You always meet nice people who are willing to share at the range. Even if they have a gun that fires rounds that cost $5 each, they’ll still let you shoot it.
It’s a rare occasion that I go to the Izaak Walton range out here and don’t shoot a few other folks guns (and let a few folks shoot mine, but mine are generally less interesting). The other day I got to shoot a target AR and an absolutely gorgeous S&W K framed target .38. At least, I think it was a K frame. I can’t remember the model. But it was great. Double action was quite stiff, but smooth, and the single action was amazing. I’ve never seen a more beautiful bluing job on a piece of metal before.
Oh, and I was this close to getting to shoot a Ruger #1 in .405 Winchester. But the guy ended up having exactly the number he needed to get it sighted in. (He actually apologized that he didn’t have a cartridge to spare) It was (and TINS) shooting one hole at 50 yards (not a ragged, I shot so many times that my one hole is about three inches accross, either… but one round, cartridge sized hole–just enough out of round to realize that he didn’t just miss with all but his first shot), and under an inch at 100 yards.
I doubt I could name half the guns that perfect strangers have let me shoot at the range over the past year or so.
July 27th, 2006 at 9:40 am
The recoil on that thing has to be nasty. My 629 Classic in 44 magnum can be rough and that’s a lesser cartridge and a heavier gun.
July 27th, 2006 at 10:19 am
I was at CCA last week and the gentleman in the next lane let me shoot his “bear gun”.
It was a Ruger snubnose that had been modified and re-barreled by Hamilton Bowen’s shop in 50 AE.
I have never felt recoil or muzzle flip which parallelled the feeling of shooting that gun.
It was quite a nice piece, and it packed a lot of punch.
As an aside, am I the only person who thinks that there are no strangers at shooting ranges, gun shows, gun stores, etc.?
Going to the shooting range is kind of a show-and-tell for shooters, and it puts a good face on our pastime.
July 27th, 2006 at 10:21 am
You always meet nice people who are willing to share at the range. Even if they have a gun that fires rounds that cost $5 each, they’ll still let you shoot it.
July 27th, 2006 at 10:52 am
It’s a rare occasion that I go to the Izaak Walton range out here and don’t shoot a few other folks guns (and let a few folks shoot mine, but mine are generally less interesting). The other day I got to shoot a target AR and an absolutely gorgeous S&W K framed target .38. At least, I think it was a K frame. I can’t remember the model. But it was great. Double action was quite stiff, but smooth, and the single action was amazing. I’ve never seen a more beautiful bluing job on a piece of metal before.
Oh, and I was this close to getting to shoot a Ruger #1 in .405 Winchester. But the guy ended up having exactly the number he needed to get it sighted in. (He actually apologized that he didn’t have a cartridge to spare) It was (and TINS) shooting one hole at 50 yards (not a ragged, I shot so many times that my one hole is about three inches accross, either… but one round, cartridge sized hole–just enough out of round to realize that he didn’t just miss with all but his first shot), and under an inch at 100 yards.
I doubt I could name half the guns that perfect strangers have let me shoot at the range over the past year or so.