Greetings from the Kintyre Peninsula

[scruff]

Hello All,

This post originated on a computer housed in a converted sheep shed just up the road from the Mull of Kintyre in South West Scotland.
We have a population of less than 10,000 souls spread over about 500 square miles out here on the Kintyre peninsula; about half of those live in our largest town, Campbeltown, so there are less than 10 people per square mile on average and probably less than 5 heads/sqm in the rural areas - just the kind of population density that I like.
Campbeltown once housed over 30 whisky distilleries and at the time the town's population was in the 6,000 - 8,000 range, so I make that about 1 distillery to 200 people - no wonder the good folk round here are so relaxed!

Anyway; I like to shoot, as much and as often as I can. I consider myself to be very fortunate in many ways, not the least of which is that I live in a fantastically rural area, so mixing target, vermin and game shooting is very much the order of the day - personally I lean more towards the target end of the spectrum and enjoy F-Class in particular. I shoot at Bisley, Diggle, Glen Tilt, Carlisle and Glasgow whenever I find myself near these locations. My Savage 10BA and Accuracy International AW (both in .308) are my favourite long range tools with my Savage .243 LPVDBM being right up there too.

I hand-load a diet of Lapua cases, and bullets, Varget powder and Remington primers to feed the rifles mentioned above and get amazing consistency from a refurbished, solid cast-iron RCBS press that dates from the 1960's - it's built like a tank and whilst it might not the most ergonomic press in the world, it certainty does the job. I use second-hand Redding competition dies with home-made neck tensioning collars and weigh all my loads to +/-0.01 grain on a set of Government Surplus Swiss laboratory scales; again it's tedious but it seems to work.

My wife and I have spent a lot of time and effort this year planning and negotiating a lease on the ex-US Navy Seals headquarters building at Machrihanish Airbase near Campbeltown. We will be moving our newly founded RFD business (Landrail Firearms Ltd) there in the new year and running the building's 25m, 5 lane indoor range for the benefit of local and visiting shooters. I guess that this qualifies to be included as a "Full Bore" subject as the range is approved for up to .45 calibre Gallery Rifles.

A new shooting club called "Machrihanish Gun Club" will be based at the range and is accepting membership information requests as of now.

The Airbase extends to some 1,000 Acres plus and has a 10,000 foot runway which was a designated Space Shuttle alternate landing site back in the day. The Base was mothballed in the mid-90's and is now owned by a community charity company imaginatively called "Machrihanish Airbase Community Company" . The stock of well over 100 buildings is being made available for development to benefit the local area, its community and local enterprise (hence our relocation).
The Base has a fascinating history and anyone who enjoys conspiracy theories will have a ball looking up "RAF Machrihanish conspiracy" on their favourite search engine. Incidentally, if you do look it up and take a look at some of the many photographs on-line; the big brown building with the tower is the Navy Seals HQ . The tower houses a "launderette for parachutes"; this was built so the Seals could wash and dry their 'chutes after chucking themselves out of high-altitude aircraft into the Atlantic ocean just off-shore at Machrihanish Bay.

I met our revered moderators by chance during a search for some Varget powder last year. With their connections they actually came up with some for me, for which I am very grateful (upon reflection, I think that they might have cooked it up in a Viking Kitchen to a secret ancient Norse recipe of ground unicorn hoof or something, but anyway no questions asked - it does the job!) Damn fine people they are!

I'd like to apologise to any of you who have read this far, for my rambling introduction and I'll wrap it up now before I get kicked off the board for creating a too-lengthy first post!

Cheers for now,

Scruff
("Scruff" is what my uncle called me the day he put an air rifle in my hands for the first time when I was about 6 years old)

[Demonic69]

Wow, great intro!
Any chance of a mile long range at the base? :-)

[scruff]

Thanks!
We do have definite plans to develop our facilities in this direction as time, funds and planning permission allow. We have to walk before we try to run but; an aerial view of The Base does show at least a couple of possible locations to consider...

[dromia]

[Christel]

Hi Scruff, welcome to FB About time too tongueout

What's with that signature :lol:

[ovenpaa]

Welcome to the forum Scruff

Wiking, would you like me to translate for you?

[Christel]

Welcome to the forum Scruff

Wiking, would you like me to translate for you?

I do wonder if you would get it right, no Google translate

[Mike357]

Welcome Scruff, great intro. Can't wait for some photos. Great to see a new RFD setting up and a new club. I wish you well with both.

[scruff]

Thanks Mike,
It has been a busy year!
I'll post some photographs as soon as I get a free minute. In the meantime, take a look at:
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/30 ... /?show=all

[northumbrian]

Hello & Welcome, I've driven past the base a few times on the way to a boat transfer from Campbeltown.
I'm glad the based is being regenerated, such a waste to see it empty.