Deputy Al's Excellent Desert Adventure

[9.3X62AL]

Since the range that Buckshot, I, and several others here use on Tuesdays remains closed--it became necessary to head out to my good old reliable desert spot for a little ballistic therapy. None of the vehicles driven by the several princesses in residence required my attention, so I loaded up the war toys and sallied forth.

I arrived at about 11:30, and the usual desert breezes were wafting through. Not quite gale force, but noticeable. Temps were low 50's, so it was brisk but tolerable. Things got off to a decent start when a couple crows landed in an ocotillo plant about 350 yards from the truck. The only rifle along for the jaunt was the Mini-14, with stock irons and 55 FMJ's on board. Kind of a handicap, but what the hey. I held about one head's width over the right bird, and let drive--no joy, but the featherhead wasted no time getting airborne. The left bird sort of hung in the breeze for a moment, so I took a chance at him and cranked one off in his direction--with similar lack of productivity. Oh, well.

After setting the rifle down, I noticed a few bees sort of milling around near me. I had seen this on the previous visit, and aware that the Africanized honeybees were in this area--I watched them closely. Their numbers increased by the minute, and a few of them started getting froggy and buzzed around my head. You don't need to draw me a picture--I hauled ass outta there.

I drove further east on I-10, and took off down Red Cloud Mine Road. Its condition was not as bad as the access road to the old spot, but there were a few tight spots from washouts and rivulets that eroded away roadway. Some gorgeous country though, and I ran down the road about 6 miles to a good spot for shooting.

The test for today was to find SOMETHING with cast boolits that the Tokarev would feed reliably. Lyman #313249 did the trick, running through the pistol like a big dog and hitting the striker plate at 30 yards pretty consistently. The other 7.62 x 25 (CZ-52) ate everything it was fed, as usual--Lee 100 RN, Lyman #313249, and Lyman #311419. The CZ REALLY liked this last one. Load was 6.0 x Unique with the Lee and #311419, and 7.0 x AA-7 for the #313249.

The S&W M&P x 5" x 32-20 got a range day, too. Those MM Short Fat Thirty 120 grainers REALLY shoot from this revolver--5.5 x SR-4756 did very well, as it has for several years in my two wheelers in this caliber. This powder weight does well with the RCBS 98 SWC, the Lee 100 RN (kinda skinny, though), and now the MMSFT. The 120 grainer is the go-to boolit in the S&W, for sure. The Colt SAA prefers the Lee. The Lee isn't much for shape factor, but ya can't have it all sometimes.

The drive home was had in heavy traffic with a nice sunset. I think the truckers are dodging snow and ice enroute to the west coast--as usual, this time of year.

[Frank46]

Deputy Al, why is the range closed?. People moving into the area or other considerations. Our old range was leased from the railroad on a yearly basis. The leases had been going on forover 50 years. At the hearing at the local city council it was not protested but the local alderman said he would not support the range in its endeavors. This in spite of no one in direct opposition to the range and a new high school about a mile away. Then foe two or more years we had no place to shoot. Now we have over 600 acres with berm out to 300 yds with possible expansion to 1000 yds, pistol range and a skeet range. Maybe it was for the best. Frank

[Buckshot]

...........Frank, not closed forever but for "Sound Abatement Improvements". Ya see the range has been in operation since forever. It's on leased BLM land essencially in the Santa Ana flood basin.

http://www.fototime.com/D1179361870321A/standard.jpg
BTW, that's the esteemed Deputy Al there on the right.

http://www.fototime.com/221812E1C65D5E2/standard.jpg
That's Glen (The Little General) as our departed friend Ken used to call him.

What the problem is is development to the north of the range in the foothills. There is a housing association and in their info packet it is states that there is range noise on occasion. Plus there are other subdivisions sprawling eastward (toward those mountains in the bottom photo). Some aggitating hatefull ole bi..............broad, started complaining. You move in next door to an airport and start complaining about the aircraft noise, right? :violin:

She actually got some other people all riled up and they wrote letters to the local newspaper (San Bernardino Sun). She said she'd found bullets in her front yard, among other stuff. The newspaper came by the range on Monday when it was closed, and by prior arrangements picked up the rangemaster (Frank) and then went to this woman's house for an interview.

Naturally she's a fat ole scab and no, she can't produce any of these bullets that she'd found in her front yard. Imagine that? Frank said that bullets would have had to trample a couple dozen laws of physics to make it to her front yard in the first place. Most the noise comes from the shotgun line as it faces north (directly at the foothills) and on Wednesdays they shoot till 10 pm (curtailed to 9:00 now). The rifle and pistol ranges face east.

As it is the 20 year lease was up for renewel during this time and the ole hag complained to the BLM too. They naturally have to act interested and have to "DO SOMETHING". Surprisingly enough the Sun gave us a remarkably even handed article and even a positive editorial. Inland Fish and Game is the only outdoor public shooting facility in the east valley. Has nice facilities and a full time rangemaster. Otherwise shooters have to go up into the mountains where there are NO facilities, and we all know what kind of shotup trash gets left behind. Not good.

So the BLM has agreed to renew the lease if the club installs sound mitigating stuff. IF&G has a board of directors ( 8 people) plus the pres & V-pres, secretary and treasurer. All these people are shotgunners:groner:. Why? Well they all shoot together on teams or squads or whatever, but always TOGETHER on the weekend and Wednesdays. They all know each other or 'of' each other. Most all the rifle and pistol shooters don't know each other. In fact most don't even know anyone. Truth to tell most the votes for board members most likely come from the shotgunners.

The fact of the matter is the shotgunners do whatever they want. The rifle-pistol line has no clubhouse and consists of a couple falling down storage sheds. The restrooms are over close to the shotgun line. Fancy that? They spent 60 grand for a new clubhouse down by the entrance (by the shotgun line) with a pro shop and cafeteria. This is all closed except when the shotgun range is open. What, you need 30 grand for bird towers with power elevators so the throwers can be loaded at ground level and then run up a 40 foot tower? Hey, no problem!

The shotgun line needs new baseball field type lighting for their ONCE A WEEK Wednesday night shoot? Twenty two grand? Chump change, no problemo! Need an improved sporting clays field, need to build on to the trap houses so they can store 2 pallets of birds up there, heck just do it why ask.

Excuse me if I seem a bit bitter. So now the rifle-pistol range needs some sound abatement stuff. Gee, head scratching and foot suffleing time. [smilie=6: The deadline creeps closer, and closer. Gotta be done by the end of the year, and the first proposal was submitted a month LATE for starters. The club publishes a monthly newsletter. Ya think they'd have some info in there about what was happening? Nope, you just show up on Tuesday to shoot and the gates are closed and locked.

Probably gonna be closed until the first of the year. Yeesh! [smilie=b: Our current rangemaster, Ray (left in top photo) had convinced 2 rifle shooters to run for the board of directors. Then he put posters up naming the 2 rifle shooters and was telling people to vote for them. I see they got on the ballot and I voted for them and anyone who WASN'T an incumbant. So that's where it stands at the moment.

Next Tuesday all us Burrito shooters are going to meet at Glen's house and head out to Deputy Al's desert hideaway to bust some caps. I'm getting feverish.

.................Buckshot

[Bass Ackward]

After setting the rifle down, I noticed a few bees sort of milling around near me. I had seen this on the previous visit, and aware that the Africanized honeybees were in this area--I watched them closely. Their numbers increased by the minute, and a few of them started getting froggy and buzzed around my head. You don't need to draw me a picture--I hauled ass outta there.



Al,

Good thing you didn't have bees wax on those bullets or you would have really attracted their attention. :grin:

[StarMetal]

Buckshot,

That fat ole woman certainly isn't stupid, she knows all the right buttons to push. Too bad, nebsh*ts like that make me sick. I know exactly how you feel.

Joe

[SharpsShooter]

Those were obviously Left Wing Africanized Bees.

[StarMetal]

Deputy Al,

Did you shoot any of those Lymans I sent you for the 32 acp?

Joe

[shooter2]

Deputy Al, I am envious. That is one beautiful backdrop for a shooting range. Makes my little 100 yard range look rather bleak by comparison. Same here with the shotgun sports. They get the goodies.

[JDL]

Deputy Al,
Sounds like fun! I've always thought it would be great to go out into the desert and shoot targets of opportunity from near to too far, but I don't live near one. :-D Anyhow, I hope the problem can be overcome with your and Buckshot's range. -JDL

[slughammer]

Deputy Al,
How about a report on the 25 acp reloading and jack rabbit shooting going on out there in isolation?

[NVcurmudgeon]

Buckshot, The description of the balance of power and funding (shotgun vs. rifle and pistol) in the Inland Club is remeniscent of those in the Livermore-Pleasanton, CA R&GC that I was a member of. The Livermore Club closed the R&P facilities over three years ago because a local business mogul complained that he had bullet holes in two old barns on the other side of the hill. A delegation of three Directors vewed the holes, concluded they were bullet holes, and closed our range. Then a delegation from the NRA came out and suggested that a roof be built in front of the firing line so that nobody could see the skyline. Said roof was to be built of 3/4" plywood, and extend out THIRTY FEET from the firing line. The NRA range safety department remind me of a government in the areas of cost and efficiency, yes, we had to pay them to make the trip. Oddly, there still are not enough funds to reopen the R&P range. The R&P shooters have moved on, and the shotgunners have the exclusive shotgun facility that they always have dreamed of. Technical note: to hit Rooney's barns would require a trajectory similar to that of a 60mm mortar. Technical note #2: local rumor for a long time has been that Rooney is planning an, arrrrgh, golf course.

[onceabull]

I finally strapped it on and went to the desert this week,too. Stayed long enough to realize what a damn old fool I was, --high temp hasn't gone above 30 F.here for 8 straight days.air quality alert status, .. Might as well be living in the "White Powder" capitol of Id. (and we are not just talking snow here,babe !~!) Onceabull

[9.3X62AL]

Yer killin' me, Slughammer. You really are. No jacks noted on this last trip, they're not real abundant in the south end of the Mojave like they are up near Essex and Needles. I also had a shotgun at the ready, because doves are fairly common "down south" where I was. No joy on that species, either.

The old spot has become a lot more used and trashed than it had been in past years. I pretty much had it all to myself until recently, but the Low Desert's (Palm Springs/Palm Desert/Indio) population has about quadrupled since I was assigned there in 1978-1982. So--ya gotta go a little further back to find nice spots. There's a whole lotta desert out there--no real problem--and this new area has a bunch of amenities lacking in the other spot. And no friggin' bee swarms, either.

Joe--nope, the 311252's are still in their packaging, awaiting me to get my aspirations motivated to unload some 32 ACPs. THAT is as close as I get to the 6.35mm Browning, Mr. Slughammer, sir. That unloading sequence will likely occur on Tuesday's upcoming Excellent Adventure Version 2.0--and some other cool stuff, if the other guys are up for it. That multi-groove design might adapt to the 30 MauMau/7.62 Take a Grip, too.

Buckshot did a fine job of describing the wind as it lays at our gun club. Understand that I was a rabid shotgunner as a youth and young adult, and still do all right with one of them scatterguns. I take great delight in beating the socks off those lame-asses......my usual stunt is to whup them good with a 28 gauge x 870 on the trap field, while they try to keep up with their Perazzis and Ljutics with release triggers and all that nonsense. A few of them can keep up or get ahead of me, but most of them can't. Another favored method is to use my 1-1/4 oz. field loads and let the birds get out a bit--the report of these real shotshells disturbs the ambiance of the trap field ("Those are too loud, get them off the field!")--which I ignore completely. They HATE it when a Joe Hicks From The Sticks like me makes them look silly at their own game with a $275 pump action. I am NOT welcome on the trap fields, but the skeet folks are pretty decent. Skeet is more fun, anyway. Generally, I don't make a point of spending time in environments that don't like me (without getting paid to do so, anyway), but I make an exception in the case of those arrogant, insufferable trapsnots at Inland. Fark, 'em, then feed 'em fish heads and rice.

[slughammer]

Joe--nope, the 311252's are still in their packaging, awaiting me to get my aspirations motivated to unload some 32 ACPs. THAT is as close as I get to the 6.35mm Browning, Mr. Slughammer, sir.


Well, I heard you got a set of 25 acp dies. I figured you were loading a .25 WFN for better impact on the jacks!


If Santa is nice to me, a set of dies and brass for the S&W 16-4 that has been sitting in the safe for 6 years will come my way; then I won't feel teased everytime you brag about yours. I picked RCBS 32-98 SWC up off the board this summer, now its time to shoot it.

[waksupi]

Al vehemently protests his involvement with .25 ACP's. Mayhaps, he doth protesteth too much? I have it from a very unreliable source, that he indeed reloads for this round. And sits in the baTH TUB FULL OF BUBBLE BATH PLINKING BUBBLES. i HAVE ALSO HEARD FROM THE SAME SOURCE,he may cease this practice, due to the danger of bullets richocheting back from overly hard soap bubbles.

[9.3X62AL]

Ric--yer snitch is full of it. There are no 25 ACP's on scene here--period. Thou doth speak too much ****e, methinks.

Slughammer--that Model 16-4 of mine is likely the most accurate handgun I own. It is WITHOUT DOUBT the easiest to extract accuracy from--not the least bit powder sensitive, as long as the powder is reasonably matched to the load intensity. It mimics the other Special and Magnum straightwall revolver calibers in that regard.

[StarMetal]

Deputy Al,

I think I'll build you a barrel and new cartridge for it. The cartridge will be a 30 Luger necked down to 25 caliber. How's Deputy Al Automatic Cartridge Pistol ( DAACP) sound?

Okay, let's see how many jump on and tell me a wildcat for that exists.

Joe

[9.3X62AL]

Joe--

I think they'd have to move the shoulder back some on the 30 Mauser. Necking it down to 25 caliber would use up what little neck the cartridge has!

Not sure where I saw it--might have been an old edition of Hatcher's Notebook--but I did see a pic of a S&W M&P chambered for 25-20 WCF. Seems like case setback a la 22 Rem Jet would be a problem, but I'm not sure as to that. Another little round that intrigues me is that 5.7 x 28 that is chambered in the FN P-90 Personal Defense Weapon. It's a real high velocity, flat shooter that would do nicely for small game. NO CAN HAVE here in the PRC, but after emigration to the USA it might be something I'd like to try.

[StarMetal]

Al,

Semi auto pistols don't suffer from that bottle neck cartridge syndrome.

Joe

[9.3X62AL]

True enough, Joe--but a 1.59" overall cartridge length needs a whole lotta slide travel! And rimmed cartridges aren't at their best in semi-auto pistols.

[StarMetal]

Al,

I think we're on a different wave length here. I'm talking of necking down a 30 Luger or 7.62x25 Tokarev to 25 caliber. that Tokie would give it plenty enough neck.

As an aside to your rimmed case in an auto, two come to mind. One the 32 acp and boy that one works great. The other, remember the Coonan? That 1911 style pistol for the 357 magnum? It worked good too.

Joe