Finally extended our range.

[Intheshop]

Haven't shot it with a range finder,and too difficult to measure.....which is why it's always been at 100 yds and 50 yds...whilst still at the bench.

So,before the Tick population gets too out of hand,chainsawed the range out to prolly 175yds.Sweat,a little blood from briars....and a slooow motion backflip into a spring branch,it's at least shootable.Got to cross a 6' deep ditch with mucky muddy spring water creek.

Jumping to what I thought was a solid sandy spot,saw both feet with 215#'s of hillbilly force.....disappear into the muck.Pulling my foot up left my shoe,causing imbalance.....splash,fell over backwards into the dang creek.

A bridge is on the drawing board...haha.

 

[Brad]

I would suggest that the kids hang targets....

A private range would be very nice.

 

[Ian]

Something like this, reverse-engineer as desired. http://www.larue.com/larue-tactical-sniper-target-rtg1

I'm a fan of pipe gongs on chains, walk down and paint them a couple times a year.

 

[Pistolero]

Yikes....I see why you say 'reverse engineer'! I once shot something that our IPSC
rifle guys were setting up, small silhouette, they called it a Larue, and it reset itself. I meant
to see how it worked, seemed impossible, flopped down when I hit it with a .303 Brit Enfield
an then rose back up. Hit it again, rose up again. Seemed kinda slow, like maybe 3 seconds to
come up, do not think it was remote, seemed self contained, no obvious mechanism from 6 ft away,
and had no time to check it out. Anybody know what this is? Owned by the club, so might be a
bit expensive but not likely they would have a $3K target, and I didn't see a box....although I may
have missed it, I suppose.

Hanging on chains is nice, I have a dualing tree built, but need to weld the legs on. A500 steel so
can shoot with rifles, too.

Bill

 

[Brad]

When I see the words "call for price" I figure I don't need to, I'm not gonna spend that much!
Just be sure to use bolts that are up to the task for attaching steel plate to chain.

 

[Ian]

Bill, sounds like you encountered a Larue popper target. They reset on a timer via a gearmotor and use an ordinary 12v car battery. All the "works" is hidden in a metal box which is very low-profile and protected by a fixed armor plate which also protects the hinge mechanism for the target plate. My local range has several on the long range.

 

[Pistolero]

Must be it. Worked well. Wonder what they cost? Probably not cheap.

YIKES!, again. That Larue powered popper is $2,250. That is way more than I
would have guessed the club would spring for. They had TWO!

OK. Nevermind unless I bulid it myself. I can get a 12VDC linear actuator for about $15
from Surplus Center, need to figure the trip and reset mechinism out, and will be about
$100 for the silhouette inA500, then an armored front panel. Should be doable well
under $200.

Bill

 

[Intheshop]

We reset up a bunch of McKenzie 3D archery targets down in the woods last week.Back in the day we used to get them pretty cheap.

McKenzie got bought? by Delta and the quality went noticeably down,while the price went up....so,the boys started their grey matter on how to make our own.To the point of mixing/making the expanding foam from base stock?

So spending 3-400$ a pop for 3D targets starts anxiety attacks....ain't no freakin way we would spend a cpl K's for steel pop ups.Heck,I get a little bent not reclaiming our lead.To wit,we use big butt cut oak "shorts",on end as target backers.They last about 5 years with zero maintenance.Then mine the lead out.

IF,I wasn't so cheap....or had the wad,would invest in a Scatt training system.And this coming from the most computer inept person on this forum.Just sayin,I can shoot every day,yet still spend a LOT of time dry fire practicing.And feel strongly that the Scatt would be worth the bucks.They are in some ways like a chrono.Meaning,once you've developed loads,there's diminishing returns....but,it's not eating anything (hopefully,haha)...so keep it.

The Scatt would show graphically,errors in my offhand rifle craft.But,once certain skills and muscles get "in tune"....sell it.They're 1k$ new for the more basic unit,use it for a year and get 6-700 for it?

 

[Intheshop]

Only thing missing was,some African music and the low,guttural growl of man eating lions?

But,with all respect to the civil engineering and the Tsavo river.....we now have a bridge going to our 150-175 yd butt.

Felt like Africa,sweating bullets fine tuning the path to the backstop.Next up is a sheet metal "roof" over the 18x24" target framework.

Going to be paying particular attention to this years,golf US Open.Man,as nice as our "woods" ranges (3D archery,put up or shut up clays range,and now the Ghost &Darkness bridge) are,with study....I know it can be better.Just sayin.

 

[Intheshop]

Went to a 3D archery,invitational last weekend.Bunch of pro,sponsored compound shooters.I had forgotten how their ranges are setup.

Back when 3D first started,it was "pure".Meaning,NFAA style ranges had been the status quo for what?75 years.So some homeboys come up with these new 3D full-size animal targets.McKenzie,NC ....good,no make it GREAT stuff.The ranges were designed to simulate actual hunting.We loved it.Won some good money.....definitely beating the chest pounding betting we were up to shooting "spots".

Then as the sport AND equipment developed,the courses changed...gone was shooting "through" and around chit.It became an arms race.It morfed into every shot being EXACTLY the same,flat...20-40 yd,manicured pathway shot.Basically right back to what we trying to get away from...the formality.

So,by halfway through the course I lost interest.Finished in the money but...sheesh.So back home,it only strengthens the resolve to come up with ranges here at the estate that are "pure".

Watch the US Open....it's the same thing.Guys complaining because the course is too hard?

 

[Ian]

Always complaining about how tall the "rough" is at the open. Quit watching that one years ago. Actually, I think the announcers were the ones always complaining about it, the pros know what the score is and just deal with it.

You gonna add some sand traps or what? I like a manicured range, for accuracy testing. Not so much for practicing woods shots from field position, that's a whole different "course" I have set up at home.

 

[Intheshop]

Ian,I don't play golf.....but,I do get paid to build cool chit.As such...love looking at what folks consider "proper" as it applies to club houses and golf.My boys know this.

One of them told me to check out this year's venue.I think they miss "home"?

 

[Intheshop]

OK...sand trap story...

Years ago,we had a,Broadhead ONLY archery range.Had 15 or so targets set up down in the woods along several sandy creek bttms.A cpl were spring branches,and another from the overflow from the lake.

The two best BH's that we found were Bear heads,old style and interesting the newer kind....the other was Zwicky.It was this latter head that brings things to light.

We were being complete DA'sses one day,shooting at launched targets(sheetrock bucket lids)....with Zwicky's.One lands in the middle of the paved rd in front of the house.Straight down.....

These are "glue on" BH's....on some wood shafts that we were all running at the time.It's a tapered ID on the head that matches the taper on the shaft.So this head splits as a result of the SLAM into the pavement.

As a joke really,I stuck it in an envelope (pre internet days)...and send it back to Zwicky.Explaining exactly how we fubarred their product.I swear,they sent me a hand written note and a new BH,saying how they appreciated the story/feedback...doh.

 

[Pistolero]

Hell, they were probably laughing so hard when they read about it that they figured
the belly laugh was worth a new head.

Thinking of DA things done with bows and arrows.....how many here have decided on
a whim to see how high and arrow would go? So, you shoot straight up...... and then
think, 1.5 seconds too late, O>>>>>M>>>>>G>>>>>!!!!!! Run for the house, NOW! Then wonder if it
will go through the roof? Hope I wasn't the only one dumb enough to do that one.

Bill

 

[freebullet]

I'd pay a dollar to see the video.

No bridge needed just get an argo!

 

[Ian]

Thinking of DA things done with bows and arrows.....how many here have decided on
a whim to see how high and arrow would go? So, you shoot straight up...... and then
think, 1.5 seconds too late, O>>>>>M>>>>>G>>>>>!!!!!! Run for the house, NOW! Then wonder if it
will go through the roof? Hope I wasn't the only one dumb enough to do that one.

Nope you weren't. I did the exact same thing as a kid, one of those defining moments where I learned the importance of thinking things through a little better next time. Years later I was reading a story about the men who built some of the skyscrapers in Manhattan and some of them had a little system of yelling out if they dropped a rivet or tool...and it was pointed out how one only had to look up, track the falling object, and take a half a step in the appropriate direction to avoid being clobbered from above. I thought of the arrow debacle and felt even more stupid, but still an arrow is difficult to see and bolting for the nearest roof with the utmost haste seemed the best plan at the time.

 

[Pistolero]

Yes, definitely part of the maturation process. We did a lot of pretty dangerous stuff as kids, but arrived at adulthood
with all fingers and toes accounted for. We used to buy cherry bombs by the gross, really. 144 came in a box about
10 inches cube, GREAT fun. But first thing we did, not kidding, was calibrate the power of them. We had screwed around
with Black Cats and Ladyfingers for years at that point and had managed to have one or two go off in hands, with no damage
other than silver skin and serious stinging.

We put a cherry bomb on a piece of scrap 12" wide x 1" pine shelving and set it off. The 8" diameter, 1/4' deep perfectly
spherical dent was impressive. We then smacked it with a hammer to get an idea how hard a hit it took to dent that wood
1/4" Holy cow, it took a max effort hammer hit to dent 1/4", and even then, not every time. So - we were VERY careful with
cherry bombs.

All of that was learning about stuff that goes kaboom. Of course, we launched D cells from 18" mortars made with 1 1/2" (IIRC)
galvanized water pipe with a cap. ALWAYS stepped behind a 4' diam oak tree 'bunker' when that went off. It would take a good
6-8 seconds for the battery to splash down in our lake, some 400 yds or so out on a VERY steep trajectory, just like a mortar in
the TV shows. We started adding 1/4 tsp BP not long after that. At 3/4 tsp, we exceeded
the structural strength of a D cell......rained debris. OOPS! Another limit defined.

Bill

 

[Eutectic]

Us young guys a spell ago heard those M-80's (we called them "Hammer Bombs" in those days!) would burn underwater! I got into my Dad's junk and found some big nuts! I think they were 3/4 thread thinking back. I found I could push an screw them onto the ends of the M-80's We knew a pond close and thought it was 4ft deep on so..... But it was close to a clubhouse too
We lit one....granaded it in and ran!!! We heard a "Thump!" behind us! "Heck them are quiet"! we decided in a democratic consensus! We approached quietly and the clubhouse was without observers.... We lit and pitched another.... holding our ground. "Thump!" And the coolest (we thought) dome of water lifted maybe a foot high and a good three feet in diameter! "Just like them depth charges in them war movies!" A buddy said. We kept lighting and throwing!.....Finally an ugly prehistoric looking fish surfaced on its side!!! It probably was a 6" Carp.... We left then...We still had M-80's but my Dad ran out of nuts!

Pete

 

[fiver]

ahhhboy.
back when I was a kid I used to tag along with my pop to some of his various jobs [besides his main job at the railroad]
anyway he had gone in as a junior partner on a gas station in Milpitas California in 69-70 or thereabouts.
I would hang out with him at the station but as a kid I was expected to entertain myself and not wander off too far.
there happened to be a field behind the station and a small creek [trickle of water] of some sort that wandered through the grass and brush [very little brush] but it was large enough for sure for my needs at the time.
at that time I had 2 favorite toys.
my 20# draw weight longbow, and a little wood rifle.
the bolt actually opened and closed and it even had a little wooden bullet that went back and forth with the bolt and the barrel has a steel pipe. [it looked an awful lot like a 03A3]
anyway I had a couple of straw bales set up out behind the shop portion of the station and would go out there and shoot the bow for hours on end at times.
I was back there practicing one afternoon when a couple of ducks come winging in to that little creek and I couldn't resist.
I swung around in front and held my lead... fwap, and down it goes.
of course I want my arrow back so over the little railing I go and down into the brush to retrieve my prize.
about this time my Mom rolls in with my Little sister who happens to see me go over the railing so naturally she comes over to see what I'm doing.
she can see the duck from where she is so guides me over to it and I start to come back up the little hill and over the railing with the bird with the arrow still in it.
now I'm about 5-6 at the time so she is 3-4 and neither one of us know what to do with a dead duck.
so of course she wanders into the shop and announces in her loudest LUCY voice that we would like some assistance out back.
my dad wanders out there and apparently he didn't know what to do with the dead duck either but he did know how to swing that arrow like a switch off a willow tree.