So when is the Winnemucca shoot this year?

[Love Life]

Idaho Mule, there is also a place to primitive camp as well. That s where we stayed last year.

[quilbilly]

Idaho Mule and other first timers on a shoestring budget - For 2-3 days before the event, I will be "primitive" camped up in Paradise Valley at a site used for several 1000 years by the Paiute and Shoshone as a winter camp. Great spot for an RV in a grove of quakes at the junction of two creeks but you have to ford one creek to get to the campsite. By my standards any place I can sleep on the ground without rocks next to running water is not primitive. Unfortunately, it is 35 miles from the shoot so I move into town for that. Love Life's camp also has a creek and is about 4-5 miles from town and is either near or at the BLM's Water Canyon campground.

[Idaho Mule]

Thanks for all the info guys. I knew there would be something close by to camp. The only thing that would prevent me from making it will be my hay. I usually can't start in May but one never knows. I would sure like to make the gathering as it sounds like loads of fun. JW

[Love Life]

It is a super fun get together. Just good, wholesome, easy going fun. QuilBilly is correct in where I stayed. It was Water Canyon. Even in last year's severe drought the creek was running and we had a good grove of Cottonwoods for shade. Looks like they had a few places to park an RV, but I didn't see water hook ups. Maybe Harter66 might have seen some. The place we camped also had an outhouse.

I am still trying to juggle my schedule to make, but I just don't think it is in the cards for me this year. I was looking forward to seeing what crazy idea Harter66 has come up with this year.

[Harter66]

Those sites are nice for tenting and trucking. I don't think there are hookups there is a place just at the edge of town I believe had a dump station.

I think I've my madness under control,and I promise to only manipulate the redneck campfire social rules as far as the shine will allow.

[Idaho Mule]

I don't need hook-ups, just a place to park. Heck, if the weather looks decent I'll just bring the wall tent. What guns do I wanna bring?? And how much ammo?? Probably as much as I can haul I suppose. JW

[geargnasher]

I was toying with the idea of trying to make it this year so Texas could be represented, but then I actually looked at the map, that would be really close to 2K miles from here. SW Colorado is my vacation drive limit, and I'm wiped out for a full day after making that one each way every fall. I'll just continue to live vicariously!

Gear

[MT Gianni]

I am still on the fence. I have to be in Reno on May 8 and Holly and I were going a few days early. I may drive down again with Matt if he is on an off week but generally they run Sat-Sat and that leaves no time to get back to the rigs. We will see how it goes.

[runfiverun]

we stayed at a tent sight in town but drove up the canyon where the other guy's were staying.
the only differences were we had a shower and they had quiet.
i think they had more shade too.
if we come again we will be staying up at the camp sight out of town.
i wonder if the ground squirell population has recovered any from the pounding we gave them last year.

[Matt_G]

John and Lamar, I really hope you folks are able to make it down this year.

[quilbilly]

In previous years when NCBS was in May, there were ground squirrels out everywhere. Last year when it was in June, most of the squirrels had already gone underground to avoid the heat so my GS sniper rifle stayed in the truck. I am bringing it this year. There is a huge ground squirrel colony along the road that goes to the top of Winnemucca Mountain above the shooting range. In 2011, I watched several locals set up firing positions alongside the road overlooking adjoining hillsides (200-300+ yard shots). Just a thought for all of you who are thinking about the trip but daunted by the distance - fly to Reno, rent a car, and I will bring some extra ammunition for you. Did the same for Love Life last year to shoot the 400 yard gong.

[Love Life]

That 338 sure shot sweet, but then I blew it out of my backside on the "for score" shoot. If you sit the front site right on top of the 400 yard gong you should hit 5 for 5 unless the wind is acting up as usual. That is where I scored the last 2 in a row once I shot too high for the 1st 3. I'm still juggling things to try and make it. If I do I'll bring the big steel echo silhouette and paper targets. I'll bring along the long range rig, but it is shooting jacketed so that is just for playing around... If anything people can shoot it to play with the whole Mil/Mil FFP concept and dial in adjustments.

[Harter66]

Idaho mule,
A DA revolver, SA revolver,single shot,bolt,semi-auto rifles/pistols and something you shoot well. I came up a little short on my 38/357 last year but long on the 9mm ,45 Colts,31x39. Just shooting to be shooting and to play the games I'd say 300+- per pistol/revolver 50-150 per rifle per shooter. The board saw contest ate up about 140 rounds for my daughter and I and we burned 125 or so in the s k s. With 2 38s and the marlin 357 400 wasn't enough 200 was plenty for the RBH Colts. No clue how many 9s probably upwards of 300 .

[Idaho Mule]

Harter66, thanks for the info. Looks like I better figure on bringing the 1-ton just to haul all the lead. Wife says she wants to go along too so at least you guys will have some competition. The revolvers will be no problem, single shots ok, levers ok, bolts can be done, but I am semi-auto challenged. I don't own any other than the lowly 10-22. Maybe if I am nice I could borrow the oldest son's SKS, I will ask him. I sure don't have any lead for that thing and dang little of any jacket stuff either. All that stuff don't really matter tho, I am just going to be there and meet you folks and have fun, the heck with the hay (not really) and the rest of the world's little problems (really). I am getting the feeling that the weather could be a tad warm so I will watch and see as far as bringing camp trailer or wall tent. Wife said camper cuz she wants shower, but I am more in favor of tent. If she gets to stinky I'll just pitch her in the crick. I will see ya there. JW

[quilbilly]

That last two times we had a May NCBS, I needed tire chains to get through the snow into Winnemucca and a couple shoots were delayed by heavy snow. On the other hand, conditions in the North Pacific where our weather comes from are currently almost identical to 2007 when Winnemucca weather was apparently in the 80's during NCBS if it was at the same time as this year's. The bottom line - carry chains, snow parka, and short pants.

[rockshooter]

dont forget sunscreen- I got cooked last year. I remember that it was mainly past ground squirrel time last year but methinks a scoped .223 might be useful this year.
Loren

[runfiverun]

we found a spot out by paradise valley,after a couple of day's searching.
we come in early to scout out the area.
and was shooting them in the canyons behind the range here and there.
but the one spot out there in the valley we shot them all afternoon on sunday,and all day monday.
we were almost late to the dinner on sunday because we were having so much fun.
i could find about 600 pieces of empty squirell brass when we got home and i have no idea how many we lost.

[quilbilly]

Some of the locals have built ten foot platforms on the back of their pickups for mobile firing positions to shoot ground squirrels in Paradise Valley. My hope is that one of these days when I am camping the week before NCBS, a bunch of those feral pigs in Paradise Valley will wander up "my" valley. I was told last year at the saloon in PV ( a fine establishment and a great place to meet the local buccaroos on weekday afternoons) that the pigs generally stayed around the farmland and you had to pay to get at them. Last spring we had sage grouse in camp along with the quail. No hunting license required for pigs, coyotes, jackrabbits, ground squirrels, etc. Hard to tell how much of a toll last years extreme drought took on wildlife in the area. This year the snowpack in the mountains around Winnemucca is close to normal.

[rockshooter]

fiveriverrun-
What caliber you using?? It would take me a long time to load over 600 rounds of .223!! The squirrels are just coming out here in the Boise area but those are the breeders I figure so I'll check back in a month or so.
Loren

[runfiverun]

littlegirl was using her AR, and the same boolits she shot at the cast shoot.[and then my home mades when she seen the mess they made]
we bumped off about 50 or so with the 22lr.
then i just used everything we had in the tahoe,the 8 mauser,alices 0-6,my 223 with some home swaged bullets,both 308's,and the 445 supermag.
same thing we use around here
but mostly the 30 cals.
a 165 gr cast boolit at 2250 makes quite an impact on a little animal.