The Gun Range (No politics)

[Rob]

I don't know how far this will go. but I know there are gun owners on here who enjoy shooting. 

How often do you shoot? Do you shoot on private property or do you go to the range? What guns do you shoot? Is there a certain ammo that you prefer when shooting targets? Any special features at your range or on your guns?

Share anything at all about your experience and skill with firearms, bows or blowguns, etc. But no politics.

Do you carry? Concealed or open? What holsters are you comfortable with? What pistols are you comfortable carrying? What ammo do you prefer for your defense piece?

For those who do not own guns, if you have non-political questions or interests, post here. I had gotten the idea that this could be a thread for information as much as a thread for gun owners to talk about guns and shooting. But please be careful not to post controversy. If something you read here inflames your political itch, post it in the Political Gun Thread. 

Refrain from arguing and be respectful.

All things gun related without the politics that often surround the topic. 

[Dan]

Rob, most of us that shoot aren't willing to declare what we shoot in today's political climate, how much we shoot, any how much stuff we have available to shoot.

I will.

My kid has around 600 acres. I shoot there a LOT. I can and do shoot at home, as do most (all?) of my neighbors.

I have 9 different calibers. More than a few are duplicated. At least 5k rounds per caliber. Likely more. Most are registered and "assigned" to me. Many are not. I shoot about 500 rounds a week, on average. This week, on Thursday, I've shot around 200. That will pick up on the weekend. I prefer handguns, but I likely have rifles, shotguns, and maybe a few weapons that could be considered "assault" weapons.

No one in my immediate family hunts. We target. For me, it's relaxing. My fav gun to shoot is one of my 9MM's. Cheap to shoot and a lot of fun!

And yeah, I reload.....

[mank]

I shoot my M&P Smith & Wesson at a range in a Pittsburgh suburb called Inpax. My son has a membership to a country club, Slippery Rock, and we shoot skeet with a shot gun. I would say I average shooting once every couple of months. My wife shoots with me too and has a .38.

[Rob]

Aug 29, 2019 19:37:47 GMT -5 Dan said:

Rob, most of us that shoot aren't willing to declare what we shoot in today's political climate, how much we shoot, any how much stuff we have available to shoot.

That crossed my mind. I know some people are private about owning guns and shooting, etc. But I'm not one of them. I talk about guns the way some people talk about classic cars.

For a few years now, I'd kicked around the idea of starting a topic where we can just talk about guns and shooting without having to argue about whether we should be allowed to own them.

My mom and dad have forty acres with a huge hill in the middle that serves as a backstop. My favorite pistol to shoot is my Smith & Wesson SD9. I know it's not considered to be one of the best guns, but it functions wonderfully. It's a high capacity pistol, holds 16+1. I like the white-dot sights, they're big and clear.

I'm not picky about the ammo I use, and will usually buy the lowest priced ammo the store has. If I don't have any problems with it, I'll likely buy it again. I've had no problems with Tula Ammo in my 9mm, but I've had problems with Tula in my .357 Magnum. So, I won't buy Tula .357 ammo again.

Though the 9mm is my favorite, the pistol I shoot the most is a Heritage .22lr single-action revolver. Just because you can buy a lot of .22lr rounds for a low price. I hadn't gotten in much shooting this year, but I did get a chance a few weeks ago. Me, my dad, a cousin and his son spent a couple hours blasting away at targets.

I'm not a great shot. With a pistol I can hit the target from twenty to thirty feet away, sometimes I even hit the bullseye. With a rifle that has a comfortable scope, I can hit the target from 75 to 100 yards away.

The guns I have were not very expensive when I bought them. The most expensive was around $350. But now that I've bought my house from my landlord and my mortgage payments are less than my rent was, I'll probably be buying more expensive guns pretty soon.

I'm eager to own a Smith & Wesson Model 10, exactly like the ones the police used to carry. A Model 10 will likely be the next pistol I buy. Then I'll probably get a 1911 .45, preferably one by Colt, so I can say I own a .45 Colt. I also want a Beretta 92, and a few other pistols that I consider to be classics.

[Bomber]

The only shooting I have done was in my high school rifle club (Last year we had our 50th anniversary reunion so you can see how long it's been). We used single shot .22 rifles with pin-hole sights, almost exclusively in the prone position.

[MalcolmR]

I've used BSA Mk III Martini action .22 at my university rifle range; A pump action 10 round .22 light weight 'farming' rifle on my Uncle's farm in Ireland, using normal rounds for foxes and rabbits, but tiny little 'shotgun' cartridges for rats inside buildings; I've used double-barelled shotguns (both side-by-side and under/over) for clays. (Skeets?)

All those occasions were 20+ years ago now.

My parents used to have a side-by-side shotgun hanging on the lounge wall that used to belong to another Irish relative. The police persuaded them to have it de-activated. Later, another visitor identified it as a fairly rare 'wire-wound' barrel, and said we should have been advised to sell it to a licensed collector rather than ruin it. When my Father died, I handed it in to the police the next day.

[Jim]

I shoot my mouth off all the time. Does that count?

Otherwise, the only time I've fired a gun was at one of the Texas parties.

[martycanuck]

Well I haven’t shot for many years. 1989 maybe? Give or take a year.

I used to own a 22 rim fire rifle. Also had a 12 guage. We lived rural then. One weekend my cop buddy brought his service revolver up with a lot of rounds. We pinned targets to a tree about 3 or 4” in diameter. Yup, we downed the tree that day! It was fun but no particular urge to repeat it.

I have thought about trying an automatic weapon at a Vegas gun range some time. Next trip will be in October. We’ll see.

[Jackie]

I didn't vote in the poll. Reggie owns all the guns in this house. He is licensed to carry and does carry where it's legal for him to do so. I don't have a license to carry but have spent enough time target shooting that the Glock we keep bedside at night and in the console of the Pathfinder when we are out and about is a tool that I'd be willing and able to use if need be.

[Drea]

While I was growing up, my father kept a licensed gun in his bedside table. When we were old enough, he showed it to my siblings and I, and he was VERY clear that we should never touch it without his permission and his presence. I never really gave it much thought after that. I assumed that he felt more secure that he could defend the family if ever needed.

Michael was the person who actually taught me how to shoot a gun (I have no idea what kind) for target shooting many years ago, when we were on his parents' private property in the Shenandoahs. I wasn't that great at it, but it was good to try. I don't believe I've had an occasion to touch any gun since then.

[Rob]

I made some changes to the first post in this thread. I wanted the thread to have a wider threshold, so I stretched it out.

[Rob]

The big camouflage holster in the center is a sling that crosses my body from shoulder to hip. It’s designed for carrying big revolvers that have scopes on them. I use it when I want to carry my single-action revolver in the field or woods. This holster holds my revolver tight and the flap on the top is unnecessary.

The three holsters on the left are OWBs. The brown leather one is for my snub-nosed .357 Magnum. Though it’s an OWB, it holds the magnum tight against my waist. If my shirt is covering it, you will not know it’s there.

The other two are for my 9mm. One is pretty bulky and would never work for concealed carry. The other, the black leather one, is a little better, but the shape of the pistol might still be seen against my shirt.

The three on the right are IWBs. I really like these thin fabric IWB holsters. They fit well in my waistband and are quite comfortable. I’ve tried other IWB holsters, including leather, and they were very uncomfortable.

One of the IWBs is for my 9mm. Another is for my .380. The third one, the smallest one, I bought it for my .380 and it was too small. But my way of thinking is, if I buy the wrong size holster, instead of returning the holster, I’ll keep it and eventually buy a pistol that fits in it.

[mollypop]

Aug 29, 2019 20:37:47 GMT -4 Dan said:

ob, most of us that shoot aren't willing to declare what we shoot in today's political climate, how much we shoot, any how much stuff we have available to shoot.

Amen Dan...

I've used, shot, reloaded for, and become familiar with a myriad of weapons in my military career.

I've fired crew served weapons (M-60 and A-6 LMG's and .50 HMG's) and wire guided missiles and also anti-tank recoiless rifles M-20, 75mm and and LAW's - mostly in training, but some at real live enemy targets in the 'heat of the moment' you might say.

I've fired, disassembled, cleaned and qualified with most common foreign weapons ranging back to the Korean war ( I liked the Chinese water-cooled LMG the most, as inaccurate as it was). I'm familiar with the use, care and cleaning of U.S. and Russian/Chinese mortars and their systems 60mm to 4.2). Of this I have real life knowledge due to a missing kneecap from an NVA 82mm mortar (PH #2).

Today I keep up to date on more modern stuff (SAW, M-4, etc.) and have a knowledge of them to a pretty good degree.
If you hear of a military or foreign hand-held or crew-served weapon or grenade, satchel charge  or Bangalore torpedeo,  I likely have fired/used it.

 And let's not forget that I went to the TEES course (Tactical Energetic Entry System) - a basic course in how to blow the doors/windows in order to quickly enter and assault the building/room.

Having said that - that was then and this is now. I intend to hold my weapons, ammo cache, training, experience a bit close to my chest these days. Nobody's business I mean.

Thanks for starting the topic Rob, but that's all from me on the topic - and it was probably too much.

I'm interested in what others have to say...

- L -

[Rob]

Aug 30, 2019 21:12:41 GMT -5 martycanuck said:

We pinned targets to a tree about 3 or 4” in diameter. Yup, we downed the tree that day!

I keep thinking about this. I didn't even know that was possible. Every time I shoot a tree, all that happens is the projectile splats. I guess I haven't used trees for targets much.

Per chance, was your buddy's service revolver one of these sweethearts?

[martycanuck]

Sept 13, 2019 11:54:10 GMT -5 Rob said:

Aug 30, 2019 21:12:41 GMT -5 martycanuck said:

We pinned targets to a tree about 3 or 4” in diameter. Yup, we downed the tree that day!

I keep thinking about this. I didn't even know that was possible. Every time I shoot a tree, all that happens is the projectile splats. I guess I haven't used trees for targets much.

Per chance, was your buddy's service revolver one of these sweethearts?

We unloaded a few boxes of ammo into that tree. There wasn’t anything left of it where the target was.

IIRC (It was around 30 years ago) his service revolver was a regular 38 Special. Smith & Wesson? 

They got upgraded to Glock 9 mm’s after that but I never fired that pistol.

[Rob]

Sept 13, 2019 12:20:59 GMT -5 martycanuck said:

IIRC (It was around 30 years ago) his service revolver was a regular 38 Special. Smith & Wesson? 

Yep, that was probably a Model 10. One of the reasons I'm so fascinated by the Model 10 is it had been a standard issued police pistol for a long time. I believe for most of the 1900s. It chambers six rounds, .38 Special.

I'm not sure what it was that made the Model 10 so favored by police in the US, but I think it's a beautiful pistol. I guess Canadian police selected it for the same reason US police did.

[graham]

Sept 13, 2019 11:54:10 GMT -5 Rob said:

Aug 30, 2019 21:12:41 GMT -5 martycanuck said:

 Yup, we downed the tree that day!

I keep thinking about this. I didn't even know that was possible. Every time I shoot a tree, all that happens is the projectile splats. 

Mythbusters confirmed it (although they probably went for a bit of overkill...!)

[Rob]

Jeez, Marty and his cop buddy must've shot a lot of bullets that day. MythBusters needed a heavy machine gun to accomplish this feat. Marty and his buddy had a .38 and a .22.

This is what happens when I shoot a tree.


Larry, do you know what machine gun that is that MythBusters used to shoot down the tree? I think it's the same thing that is sometimes seen on military helicopters.

[graham]

It's the M134D Gatling Gun or Minigun. They mention its name in the video.

[mollypop]

Yeah, Rob, it's the same gun that was used back in the '60's in VN and other places. Graham got the nomenclature correct as it is mentioned right in the video.

Thee is one thing though, the gunship miniguns had 2 speeds, 3,000 rpm or 6,000 rpm and there was no 'gunner' as the pilots did the firing. The gunner used either an A-6 or the M-60...

The 'mythbusters' team either didn't know about the faster rate of fire, or it was disabled on the gun they had.

- L -

[MalcolmR]

6,000 rpm. Makes you want to buy stocks in lead mines.

What's that statistic from Vietnam? The US fired a million rounds per Vietcong casualty, or suchlike?

Can't find it at the moment, apparently the figure is 250,000 per casualty in Iraq, and the US arms manufacturers couldn't keep up. They were buying ammo from Israel!

[Rob]

Sept 20, 2019 7:07:29 GMT -5 graham said:

It's the M134D Gatling Gun or Minigun. They mention its name in the video.

I couldn't hear the video.

[mollypop]

Sept 20, 2019 12:46:54 GMT -5 MalcolmR said:

6,000 rpm. Makes you want to buy stocks in lead mines.

What's that statistic from Vietnam? The US fired a million rounds per Vietcong casualty, or suchlike?

  Malcolm, didja ever hear the term 'suppressive fire'?  It is a covering fire to move the enemy where you want him and keep his head down at the same time.  During this time the enemy is unable to attack or retreat - he is pretty much stuck where he is - Perfect to hold him in the same spot where you can call in an accurate artillery or aircraft strike to do a 'shake-n-bake' on his butt.  Lots of bomb/arty shrapnel or some napalm usually does the trick.

  The covering fires are not meant to kill lots of enemy, just to hold them still till the big stuff can snuff 'em out but sometimes it takes a LOT of ammo - that's where the airborne machine guns and the miniguns shine.

 - L -

[graham]

There's also the more cynical version "Put enough lead into the air and eventually you'll hit something..."

[MalcolmR]

Mollypop, I wasn't in any way critical of the tactics used, I just pointed out that a lot of lead was being expended.

[mollypop]

Sept 21, 2019 5:22:35 GMT -5 MalcolmR said:

Mollypop, I wasn't in any way critical of the tactics used, I just pointed out that a lot of lead was being expended.

You're right.  And now you maybe understand why.  Lead is cheap - and besides ammo can be made of copper coated (to extend the life of the barrel) steel or iron or even some newer and cheaper non-metals and work in the same manner (cover/suppressive fires).  So the expense of lmg ammo is not really a factor the military need consider.

 - L -