Did you ever have one of those crappy trips to the range....

[Road_Clam]

Where every task went wrong and just kept getting worse ? So yes I got in some shooting but my day was far less than ideal. (keep in mind i'm new to bench range shooting and still in a learning curve about all the non shooting details beyond just squeezing the trigger)

Arrived around 10:00A, weather was bright sun, bitter cold (18F) and gusty winds, and we have 16" of snow on the range.

issue #1: I wear transition lens prescription glasses, and they suck for super bright shooting conditions. My glasses get SO dark in bright, sun-lit snow. We shoot from under cover and it's actually dark under the canopy, so when my lenses are dark and I look anywhere under cover it's like pitch black and could not see crap ! **note to self, next outing wear my contacs !

issue #2: The wind ! It was a PIA in all aspects. I set a new stack of paper targets on the bench, step away for 20 seconds, and a gust of wind blows 30 targets all down range into 16" of snow! So I send out a few Fbombs, round up all my targets (which are all dusted with snow now). Note to self : "ALWAYS place a big rock on your stack of targets"

issue #3: It was SO cold I kept loosing feeling in my trigger finger (and I even had disposable hand warmers in my gloves ! ). So I could only shoot about 10 min at a time and then let my fingers warm.

issue #3 My AR-15 that I JUST finished sighting in falls off the bench ! Yup, one of the cheap azz bipod legs somehow collapsed and caused the rifle to tip over and fall on the ground, thank god for no mag, unchambered and safe condition ! However the scope took the brunt of the impact and of course my zero was totally gone. So an hour later im back at zero.

issue #4) I do down range to do a target swap and my staple gun jams, and can't get it cleared. NOW I'M STARTING TO REALLY GET PI$$ED OFF

issue #5) I again go down range for a target swap (keep in mind i'm trudging through 16" of snow 100 yards away), I'm back behind the firing line, I sit down, grab my rifle look down range, and low and behold my target blew over. Now some louder fbombs fly, I take a break, and say to myself "this day just wasn't meant to be". Packed up all my stuff and went over to the action range and vented some anger at the AR-500 steel gongs. Felt MUCH better !!


So I guess this benchrest novice just need all of you to throw in some humor and hopefully some similar stories. Even though I know, please just tell me it does get better LOL

 

[Dgd6mm]

Yup, you turned a frown upside down....

 

[K22]

Anyone who spends a lot of time on the range, or in the field for that matter, has some days like that. Shooting is an athletic endeavor and as such is subject to peaks and valleys. Even professional athletes experience these highs and lows in performance.

I've certainly had my fair share of those "bad" days. When I see things going haywire, I step away for awhile - chill out - reset my mental attitude - try again refocusing on the fundamentals. Going back to the basics works a lot of the time to get you back on track. However some days my bio-rhythm is just off and on those days I live to fight another day.

When I shot pistol competitively I always believed that the mental part was the toughest to master. One thing you need to avoid is letting extraneous issues like your staple gun get you rattled - once those kind of things get into your head the day is lost.

As far as weather, I remember my drill instructor in the Army say while we were training in a driving rain storm, "We fight wars in all kinds of weather so we train accordingly". If you're a match shooter, practicing in bad weather can give you the confidence to deal with like conditions when you face them in a match or in the field for that matter.

Good shooting and don't loose heart.

 

[Immike]

My neighbor went deer hunting on Ft Leonardwood base and got bombed by a jet with a practice -marker bomb. I think he had a worse day than you. Broke the stock on his best rifle and had to crawl to the truck. Lol I can relate to the staple gun, I have had a string of bad ones.

 

[XTR]

Walk down to the 200 yard target holder and find out you have one staple in the staple gun.

Drive back to the 600 yard line and hit the "New Session" button the target cam and get get a picture of the impact berm because you forgot to put the target back up.

Get to the range and find out you forgot your [pick one] rear bag/bipod/bullets, and once at a match I forgot my mat, shot off of the rear floor mat of my Pickup.

Get to the deer stand and realize that you forgot bullets (that one I didn't tell for close to 20 yrs because I was with someone so I just sat in the stand and watched nature for the entire morning)

I have no idea what you are talking about?

 

[Road_Clam]

Thanks for the calm encouragement, glad you pro's sometimes have stupid crap happen as well. I can at least say I did a "gear check" prior to leaving my house, and had everything I was supposed to have. It was a hefty cardio workout walking through the snow 200 yards, then I would literally have to sit for about 5 min to get my heart rate to calm down so i could shoot. I was doing ok until the staple gun jammed never really had problems with it, but im guessing it was just the cold. I had several failure to feed issues with my AR as well. Even the AK had an FTF, and that weapon NEVER has feed issues. Seemed like my groups were all over the place and i'm wondering if it was from rapid heat up then a rapid cold on the barrel that was causing some consistency issues? None the less I did shoot excellent as was happy considering the elements I was fighting. Looking forward to some warmer days, and I learned some future do's and don't from today's outing so not a total loss...

 

[Snuggie]

I'm from Louisiana. A range that I belong to has sugar cane fields on one side. After driving 75 miles to the range I'm all set to do some load testing. Beautiful day, 55 degrees, I'm happy. Three shots at the 200 yd target, I look up and notice that the local farmer has lit the cane field ahead of the range. No prob, they burn the fields all the time. We'll....the burning cane field turns into this whirlwind of fire, a conflagration if you will, which rapidly approaches the range. I figure hmmm time to exit. By the time I packed up, got in the truck, and was trying to escape, the wind had taken the fire to the field that is in front of the gate. And of course, the gate is locked!!! The cab of the truck is filling with smoke, I have burning embers flying by the side of the truck at what seems like 400 mph! I sat in my truck until it died out. Another day in the life of an FPR shooter!!! But, it's what we do. Went home and drank beer, lots of it. So.....don't give up, tomorrow's another day!! 8)

 

[CaptainMal]

Shot muzzleloader most of the day today. Friend showed up and we chatted. Another guy showed up and said the guys in the office said I was a real "tack driver". I had been shooting for a while and not cleaning so I figured...

Shot the muzzleloader and the cap went "poof".

Cleaned out the breech plug and the next cap went, "poof".

Tried another brand of 409 primer. A third "poof".

Pulled the breech plug in front of those guys and...well...I had forgotten to load it.

 

[snakepit]

I learned some future do's and don't from today's outing so not a total loss.

Don't: Go target shooting in 16" of snow, 18 degrees F, and a windy day.

Do's: Sleep in, keep warm, hot coffee and read this forum and laugh when you read a thread about people going out to target shoot in conditions like you described.

 

[VaniB]

This whole fiasco conjurs up thoughts of the inhospitable snow and freezing conditions that soldiers must have had to endure in the WW2 russian front or Battle of the Buldge..... with absolutely no way for it to be construed as a comedy of errors, or be able to escape it by heading back home when they had enough. (.....and never mind somebody was shooting at them)

 

[jonbearman]

I had a great day about 10 years ago. My cousin and I had bought m1 garands from the cmp back when you got some really nice rifles. Well anyways my cousin flew up from new jersey to shoot his mint springfield he got ,so we went to my club and it was a perfect day in the early summer.It was sunny and about 70 degrees and no wind. I got all my stuff all set up and he was urgently getting ready and just as I sat down all hell broke loose.He starts firing and at the 5th shot I see parts flying everywhere including in front of my face. I realized all at once that something was terribly wrong.I see blood running down his nose and arms,he turns and says "it blew up". I start checking him over and he had small cuts in his scalp right above his eyes and other cuts.I start rendering first aid as I carry stuff like that in my range bag.We get the bleeding stopped and the investigation begins.The op rod is what flew by me,the bolt was behind his bench and broken,the stock is shattered and the trigger group is laying on the table and bent.The only thing that didn't get bent was the barrel. The safety lug or second lug on the right side exposed was sheared off.I picked his brass up and found the case that last fired.It was blown really bad,flashole was a quarter inch in diameter. It took till we got home to my place to figure out what had caused this catastrophic failure. I thought he was using factory lake city and found out it was reloads. I started checking his box of rounds and found 3 more HIGH primers,that's right it went off out of battery and destroyed his new garand.He sent it back to the cmp and told them what happened and they sent him a replacement. He got one of the nicest H&R garands I have ever had in my hands..He has made other reloading screw ups and I wont shoot any of his reloads in my guns.He is loading way better and hasn't had another day like that.

 

[DMC]

1.5 hour drive to the range to do some load work on my new Dasher, the sky was blue, the birds were singing, the wind wasnt blowing, just great conditions i could just tell i was going to get some good results started unloading car to find i had left the Chargemaster on the shed bench back home, oh well another 1.5 hour VERY QUITE drive home

 

[KMart]

This was not a range trip but may apply. A friend went to Africa on a hunt. When he got there, he couldn't find the bolt for his 7mag. He left it on his coffee table at home.

 

[dogdude]

thought I had some good ones but I've never been blown up!! or had a rifle explode in my face!!! liked the bolt on the coffee table post, that hurts to!

 

[Rtheurer]

Guilty... Like Kmarts freind. Had a two day State Long Range Championship. Was leading the first day went home swabbed the bore and let it set while I went into Town to have a group Dinner with all the shooters, that lasted way to long. Came home ran some dry patches through the bore and went to bed. Next morning I got up and had to open the range up so I was hurring right along.

I was on the second relay and scored first. When I was ready to shoot I laid all my gear down on my point and opened my soft case to find I had left my bolt on my cleaning bench!!!! Oh Snap. Like so many in this sport another shooter barrowed me his rifle and ammo. Then Another shooter showed up who was not shooting and pulled targets for me while I Halled A$$ for home to get it. Got back just in time to go back to the line for my second Match of the day. Won My first Long Range State Championship without a bolt and a barrowed rifle.... and a real tension headache.
Dont ever give up.
RT

 

[Nodak7mm]

I learned some future do's and don't from today's outing so not a total loss.

Don't: Go target shooting in 16" of snow, 18 degrees F, and a windy day.

Do's: Sleep in, keep warm, hot coffee and read this forum and laugh when you read a thread about people going out to target shoot in conditions like you described.

Snakepit, good advice!! But sadly 18* would be a nice day to shoot up here..


Rod

 

[jnyfeler]

Man, now I don't feel so bad about the time I went out to chrono some loads. Forgot my sights and ended up SHOOTING the chronograph! Still better than a day at work!

Jeff

 

[snakepit]

This was not a range trip but may apply. A friend went to Africa on a hunt. When he got there, he couldn't find the bolt for his 7mag. He left it on his coffee table at home.

Was that Jim who forgot his bolt?

 

[KMart]

He shall remain nameless on this forum.

 

[FN in MT]

WIND is the deal here in Central Montana. Don't know how many times I've set up at the range hoping to crono some loads, shoot some groups...get something accomplished.
Only to set up and just as I'm ready to shoot...here comes the GUSTS. So tired of having to WEIGH down my old Oehler screen array with a 10# lead weight attached to a string I attach to the screen tube.

Throw in low temps, silly high wind gusts and mirage off of the snow on the ground and Winter shooting is tough out here. I've been trying to get a decent Range day since the end of December.

FN in MT