Thank you.
Shooting-Related, Autobiographical Snippets
- Thread starter Hunter
- Start date
In 2017 my wife, son and I started shooting rimfire benchrest. We were shooting American rimfire association and in the 20 years of the organization no woman had shot a 2500 outdoor target. Tad and I was really wanting her to get it and be the first. Carrie got it in 2019 at Oak Ridge TN. It was a very proud day for us with all of our equipment built by Tad in our shop.
Todd
Todd
I remember talking to either you or Tad on the phone a couple of years ago about a Cooper TRP 3 I had. I have since moved up to a Turbo V3. Muller 4 MI, Bix and Andy, Rotex low profile, Harrell tuner, March HM 48X52. You were very helpful to a new guy that had no clue. Now I'm an old guy with no clue.LOL. If I remember correctly you are in Alabama and I remember you telling me that Carrie had shot the first 2500 by a woman. What an honor! Added to that accomplishment y'all (I'm in south Ms.
) build your own equipment. The last I read you were working on a return to battery device that would replace the bungee cord. Is that still in the works? Take care Les in Ocean Springs.
) build your own equipment. The last I read you were working on a return to battery device that would replace the bungee cord. Is that still in the works? Take care Les in Ocean Springs.
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dmort
Active member
I was hunting pheasants with my springer when she busted a bird that was hiding in the grass under the snow. It dropped just a little ways offshore on the ice and off she went. When she picked up the bird they both broke thru the ice and her attempts to get back on the ice where going nowhere. I was really getting worried and screaming at her when she finally dropped the bird and came back to me. Right about the time I think all is good the damn bird squawks and off she goes again. She pulled the bird out of the water and made back to shore with no issues. I was going to take her back to the truck and maybe warm up but she wasn't haven't it so we kept hunting.
She was a treasure and I get chocked up just writing about her.
Mort
She was a treasure and I get chocked up just writing about her.
Mort
Hunter
Chasin' the Sunset
Congratulations to all of you. Tell us about Tad, and your shop.
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We have been a racing family from the beginning. Both my kids raced oval karting. Tad started racing at 4 years old and raced till his late teens. I'm a mechanic and run a small auto repair business. All our karting work was done in house so when we decided to move to benchrest it was no different. Tad took the lead on the machine work and we started moving forward. He has done a great job and give us good equipment. His daytime job is the management of the water treatment for the town where we live. Cassie my daughter is a RN at a large hospital. My kids have done well in life and that is the largest win for me.
Todd
Todd
Les
Hunter
Chasin' the Sunset
This thread has been up two weeks and only seven other members have shared a shooting-related snippet? Let’s hear from others; in the meantime, I'll post another of my shooting-related snippets.
Once when my daughter came to visit, she and I went quail “hunting” at a friend’s place that he operated as a quail preserve. (As far as I know, that was her first hunting trip.) She took her 12 ga., pump-action, short-barrel shotgun that I had bought for her previously for home protection. We had a great time riding in the motorized “bird-buggy,” watching the dogs, and shooting at some of the pen-raised quail. After the “hunt,” our guide took a picture of the two of us standing together behind the bird-buggy, wearing our blaze orange vests and holding our shotguns. I’ll forever treasure the framed copy of that picture she gave me as a Christmas present one year.
Once when my daughter came to visit, she and I went quail “hunting” at a friend’s place that he operated as a quail preserve. (As far as I know, that was her first hunting trip.) She took her 12 ga., pump-action, short-barrel shotgun that I had bought for her previously for home protection. We had a great time riding in the motorized “bird-buggy,” watching the dogs, and shooting at some of the pen-raised quail. After the “hunt,” our guide took a picture of the two of us standing together behind the bird-buggy, wearing our blaze orange vests and holding our shotguns. I’ll forever treasure the framed copy of that picture she gave me as a Christmas present one year.
GeneT
Active member
Well, I'll deviate to shotgunning, and this is just a concept more than a story. My old shooting buddy (we shot every type of firearm together, and competed in same matches (mostly pistol matches) and we used to shoot at a quarry in the woods. The quarry was where they had once pulled gravel for the logging roads. In any case, we discovered a great source of fun - one of us would be 'up top' - and far enough back to be safe from shot and the other would be down in the pit with a double-barreled shotgun. The guy on top would have a hand thrower and the goal (for him) was to see how many 'birds' he could get by the guy in the pit. It was quite a workout running back and forth and throwing birds as you were able. It was also quite a challenge in the pit to shoot at a bird from an unexpected location as well as reload or top up whenever you thought you could.
It's probably been 20 years, but I miss that...
GsT
It's probably been 20 years, but I miss that...
GsT
dmort
Active member
When I was in the Marine Corps qualifying at the range a red flag would be waved in front of your target if you missed. This flag was called "Maggies Drawers". There was spectulation as to what the original Maggie would have thought had she known her skivvies were being waved around at a rifle match.
Mort
Mort
Dave Coots
64 Chevy 409 10.42 129
Clean?
dmort
Active member
That might have been another of her concerns!
GeneT
Active member
When I was in it was just the red backside of the 'disk' (the disk is held in different locations to indicate to the shooter what their score for the shot was). We still called it "Maggie's Drawers" though. I recall that Maggie's Drawers were often presented with flourish, bobbing or dancing along the bottom of the target to help rub salt in the wound...
GsT
GeneT
Active member
OK, not really shooting related, but dmort and other Corps vets should probably appreciate... These are what I call "Salazar stories".
Sgt. Salazar ("Drill Instructor Sergeant Salazar") was the meanest USMC drill instructor in the company, and I (among others) were privileged to have him as part of my platoon. To this day I must assume that he was a master of human psychology. The alternative is to believe that he had some supernatural power...
I went to boot camp in San Diego, and that means that we were bussed up to Camp Pendleton, to Edson Range, for rifle training. Some point shortly after our arrival we were getting haircuts. I am tall, and squads are lined up tallest to shortest, so I was one of the first ones through the barber's chair. Upon completion of our 'cut, we were instructed to 'form up' outside the barber shop. My stopping point was nearly 100 yards from the barber shop itself, along a road, facing some barracks. As always, we were supposed to keep our eyes forward and stand at strict attention. Having assumed my position, I began to look left and right, being careful not to move my head. The drill instructors, including Satan ...errr Sgt. Salazar, were ~100 yards to my rear supervising the actiivtiies around the barber shop. I had scarcely started to take in my new surroundings when slapping feet and huffing breath introduced another recruit to my side. Shaubshlager (yes, that was his name, and how very unfortunate for him as oddball names were not treated with compassion during my time in...). Snapping to sharp attention next to me he announced "Recruit Temple! Drill Instructor Sergeant Salazar says that if you do not stop eye-f***ing the area he will personally come rip your f***ing head off!".
There is *no way* he could see me glancing side to side - no way. To this day it's a mystery, but not the first...
GsT
Sgt. Salazar ("Drill Instructor Sergeant Salazar") was the meanest USMC drill instructor in the company, and I (among others) were privileged to have him as part of my platoon. To this day I must assume that he was a master of human psychology. The alternative is to believe that he had some supernatural power...
I went to boot camp in San Diego, and that means that we were bussed up to Camp Pendleton, to Edson Range, for rifle training. Some point shortly after our arrival we were getting haircuts. I am tall, and squads are lined up tallest to shortest, so I was one of the first ones through the barber's chair. Upon completion of our 'cut, we were instructed to 'form up' outside the barber shop. My stopping point was nearly 100 yards from the barber shop itself, along a road, facing some barracks. As always, we were supposed to keep our eyes forward and stand at strict attention. Having assumed my position, I began to look left and right, being careful not to move my head. The drill instructors, including Satan ...errr Sgt. Salazar, were ~100 yards to my rear supervising the actiivtiies around the barber shop. I had scarcely started to take in my new surroundings when slapping feet and huffing breath introduced another recruit to my side. Shaubshlager (yes, that was his name, and how very unfortunate for him as oddball names were not treated with compassion during my time in...). Snapping to sharp attention next to me he announced "Recruit Temple! Drill Instructor Sergeant Salazar says that if you do not stop eye-f***ing the area he will personally come rip your f***ing head off!".
There is *no way* he could see me glancing side to side - no way. To this day it's a mystery, but not the first...
GsT
GeneT
Active member
It was regular practice that when we went to the head (the bathroom) that we did it as a platoon. Our squad bay had an entrance to the head, and the showers, that was a little hallway off the squadbay, forming an 'L' shape. When it was time to leave the head, we stacked up at the entrance to the squad bay and received the usual spiel from the drill instructor: "When I say move, do I mean take my f***ing time, ladies?", "Do I mean stop to smell the roses?", etc, etc. We appropriately shouted, in chorus, "Sir, no sir" or "Sir, yes sir" as appropriate before being told "move!" - the command of execution. Time to haul balls.
In any case, on one of these times, I found myself all the way at the back. Sgt. Salazar was giving the usual spiel. There was no way in hell he could have seen me. Being all the way at the back, when he said "Did I say take your f***ing time?!", I silently mouthed "Sir, yes sir". Perhaps I whispered it. In any case, I couldn't here it over the shouted, proper answer. There was absolutely no way he could see or hear me. This was well before the times of ubiquitous cameras, etc. "Move!" The command was given and we all started to race to our designated spots. As I exited the hallway I was stopped with a firm palm on my chest... "S'pose I didn't hear you, huh Tem-Pole?!"... (Followed by a large puddle of my sweat on the 'classroom' floor.)
Again, I'll never know how he knew...
GsT
In any case, on one of these times, I found myself all the way at the back. Sgt. Salazar was giving the usual spiel. There was no way in hell he could have seen me. Being all the way at the back, when he said "Did I say take your f***ing time?!", I silently mouthed "Sir, yes sir". Perhaps I whispered it. In any case, I couldn't here it over the shouted, proper answer. There was absolutely no way he could see or hear me. This was well before the times of ubiquitous cameras, etc. "Move!" The command was given and we all started to race to our designated spots. As I exited the hallway I was stopped with a firm palm on my chest... "S'pose I didn't hear you, huh Tem-Pole?!"... (Followed by a large puddle of my sweat on the 'classroom' floor.)
Again, I'll never know how he knew...
GsT
GeneT
Active member
An aside, just to show that I wasn't Salazar's favorite. We had a big, muscular, fellow named 'Holmes' in the platoon. Early on he was "chill-axin'" while we were getting a dressing down. Salazar got in his face, straightened him out, and said something to the effect of "Do you think you can take me?". Holmes responded in the affirmative. Holmes had to be twice the size of Salazar - but Salazar seemed about 5 times as mean, so you weren't going to bet against him. Some time during our platoon's time at Edson range we passes some hand-to-hand training pits and Salazar was busily kicking the sh** out of a couple of practice dummies. Word kind of got around that Holmes estimation may have changed. The night before graduation (a big night indeed!), I remember Salazar approaching Holmes and saying "Don't forget, we have a date...". I have no idea how that ever turned out.
GsT
GsT
GeneT
Active member
Roughly a year later, after I'd been in the Fleet (Fleet Marine Force) as an infantryman, I ended up back in San Diego. Another Marine and I decided to go to MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) to watch some recruits suffering. We were walking across the parade ground when I heard "Temple!" - my body involuntarily snapped to attention. Two drill instructors appeared, one of them Salazar, and he was saying to the other "See, I told you he was one of mine...".
I talked to him briefly and my biggest take-away was that he said something like "Two more months and I'm back to the 'wing". That is to say the air wing. Which is to say a part of the Corps that we, in the infantry, didn't really consider part of the Corps. Unbelievable! It was super-hard to think that a 'winger could be that 'hard'...
GsT
I talked to him briefly and my biggest take-away was that he said something like "Two more months and I'm back to the 'wing". That is to say the air wing. Which is to say a part of the Corps that we, in the infantry, didn't really consider part of the Corps. Unbelievable! It was super-hard to think that a 'winger could be that 'hard'...
GsT
tonykharper
Well-known member
If this post is not appropriate for this thread, please advise and I will delete it.
My introduction to the extreme accuracy of the 6 PPC cartridge.
Many years ago, I became interested in accurate rifles while stationed in Texas. I developed a friendship with a guy I worked with. He was a civilian that worked on base, but he was also a hobbyist gunsmith.
He introduced me to the hobby of taking military surplus rifles and building them into sporting rifles by bedding them in sporting stocks, drilling and tapping for scope mounts, bending the bolt handles to clear the scope etc. I mostly used 03A3 Springfields but also a couple of 98 Mausers.
I would buy 90 percent inletted stock blanks from Bishops or Fajen, install pillars and glass bed them. I also got into finishing and checkering. Tried to make them look like Weatherby Mark 5's.
But the accuracy bug bit me pretty hard. When we would go to the range and my friends' rifles would always shoot better than mine. I had to do something about it. He was installing custom barrels and shooting hand loaded cartridges.
That's when the handloading bug came into it and you all know how much goes with that.
Somewhere about this time Remmington came out with a rifle they called a 40XB BR. One of my friends had one in .222 and it would absolutely kill. After shooting his a few times I was ruined. Nothing less was interesting anymore, so I saved my money and bought a 40 XB BR in .222. I even got the 20 power Remmington scope with the external adjustments to go on top.
At the range on base no one could shoot better groups than my rifle did, all was well in the world.
But that only lasted a short time until my gunsmith friend showed up with a new cartridge. It was called a .222 and a half Shilen. This was the .222 that Ed Shilen had modified into his own custom cartridge, and it did out preform my .222.
After much begging my friend agreed to fit me a barrel in the .222 and a half Shilen and I was back in business. This thing just shot. I didn't think anything could be any better.
Within a week or two of getting this rifle put together Uncle Sam sent me overseas for multiple tours. My new rifle went into storage and stayed in the states. While overseas I was able to keep shooting but only air rifles and small bore.
Twelve years later I returned to the states and arrived at my new assignment at Langley Va. One of the guys in the office asked me did I do any shooting? I said yes, a little. He offered to take me out to the local gun club and introduce me around and while we were there, he wanted to show me one of his rifles.
To be honest I thought my 40 XB BR would outshoot anything he was going to show me, but I didn't say anything.
When I got to the range, and he signed me in, then took me over to one of the benches where he was all set up.
Told me sit down behind his rest and he would get his rifle. I had my 40 XB BR in the truck but didn't mention it.
He came back with this rifle and sat it on the rest. It had a 3-inch-wide forearm and was made of fiberglass and was painted like a high-quality custom car.
This rifle had the port on the left side, but the bolt was on the right side. Never seen such a thing. Then he handed me a box of hand loads and said here have a go. I looked at the little fat cartridge and said what is this? He said it was a 6 PPC. Never heard of such a thing. He said go ahead send a coupe down range then site in on the target and shoot a group. I told him if this thing blows up it will hit me right in the face. He said don't worry this is an Alan Hall action and it will not blow up.
I reluctantly loaded the rifle and looked through the scope and gees, I could see the target like it was on the end of the barrel. I think it was a Leupold 36X scope. I squeezed the bag, settled the rifle, found my point of aim, and touched the trigger. The rifle went off way before I was ready. He saw that and said that trigger a little light for you? I said yes but I'll get used to it. He said it was a Jewell two oz. trigger.
After a few rounds I shot a group which may have been the smallest group I had ever shot to that date. I was impressed. It was like a religious experience. Amazing the progress that was made in benchrest shooting during that 12-year period.
He asked me didn't you say you had a rifle that shot pretty well? I said no, I was just lying.
It took me a couple months, but I had a 6 PPC and to this day I still have a 6 PPC.
TKH
My introduction to the extreme accuracy of the 6 PPC cartridge.
Many years ago, I became interested in accurate rifles while stationed in Texas. I developed a friendship with a guy I worked with. He was a civilian that worked on base, but he was also a hobbyist gunsmith.
He introduced me to the hobby of taking military surplus rifles and building them into sporting rifles by bedding them in sporting stocks, drilling and tapping for scope mounts, bending the bolt handles to clear the scope etc. I mostly used 03A3 Springfields but also a couple of 98 Mausers.
I would buy 90 percent inletted stock blanks from Bishops or Fajen, install pillars and glass bed them. I also got into finishing and checkering. Tried to make them look like Weatherby Mark 5's.
But the accuracy bug bit me pretty hard. When we would go to the range and my friends' rifles would always shoot better than mine. I had to do something about it. He was installing custom barrels and shooting hand loaded cartridges.
That's when the handloading bug came into it and you all know how much goes with that.
Somewhere about this time Remmington came out with a rifle they called a 40XB BR. One of my friends had one in .222 and it would absolutely kill. After shooting his a few times I was ruined. Nothing less was interesting anymore, so I saved my money and bought a 40 XB BR in .222. I even got the 20 power Remmington scope with the external adjustments to go on top.
At the range on base no one could shoot better groups than my rifle did, all was well in the world.
But that only lasted a short time until my gunsmith friend showed up with a new cartridge. It was called a .222 and a half Shilen. This was the .222 that Ed Shilen had modified into his own custom cartridge, and it did out preform my .222.
After much begging my friend agreed to fit me a barrel in the .222 and a half Shilen and I was back in business. This thing just shot. I didn't think anything could be any better.
Within a week or two of getting this rifle put together Uncle Sam sent me overseas for multiple tours. My new rifle went into storage and stayed in the states. While overseas I was able to keep shooting but only air rifles and small bore.
Twelve years later I returned to the states and arrived at my new assignment at Langley Va. One of the guys in the office asked me did I do any shooting? I said yes, a little. He offered to take me out to the local gun club and introduce me around and while we were there, he wanted to show me one of his rifles.
To be honest I thought my 40 XB BR would outshoot anything he was going to show me, but I didn't say anything.
When I got to the range, and he signed me in, then took me over to one of the benches where he was all set up.
Told me sit down behind his rest and he would get his rifle. I had my 40 XB BR in the truck but didn't mention it.
He came back with this rifle and sat it on the rest. It had a 3-inch-wide forearm and was made of fiberglass and was painted like a high-quality custom car.
This rifle had the port on the left side, but the bolt was on the right side. Never seen such a thing. Then he handed me a box of hand loads and said here have a go. I looked at the little fat cartridge and said what is this? He said it was a 6 PPC. Never heard of such a thing. He said go ahead send a coupe down range then site in on the target and shoot a group. I told him if this thing blows up it will hit me right in the face. He said don't worry this is an Alan Hall action and it will not blow up.
I reluctantly loaded the rifle and looked through the scope and gees, I could see the target like it was on the end of the barrel. I think it was a Leupold 36X scope. I squeezed the bag, settled the rifle, found my point of aim, and touched the trigger. The rifle went off way before I was ready. He saw that and said that trigger a little light for you? I said yes but I'll get used to it. He said it was a Jewell two oz. trigger.
After a few rounds I shot a group which may have been the smallest group I had ever shot to that date. I was impressed. It was like a religious experience. Amazing the progress that was made in benchrest shooting during that 12-year period.
He asked me didn't you say you had a rifle that shot pretty well? I said no, I was just lying.
It took me a couple months, but I had a 6 PPC and to this day I still have a 6 PPC.
TKH
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