Shooting at Rocks on Hillsides with Revolvers

I rarely shoot at paper, only to test a new load or test a new revolver. I have very much settled on 45 ACP revolvers and maybe three loads Once I sight in, usually six rounds or less, I start walking the property and shooting at targets of opportunity. Things like rocks, cans, stumps, five gallon pails or the lids for same, all are suitable for shooting. Ranges vary as I find them. Shooting positions are whatever is suitable, if a boulder or branch is available, I use a rest. If not, offhand, kneeling or sitting are fair positions to use. This closely mimics the way I hunt. It used to be called still hunting, you would advance one or two steps and scan for game. If you spotted something you took appropriate steps to harvest the game. If nothing spotted you took another step or two. It could take an hour to advance 1/4 mile but you were hunting.

I use paper to sight it and then rely on random targets at various distances to hone my skills with the reviled and the load.

Kevin

Those rubber bouncing targets are great fun too!

WrongHanded said:

After I got done testing loads with the chronograph, I turned around to the other side of the canyon and found a huge rock on the hillside. That one proved too big so I chose a smaller one farther out, about 20" in diameter and somewhere around 150-180 yards away, and just shot at it with my .41 mag Blackhawk. Sometimes I hit it, sometimes I missed it, sometimes I couldn't tell. But man it was fun!

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This has nothing to do with revolvers but it sparked a memory of years ago when I shot at a little range on the outskirts of the city that had been carved out of a stand of trees on a farmer's land. I don't mean to hijack the thread, just using up a memory.
The little concealed range was right on the edge of a high river bank, with a ravine serving as a backstop.

Anyway, one evening two guys showed up with a breech loading pop can cannon made out of some drill stem and wanted to shoot it.
We decided that since the backstop might not like it much that we would set it up and shoot across the river towards some open land on the other side maybe some 150 yards distant.
It was quite strong so they were loading some fairly decent black powder charges into it and screwing the breech in. The pop cans were filled with cement and were fairly heavy. Darned if those cans weren't sailing all the way across and impacting on the land on the other side.
While not exactly kosher, this became quite a lot of fun trying to dial in the impact area and hit target areas.
I often wondered what the land owner must have thought if he found those cement-filled pop cans one day.

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Those rubber bouncing targets are great fun too!

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I never heard of them before, I just went googling and they really look like fun! Where does a person go to shoot these? Will an outdoor range allow them?

WrongHanded said:

But being that national forest mountain slopes are closer that any flat land where shooting is allowed (at least that I know of), they are of limited utility to me.

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I'm in the same boat. After two hits a bouncing target would become a cardio workout, going to retrieve it. Nothing flat anywhere around.

old lady new shooter said:

I never heard of them before, I just went googling and they really look like fun! Where does a person go to shoot these? Will an outdoor range allow them?

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Some will, some wont. One local range allows them with .22s only.

Interesting. How do you know where your bullet goes after it has hit or missed the rock?

Straw hat,,, I still ‘still hunt’. that’s all I know... Can’t see a reason for those fancy tree stands with heat and WiFi and everything,,, OH, yeah,,, I’ve gotten a deer every year, one is all I need. And my my one friend who I take with me always fills his tag.

OneFreeTexan said:

Straw hat,,, I still ‘still hunt’. that’s all I know... Can’t see a reason for those fancy tree stands with heat and WiFi and everything,,, OH, yeah,,, I’ve gotten a deer every year, one is all I need. And my my one friend who I take with me always fills his tag.

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Good hunting!

Kevin

Just be careful what you shoot rocks off hillsides with... you never know what that .500 Magnum might knock loose..

Please do not shoot at Rocks even though its a Hundred yards away... The Ricochets could hit something you don't want to destroy or kill.

Headline in local paper... 15 year old hiker killed by mysterious bullet... Its like shooting in the air on 4th of July A Bad idea

You’re familiar with the NRA’s rules for safe gun handling (ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction; ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot; ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use). But there’s even more that you can do to be safe and ensure that you and shooters nationwide remain welcome in the outdoors. Here are nine tips brought to you courtesy of the nonprofit organization Tread Lightly! as part of their campaign called Respected Access is Open Access.

1. Don't just pick a likely place and start shooting, even if you've done it before or know people who have. Double-check to ensure you're target shooting only on lands open to shooting.

2. Don't shoot at trees, cacti, rocks, etc. Use only appropriate targets. Shooting at trees and other natural objects is illegal and leaves a negative image about shooters.

3. Don't shoot unless you're sure of your backstop. Only shoot where there is a good backstop to stop your bullets.

4. Don't vandalize. Shooting at signs, kiosks, trash containers, buildings and other property is illegal.

5. Don't litter. Be sure to pack out your trash including food wrappings, shotgun shells, brass or steel cases, fragmented clay pigeons and other targets. Be a thoughtful shooter, and pick up litter and target trash left by others.

6. Don't let people think you're a litterer. Do not shoot household appliances or other objects dumped in shooting areas. It is misconstrued that shooters are the dumpers.

7. Don't shoot where people might be, or where you can't see. Shooting across roads, trails, waterways or into caves or rocky areas is unsafe. Be sure you see your target clearly and you know what lies between you, the target and beyond.

8. Don't shoot even close to where people might be. Shoot away from developed recreation sites such as campgrounds, trailheads, parking areas and boat ramps.

9. Don't damage delicate natural areas with your vehicle. Travel on designated routes. Avoid traveling in sensitive areas such as meadows, lakeshores, wetlands and streams.

Ricochets could certainly happen but with handgun velocities I doubt there is much risk. The shooter needs to be cognizant that it can happen, and I specifically do not shoot at rocks for this and a few reasons, but I'm not usually shooting at that distance. I do shoot steel plates though.

Something to be real careful of is the potential in dry conditions to spark a fire. It can and does happen. Happened at one of my local National Forest shooting spots that typically sees quite a few shooters on the weekends. It's got to be dang dry though, and often there is no vegetation , dry or otherwise, depending on the location of the rock.

Those shooting balls are a lot of fun. I like that every time I hit it the rolls a little farther away, which increases the challenge with every shot.

StrawHat said:

Once I sight in, usually six rounds or less, I start walking the property and shooting at targets of opportunity. Things like rocks, cans, rumps, five gallon pails or the lids for same, all are suitable for shooting.

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Now StrawHat, shooting people or animals in the ass is just mean.

I have never liked shooting paper, other than for dialing-in sights, periodic Practice or checking accuracy/consistency of new loads.

Rocks, wood chips, cans, hedgeapples, et cetera ... shooting three dimensional stuff is what really interests me.

WrongHanded said:

This may be my new favorite shooting activity. I've been going to the 25 yard indoor range and poking holes in paper for so long, that I forgot what it's like to shoot outdoors for fun. The place I went had previously been shut down for shooting due to excessive garbage left by some shooter. But now is apparently open to it again.

After I got done testing loads with the chronograph, I turned around to the other side of the canyon and found a huge rock on the hillside. That one proved too big so I chose a smaller one farther out, about 20" in diameter and somewhere around 150-180 yards away, and just shot at it with my .41 mag Blackhawk. Sometimes I hit it, sometimes I missed it, sometimes I couldn't tell. But man it was fun!

I'm going to have to do more of this. Maybe, I'll even get some steel to hang out up there.

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We have a 50 yd pistol range. The hillside behind the 50 yard target set is about 75 yards. I put clay targets out there for a little more fun. With a 357 (6'' barrel) it isn't too terribly difficult to hit one of those. If the ground is dry I can see about 90% the the POI. On paper I have to look at the target with an 8x monocular (old eyes) to see the POI. On the hillside I don't need to fool around with the monocular. With 357/41/44 mag its pretty easy to reach out to 100 yds. Everyone should try the 100 yd challenge with a mag. Tunes you up pretty fast. Lots of fun.

Reminds me of several years ago when some buddies and I were hiking in eastern Ky on private land. It was February, and we started shooting at the gigantic icicles hanging off the cliffs with .22 handguns. With each good hit a solid chunk of ice would explode off the hillside.

GBExpat said:

I have never liked shooting paper, other than for dialing-in sights, periodic Practice or checking accuracy/consistency of new loads.

Rocks, wood chips, cans, hedgeapples, et cetera ... shooting three dimensional stuff is what really interests me.

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You would like the Army.

I live shooting AR 500-550 steel targets, be they hanging gongs or my scaled-down mini-zoo of animal silhouettes.

POW —- Cling! Is a lot more fun

Stay safe!

I've seen with my own eyes ricochets from around 50 yds that came straight back (from steel plates) and drew blood. Wear eyes anywhere near the range, and believe in the power of fragments and ricochets.

I've observed a couple of my guys shooting 7.62 M43 and 5.56 tracers at a rocky hillside 150 yds away as part of a demo of something. O! M! G! The traces flew off at every angle. A lot went up and away with good velocity into the distance. Not At All the safe backstop we were expecting. Rock send bullets everywhere.

460Shooter said:

...Now StrawHat, shooting people or animals in the ass is just mean. ...

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I had to laugh! Damn autocorrect! Thanks, I fixed it.

CoalTrain49 said:

...With 357/41/44 mag its pretty easy to reach out to 100 yds. Everyone should try the 100 yd challenge with a mag. Tunes you up pretty fast. Lots of fun...

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100 yards is reachable with 22s, 38s, and 45s also. As you say, lots of fun. Educational also as you learn the firearm and load characteristics.

Kevin

StrawHat said:

I had to laugh! Damn autocorrect! Thanks, I fixed it.



100 yards is reachable with 22s, 38s, and 45s also. As you say, lots of fun. Educational also as you learn the firearm and load characteristics.

Kevin

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I shoot my CZ 455 at 200 yard gongs. It's a challenge.