The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

First time I've been to a fullbore range this year was Sunday and I have to say I had a fantastic day!

Went to Kingsbury with HWRA. Turned up late unfortunately as someone was supposed to be fetching my car in the morning but they never showed (buyer), so headed off to the range. Got down about 9:30 with shooting well underway and carted my Rem 700 and mat down to the point. Completely forgetting my ear defenders for the whole day, so asked about a bit and fortunately Offas Dyke had their club kit on the range with them with some muffs, so I borrowed a pair for the afternoon (Thanks John).
Our shooters for first detail were all done and dusted about 5 minutes later with still 30 mins to go on the detail, so rather than skipping my go in the butts and shooting on the second detail as I had planned to do I got down and rattled off my shoot on the tail of detail 1.

I didn't shoot fantastically but as there were no wind flags and even if there were I would have struggled to read them I think I did fairly well. Score of 66.2/75.15 at 300 yards. The wind was coming down mostly at 1 o clock, but fishtailing often. Because of the location of the danger flag at the end of the range, it was flapping behind the flagpole and changes were very difficult to see... If I'm honest I stopped trying to look at it and concentrate on a good shot release.

Lunch consisted of an all day breakfast sandwich and a pack of McCoys from Tesco on my way down (for those of you interested! haha! £3 meal deal, even got a bottle of coke too!)...

Afternoons detail we got to move back to 600 and since this was a new round I'd batched at Bisley at 100 but not chrono'd I didn't know exactly where I should be... So I consulted a ballastics table and wound up 12 MOA from 300... I think maybe 1 minute wind.. First shot, smack bang in the middle... A massive smile appeared on my face, so I converted that shot and fired away again, same place! woop, I may be on to something here... and just as astonishingly as I got the 2 V bulls, the wind picked up without me realizing and pushed the next 2 shots into the 3 ring :( sign01

I don't know exactly what the wind was doing for the rest of the shoot, but it was unpredictable to me... most shots were in or very closely around the 5 ring, apart from those 2 shots thrown into the 3 ring. I ended the 600 shoot with 63.3 - not terrible, but not great. Still I have a lot more confidence in the round I'm shooting, especially at 600 yards.... What I don't have is a good knowledge of the wind and how the wind reacts to these little 69gr's (or my 155gr's when I shoot my .308, but that's beside the point... )

I thoroughly enjoyed the day and the weather was great! slightly overcast in the afternoon, but sunny most of the day, if a little breezy... I left with a big grin on my face and a happy chappy. Can't really say fairer than that!

No pictures unfortunately, was too busy having fun!

Sorry its a bit unclear bit does that mean that you shot the morning deatils without ear protection?

NooOOOooo.... Offas Dyke gave me some... I walked along the back of the firing point with my fingers in my ears until I got some, kindly provided by The Secretary of OD. :)

i can see how that would be unclear with me mixing up morning and afternoon... basically i dropped my stuff off at the back of the firing point and went wandering down the line asking people with my fingers in my ears if they had any spare plugs, and they had spare muffs which I loaned for the day!

I certainly wouldn't shoot a detail with a fullbore rifle (or even an un-moderated smallbore rifle)... My hearing is far too precious for me (being a musician and all!)

I always carry a good set of internal valve earplugs in my pocket at all times as back up for just such an eventuality.

Only last week I was RCO'ing at Catterick when a shooter turned up with out muffs, I was able to lend him my muffs and I used the plugs.

Since all of my hobbies involve loudness, I used to keep a set of plugs on my key chain, but they disappeared and I haven't got round to replacing them yet :(

I want to get a set of moulded earplugs specifically for me... its just having the cash :(

I am not a big fan of earplugs for extended use, I belive that you can still get hearing loss from wearing plugs of whatever quality from loud bangs and noises as the sound can enter and do damage around the outside of the ear as well which only good muffs have a chance of protecting. So until it is proven to me that this not the case I wouldn't spring the money for a set of moulded plugs for shooting.

I believe this is only an issue if shooting indoors.

Glad you had a good day TG - some reasonable scores too, although I'm sure you'll improve on that

It does feel good to get back on the range, when you haven't shot over the winter - I had my first club shoot of the year a few weeks...I packed everything but the kitchen sink (including spare muffs razz )...but come lunchtime I realised I'd forgotten a chair :roll: ...so ate my lunch sitting on my zero bag...which isn't even close to being big enough for my arse :lol:

Hopefully I'll improve Dougan, at least now i am more confident in my load I developed for the rifle, I just need to learn how to read the wind so I can keep them in the middle and not have any mishaps!

Was genuinely difficult at Kingsbury because there is a lack of wind flags and the trees were not much of a giveaway as there were no leaves on them :(

I didn't take a chair with me either, it sucks having to stand all day, but I look at it as a workout, I sit at a desk everyday of the week so it makes a change! haha.

My in ears were always a last line of defence, if I forget everything else, at least I still have some protection. I usually shoot with electronic ear muffs.