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Author Topic: Weekend at the range  (Read 4434 times)

Offline 220

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Weekend at the range
« on: April 23, 2017, 10:57:16 pm »
Spent all weekend at a range for a shoot organised by one of the Aussie hunting forums.
Has turned into an annual shoot with this year being the 10th, great weekend as always and a chance to play with some toys you wouldn't normally have the chance to play with.
Range facility has had an upgrade and now includes a running boar range.

Plenty of comps over the weekend, to cater for everything from the smallest rimfires to the biggest dangerous game calibres.
Kicked of with the club 5000 comp, DG calibres that generate over 5000f/lbs of muzzle energy, haven't got anything that qualifies but they run a buff buster comp in conjunction for DG calibres that fall a little short and for big bore BP, I had a play using the 45/70 with BP loads, son shot using 375H&H and got a 3rd in the buff buster.
Next comp up was the deer stopper, anything from 6mm up, son and I used the same rifles as for the buff buster with similar results, lots of fun for me with BP in the 45/70 and a second for him with the 375H&H, daughter had a go with my little 357 marlin.
We skipped the 200m varmint shoot and went to the running boar range, son was running short of H&H ammo so used the marlin 357, 1 sighting pass either direction and then 5 scoring passes, best 10 shots scored and as many shots as you can get away each pass. Son was shooting 3-4 shots each pass, I was managing 2-3 per pass with 45/70. One of the boys using a pump 35whelan managed 7 shots on a couple of passes.
Sunday kicked off with a 200m rimfire comp, we have shot it with 17HM2, 17HMR and 22lr in the past with some success. I keep talking up the 22magnum so thought we better have a go this year with it. Couldn't have asked for a better result, son finished 1st, daughter finished 2nd and I was 3rd.
Last event was a 300m varmint shoot, son had a go using my 240wby and finished 3rd.

Son is turning into quite a good all around shot, next week he is off to compete in AASAM
https://www.army.gov.au/army-life/sport-and-recreation/australian-army-skill-at-arms-meeting
a fortnight later he is shooting ISSF pistol in the State team


Online Michael Bush

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Re: Weekend at the range
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2017, 08:49:50 am »
Sounds like a fun weekend.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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Offline 220

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Re: Weekend at the range
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2017, 07:44:53 pm »
Great fun Michael and great people, the generosity of shooters on the forum constantly amazes me.
Not just with the willingness to let anyone have a play with their toys that in some cases cost $10k+ and $10-20 a shot at get togethers like the weekend. Ive lost count of the number of fundraisers they have had to help out members and their families with medical issues.
There was one member there on the weekend who offered to donate a kidney to another in dire need of a transplant. Gave up smoking, lost a lot of weight and was almost  to the operation day before he was told he wasn't a good enough match.
His reply was "surely there is someone who needs a kidney that is a perfect match" donated a kidney to a complete stranger.

Lots of interest in bees on the forum as well, it was a thread on there that finally convinced me to get started. Had a few people on the weekend wanting to talk bees. Took along some honey for the clubhouse and some wax. A few make their own bullet lube for cast projectiles and use it in their secret stock refinishing recipies.


Online Michael Bush

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Re: Weekend at the range
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2017, 01:41:36 pm »
Yeah, I've made my own bullet lube before with beeswax and always use beeswax for flux when casting.  My son started doing powder coat instead of grease for the lube now though, so I may be doing that.  Beeswax does do nicely on a oiled finish.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline Hops Brewster

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Re: Weekend at the range
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2017, 10:13:27 am »
Congratulations on the successful competition, 220.  I'm happy to hear the shooting community in Oz is alive and well.  You've done well to pass on the tradition.   You're truly privileged to be associated with such a generous and selfless group of people.
Winter is coming.

I can't say I hate the government, but I am proudly distrustful of them.

Offline 220

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Re: Weekend at the range
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2017, 04:24:02 pm »
Son ended up going well at the AASAM, finished 12th in the service rifle aggregate ahead of all the navy and air force competitors.
Ended up around 50th overall, very little experience on machine guns and in a lot of the other scenarios they shot, a top 20 finish would have qualified him for the champion shot army shoot off on the final day.
Now that he has shot it once he is keen to have another go next year, believes if he shoots anything like his best a top 10 finish is possible.

Went OK last weekend shooting ISSF pistol in the junior state team. Had a few equipment issues, cylinder on the air pistol did a seal when he went to fill it and then the 22 was malfunctioning so he ended up borrowing pistols to shoot. Very close to a PB in air and a PB in 25m. Considering he hasn't picked up a target pistol in 3 months let alone shot or done any training it was a great effort. Talking about shooting state tittles in 4 months as it will be the last year he is eligible to compete as a junior.

Offline Dallasbeek

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Re: Weekend at the range
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2017, 05:18:29 pm »
Congratulations to your son for good shoooting.  People who've never competed in shooting matches can't imagine the amount of skill required.  Best of luck in the remaining matches as a junior and beyond. 
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Weekend at the range
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2017, 05:26:51 pm »
 Congratulations to your son. Sounds like he is a natural.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Offline 220

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Re: Weekend at the range
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2017, 05:49:20 pm »
Don't know about a natural but did try to teach him the correct techniques from the very start, I think it has given him a good base to work from as he hasn't had to unlearn bad habits.
He is also quite fit which while you wouldn't think would be a major concern for shooting actually can be. Helps with things like core stability, balance and even dealing with the stress of competition.

Offline lazy shooter

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Re: Weekend at the range
« Reply #9 on: July 18, 2017, 10:09:10 pm »
Is the handle "220" some how related to a .220 Swift caliber?

Offline 220

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Re: Weekend at the range
« Reply #10 on: July 19, 2017, 02:22:24 am »
Is the handle "220" some how related to a .220 Swift caliber?

The first forum I ever joined was a hunting/shooting forum and swift was taken so went with 220. Have kept it as a forum handle for any forum I've joined since. Kids never got to chose a handle for that particular forum, the first forum shoot my son came along to he got christened 110 and it stuck, when my daughter started going she got 55

Have had a swift of some description since I was 16, current one is a Rem700VS, barrel is on the way out. It will still hold 1" at 100y but its 1/4-1/2" days are behind it until it sees a knew barrel.
Since getting a 240wby I haven't been using the swift as much as I did, 240wby is just as much fun for stretch out work launching 55gr projectiles at 4100fps. Still have a real soft spot for the swift and it will get a new barrel some where down the track.

Offline 220

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Re: Weekend at the range
« Reply #11 on: September 27, 2017, 05:19:07 am »
Daughter is proving to be a good shot as well, had the annual camping/shooting/fishing get together with some mates last weekend.
Daughter decided she was ready to shot some bigger calibres and gauges, she has shot a few big guns previously but everything bigger than 25cal has been fitted with a brake.
Gave her a couple of shots from my old savage combo 22mag/20ga at stationary cans and recoil didn't worry her. She had a shot from her brothers 375H&H, only 35y but off hand she hit a clay first shot. Someone put a 12ga in her hands and after breaking a thrown clay 1st shot she handed it back to shoot another mates 300wm of a bench. Rang the 300y gong first shot with it, only blemish was missing a fox on a hastily organised drive with the 20ga. She wasn't the only one, it had already passed 2 other 12ga shooters who had both missed so was moving rather rapidly by the time it got to us.

 

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