50bmg1979
Silver $$ Contributor
I used to use one of those but upgraded to the tipke. The wheels on that wagon don't work very well on rough uneven ground
Competing in the rain
- Thread starter Tony1320
- Start date
XTR
F-TR obssessed shooting junkie
I use a modified 3 wheeled jogging stroller for a cart. Picked it up for $30 or so on Craigs list yrs ago. It's seen better days but it's pretty awesome in that with the taller wheels it rolls over pretty much everything. They are designed for 15-25 lb kids, not 100 lbs of rifles, ammo, rear bags, spotting scopes and range boxes, but mine has held up well for the last 6 yrs or so.
My next one will probably be a tipke.
My next one will probably be a tipke.
My first Buff hunt was about ten years ago in Zim. Middle two weeks of December, height of the monsoon. Coolest day was 108-degrees; hottest was 118. A fairly constant light rain, 24 hours a day. Generator went out Day Two. Three changes of clothes, never quite dried out. I had learned to apply a coat of Johnson's Paste Wax to the wood stock, and a light coat of Kroil to the metal.
Blued steel, repeat every evening. No ill effects after ten days on either rifle.
Day eight, we finally split the Buff from a herd of Zebra. I had a CZ 375 (true magnum length action) rebarreled to 450 Dakota. AHR did the work, and it works flawlessly.
Next day, we got an opportunity to hunt Elephant for free. Uncle Bob was hosting a Christmas barbecue for several thousand fellow Shona tribesmen, and we got a SAT call asking if we would mind harvesting three tuskless cow elephant for the party.
About two seconds later I said "umm, okay." I had a 550 Gibbs built, and brought it along. We got into a small group of ten or so we had seen every morning. Old cows are very cranky, especially tuskless ones. For those of you who do not know, tuskless elephants cannot dig out roots. Obviously, no tusks. They learn to bully others in their group and take the roots. We pick up a game scout at the Ranger Station, and three recovery trucks. (These days, we see the slant bed trucks used to pick up non-running vehicles. They back up to the dead vehicle, tilt the ramp down, hook a chain to the front, and winch it up onto the bed. Strap it down, and away they go.) We find the cows, and wade into them. My 550 is a custom rebarrel, on a Gibbs of Bristol action, and holds two plus one in the chamber. I shoot the closest one, nine feet, and all Hades breaks loose. They have joined a herd with cows and calves and a few young bulls. Elephants running everywhere screaming. I reload, and shoot a second one about fifteen feet away, reload and shoot the third. Texas heart shot, base of the tail, and it sits like a dog from about forty feet. Second shot, "Pay the Insurance!".
The rest leave, and the dust settles. I had a hooded sweat shirt on, and the PH says, what's in the front pocket? All five empties. The reality dawns on me that the lifelong habit of catching my empties instead of just working the bolt is at work. When the PH suggests that I just let the brass fly, that the trackers will find the casings; my mouth opened, and the dumbest thing I have ever said comes out. "The cases have to be formed, and cost me several dollars apiece. I did not want to lose them."
It's hard to top a statement like that, so I just shut up.
38 seconds according to the timer on my watch.
Blued steel, repeat every evening. No ill effects after ten days on either rifle.
Day eight, we finally split the Buff from a herd of Zebra. I had a CZ 375 (true magnum length action) rebarreled to 450 Dakota. AHR did the work, and it works flawlessly.
Next day, we got an opportunity to hunt Elephant for free. Uncle Bob was hosting a Christmas barbecue for several thousand fellow Shona tribesmen, and we got a SAT call asking if we would mind harvesting three tuskless cow elephant for the party.
About two seconds later I said "umm, okay." I had a 550 Gibbs built, and brought it along. We got into a small group of ten or so we had seen every morning. Old cows are very cranky, especially tuskless ones. For those of you who do not know, tuskless elephants cannot dig out roots. Obviously, no tusks. They learn to bully others in their group and take the roots. We pick up a game scout at the Ranger Station, and three recovery trucks. (These days, we see the slant bed trucks used to pick up non-running vehicles. They back up to the dead vehicle, tilt the ramp down, hook a chain to the front, and winch it up onto the bed. Strap it down, and away they go.) We find the cows, and wade into them. My 550 is a custom rebarrel, on a Gibbs of Bristol action, and holds two plus one in the chamber. I shoot the closest one, nine feet, and all Hades breaks loose. They have joined a herd with cows and calves and a few young bulls. Elephants running everywhere screaming. I reload, and shoot a second one about fifteen feet away, reload and shoot the third. Texas heart shot, base of the tail, and it sits like a dog from about forty feet. Second shot, "Pay the Insurance!".
The rest leave, and the dust settles. I had a hooded sweat shirt on, and the PH says, what's in the front pocket? All five empties. The reality dawns on me that the lifelong habit of catching my empties instead of just working the bolt is at work. When the PH suggests that I just let the brass fly, that the trackers will find the casings; my mouth opened, and the dumbest thing I have ever said comes out. "The cases have to be formed, and cost me several dollars apiece. I did not want to lose them."
It's hard to top a statement like that, so I just shut up.
38 seconds according to the timer on my watch.
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I had one of the fold-up 'beach' wagons, originally passed on the Tipke after seeing the price; purchased the wagon 'cause it was cheap, and small size when folded; fits in car trunk - ended up being top heavy with a rifle hanging out, and due to
Buy once.....
Ned Ludd
Silver $$ Contributor
I've used one of those. It works...but not much more than that. At Raton, the rocks are so big the cart was inconstant danger of tipping over due to the small wheels. If you decide to go that route, there are much less expensive versions of essentailly the same thing: https://express.google.com/product/...ds&utm_campaign=gsx&utm_content=control_60_90
I've also used a slightly modified version of this: https://express.google.com/product/...ds&utm_campaign=gsx&utm_content=control_60_90
Basically, I installed a piece of 1/4 plywood in the bottom, and removed the folding tailgate to allow the rifle case to lay flat lengthwise. It rolls much better than the folding cart, but is also much heavier and requires more room in the truck bed. Fortunately, with the side folded down, it does fit into the bed underneath the tonneau cover.
Connaught related,
You guys from ground hog country wouldn’t believe that they (gHog’s) are protected on the range and base. They are everywhere having their way with whatever they want like pets... a lot holes to dodge walking around in the field and grounds, watch your steps. We couldn’t find a breakfast restaurant anywhere so back to motel food. Well, we did find one but it didn’t go well for @Rope2horns. You don’t want to know. Lol
Oh yeah, Toronto... 50 miles of traffic there, get some gas before you get near it.
You guys from ground hog country wouldn’t believe that they (gHog’s) are protected on the range and base. They are everywhere having their way with whatever they want like pets... a lot holes to dodge walking around in the field and grounds, watch your steps. We couldn’t find a breakfast restaurant anywhere so back to motel food. Well, we did find one but it didn’t go well for @Rope2horns. You don’t want to know. Lol
Oh yeah, Toronto... 50 miles of traffic there, get some gas before you get near it.
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Lol good to know
I had one of these carts in Connaught last year. I had my gun in the cart with a tarp over the top to keep everything dry while i went to hide in the car during the torrential downpour. When I came back the tarp had blown off and the cart turned into a big bath tub, giving my rifle and ammo its first proper bath, but killing my phone. I certainly recommend elastic straps over the tarp and poke some small drain holes in the bottom of the cart so it doesn't become a water tight bath.I had one of the fold-up 'beach' wagons, originally passed on the Tipke after seeing the price; purchased the wagon 'cause it was cheap, and small size when folded; fits in car trunk - ended up being top heavy with a rifle hanging out, and due tonarrow wheelbase....tipped over one too many times, so I bought a Tipke off ebay last week. It arrived in about 4 days.
Buy once.....
Doesn’t to me, we were pouring our stocks out during a relay at atterbury a couple times during one string. Not sure where to go with it with a drain hole... I guess it doesn’t really matter if it’s needed, everything is wet.
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Some years ago at the 4H Nationals for trap and skeet it rained. The contenders covered up and stood around complaining about the weather; the group from AZ, uncovered, went out laughing and generally having a good time in the rain (something not seen a lot of in AZ). The 4H Seniors won 1st and I believe the Juniors too 2nd.
Is that Sears poncho or a Mexican poncho?
Medic505
Gold $$ Contributor
What does this have to do with competing in the rain?
I just wrap a newwspaper 'round my head so it looks like I am deep......
I do seat my 'rain' bullets with Zircon encrusted tweezers also.
If you are going to Connaught, definitely bring something to cover your gear *between* relays, especially when you are down range at the 700 & 800 meter lines. At a minimum some heavy trash bags if you are packing everything, or a tarp and some bungee if you are carting your stuff.
I found there is a particular size of plastic tote that nests just about perfectly in a Tipke cart. Plus it makes loading/unloading the gear at the start & finish of each day *way*. easier.
Look up a local burger joint called "The Works"... awesome ala carte burgers - and you can get your poutine fix there too
I have tried the Harbor Freight tarps, a rifle cover and various rain suits. Finally settled on Contractor trash bags. Keep them in the bottom of my cart. When it rains one goes over the rifle on the rack and one is cut and goes over the cart and is secured with alligator clips. No muss on fuss and very little room taken up. I have shot well in a light rain but when it gets heavy we have to pull the targets to spare the boards and the match is delayed or called.
3 pairs of shoes minimum. You might want one dry pair just for evening meals. Merril and Keen makes a waterproof hiking boot.
I found a new way to speed dry shoes by tying them to my luggage rack on the roof of my suv before I got on the highway. Jam the toe (forward) under the bar and wrap the laces around it. 15 min @65mph if it’s sunny does it!
I found a new way to speed dry shoes by tying them to my luggage rack on the roof of my suv before I got on the highway. Jam the toe (forward) under the bar and wrap the laces around it. 15 min @65mph if it’s sunny does it!
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Here is the way I do it.
If it is raining when the range officer calls my relay to the line, I do not go to the line in the rain. This has happened to me two or three times in 40 years. If I am on the line and it starts to rain I get wet and when I come off the line wet I am done for the day, I go home and dry out my stuff and start planning for the next match. This has happened to me two or three times in the last 40 years.
I have never learned anything helpful shooting in the rain.
If it is raining when the range officer calls my relay to the line, I do not go to the line in the rain. This has happened to me two or three times in 40 years. If I am on the line and it starts to rain I get wet and when I come off the line wet I am done for the day, I go home and dry out my stuff and start planning for the next match. This has happened to me two or three times in the last 40 years.
I have never learned anything helpful shooting in the rain.
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