Category: Shooting

Blackfork tells us about twist rates and how it affects ammunition.

UPDATE: Anarchangel has a good post on the subject in his archives as well.

Last IHMSA match of the year today.  A dusting of snow on the ground, temperature hovering right around freezing.  The trailer we keep all the animals in and use to haul them down range had a flat.  Found a spare, put that on, but turns out that leaked air, so no go with that.  Found enough tools between four gun nuts to re-inflate the original tire and put it back on.  We were late getting the animals put out, which was just in time for the temperature to drop and the wind to kick up.  I wasn’t hitting much of anything.  Got a whopping 8 for field pistol, and 18 for smallbore.  The battery in my red dot is low to begin with, but lower it’s temperature to around freezing and I couldn’t really see the thing.  Spent time between relays keeping the battery warm.  Shot a round with rifle (which isn’t sanctioned) just so I could feel like I knocked over some animals for the day.  Only got 21 with rifle.  Wind and cold is a bitch.

From Blackfork on reloading your own ammo:

You have to handload to shoot serious rifle match scores.  You just can’t get good enough ammo cheap enough without doing it yourself.

I am not nearly the shooter that Blackfork is, but I can tell you this is true.  There is definitely a difference between what you carefully hand load for yourself, and what you can buy for any reasonable price commercially.  Even using my primitive equipment, and skills, I do better with my own hand loads than I do with commerical ammo.  In these Obama days, handloading is a skill we should all master.

Man, the guys at Langhorne Rod and Gun Club have more fun in a weekend than I have all year:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vUQy-O5w3c[/youtube]

Looks like it attracts quite a crowd too.  Yeah, it’s cheesy, but it’s fun, and unusual.  It’s something that can get people to come out to the club, who might decide to come to other matches.  I might have to think about going to a few of their matches and join.  It’s only 20 or so minutes from me, and it looks like they do a lot of cool stuff.

Hat tip to The Geek

The Courant is demanding BlueTrail be closed:

Mr. Lyman’s negligence should no longer be permitted to jeopardize the safety of families in Durham and hikers who use a popular trail just beyond the range. That state and local officials have tacitly allowed Mr. Lyman to mismanage Blue Trail for so long is an inexcusable dereliction of duty.

They are asking for Letters to the Editor.  If you live in the area, or shoot at Blue Trail, I’d come up with something, 200 words or less, to at least let them know this is not a one-sided debate.  One thing I’d point out is that no houses have been hit since Blue Trail finished their range improvements.

I finally got them compiled and posted.  Be sure to let me know if I forgot to include anyone’s entry.  It’s quite possible I did, considering I did this in pieces.  Also check for mistakes.  Congratulations to the match winners:

• Centerfire (Iron Sights): AughtSix
• Centerfire (Scoped): BillH
• Smallbore (Iron Sights): AughtSix
• Smallbore (Scoped): BillH

And thanks for participating to Armed Citizen, Leadchucker, Danno, Sailorcurt, and Mike Gallo.  Sorry it took so long to get the results posted, but time was in short supply this fall.  The combined Fall/Winter match will be posted shortly, and will be a Kalashnikov/SKS match.  In addition, I’m going to bring the smallbore match in to 25 yards so that people may shoot it indoors.  I am considering eliminating the scope class for this match since everyone seems to be shooting iron sights.

UPDATE: Forgot AughtSix’s smallbore results, which made him the match winner.

Looks like a state police investigation has determined the bullets that were hitting houses had to have come from Blue Trail:

“It’s the same report every single time,” Pasquale “Pat” DiNatale, a Durham homeowner whose property has been struck by bullets over the years, said Friday. “It’s always the same conclusion, but no one ever does anything. When does it stop? When do they do something?”

Ah yes, the same developer we’ve been dealing with before.  Who’s home, I might add, is in the ballistic shadow of the mountain ridge.  Trimountain road is also largely in the ballistic shadow of the mountain ridge.  It’s certainly possible that rounds fired from Blue Trail Range are hitting these homes, but it’s unlikely.

In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

“The attitude of the public and the media is often ‘We don’t want guns around,’ ” he said. “But once people become more knowledgeable, they see shooting more favorably.”

“Some people fear guns until they learn the fundamentals,” said Edmiston. “We’ve had women afraid to even come into the building, and then they take a course and find shooting can be fun.”

It’s good that we’re still getting posts like this in the media.  After carrying the water for Obama in this election, we have to be concerned that they will also carry the water for whatever ant-gun agenda he might want to pursue.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3TMh1qkjFk[/youtube]

This doesn’t look pleasant. I’m glad I’ve never tried this.

Via The Firearms Blog

In the middle of shooting an air pistol match. 45 degrees out with high winds. Can’t even get the animals to stay on the rails. On top of that, I’m way under-dressed for cold. But, hey, you can’t learn to be a good shooter if you only shoot in good weather.

UPDATE: Well, that’s over with.  Had to take a few alibi shots with the wind.  Shot a 20/40, which is a AA score.  Second match I shot 24/40, which is a AAA.  That’s my third AAA score this year, so it puts me in that classification.  I hope I can keep shooting AAA scores, or it’s going to be a while before I ever win a trophy or plaque.

UPDATE: Tam also opines on the virtues of shooting in poor conditions.