Range day tomorrow....

Jim, Thanks for the info. I forgot about the 50 affiliate member slots. Maybe I should get on the affiliate waiting list so I can shoot during the week. The $8 does not bother me.

Last time I checked on the full members was 2006 or 2007, when an acquaintance who badly wanted a full membership paid 4 or 5 thousand, IIRC, but that was before the crash. He was retired CHP and had moved to Grass Valley and bought a gunshop. (He since left and moved to Hawaii, selling the gunshop, and I imagine the membership) I never worried about it back then, as I had my range on the property. The thought of paying that much made me cringe. Of course, back then the house I bought two years ago for $129,00 on a short sale, sold (according to tax records) for $385,000! A whole different economy then.

In the two years since I have been back, I have shot some Cowboy Matches matches there, but range fees were included in the $15.00 sign up.

Actually, Nevada County has about 98,000 + people, the vast majority live in western Nevada County (west of the Sierra Summit), which has Grass Valley and Nevada City (which butt up against each other, and Penn Valley, Lake Wildwood, Lake of the Pines, and Alta Sierra. All are within 20 or so minutes of the Sportsman's. Grass Valley proper has about 13,000 people. Lake Wildwood and Lake of the Pines have 5,000 and 4,000 respectively. Alta Sierra has between 6,000 and 7,000, and Penn Valley about 2,000. Truckee, which encompasses most of the population east of the Sierra crest has 16,000+ people. I

f I have to live in California, it is the only place to live. My wife and I go 20 minutes up HWY 20 into the Sierras and hike and backpack the high country, less than half an hour from home.

There is a nice, affordable, controlled range in Lincoln, CA about an hour away.

There is also the Smartville range I mentioned, but that place is dangerous. Last time I was shooting there, someone walked down range in front of me while I and others were shooting! I stopped shooting immediately and ended up screaming cease fire! at the top of my lungs to get everyone else to stop. That same trip, the guy next to me pointed a loaded AR at me as he loaded it with a fresh mag and dropped the bolt release. That was an anal sphincter pucker moment, as his hand was on the grip, and the finger on the trigger. A friend was shooting there one time when some banger types showed up with an AR and shot a couple mags full auto. I swear it is like the wild west there!

I must be lucky. Free range, unregulated, outdoors, near Oroville in northern Calif. Been shooting there for almost 40 years. Haven't encountered any problems, though if you want a table without a wait, get there early on weekends or holidays.
I usually go on weekday mornings, for load and accuracy testing, before the wind comes up.
The place usually fills up by mid morning, but not always. I don't go on weekends, when the social shooters show up.
If someone does something unsafe, the nearby shooters straighten them out pretty quick. Seems to work out without any problems. Though once a guy shot his leg showing his kids how to fast draw.
Like to get out there at least once a week, unless the weather is bad. My favorite rifle is the '44 Underwood. My wife sez " You are such a lucky boy".
Only problem...while working on my farm, on a calm day, I can hear the folks lighting it up out there, and wish I was there.
Nothing like the crack of rifle fire echoing in the cool early morning air, and the smell of a little nitrpowder. Lucky indeed.

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Originally Posted by imarangemaster

Well, I finally caught up on "honey-doos" and scheduled an afternoon at the local range.

The first thing I am going to shoot is the transitional Winchester M1 Carbine. I battle-sighted it out in the boonies, and bounced some pine cones at varying distances, but this will be the first range fire of it. I will see how my lousy 61 year old eyes do at 100 yards with iron sights! Also shooting my 5.56 1/7" twist GUU-5/P carbine build, my newly acquired AR-7 .22 LR survival rifle, and my Taurus Millennium 9mm every day carry weapon.

I'll post some pictures.

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If it has the adjustable sight, it should be on '1.5-1' for 100 yard shooting. You don't use the rear sight for adjusting the POI. It would be typical for a carbine to be as much as 12" high at 100 and still be in the 'acceptable' range. The only way to make it shoot lower is to put a new front sight on, and many don't want to alter their carbines, so they just make sure to use the 6:00 hold.

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Originally Posted by imarangemaster

leaf lickers

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:rofl:

I don't have to worry about going to a range living in the desert. I have several shooting spots out here where I live. If I want to set up 25 yards to 100 yards, it's only a couple minutes of dirt road or about 1 mile as the crow flies. I have other spots close by that I could set up at 1000 yards and drive back and forth to the targets. I used to be able to shoot right off my back porch.

Be waiting for the range report..

Jim.......

IIRC, the Winchester (with type III rear sight) shoots about 1.5" high (above POA) at 25 yards, so it should be about 3.5" high at 100 yards and dead on at 150, according to my Ballistic Calculator.

That would be ideal!

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Originally Posted by imarangemaster

dead on at 150,

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You must see better than me! I can hardly see 'sites and target' at 100 yds. I must be getting old! GK

Haha, I said "should be"! I don't think I can see it at 150! I am lucky to see 100 yrds.