The days are short and the nights are long.
Time spent cradling a rifle into ones shoulder is limited and precious this time of year.
Our thoughts turn to other aspects of the rifleman’s art.
We think about indoor activities such as the ammo we should load.
We think about cleaning and organizing our loading bench, sorting though all the brass, bullets and assorted “things†we need to practice our art.
We think about the next rifle we want to buy or build.
We take rifles from our safes and clean them, again, running our hands over the wood and steel, remembering the rifles voice.
A day here, a day there, we’ll steal up to the range in hope that it will be warmer than 20 degrees.
We’ll only bring one rifle with us, maybe two.
We’ll shoot at short range.
Our range will be covered in snow and to reach the longer range target stands will involve a trudge through knee deep resistance.
The time we spend will be short.
Cold temperatures, wind and weak sunlight will take it’s toll on us.
The bench will be cold, the ground frozen.
Hands will be gloved until the trigger is needed.
The cold metal will steal the feeling quickly and the light pull will become erratic.
Loads that performed well during the summer may be different.
Our scope settings will be off.
Groups will be larger perhaps and not a precise as we‘d like.
Ejected cases will land in the snow and melt their way out of sight, forcing us to dig for them.
Some of our more hardy friends will be there with us.
We’ll take breaks, with hands deep in pockets or wrapped tightly around a hot coffee.
We’ll talk about our Christmas and New Years and our dreams for the upcoming season.
And after some time spent stamping feet and rubbing fingers, we’ll return to our rifles and send a few more down range before the sun fades.
As we head home, the warmth from the heater will feel good and we’ll smile.
For we are Riflemen
45BPCR
Time spent cradling a rifle into ones shoulder is limited and precious this time of year.
Our thoughts turn to other aspects of the rifleman’s art.
We think about indoor activities such as the ammo we should load.
We think about cleaning and organizing our loading bench, sorting though all the brass, bullets and assorted “things†we need to practice our art.
We think about the next rifle we want to buy or build.
We take rifles from our safes and clean them, again, running our hands over the wood and steel, remembering the rifles voice.
A day here, a day there, we’ll steal up to the range in hope that it will be warmer than 20 degrees.
We’ll only bring one rifle with us, maybe two.
We’ll shoot at short range.
Our range will be covered in snow and to reach the longer range target stands will involve a trudge through knee deep resistance.
The time we spend will be short.
Cold temperatures, wind and weak sunlight will take it’s toll on us.
The bench will be cold, the ground frozen.
Hands will be gloved until the trigger is needed.
The cold metal will steal the feeling quickly and the light pull will become erratic.
Loads that performed well during the summer may be different.
Our scope settings will be off.
Groups will be larger perhaps and not a precise as we‘d like.
Ejected cases will land in the snow and melt their way out of sight, forcing us to dig for them.
Some of our more hardy friends will be there with us.
We’ll take breaks, with hands deep in pockets or wrapped tightly around a hot coffee.
We’ll talk about our Christmas and New Years and our dreams for the upcoming season.
And after some time spent stamping feet and rubbing fingers, we’ll return to our rifles and send a few more down range before the sun fades.
As we head home, the warmth from the heater will feel good and we’ll smile.
For we are Riflemen
45BPCR
