I spent a few hours yesterday at my club range shooting my real "weapon of war" ensuring I had a 200 yard battle zero and a dope card made and rolled up inside the buttstock. I also shot my varmint rifle to make sure I was still zeroed at 100 yards, test my skills with longer and shorter ranges using hold over/under, and two different bullet weights. Being a Sunday afternoon instead of a weekday meant I had company at the range, but it was pleasurable shooting with some other guys, and we adjourned to the clubhouse after for a beer and munchies.
First up, my SHTF "weapon of war" battle rifle. Made just after D-Day and still in original WWII configuration, it is not an impossibility that my rifle has spilled enemy blood before. However, there are no records available to ever know where it has been or how it was used. Only mil-spec surplus ammo is ever fired from this rifle. While most SHTF types will say you should have weapons that eat the same ammo as our potential domestic enemies, I am too old and out of shape to play run and gun. I am more than happy to act as a squad rifleman, picking off targets of opportunity from afar. Being old and out of shape also means I won't outlast my ammo supply. I last attempted a battle zero and dope card about a year ago. My glasses were old and scratched to shit making it hard to get any accuracy from the peep sight. My glasses are now current and scratch free and the 200 yard target was easy to see. Elevation was good, but the rear sight needed to go left a couple of clicks and then "BINGO!" I was grouping about 3 inches in the center at 200 yards. I finished off the mag clanging the steel gong at 200. A fresh load and I began shooting at the 100 yard target, with the first group of course, a little high. Three clicks down on the rear sight and I was in the center with an even tighter group. Then a couple of rounds on the 100 yard gong. Absolutely effortless. Three clicks back up and the 200 yard gong rang out with every shot, so confirmed. The dial is calibrated so that at 200 yards, the dial is on the "2" and my dope card is in the rifle. I will try to get to some longer ranges to expand my sight settings. Once I was done, as usual if someone else is around, I show off and give instructions on my rifle as well as allow those that want to, to shoot it. I had two takers and they were awed by my rifle.
Next up was my 1971 vintage lever action varmint rifle with a Bushnell Trophy scope on top. Since I am not a hunter, this rifle is my set up for predators around my property, whether four-legged or two. My next door neighbor informs me he has had a pack of large coyotes passing through supposedly coming up from between my place and the adjacent horse farm. I believe because of my dogs, they are steering clear of my yard and not coming after my chickens. Just in case though, I have an ammo sleeve of nine 150 grain lead pills on the stock and keep the rifle handy. So yesterday I verified zero at 100 yards with the 150 grain rounds with a nice tight 3 round group on the center of a splatter type bullseye target. I then dinged the 100 yard gong a couple of times for fun. Switching to 170 grain rounds required a 2 inch high hold at 100 yards, and dinged the gong with a little more authority. Moving out to the same type of target at 200 yards required holding at about 4 inches high with the 150 grain rounds, and printed a respectable group. Switching to 170 grains again, required me to use a 12 o'clock hold on the 12" bullseye target. Again a respectable group at 200 yards and the last couple of 170's on the 200 yard gong. Anything I was to shoot at either range was going to be a center mass shot and most likely a kill. That was it for me for the day. The other guys were packing up to head for the clubhouse, but my rifle was too hot to slip in the case. I didn't want to chance melting the synthetic case lining. They had policed up all their brass, and I told them I would go down range to clear all the targets from the backers before joining them for a cold one.
As they were packing up, I pointed out the Ruger SR9c and two spare mags I open carried on my belt that I did not shoot and explained its purpose. It is the gun I carry whenever I have my firearms out of the security of my home, to protect them from being stolen that remains in the holster locked and loaded but at the ready. One of the guys that is also a club member also does the same as I, and lifted his shirt to reveal a pistol that he did not shoot either. While the potential for firearm theft at the range is much less of an issue at my present club than at my former club, I trust no one.
I got the range cleaned and my gear packed up, and headed for the clubhouse. I grabbed an ice cold Yeungling Lager from the fridge and spent the next hour hanging out with the fellas I shot with and a couple of other members just hanging out. With my wife away for the week, I was in no hurry to head home to start laundry.
NOTE: In the interest of keeping authorities in the dark about firearms they know nothing about, that I may or may not actually possess, no make or models are described. The state/ATF only knows about most of my handguns and only 2 rifles. The rest simply don't exist.
