Range Report

Took the Savage Model 60 .22 to the range to check out the new sight. Looks like my grandchildren will be receiving another .22.

My eyes are at the point I couldn’t hit a target at 50 yards. Just to make sure, asked another shooter to try. He had no problem. Stings a little to realize age is catching up with me.

Took the revolver over to the 7 yard range. Two handed, double action, and using my left eye (the one without macular degeneration) put all five on paper. Not great, but good enough for self defense purposes.

I do like the holster I got from Charter Arms. No issues of any kind. Holds the Bulldog secure while being easy to draw and reholster.

Almost always something to see at a range. This gentleman plans to go elk hunting with this flintlock. 

He is planning a four day hunt. First two days with the flintlock and then two days with his rifle assuming he doesn’t get an elk with the flintlock.

Sometime back Pete Grant

bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com

mentioned binoculars he purchased. His review sounded interesting for the price so I order one. I’m pleased with the clarity, even with my eyes, and they now have a permanent home in my truck.

The Baker Draw Designated Shooting Area

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/arp/recarea/?recid=80588

is a 45 minute drive for me but worth the trip. Before this we used a couple of gullies about a mile North of this site that was, “one of those ranges”.

It is fair to say the place is remote.

The Pawnee National Grasslands is a favorite place of mine that I visit frequently.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/cs/detail/!ut/p/z0/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfIjo8zijQwgwNHCwN_DI8zPyBcqYKBfkO2oCABZcx5g/?position=Not%2520Yet%2520Determined.Html&pname=Arap

It takes some “looking” to see the variety of animal and bird life the area hosts. 

The Rattlesnake Buttes in James A. Michener’s book Centennial are the Pawnee Buttes.

 A “birder” drive is established with way points and information signs. While not a “birder” I do enjoy the loop.

Range Time

Being a great teacher is something I admire as I am not the best coach.  Did have a small success with a very bad shooter years ago.

An Army Captain and aviator in my Engineer Group had a Marksman badge. He felt not having an Expert badge hurt his promotion prospects. I had an interest in helicopters. We worked out a trade; bootleg dual in a H-13 for shooting lessons.

One of the things that helped keep me sane was our Rod and Gun Club. We had access to a rifle range on Saturday afternoon and Sunday where we could shoot our privately owned firearms. We could also draw and shoot our assigned M-14s by jumping through some complicated hoops. Meant our Company Commander had to put his ass on the line. Thankfully, two of the three Company Commanders I served under had clangers. Via the Rod and Gun club, we could buy surplus, mainly Belgian, 7.62 NATO Ammo.


Started the Captain on a .22 rifle.  He had a horrid flinch. It took about six range sessions to overcome that. He was damn accurate when he didn’t flinch. Next, we started with my personal Mannlicher-Schoenerauer .308 with a set trigger and thick butt pad. The rifle was scoped. He would work on his form and sight picture while I would stand to the side and operate the trigger. Once he saw he could hit the targets, he gained confidence. Next, he started squeezing the trigger. With the set trigger, trigger pull was extremely light and, with the butt pad, recoil was tame. He  stopped flinching.

When we moved on to the M-14, used the same procedure. He would sight it and I would fire it. After two sessions, he took over the trigger. At the next qualification day, he shot Expert. He only made it by three or four rounds but he made it.

The rifle range was a lot of fun. A sergeant in my unit held a Distinguished Marksmanship Badge and was a regular Sunday shooter. He was also a great  coach and worked with me and the Captain. Most of what the Captain and I did was based on his suggestions. One thing he taught me was to hang a small plumb bob off the trigger guard to insure I had the correct vertical plane position. That eliminated many of my flyers.

Our range time was a carefully guarded privilege. No alcohol, no horseplay, not unsafe practices or you were out. No different spanks for different ranks. There was an O-6 member who backed the range master 100%.

Access to the H-13 was a problem. He had to have a solo mission and I needed to get off duty. Over a year, got about 10-12 hours dual. Big problem; could not master hovering in ground effect. Give the Captain credit, he tried. Even arranged for me to go with another pilot a couple of times. Probably for the best. 1966 might not be the best time to become an Army aviator.