More range fun - The Firearms Forum

todd51 · 03-14-2012, 08:40 PM

Wow three trips to the range in one week, does it get any better than that. It was in the mid 70's with clear skies and little wind so I along with two of the other Old Guys headed to the range. Had to stop by Subway for supplies at our lunch break later in the day. Got to the range a little after 10:00am and had to shed our jackets as it was shirtsleeve weather.

Bob brought that little space age looking Beretta Neos .22lr and an oldie he got from a favorite uncle. It is a Wards Western Field Mod 47A which is the same as a Mossberg Mod. 46A (I think). It just has standard open sights as the peep sight is long gone. Those open sights at 50 yards are tough for eyes on the far side of 65 for all of us. We talked about the fact that some of us used to shoot squirrels and even crows and black birds at that distance in our youth. Well we can't do it now, ha.

Jim brought a Winchester 9422 he had purchased from me and mounted a BSA 3-9 Sweet 22 scope on. That took some time to get it sighted in using CCI Mini Mags but he got where he wanted it.

I took my Ruger MK III, Ruger SR19ll and my most recent gun show purchase a S&W Mod. K 38.

First shots through the Smith showed some sight adjustment necessary but it didn't take much to get it close. I still need a little more right windage adjustment but will get that the next trip as didn't want to hog the range.

I am still messing with the 1911. What I am after is a mild load that functions reliably and groups reasonably. My manuals give a wide range of loads for 230gr. fmj and HP 38 powder. All the way from a low of 4.2 gr. to 5.5gr. Last week I fooled with the 5 to 5.5gr loads and today it was the 4.2 to 4.8gr loads. The 4.2gr of HP 38 proved to be too light as I had some stove pipes. All the others functioned without a problem. Trouble is I can't shoot well enough to tell one load from another as to group size, ha. But what the heck it was fun trying.

I just plinked with the MK III at the spinners and swingers and tin cans and any thing else that looked like is should be hit.

Before we quit for the day Jim broke out some .22 shorts which can be fired in either the Win. 9422 or the Wards 47A. What a giggle that was. The .22 short shot about a foot low at 50 yards as compared to the mini mags. We were all still wearing our ear protection and we stopped twice and got the bore light to check the bore as we felt that wimpy little bang we just heard had to be a dud so we were expecting to fine a bullet stuck in the bore. Well that was not the case as all we found was dirt and a lot of it. Looked more like we had been shooting black powder.

All in all no great marksmanship but a great day's adventure for the Old Guys.

76Highboy · 03-14-2012, 08:41 PM

Nice hardware Todd.

mogunner · 03-14-2012, 08:44 PM

Good shootin, and nice firearms there.

Zane71464 · 03-15-2012, 07:14 AM

Nice guns and nice shooting Todd and the others!
Looks like the 1911 is coming along good and the new S&W, wow!

Dirtypacman · 03-15-2012, 09:04 AM

Any day at the range is a good day in my mind.
Thanks for sharing with us and nice shooting

pickenup · 03-15-2012, 12:17 PM

Nice report.
Shorts are different.

03-14-2012, 08:40 PM	#1
todd51 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Central, Ohio Contributor Posts: 2,575	More range fun Wow three trips to the range in one week, does it get any better than that. It was in the mid 70's with clear skies and little wind so I along with two of the other Old Guys headed to the range. Had to stop by Subway for supplies at our lunch break later in the day. Got to the range a little after 10:00am and had to shed our jackets as it was shirtsleeve weather. Bob brought that little space age looking Beretta Neos .22lr and an oldie he got from a favorite uncle. It is a Wards Western Field Mod 47A which is the same as a Mossberg Mod. 46A (I think). It just has standard open sights as the peep sight is long gone. Those open sights at 50 yards are tough for eyes on the far side of 65 for all of us. We talked about the fact that some of us used to shoot squirrels and even crows and black birds at that distance in our youth. Well we can't do it now, ha. Jim brought a Winchester 9422 he had purchased from me and mounted a BSA 3-9 Sweet 22 scope on. That took some time to get it sighted in using CCI Mini Mags but he got where he wanted it. I took my Ruger MK III, Ruger SR19ll and my most recent gun show purchase a S&W Mod. K 38. First shots through the Smith showed some sight adjustment necessary but it didn't take much to get it close. I still need a little more right windage adjustment but will get that the next trip as didn't want to hog the range. I am still messing with the 1911. What I am after is a mild load that functions reliably and groups reasonably. My manuals give a wide range of loads for 230gr. fmj and HP 38 powder. All the way from a low of 4.2 gr. to 5.5gr. Last week I fooled with the 5 to 5.5gr loads and today it was the 4.2 to 4.8gr loads. The 4.2gr of HP 38 proved to be too light as I had some stove pipes. All the others functioned without a problem. Trouble is I can't shoot well enough to tell one load from another as to group size, ha. But what the heck it was fun trying. I just plinked with the MK III at the spinners and swingers and tin cans and any thing else that looked like is should be hit. Before we quit for the day Jim broke out some .22 shorts which can be fired in either the Win. 9422 or the Wards 47A. What a giggle that was. The .22 short shot about a foot low at 50 yards as compared to the mini mags. We were all still wearing our ear protection and we stopped twice and got the bore light to check the bore as we felt that wimpy little bang we just heard had to be a dud so we were expecting to fine a bullet stuck in the bore. Well that was not the case as all we found was dirt and a lot of it. Looked more like we had been shooting black powder. All in all no great marksmanship but a great day's adventure for the Old Guys. __________________ Retired Praefectus Vigilum NRA Endowment Member --> Last edited by todd51; 04-23-2013 at 08:08 PM..

03-14-2012, 08:41 PM	#2
76Highboy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Meridian, Idaho Contributor Posts: 6,969	Re: More range fun Nice hardware Todd.

03-14-2012, 08:44 PM	#3
mogunner Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Eastern Missouri Posts: 1,029	Re: More range fun Good shootin, and nice firearms there.

03-15-2012, 07:14 AM	#4
Zane71464 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ohio NRA Member Contributor Posts: 5,371	Re: More range fun Nice guns and nice shooting Todd and the others! Looks like the 1911 is coming along good and the new S&W, wow! __________________ Two Words; "Simple Man", song by Charlie Daniels sums up my thoughts on a "few things"!

03-15-2012, 09:04 AM	#5
Dirtypacman Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Merrimac Valley, MA Posts: 908	Re: More range fun Any day at the range is a good day in my mind. Thanks for sharing with us and nice shooting __________________ Member HHRG and HSC, NRA Life Member, GOAL Member LTC-A

03-15-2012, 12:17 PM	#6
pickenup Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains Posts: 6,838	Re: More range fun Nice report. Shorts are different. __________________ The gene pool needs chlorine