Absolutely heavenly day at the range!

[Moparmike]

Copied and pasted from my blog:

Best damned day off I have had in months. I went to the range out at Hobb's Recreational area shooting range, off of Hwy 12 east of Rogers. Bit of a drive, but well worth it today.

I got out there with my dad's .22lr single shot, my WASR-10 Full-Cap (AK-style semi-auto), and my Czech 24/47 8mm Mauser, otherwise known as a Laudenboomingthumper. It packs a whollup.

When I arrived, there were a couple of people out there, just doing their thing with some pistols. I set up my target for the .22lr when they paused, and got setup to shoot @ 25yds. Now I dont get to shoot much, so I need some practice nonetheless. I flinch a little, even with ear protection shooting a .22lr. Stop laughing. Anyway, I am just plodding along: chamber, cock, breathe, slowly let half out, sqeeze, pop. Repeat. About 15rds go downrange, and I go to look at my target. Not a single G**d@mned hole in the paper. ***? So, I decide to change where I aim. Nada. One of the guys shooting there tried it. Guy seemed like he knew more than I did by his stance, and I was surprised when he missed. Ok, I had had enough of the .22.

They left, and I had the range to myself. Its not a large range, but its an outdoor range. I felt like I was the only person within 100miles, and that is exactly what I was needing. I had never felt so relaxed. That range is so beautiful. All of Arkansas's splendrous, majestic beauty just everywhere. It didnt feel like I was in the forest perse, but I could look and just 10ft to my left or right was nature like it had never been disturbed. Bird chirping, Butterflys that you never see in the city, a surprising lack of stinging insects and allergens. My oh my, it was exactly what I needed. I could just sigh and feel like I had the whole state to myself, and I just cant adequately describe how wonderfully relaxing it felt to be out there. It wasnt even hot, and there was a gentle breeze. Couldnt ask for more. Well, the Sweedish Bikini team with cold beers...anyway...

So, I bust out the AK when they left. Let the fun begin, hehehe. Blam.......Blam.......Blam.....Blam....Blam...Blam..Blam.Blam.BlamBlamBlamBlamBlam...
BlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlam...Woohooo! I do about 2 mags worth, just pulling the trigger as soon as I have any sight picture. Damn that was fun!

Ok, now to the serious part. I get out the 8mm Mauser. In all of its steel-buttplated and freshly polyurethaned beauty. I put a towel under my shirt over my shoulder, because otherwise I cant shoot more than 5rds. I am shooting at 25yds, because the last time I shot it @ 100, 3rds out of 10 hit an 8.5x11" sheet of paper. This is with iron sights, which I suck at. Medal of Honor and its Playstation variants doesnt exactly prepare you for that.

Anyway, I slowed my breathing after chambering a round. It was steady on the jackstand (a subsitute for expensive bench resting equipment) and I sqeezed the trigger with the sights where I wanted them. BOOOMTHUMP!!! Well, it was on the paper, and pretty danged close to the dot. 19 more rounds and all of them on paper. Odd thing is that this gun when it gets hot starts sending its shots lower than when it starts, instead of many Remingtons and rising with heat. All in all, a good day.

I later discovered that the .22 shoots 3.5" high @ 10yds! ***? I most certainly think that a major sight adjustment is in order.

And then, my car started beckoning for me to push it to the limits. It seemed to like the curvy nature of the highway... 35mph corner??? Bah! 55mph and climbing, no tire sqealing and feeling like it wanted more...OOoooh. I get it out on the highway, and it beckons for more gas. Ooooh. 70...75....85...90...95...ahh, that feels good...DAMN. Road construction. Sigh. 15min waiting and creeping along, never getting above 20mph. Ok, so I get out of that. Yay. The car wants more gas....100mph, here I come. Wow, this car just glides along. Its been so long since I did what this car was made for: Cruising the Autobahn. Well, it had to settle for the Arkansabahn. (Ar-kan-sah-baahhn. Say it with me: Arkansabahn.) Otherwise known as I-540. People doing 80-90mph all the time...

Great day, all in all. Hope yalls was great too...

 

[hillbilly]

Uh, bang.....

 

[DonNikmare]

It relieves some stress for me just reading it.

Nik

 

[Moparmike]

Thanks. Glad I could help.

 

[spacemanspiff]

what kind of ammo you running through that mauser? and dont tell me its newly manufactured commercial stoff or i'll send you off somewhere to grow some hair on that chest!

the romanian ammo i just picked up a few weeks ago is a light load in my yugo m48.
my m98 has been retired, she shot well and i had a great time hearing her go 'boom', but its time for her to rest. last stuff she was shooting was some turkish hot hot hotty surplus from the '40s. now THAT reached up, tapped you on the shoulder and said HELLLOOOOO!!!!

course, i am a bit of a recoil addict.

 

[P95Carry]

Nicely told Mike ... it was an ''I was there with you'' sorta read. Most enjoyable.

Glad it was a good day - they happen now and again and when they do .. they need savored and they stick in memory for long time after.

My day was nothing like that but good nevertheless. I used some morning time to fly my quarter scale R/C plane and then went over the mountain to spend some time with my son ..... he was shooting the trap club's Tombstone shoot.

He shot a great 1st round but in the second round his Uncle came in hot and beat all opposition. Some good shooting was had tho and he came 5th .. not bad. .. a lotta fun and some great food. Best of all .. my son and I had ample BS time ... all to infrequent.

Downside ....... Our forecast suggested late afternoon storms .... which is about same every day of late .... usually they are right. Today tho ..... WRONG .......... and instead of the truck I could have had some great riding on the bike. Oh well .... another day.

 

[Roadkill]

Absolutely heavenly day at the range

Glad you had a great time. I went out yesterday myself. Had a ball.

rk

 

[Moparmike]

Yeah spiff, I was using some old Turk from 1947. All though I will say that the HotShot 8mm will tap on your shoulder and say hello too. Turk is more like "HEY, I AM TALKING TO YOU!"

I do want to try out a box of the Winchester I have though. Cant wait to see if it is like an AK...

 

[Slimjim]

You need to learn the art of bumpfiring to release stress!

 

[Dave R]

Yeah, get those sights adjusted on that .22lr handgun and you'll enjoy it a lot more.

 

[Moparmike]

It was a rifle. My dad's old Steven's Model 15-B. I couldnt believe my eyes when I saw how far off it was.

 

[MAURICE]

Yeah, was a perfect day for shooting today... but a buddy was getting married. You know... priorities and all. And I did catch the garter

You sir, are correct about the roads out there towards Hobbs. Hilly, curvy, and fun .

Still had a good gun day, though. My brother went out to see some family and came back with a shotgun that my grandfather owned. My older brothers are not into guns, my aunt and mother arent interested either. I cannot forget to mention my uncle, who in his young and dumb years did some things that now disqualify him from owning firearms (something about transporting an explosive device across state lines ) My grandfather died when my mother was sixteen, so of course I never met him and this is the only real family heirloom that we have of his. The shotgun itself is nothing spectacular. A Winchester single shot .410 ser #217xx. Surprisingly there is not a speck of rust that I can see (yet, it is late after all).The stock and forearm are beautifully dinged and dented and shows a lot of character. This is a gun I grew up fondling and lusting after, and now it is mine. Of course it will go to one of my boys if and when that time comes. This is one that I will never get rid of.

 

[artherd]

We're going out Monday! We're bringing an old couch and a box of Tannerite!

THE COUCH IS COMING RIGHT FOR US! *(BOOM!)*