|
|
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 145
Campfire Member
|
Campfire Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 145 |
I grew up in Bozeman, and it was different then--around 12,000 people-, instead of a "metropolitan area" about 10 times as large. Am very familiar with Alder, since my father and his brother founded and ran the Virginia City Players for many years. I worked for the theater during summer as teenager, mostly doing grunt work, partly because I could walk outside of town in 2 minutes and start hunting with my .22.
Am now 70 miles away from Bozeman. Moved here 30 years ago when it was still really rural, and helped establish the local range. Even though the range is between Bozeman and Helena, it gets a LOT of use due to the area growing so much in recent years.. In fact what used to be just a "club" range now regularly hosts shoots that have people coming from several surrounding states. It was expanded to 1000+ yards a few years ago, with around 20 concrete benches.
Am also somewhat familiar with your area of Colorado. Hunted northwest of Craig for mule deer with a friend close to 20 years ago, and got an ancient, heavy-antlered 3x3, and my partner got a very good typical 4x4. Great country, and am glad to hear it's still pretty rural. Dunno what we're gonna do with the recent vast "Californication" of this part of Montana. Thought we were too far from the Bozone to get invaded, but might have to sell out and head farther east.
I hate to even go to Bozeman now. Moved away from Ennis in '97 and the only place I stop now is Shedhorn to see Rob (we were EMT's on the Ennis ambulance together) and stock up on reloading supplies. It's all changed so much, even Alder is californicated. I remember Judith Furee (sp) singing Mule Train 😂😂 RJ
Last edited by recoiljunky; 12/21/20.
When you go afield take the kids. . . . . . . . and please, wear your seatbelts.
Alder, Montana Native. . Transplanted to Craig, Colorado.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 56,745
Campfire Kahuna
|
|
OP
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 56,745 |
Yeah, we go to Bozeman as little possible anymore. Used to go there regularly to get slide film developed, but switched to digital around 2004--about the time Bozeman started being a PITA to get around in.
Did go with my brother when he visited a couple years ago, just to show him the changes--such as traffic lights every mile all the way out to Four Corners!
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 19,873
Campfire Ranger
|
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 19,873 |
I have a buddy that does the shoot once adjust the scope shoot again and just keeps shooting. I leave him alone he looks so happy doing it. I saw a guy few weeks ago sighting his rifle in and barrel sitting on his shooting bag. At one point he swapped scopes, he was an older guy so he knew what he was doing. Seen the rolled up jacket for a shooting rest. I just about seen it all just like muledeer. The best one was in Colorado guy sighting in his new rifle, instead of sitting in the chair he kneels on it and using his memory foam pillow rest. He touched one off, I never seen so much blood that dude scoped himself bad and he was bleeding everywhere lol. Another time guys just came from the gunshow bought one of them osprey scopes 5 rounds into it the glass fell out of it...
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 15,923
Campfire Ranger
|
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 15,923 |
Great read. Thanks for everyone's part in this column.
I guess you could call it that.
Randy Cole
NRA
Patriot Life Benefactor Member
#45 in 2020
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 6,550
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 6,550 |
Try myself never to give unasked for advice on a range unless it s a safety issue. First of all you don't even know whether shooter has any ability. Second it is alot easier to help a woman than some guy, women generally never assume they are a direct descendant of Daniel Boone like guys do.
Some polite help goes farther with them than a guy. Best advice is to find a place to shoot by yourself. ...mb
Last edited by Magnum_Bob; 12/13/21.
" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 102,431
Campfire Sage
|
|
Campfire Sage
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 102,431 |
I sight in at lease, hate the noise at gun ranges.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 4,308
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 4,308 |
I stopped going to the county range regularly a couple years ago. Seems like every time I went other than our Monday morning bunch, there is some Jaba the Hut dude there with a 30-378 with a brake defeating everyone’s double hearing protection or the skinny jeans crowd banging away incessantly with their ARs also equipped with brakes. (Sigh)
Life Member NRA, RMEF, American Legion, MAGA. Not necessarily in that order.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,841
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,841 |
Many, many years ago I used to take a roll of "mad money" to the range with me, especially as hunting season approached. Now the "mad money" was not about me; instead it was intended to be used for the once-a-year shooter who got mad at their rifle and was ready to unload it right there, right now.
This was in fact how my custom .30-06 was born 22+ years ago. This fellow showed up at the range in business casual dress - docker slacks, loafers, etc. - lugging a new rifle box with him. Now those kind of folks always made me nervous and I always hoped they'd park themselves at the other end of the firing line from me. But this time he hit the brakes 2 benches from mine and in the end it worked out to my advantage.
I make it a point to mind my own business, but his anger and cussing was getting to a point where it was in my best interest to start paying attention. And then I saw it. He had a brand spankin' new M70 featherweight on the bags and 1 box of Winchester ammo next to it, probably because the rifle was a Winchester too.
I said to him from 2 benches down "You realize that rifle is supposed to have a scope on it, cuz there ain't no iron sights on the rifle and that's why there's no holes in your target".
"WHAAT?" "the guy didn't sell me the scope to go with this rifle!" I asked him where did he buy the rifle? "Walmart" "Well, perhaps you should go back there and get a scope and rings for the rifle. Don't forget the bases too." He was not having any of that, and that is when I made an cash offer to make his problems go away.
When I got back to the shack I called Rick the gunsmith and told him I had the donor action for the project. Rick looked over the rifle and bought both the stock and the barrel for other customers of his. I tossed in the Winchester box of remaining ammo gratis.
I stopped a long time ago going to the range on weekends and during sight-in season. Too many heart palpitations involved.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,497
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,497 |
This year, our sighting in before rifle season and our taking our deer required a total of two shots each. The first one for each of us was to validate that our zero from last year with the same ammo was still good. This resulted in our two bullet holes touching in a figure 8 that was1.5" above dead center at 100 yds with hers being 1/4" left and mine just on the outside edge of that. Our second shots both came on opening day. She shot a nice 10 pointer at 220 yds and I took a 12 pointer at about 110 yds. It's nice to have decent equipment and to have results like that. Good guns, good scopes, good shooting rests make a lot of difference.
"Blessed is the man whose wife is his best friend - especially if she likes to HUNT!"
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2022
Posts: 144
Campfire Member
|
|
Campfire Member
Joined: Jun 2022
Posts: 144 |
Good thread! Out the truck window produces decent groups, in a pinch! Lol
|
|
|
|
364 members (22250rem, 257 mag, 2500HD, 12344mag, 1lessdog, 257 roberts, 41 invisible),
1,140
guests, and
1,023
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
