A Morning at the Range

So I finally dragged myself to the range: the temperature was a very moderate 28 degrees, and the snow had stopped. I reported this a.m. that we'd gotten about 3", but that wasn't accurate. It was hard to get a measurement due to the wind which had blown the snow around. In a few undisturbed areas, it was closer to 5 inches.

The range was not busy when I got there; I was the first shooter at the pistol line. Another fellow was setting up by the time I'd emptied the first two magazines. By the time I left, there were seven other shooters there, which is still only moderately busy. There were only two people at the rifle range, and three at the rimfire range. I didn't see anyone at the sporting clays.

The weather was breezy when I arrived, but snowing only a little. Within 20 minutes, the wind had doubled in speed, and the snow was getting serious again. The firing line is inside a three-sided shelter with a roof, but the wind was directly in our faces. By the time I was finished, it was snowing steadily again.

Here's a picture to show range conditions this morning.














My first six shots were an old trick I learned in the Navy, to see how badly my newly-won skills had deteriorated over the last three months. I tried to place three around the target, and then three in the center. As you can see, I missed one of the center shots entirely and my 9 o'clock shot was low. My old buddy Mr. Flinch had returned, and I had to really concentrate to avoid him.















As the wind in my face increased, my accuracy decreased somewhat. I'll be honest and say that my trip to the range proved only that I need to make more trips to the range.

On the way home, there was another moose in the yard. He's the one at the top of the page; more pics here.