Sunny and a bit on the warm side (especially in the sun) with temps in the low 80`s with low humidity. I had two goals in mind; work on the problem I had in this post with my CMP Tisas 1911A1. Scroll down to the bottom to read what was happening and my proposed testing to figure out the problem. I also wanted to try out my new shooting mat from MidwayUSA. The last time I remember shooting prone was in the military so this was going to be a new experience for sure.
I got to the range about 10:20 this morning, well after the 10:00 allowed start time. First thing I did was pull my weed-whacker out of my truck and trim the grass around the range house. Then I used my backpack blower to clear away all the debris and leaves. What do I find sitting on the floor of the range house in the corner? An empty Jack Daniels bottle with half a swallow of whiskey on the bottom. Alcohol is forbidden on the ranges by both club rules and state law and apparently someone thinks that does not apply to them. I took photos of it and locked the bottle in my truck for safe keeping.
Next was range inspection. As a club Range Safety Officer I always walk the range out to the 200 yard backstop and back, stopping at all the shorter range backstops whether I am there to shoot or just passing by. Once again, the bullet trap angled 8'x4' Hardox 450 plate at 100 yards has been freshly damaged by penetrator ammo in what appears to be 30 caliber. Photos were taken for evidence, since this is now the third time this has happened. I sent all the photos I took to the range chairman and am currently awaiting his return phone call as I write this.
As I was getting ready to shoot, a few guys showed up after Trap to shoot handguns. I decided to hold off on my activities and act as R.S.O. just to keep an eye on things. The rule is you can't be an effective R.S.O. and participate in shooting activities at the same time. No safety violations occurred and the guys weren't there all that long. I was able to start checking out my 1911A1 after they left. I field stripped it, and taking just the barrel while holding it muzzle down, plunked (dropped) some random Winchester factory rounds of 230 gr "hardball" into the breech. Every round settled all the way in as expected. I then tried it with random rounds of my target reloads. AHA! most of the rounds did not seat properly. It turns out that the end of the case is not crimped. Next time I load some .45ACP I need to check to make sure the die is a little lower in the turret, and back off the bullet seat adjustment to get a proper crimp and case overall length. My old Colt Government Model 1911, my Glock 21, my S&W Governor (revolver with full moon clips), and my 45 Shield didn't seem to have any issues with these rounds that I loaded quite a while back. I re-assembled the 1911A1 and proceeded to run mag after mag of the Winchester ammo through it with zero malfunctions. I did all my shooting unrested at 25 yards and repeatedly dinged the steel plates. I shot at a B-27 human torso target at 25 yards and it was obvious I would be able to qualify to Army standards with my pistol. Satisfied with the operation and results I packed it away. I police up my brass after every mag and after I was finished shooting two were still missing. I looked everywhere including the open top trash can but never found them. But what I did find in the trash REALLY pissed me off.... a fucking Coors Light can. It had no bullet holes in it so it wasn't used as a target. More evidence of alcohol consumption at the range. All I have to say is God help them if I catch them. Certain members obviously see nothing wrong with this behavior, but if I catch them, as an elected officer of the club, I will recommend that they instantly and permanently lose their membership, as well as be banned from the club facilities FOR LIFE!! How you like me now, fuckers.... place my range in legal jeopardy will ya?
Now it was time for the prone shooting from my new mat. I would be using my US Patriot 1775 sniper rifle in 7.62x54r. I went down and set up a target at 100 yards and freshly painted the steel gong for verifying my 100 yard zero. I then headed out to the 200 yard backstop to place a Birchwood-Casey spatter target with an orange decal 2"bullseye, and a fresh coat of white paint on the large round hanging gong and the chunky steel disc lying on its side. Satisfied, I headed back to the firing line area.
I got down on the mat, set up the rifle for 100 yards, dropped a fresh round in front of the bolt and sent it into battery. Because of the staggered layout of our backstops, I was unable to see the bullseye target but could see the gong. Instead I took aim at the center of the freshly painted round steel gong and sent it. The 2 1/2 pound set Timney Trigger breaks crisp and clean and the round impacted dead center of the gong. Satisfied with my standard zero, I then set up the rifle for 200 yards.
This took some doing, and as I found out, I am all out of sorts trying to maintain hold, arm position, the stock on my shoulder, eye relief, cheek weld... it's all different lying prone as opposed to sitting at a bench. While breathing is easy to control, timing the shot with my heartbeat is more important and difficult lying on my chest. Using my known dope for 200 yards I dialed up 2" of elevation and 1" of windage to the left. The first round I sent down range was dead center but high. The next 3 or 4 were also high. Weird, I thought but then I took aim at the gong for a couple of shots. Better, but still a little high. I dialed the elevation back down one click and took aim at the chunky disc lying on its side. I put all 3 shots in a nice little group in the center. After 10 rounds I was done shooting for the day and went down range to retrieve my targets. As I was walking back, the gunsmith that cut and crowned my barrel and is also a club member was just getting his stuff out of his car. He builds precision rifles and shoots long range precision competitively. I told him what I experienced shooting prone. He told me that everything changes and that I will need to document the differences if I am going to shoot from different positions. I waited until he went down range to set up his windage flags and targets before touching my firearms to case and move to my truck. I loaded everything up and was headed to the clubhouse for a cold drink before he even fired a shot. As I was getting in my truck another younger member showed up to do some shootin'.
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