Shooting in the Wind

Today's range time gave me some practice in windy conditions.  There was a fairly consistent medium+ wind coming from 10 o'clock occasionally swinging to 8 o'clock, and I was shooting at targets placed at 100 and 200 yards with the Savage 17HMR using Hornady 17GR ballistic tip bullets.

At 17 grains the 17HMR round is pushed pretty easily by the wind...I noticed it at 100 yards (where I typically shoot)....but out at 200 yards the effect was definitely apparent.  Some poking around online showed a 15" drift at 200 yards from a 10MPH wind.  Pretty substantial!  This little round is great for experiencing wind effect...a great training aid!  {The .223 round I use in the AR-15 would only drift about 3 inches at 200 yards in a 10MPH wind.}

This is100 yards...(the unlabeled shots are my initial group, followed by orange, then 12 clicks left for yellow, and then 8 clicks to the right (resulting in 4 clicks left from my initial) for the final group in green)...

This is 200 yards...(initial shots are in orange (3 of which are out of frame), followed by the yellow at 12 clicks left, and green 12 clicks low)...

As for elevation at 200 yards, I botched up the mental math, and added 12 clicks down, when I should have gone for 6...I would have been spot on in elevation had I made the correct adjustment.  Good fun none the less!

The net result required 12 clicks left at 200 yards, and 4 clicks left at 100 yards to correct for the wind (the wind conditions change beyond 100 yards at my shooting range as the treeline stops at about 70 yards).

17HMR Lunch Break

I managed to hit the range for lunch today, and put 30 rounds of 17HMR down range.  Definately a good way to clear your mind, and remind yourself that more practice is definately in order.  I really need to work on my breathing, and patience.

I was shooting with a light 3 o'clock wind at 100 yards using a bolt action Savage 93R17 - 17HMR topped with a Nikon ProStaff 3-9x scope set at 9x.

This was my first 20 rounds, with my best two '5 shot' groups highlighted (there were some slight 1-2 click adjustments in windage on the scope between groups)...

And my final 10 rounds (with 1 click up added to the scope before shooting), with each 5 shot group marked...

I must get more practice....I'd like to be shooting tighter groups than this.  But overall a rewarding break from life.

BCMGunfighter Charging Handle

The BCMGunfighter Mod4 charging handle arrived the other day, and my first reaction seeing it was 'wow'.  The machining and finish is top notch...without a doubt, a very well made accessory!

This should be standard equipment on every AR-15!  I had been using the typical two finger/dominant hand method to rake the charging handle on my AR...a slow clumsy operation.  Now it is a quick easy movement, without having to remove the rifle from my shoulder, or my hand from fire control.  Excellent product!

I purchased the medium handle Mod4 unit, and it's just the right size.

It is available from Bravo Company USA here...
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/BCM-GUNFIGHTER-Charging-Handle-GFH-Mod-4-p/bcm%20gfh%20mod%204%20556.htm


For those who are curious...BCM is short for Bravo Company Manufacturing.

Great firearm statements

God made man, Samuel Colt made them equal.

Don't retreat, reload!

Gun control means using both hands.

When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

You can take them from my cold dead hands.


and my favorite...


A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the

people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

The NRA, our rights, and a new hobby

I believe every decent American should have the right to own firearms. I was raised in a home with firearms (which I rarely saw, but knew were there), and with all of the attention lately on gun control, I felt compelled to become a member of the NRA.  To me, this is a good way to support our 2nd amendment rights, and a way to stand up for what I believe is right. 

I became a member of the NRA in November 2010...I didn't own a firearm.

Until this point, I wasn't particularly interested in firearms.  It wasn't uncommon for me to say things such as "I'm not a big fan of recoil".  I've even been to family events where skeet shooting was enjoyed, but I kept to toying with the potato cannon instead.

Still, I felt compelled to do more.  Joining the NRA seemed like a great way to fund the fight for our rights...but I wanted stand up through action as well.  I started looking for a small calibre rifle...eventually settling on a 17HMR.

I recruited family members and friends to show me the ropes, I was hooked!  What fun I had been missing!  And I learned that shooting well is much tougher than it seems in theory.  This new hobby is now a major part of my life, I now own many guns, and I've become a big fan of recoil!

The irony in all of this is...the attack on our 2nd amendment rights, and my desire to stand up...drove me to become a gun owning American...surely not what the gun-grabbers wanted.

Please, if your not a member of the NRA, join today.

https://membership.nrahq.org/forms/signup.asp 

If your not a gun owner, consider it.  If you are one or both of the above, find someone new to introduce to this wonderful hobby!

I'm a gun owner.

I'm a member of the NRA.

I'm proud to be an American!

Advice from a Marine

Not just any Marine, this one is my best friend, and he shared with me what had been drilled into him over and over again...and it's worth repeating over and over again....

• Always treat every weapon as if it were loaded.
• Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you intend to fire.
• Never point your weapon at anything you don’t intend to destroy.
• Keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire.

Also, a personal favorie that I see from time to time...

• The most important firearm safety is your brain!

Relaxation Time at the Range

I spend a lot of time during the week looking forward to my range time on the weekends.  I managed to get out twice this weekend, which is very unusual for me.  It's been busy lately with the spring weather, but I've been able to get a bench, and touch off 50-60 rounds a day.

Here is the view down range...my targets are on the 50 yard board...you can also see the 25, 100 and 200 yard boards.

And here is my setup...

It was nice to get out and clear my mind.

Thumb Screws Loose

I guess part of blogging is sharing errors that you've made, as well as all the fun you've had.  As I was at the range today, it seemed that I was chasing the crosshairs trying to get a good zero.  I kept checking the torque on the screw that holds my scope to the carry handle, but didn't check the two thumb screws that hold the carry handle to the upper receiver.  Under recoil, the entire handle and scope would slide, and surely affected the point of aim.

Lesson of the day...tighten the thumb screws REALLY TIGHT!

All things considered, I still shot some nice groups once I was done chasing the 'zero' around (I remembered my sandbag front rest today).  My final shots are highlighted in yellow...

Target V2

I finally made it to the range with the new target I designed...things that seem good in theory are much different in practice, since at 50 yards, when I wasn't looking through the scope, I couldn't see a thing!  So, here is an updated version that should do the trick (hopefully!)...

As for my performance today...it was all right, but I have a long way to go to.  The shots in green are the last 5 shots of the day, fired seated and resting on both elbows (I called the one above center as high when I fired it).  The red ones are my 'off hand' attempts...all at 50 yards. 

I'm definitely a better shot when I have my sandbag rest with me...but practice will help.  I can definitely see the need for an aftermarket trigger too...I spend a lot of my time adding pressure to the trigger waiting for it to break.

Please see my update here => http://ar15shooter.blogspot.com/2011/05/target-v2c-and-v3c.html

Happy Birthday to the Model 1911

The Model 1911 pistol is an icon...the state gun of Utah...and a favorite of both my best man, and my father.  As with my other favorite firearms, the AR-15, and the Remington 700, the 1911 has seen use in our armed forces.  One day, I will own one.

Here is a nice writeup on the history of the 1911:  http://www.m1911.org/full_history.htm