Shooting the breeze

[Frank46]

good friend and myself went to our gun club's range today. Guess everyone had the same idea. Spent about three hours and shot 30 rounds. Had more fun renewing old friendships and shooting the breeze so who cares how many rounds were fired.
30 rounds= ok cost a few bucks
seeing old members and shooting the breeze= Priceless.
Course we had a wopper of a thunderstorm come through late afternoon so it was beat feet time. Frank

[Buckshot]

..............Spending time with like minded folks can be a lot of fun. Until it became a matter of history I never realized how lucky I was (and we) were. Due to being retired, or work schedules we shot EVERY Tuesday. When we arrived at the range varied as did when we left, which was usually determined by what we had to accomplish.

We ALL were cast boolit shooters. We ALL were experimental reloaders. We ALL were enamoured of milsurps, the offbeat, and the 'non-mainstream', or the simply interesting. We all generally shot our experimental ammo (reloads, working up new cast boolit loads, etc) plus the showing off of new aquisitions and stuff before lunch. For lunch we'd all sit at one of the club's picnic tables a few yards behind the line and resolve the world's problems. Matters of utmost import, from political to simply bagging on each other took place.

After lunch we'd shoot the "Burrito Invitational" cast boolit match. What we shot, and the course of fire had been decided the preceeding Tuesday. We'd each kick in a buck, and it was kept simple. Whoever shot the highest score won the pot. It was ALWAYS STANDING offhand and with iron sights. One week we might shoot centerfire rifle, which was the norm. But to break things up after while we would also shoot pistol. Then maybe pistol AND rifle. Maybe RF rifle or RF rifle AND pistol, CF rifle and pistol, or on ocassion we'd shoot muzzleloaders.

The fact of the matter was that to me, the best part was simply the BEING there, and being with like minded shooters. It didn't seem to matter what was to be shot in the match the following week, whether it was to be levergun, bolt action, Trapdoors, 45 Colt revolvers, or semi autos, everyone could accomodate it. Now that it's gone (our range) it has really brought home to me how truely unique it was.

9.3x62Al and Gopher Slayer were both part of it over the years, as were several others who over time moved away or sadly, passed away. It honestly and truly becomes a part of your life. My family KNEW not to schedule anything on Tuesday if you expected me to be there, as I'd be at the range :-) I recall several Tuesdays during the winter when it'd be me, Ron, and Kenny the rangemaster standing under the overhead at the rangemaster's shack eating burritos while the rain simply hammered down, but we were there!

Of course on Tuesdays there's be the usual other regular shooters. Usually older retired guys, just as there were the regular Wednesday, Thursday or Friday shooters. At one time we had as many as 11 shooters for the cast boolit shoot (Burrito Invitational) but generally it was between 5 to 7 guys. Toward the end it was pretty much just 3-4 of us. The range is now closed due to a lawsuit brought by a developer. Even if we win the lawsuit the range won't be the same. No more 200 meter stuff, no more offhand, no more buffalo BPCR match, silhuette, or Cowboy Action. It'll all be from the bench (which has it's utility for testing) and 100 yards max.

We had a good time and the Burrito Invitational had a good 12-15 year run. The range was 8.2 miles from my driveway, round trip. The place we use now is 80.5 miles round trip, and it sure isn't the same. I don't go every week, which I sure miss. YOu don't know what you have till it's gone.

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

[lwknight]

Aint it funny how sometimes you go out to shoot the bullseye and just end up shooting the bull?

[dromia]

Its a big part of what makes guns and shooting such a rich and rewarding activity.

When they banned pistols over here a dozen of us got together and formed a closed club, we all have interests in collecting, handloading and shoot miltary and vintage rifles. We shoot three Saturdays a month on the Catterick ranges distances varying from 30 to 600 yrds.

Most of the time is spent talking and cracking on and enjoying the company and sharing our love of shooting. A couple of our number have passed away and as our group diminishes one sometimes reflects on our mortality but we can't think of others to invite to keep our numbers up. At some point we won't be financially viable and able to book ranges so we all make the most of what we have whilst we have it.

You never know what tomorrow may bring.

[cheese1566]

Typical for our indoor rimfire during the winter!
Our postal match team is a mixture of backgrounds. We always end up talking more and conversing about motorcycles, guns, healthcare and everything else in between! Sometimes we need a kick start between courses of fire!
Good times, cannot wait til December!

[NVWalt]

Times, they are a changing. One reason the NCBS every year is such a great shoot. Get to see like minded people doing like minded fun stuff. And the bull never stops.
Used to shoot every wednesday night indoor position rifle at the high school in Carson City, was more a social gathering with some shooting going on. Do miss that stuff. Now I have my own range set up over the hill from me and I begin to think that I am the only gun nut around. I know that isn't so buy it sure seems like it....Walt

[Trey45]

Before the old range was taken over by paramilitary high speed low drag types who wanted to make it an exclusive clubhouse, A&P's outdoor range in Va Beach used be exactly that kind of place. A bunch of us would meet there, shoot for a little while, then retire to the shop to sit around the woodstove and talk. It's not like that anymore, a bunch of us have quit going there completely due to the new ownership. A couple of us still get together from time to time for a fun shoot(not at that range tho), but it's nothing like it used to be. There's more to shooting than just hitting your target, the camaraderie and friendships are just as important as load development. Yet another reason I'm glad this forum exists, like minded people gathering together for a palaver, all that's missing is the woodstove.

[cajun shooter]

Buckshot, I just want to say that was one good posting that is dead on. I was a cop for many years in the Baton Rouge, La. area. My last ones were spent as the armorer and firearms instructor. Even though it was a very busy job at times it also had those times when someone that I had not seen would drop by to shoot and visit. We would also have big get together lunches were I would cook cajun meals like jambalaya, sauce picante or Yellow Fin Tuna on the grill. Those were some of the best days of my life. The two local ranges that I now shoot cowboy action at are the same 80 miles round trip. They are not near what once was. Maybe the maker gives us all those times to reflect back on. Later David

[1Shirt]

Perhaps if there were more cast shooters in our area, I would not mind shooting with them, and would probably enjoy shooting the breeze a bit. However, Other than btroj and myself, there are (that I know of) no other dedicated cast shooters at our range. There are a few cast pistol shooters, but know of no other cast rifle shooters. There is a dominance of black rifle shooters, black rifle blasters, a few good milsurp shooters, etc. We shoot early in the a.m. and have little competition, and often are lone shooters until maybe 10 or so, and by then close to being ready to go home anyway.
Have never been overly social to start out with, and am less social with a group of shooters so knowledgable about shooting that have no knowledge of cast shooting.
Have a couple of guys who usually show up around 10 or so, and one always says "you still shooting those lead bullets". This morning I was shooting 22K, 308, 8x57, and 375 H&H with cast when he showed up. When he showed I was shooting the 375, and from the bench staying all in the black. Have offered to teach him the wherewithall of casting and shooting cast, but fear that he is as much of a curmudgeon as I am. Se la vie!
1Shirt!:coffee: