Observations from the range tonight

[zachomega]

I went to Holmesburg fish and game tonight. Got there around 7 and left around 9:30.

Saw a guy wearing a pafoa sweatshirt. I would have said hi but it was busy and i was just finishing up.

Anyway, on to the observations on no particular order.

1: Glock style magazines are not Glock magazines. Saw a guy shooting a pc carbine and he was having some hiccups with the magazine. That said, he was killing it at 25 yards with the open sights.

2: illuminated scopes are awesome! I was testing my hawke 3-9 on a Ruger American Rimfire. There are lights at the range, but dark targets are still dark and having that contrast on the reticle is great. I get the big deal with illuminated reticles.

3: i don't have anywhere near enough magazines for my rifle. I brought 3 with me and was taking my time shooting. But there is a 5 round limit so i found myself reloading magazines a lot.

4: i need to practice a lot more. I watch these YouTube videos of guys making these tiny groups with a .22 at 100 yards. My groups looked good at 50 yards. But once i went out past there, they were more of a scattering than a group. I still had a lot of fun. That was the furthest I've taken a 22.

5: the Ruger American Rimfire has a crazy spring sounding noise in the stock after it fires. Kind of like a pellet gun.

6: my eyes aren't what they used to be.

-Zach

[ar15jules]

Ammunition makes a big difference in a .22 rimfire. Try many varieties to see what shoots the best. I can never complain with CCI Standard Velocity but my groups really tighten up using more expensive ammo like Wolf Extra Match, Federal Gold Medal Match or Lapua Center X.

[zachomega]

Ammunition makes a big difference in a .22 rimfire. Try many varieties to see what shoots the best. I can never complain with CCI Standard Velocity but my groups really tighten up using more expensive ammo like Wolf Extra Match, Federal Gold Medal Match or Lapua Center X.

I was just shooting cheap Remington bucket o bullets stuff. I think the "nicest" 22 ammo i have is federal champion blue box lead point. It is nothing special. My groups at 50 yards with the Remington were overall pretty solid. At 75 they opened up a lot. And again, at 100, it was like buckshot patterns.

I'm not at the point of blaming the ammo yet. My technique was definitely lacking. I just need to shoot more and once I'm confident in my shooting, then I'll play with the ammo. Or rather, the ammo won't help if I'm not holding the rifle steady and controlling my breathing and pulling the trigger straight back.

I also did some research on the pinging noise from the Ruger American Rimfire. Apparently it is related to the firing pin and firing pin spring resonating after the shot. It can be fixed with a soft shim in the bolt against the spring. I guess i know what I'll be doing tomorrow then.

-Zach

[zachomega]

I went shooting again tonight. This time at RAF near my house.

I was there a few months back to pick up some receivers i had ordered. Masks required. Every other lane open.

Tonight, sign in the door, no masks allowed. Every lane open. Felt so good to not have to wear a stupid mask!

I brought my newly acquired cz75d pcr, s&w 686, and an ar9 i built a few months ago.

The cz predictably functioned flawlessly. The trigger is a little sharp. I'll have to look online for some good methods for rounding the trigger. But i was comfortable with what i was hitting at roughly 10 yards.

This was my first time doing shooting the ar9. I put around 75 rounds through it plus my friend put some through as well. It too functioned flawlessly. The lrbho worked with the Glock magazines. So much fun to shoot! Glad i bought the heavy buffer. I can't wait to play with it more.

I also rekindled my love of shooting revolver. I was running some white box 38 special I got in a trade a few years ago. I hate to admit it, but I don't shoot revolver all that often because i hate cleaning them. It isn't hard, but it is time consuming. Tonight, he was totally worth it. I shot a pretty good mix of single and double action. Just a great feeling pre lock with a conversion grip.

On my way out, I asked about 9mm pricing. I had brought my own. 23.50$ per box. Limit 1. That was their price pre pandemic. It is a shooting range. That's where they make their money. So i thought that was really nice to see.

What's up with people shooting bird shot at paper targets?

Again, my lesson is, i need more range time. It has seriously been a while. It feels good to be getting back into it.

-Zach

[jthrelf]

Birdshot at paper targets may be patterning.

Glad you enjoyed your range time!

[zachomega]

Birdshot at paper targets may be patterning.

Glad you enjoyed your range time!

Yeah. I wish they were patterning. They were just emptying a pump action into a target to the point of it literally falling off of the target frame.

-Zach

[DukeConnor]

Target pasters????? So , where do you rich guys go for champagne after the range?
Been using masking tape since I was 10 *. I don't think target pasters had been invented yet.

I take brake cleaner * hold up side down *.outside *. and spray out my 10-22 mags with brake cleaner chlorine free *.
I do this instead of tearing them down *. because as a non - rich guy * I have to go to work and don't have all this free time to waste..

** and I'm just busting your balls in good fun *..not trying to trigger anyone *.

What are you? Some kind of a monster? 😁

[zachomega]

Target pasters????? So , where do you rich guys go for champagne after the range?
Been using masking tape since I was 10 *. I don't think target pasters had been invented yet.

I take brake cleaner * hold up side down *.outside *. and spray out my 10-22 mags with brake cleaner chlorine free *.
I do this instead of tearing them down *. because as a non - rich guy * I have to go to work and don't have all this free time to waste..

** and I'm just busting your balls in good fun *..not trying to trigger anyone *.

I also use masking tape and markers. But my eyes aren't getting any younger so i like those high visibility splatter targets or whatever everybody calls them.

I think if i sprayed brake cleaner outside in any quantity, my fiancee might murder me for killing the grass.

I think the real rich guy thing to do might be buy a new magazine every time i head to the range.

I do hold memberships at two ranges though. So if the shoe fits? Wait, no. I get my hands dirty at work and home. Spent all day today appeasing the fiancee by helping dig out a tree stump made out of something that is indestructible.

What are you? Some kind of a monster? ��

Depends on where you get your news.

-Zach

[alpacaheat]

High Vis Splatter Targets * wow , just how rich ARE you?

Tractor Supply sells these cheap!

[zachomega]

I took my fiancee to the shooting range tonight. We went to the local indoor range and shot pistols. She has really been coming along.

The range seemed very well stocked on ammo. I didn't buy any so i don't know about the prices Guns were also freshly stocked. They had a really sharp looking Talo Ruger mark iv.

The actual shooting range was very empty. When we first got there a couple was leaving. Another couple was shooting next to us and a single guy a few lanes down.

The couple next to us left very shortly after we arrived. Thankfully too. They were the kind of people who buy 1 Target and shoot 200$ of ammo at it and then don't clean up their spent casings.

When they left, i used the lane as a loading station so that my fiancee could shoot more without me literally standing over her shoulder. I quickly got tired of slipping around on their brass and decided to just clean it up. Lucky me! I found 3 cartridges on the ground. A .380 ,.40, and .44 Magnum jacketed soft hollow point. It just be nice to have so much ammo that you can leave some for the next shooter. I'll consider it the price to pay for not cleaning up after themselves.

We shot a Ruger sr22, Ruger sr9, and Beretta 92. All are excellent. I've been shooting subcompacts more recently so it was nice to shoot the full size 92. Just a great gun. My fiancee naturally hated it. But she likes her sr9.

She did get a few failure to extract failures. Those are real show stoppers for a new shooter. It wasn't consistent. It mostly happened with Remington range ammo. I'm wondering if it was ammo related. Her gun just doesn't have enough rounds through it to be a dirty extractor and i couldn't get it to repeat the failure. We also shot some Winchester service or whatever they call the budget stuff that comes in the brown cardboard box and styrofoam bullet block. We had no issues with the Blazer brass we fired. Pretty sure all were 115 grain except for the Winchester.

She was tired by that point so it is also possible that a bad grip was screwing something up. Maybe it was short stroking? That actually makes the most sense now that I'm thinking about it. We are talking about the same woman who managed to short stroke a Ruger mark iv. Any thoughts on this are welcomed.

We stuck around for a bit having the range completely to ourselves for close to 30 minutes before a large group came in. They were at the other end of the range and looked like they were having a good time.

-Zach