Been a year since I've done any rifle shooting. So, I loaded up Ugly Betty, Boomer and Kabong and headed to my local file range. Perfect weather. 70*, no wind, cloudy. Nice. Took along some RE22 loads to test in the 300 as well as my proven 4831 loads.

Was a little wincy before the first shot with a brand new shoulder but I padded my padded shooting shirt and used bags and a rest for the RE22 loads to help suck up some shove. I don't like shoointg off a rest or bags. Too cumbersome. I prefer just a bipod only or off-hand. But anyway the RE22/200gr SMK loads started to come around between 67.5 and 68 grains- but like with the 4831 the recoil was a bit much at 68gr so...with some fiddling I can make the RE22 work, but I think my rifle likes the H4831 better.

After goofing with that a while I whipped out Boomer and plastered the 100y gong to bits and that was hardly a challenge so I did some math and made some adjustments and in 5 shots I was onto the 200y gong panging that good with my 800x 200gr low BC JHP loads, nuthing fancy either. Man was that cool!

Ugly Betty- my M-59 Yugo non-typical SKS , all orriginal(cept the butt pad, plate's still under it though) , as issued and battle worn- got some looks too- 100% all orriginal, pitted nasty chamber, salt-n-pepper bore, but it shoots just fine for some reason. 2-3-400 yards no problem- PANG! Try it and see! So much fun to load with a stripper, shoot open sights with the Lyman peeper....cont:

After which a gent with a 30-30 parked on my right, told me his rifle was loud and I might want to move down...uh- OK, sure. He lasted one shot after the backwash from Kabong's brake blew his data sheet off the bench...buh-bye now!

Also ran into a gent with a gorgeous rifled musket. I don't know too much about BP and ML's but the rifle looked very personal and was it embelished. I didn't get a shot of the muzle wrap though but woof! Was it pretty. He let me handle it and I've never felt something so nice in hand- it pointed and swung just incredible! What a nice gent- a real neat guy. Thenks kind sir for letting me handle her.

I finished my testing, tossed the rest and sand bags and broke out the H4831 for some gong busting and settled into a nice groove- new rings, bases and paint job suited ol Kabong I guess. I can get pretty surgical with this load up to 400y, aint doped it well after that yet so...stay tuned. These handload are just basic relaods- no match tricks or nuthin'...just neck size, deburr, charge and seat. The load don't even whomp the case with the charge I use as I run it right off the lands so- less powder = less abuse. I ran down range during a brake to paint the gong's and snapped a shot of this 300y pig I was working on- you be the judge. Not bad for a home-made 400$ Mossberg 4X4 some (not you guys) folk said wouldnt shoot- made in USA by the way. 2 boxes of 300mag, 2 of 7.62x39, 1 of 44mag. What a perfect day and all's right with the world again.

I missed my rifles, ,very much. Shotungs are fun and all and my favortie by far to hunt with but marksmanship is where it's at. Oh, and my brand new shoulder is doing great! Awesome day.

Sorry for all the edits for some reason I cant type more than a few lines then I'm typing blind when the box gets full, scroll wont work or something.....more Pics:

hmmmm....And what's inside?

...a priiiiize! Deersniper outdid himself on this one... very mild reciol, accurate with normal projectiles, best trigger ever on a transfer-bar pistol. Gonna try some premium lower BC projectiles, spice it up a tad and shoot for 300y for kicks soon....zero'd for 200y now with lots more to go.

Really great photos!! You had fun, I can tell. Your pistol case reminds me of my lust for slot cars when I was a kid. I had a tackle box for my slot car and I painted on it, 'Just Do It' and that was long before the phrase was coined by NIke. Btards probably stole it from me. Well I'm glad your shoulder still works, wouldn't be the same shooting from the other side.

Suz

Thanks Suz! I'm so happy to be back in saddle again. Now I know for sure I'm ready for the shotty's and some QUAIL. It's awesome. Prolly be sore tomorrow but meh, big whoop. Too pooped to clean 'em tonight...quick poke with an oily patch now and I'll gettum in the morning.

I also wish I could post pics in the hi-def they are as the silver linlays on the musket are finely detailed, the moon has a beard! I really wish I hand't jerked that last shot on the pig, was trying to fill in the center. A lad next to me had a shorty .223 and man was it loud- I blinked as my trigger broke when he shot and I jerked it- dang it!

Beautiful Kentucky/Pennsylvania style rifle there! I've always wanted to try to build one like that. I think a .36 cal.

Nice pics Stovey, that sure is one nice looking smokepole and you mentioned the beard on the moon, yup, zoom in on it and you can see it.

awsome photos Stovie its great to hear that you are coming right.
That old school poi adjustment brought a chuckle as Ive done the same thing.

Thanks El, what a killer day....

Screwdrivers to adjust sights? Pfft. We use files! SAA's and fixed sight pistols are the same way. He was scoring with that smoker too....nice tight groups @ 50y using loose powder, patch and Hornaday balls, if I recall correctly. Gent knew his stuff too and it wasn't his only one...get this, when he finshed he packed up his stuff in a killer new-school Porsche and boogied on home. Talk about old mixed with new! I got his e-mail and I'm gonna format some pics for him and send them to him.

I love this range, I bet the best people in Ca. hang out there and it makes life so much more bearable here. Might be bit hard to see but there's gong's, swingers and silohuette's a plenty to 600y. I live for that *pang!*, esp after I'm done checking a load or something, punching paper's boring! Been goin' here since I was a kid. Hard to believe it's still here. It's massive and you can spend all day here shooting HG, rifles, shotty's etc. And, there's a great reloading store too. Pistol (35-100y) and rifle ranges- check the board in the pistol gallery with the heart hanging in a cut-out, fun to try for:

that sure is a special place.

Stovey...I'm real happy for ya mate. Takin' the "girls" out for a run is awesome, and I don't doubt it's done ya the world of good mate.

That range looks like a heck of a lot of fun...would love to share a bench with you there.

That front stuffer has a sweet piece of wood on it...looks a lot like Turkish walnut. Can I "see" a covert to BP in the making?

Cheers, Vince

Mornin' Vinny! Movin' a wee bit slow this mornin' ,but, still smlin'! Love ta share a bench with ya too mate. That would be supreme.

Mornin' Bushy! First cup goin' in, cleanin' the 300 now. Chamber is clean and bore's not too dirty for burning over 2700 grains of powder, my loads are workin' good. I'll be pickin' hooves and cleanin' tack as soon as the patches stop coming out blue.