Finally, I'll soon be able to quell those who think shooting these matches on indoor ranges is a sacrilege -
Friend of mine (lives less than 2 miles Northeast of me), has a 120 yard by 30 yard field with a BIG berm on one end of the long direction. He checked with his neighbors and nobody has any objections to him setting up a 1 lane range for his family and friends to use occasionally for target practice. Turns out the neighbors are willing to help with their farm tractors to build up side berms at the target end and firing points to make every thing nice & safe. They want to trade out the help for a chance to sight in their deer rifles on occasion.
Don't know if it will be ready for this month's match, but if it is, I'll git-r-done outdoors. We're not planning a covered firing point, for now, trying to keep the expense down. I picked up enough 4 x 4 pressure treated lumber and a 4 x 8 sheet of 1/2" exterior plywood to make a decent target frame. My contribution to the effort in exchange for usage rights.
Right now, he'd prefer I not take pictures as it would show too many details of his security system, but maybe later we can disguise them enough to not be too obvious in the pix. He's had problems with people stealing his stock trailers and stuff, so he doesn't want to make it too easy for them to bypass his new security (not to mention wanting to nab 'em in the act if they try again.)
Meanwhile, I'm working on upgrading my amateur radio antenna system to take advantage of the propagation upswing and give me better coverage to Europe and the Far East.
Haven't gone to the range lately as my buddy (also a ham radio operator) and I have been working on his range and my antennas in between bouts of bad weather (17 below zero one week and 80 degrees with thunderstorms the next) Spring is almost here in Kansas - I live in Tornado Alley after all.
Jim
You deserve a medal!
