifle had a Vortex 1 X 6 Razor colored to match -- but I just pulled that off and put on a Vortex Viper 6 X 24 - it's better for the longer stuff.
I love Basher's comment in the background (he was taking video)
That was a great weekend and I had a blast with the pee shooters, perfect way to spend an afternoon.
I imagine the real talent comes when you can ring a target at 1500, 1000 and 7-800yds in one sitting. Like the pistol competition you do, do they have long range events as well?
Lucky for someone, I can’t seem to find the good picture of Adrienne’s Black Rain Ordnance...
That was a great weekend and I had a blast with the pee shooters, perfect way to spend an afternoon.
I imagine the real talent comes when you can ring a target at 1500, 1000 and 7-800yds in one sitting. Like the pistol competition you do, do they have long range events as well?
Lucky for someone, I can’t seem to find the good picture of Adrienne’s BRO...
The IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association) matches are "real life scenario" shooting --- drawing from a concealed holster - or from behind a desk - or as though you'd just walked in to the mall - and an active shooting breaks out....
So that is more about "moving and taking cover" -- identifying the active shooter - making shots that truly count because innocent people are involved etc.
So that's about pressure (time clock) and accuracy REALLY COUNTS...... You have to follow the scenario as presented to you -- get busy as fast as you can - identify all targets in order as stated - and do the shots and reloads as stated. In other words -- you might only start the scene with 5 rounds - and or you're shooting from the weak hand because you slipped and fell trying to run for cover and now your strong hand is injured....
You have no idea how they try to trip you up!! LOL
However -- most of that is done in "pits" --- where the distances are 5 yards and maybe out to 20 yards. Pistols of course.