A day out at the firing range.
Jul. 22nd, 2012 05:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shade184(Man, I love my new "getting things done" tag. :3)
So today I went out shooting.
Dad's workplace has a social club that does events sometimes, and since there are quite a few gun owners who work there, this was one of them. I went out to the Dalby range with Dad, and four of my sibs; for $20 (the price of the event) we each got a box of fifty .22LR (small rifle) rounds, twenty-five 12-gauge shotgun shells, and ten clay pigeons; lunch was free. (I seriously love Dad's work, their social club is fantastic. XD) We also used rounds from the gun owners, sharing seems to be a thing with them. :)
We rotated through various kinds of guns, with ceasefires now and then for target checking and replacements. We fired at an open range, out in the middle of nowhere. I was extremely impressed by their safety rules and regulations. Over the course of the day, I fired a total of seven guns. Videos were taken, I will see about uploading them later.
- First, did a lot with a .22 rifle, using .22LR rounds (standard, quiet and almost no kick) and .222 magnum rounds (which have more powder and are a bit louder). The rifle was scoped, and while it was hard at first (I have shaky hands), I was doing alright by the end of it.
- A decent amount with a shotgun; I used a reproduction of the lever-action Winchester Model 1887. It's a beautiful gun; handles well, and has a lot of stopping power at close range. Good snake gun, or when hunting, for dropping a wounded pig or kangaroo. Its advantage is that its tubular magazine design lets it hold six rounds (technically five, but you load one more into the chamber itself for an even six) instead of a shotgun's usual two, which again makes it useful for snakes or wounded game when you might be stressed and miss your first two shots. We shot clay pigeons; I was actually quite accurate for a first-timer shooting at a moving target, hitting with more than half my shots. Though, that might just have been the morale boost from the lever action. I, er, may or may not have a weakness for lever action firearms. :3 (SO ELEGANT.)
- Another .22, this time with a .22 203 round, which had more powder than even a magnum round. Very loud, lots of kick, but excellent range. Had a lot of fun with that one.
- A single-action Colt revolver, which was a reproduction of the revolvers you see in cowboy movies. Was very popular for its time, and no wonder, it was easy to use and handled very well. This one was a lot of fun, too. (I also have something of a weakness for single-action revolvers, hehe. Slow, but very elegant.) Its owner was an interesting man, I'll get to him in a moment.
- Another single-action revolver, with a larger frame and target sights. This one was heavier, but handled even better.
- A Beretta 92, or M9 as it's known in the US. Standard sidearm for US and Australian armed forces.
- A lever-action carbine. Open sights. Didn't do so well with this one.
The owner of the revolvers seemed to enjoy talking about the history and workings of his guns, and I was all too happy to oblige him. I love history. :3 He talked about when the guns were made, who used them, when they went out of service and why; he also talked a little about the people who used them. We was wearing a Civil War US cavalry hat and gunbelt along with his fluorescent range officer vest, and I asked if he was a reenactor. He said yes - as he was both a history buff and a gun buff, it was a natural choice for a hobby. And he definitely knew his stuff, and loved sharing it! I would willingly have taken him down to the pub, bought him a beer, and listened while he talked for hours and hours. :D There are few things I love more in this world than talking with people who are passionate about their "thing".
Anyways. That lasted all day, and I had so much fun. Events like this continue to reinforce my faith in responsible gun owners. All of them were lovely people; very disciplined and safety-conscious. I fully intend to get into recreational shooting when I can afford to.
------
In other news, uni has started. As of last Monday, actually. I'm registered as an external student; my first two assignments are going to be mailed in tomorrow. They were a bitch to get into (woo, study anxiety) but progress was made eventually. First one's done, just need to finish off the second one tonight.
Also, tomorrow I'm going into town to buy my driving test. I take my logbook-has-been-accepted letter in to the Department of Transport office, pay for the test, and they give me a receipt, which I quote to the driving school when I book it with them.
... wait, if I go to town, will I be home in time to post my shit? Crap, need to check that. Maybe I can buy it online.
------
One last thing; for those who hadn't heard, I'm going to reward myself for finally acquiring my license by getting my eyebrow pierced, (remember that post I made a few days ago?). Might also get the Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver as well, to go with Ten's. :3 This license has been hanging over my head for four fucking years and I think I deserve some goddamn positive reinforcement. ^_^ I have some money put aside for that eventuality, and am rather looking forward to it.
So today I went out shooting.
Dad's workplace has a social club that does events sometimes, and since there are quite a few gun owners who work there, this was one of them. I went out to the Dalby range with Dad, and four of my sibs; for $20 (the price of the event) we each got a box of fifty .22LR (small rifle) rounds, twenty-five 12-gauge shotgun shells, and ten clay pigeons; lunch was free. (I seriously love Dad's work, their social club is fantastic. XD) We also used rounds from the gun owners, sharing seems to be a thing with them. :)
We rotated through various kinds of guns, with ceasefires now and then for target checking and replacements. We fired at an open range, out in the middle of nowhere. I was extremely impressed by their safety rules and regulations. Over the course of the day, I fired a total of seven guns. Videos were taken, I will see about uploading them later.
- First, did a lot with a .22 rifle, using .22LR rounds (standard, quiet and almost no kick) and .222 magnum rounds (which have more powder and are a bit louder). The rifle was scoped, and while it was hard at first (I have shaky hands), I was doing alright by the end of it.
- A decent amount with a shotgun; I used a reproduction of the lever-action Winchester Model 1887. It's a beautiful gun; handles well, and has a lot of stopping power at close range. Good snake gun, or when hunting, for dropping a wounded pig or kangaroo. Its advantage is that its tubular magazine design lets it hold six rounds (technically five, but you load one more into the chamber itself for an even six) instead of a shotgun's usual two, which again makes it useful for snakes or wounded game when you might be stressed and miss your first two shots. We shot clay pigeons; I was actually quite accurate for a first-timer shooting at a moving target, hitting with more than half my shots. Though, that might just have been the morale boost from the lever action. I, er, may or may not have a weakness for lever action firearms. :3 (SO ELEGANT.)
- Another .22, this time with a .22 203 round, which had more powder than even a magnum round. Very loud, lots of kick, but excellent range. Had a lot of fun with that one.
- A single-action Colt revolver, which was a reproduction of the revolvers you see in cowboy movies. Was very popular for its time, and no wonder, it was easy to use and handled very well. This one was a lot of fun, too. (I also have something of a weakness for single-action revolvers, hehe. Slow, but very elegant.) Its owner was an interesting man, I'll get to him in a moment.
- Another single-action revolver, with a larger frame and target sights. This one was heavier, but handled even better.
- A Beretta 92, or M9 as it's known in the US. Standard sidearm for US and Australian armed forces.
- A lever-action carbine. Open sights. Didn't do so well with this one.
The owner of the revolvers seemed to enjoy talking about the history and workings of his guns, and I was all too happy to oblige him. I love history. :3 He talked about when the guns were made, who used them, when they went out of service and why; he also talked a little about the people who used them. We was wearing a Civil War US cavalry hat and gunbelt along with his fluorescent range officer vest, and I asked if he was a reenactor. He said yes - as he was both a history buff and a gun buff, it was a natural choice for a hobby. And he definitely knew his stuff, and loved sharing it! I would willingly have taken him down to the pub, bought him a beer, and listened while he talked for hours and hours. :D There are few things I love more in this world than talking with people who are passionate about their "thing".
Anyways. That lasted all day, and I had so much fun. Events like this continue to reinforce my faith in responsible gun owners. All of them were lovely people; very disciplined and safety-conscious. I fully intend to get into recreational shooting when I can afford to.
------
In other news, uni has started. As of last Monday, actually. I'm registered as an external student; my first two assignments are going to be mailed in tomorrow. They were a bitch to get into (woo, study anxiety) but progress was made eventually. First one's done, just need to finish off the second one tonight.
Also, tomorrow I'm going into town to buy my driving test. I take my logbook-has-been-accepted letter in to the Department of Transport office, pay for the test, and they give me a receipt, which I quote to the driving school when I book it with them.
... wait, if I go to town, will I be home in time to post my shit? Crap, need to check that. Maybe I can buy it online.
------
One last thing; for those who hadn't heard, I'm going to reward myself for finally acquiring my license by getting my eyebrow pierced, (remember that post I made a few days ago?). Might also get the Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver as well, to go with Ten's. :3 This license has been hanging over my head for four fucking years and I think I deserve some goddamn positive reinforcement. ^_^ I have some money put aside for that eventuality, and am rather looking forward to it.