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Range Day ... 5-20-03

Duty took me to the range again today. One of the projects was a field test of the Black Hills Dakota 45 action.

The action of the Black Hills Dakota 45 .... wait ... what's different here ....?

Oh ... I see now ... no stock .... huhhhh

Yes ... yet another Barnes quirk ... don't sweat the small stuff. If it's raining, go to the range anyway (less people). If there's no stock yet ... go to the range anyway ... less chance of scratching the stock ... ;?)

Yep ... It shoots. Who needs a stock anyway? That was three slugs thru that hole @ 50 yards.

A couple of more earlier ... with hideous fliers though! he he. ;?)

I have to fiddle with the trigger. Everything is new and handmade ya know. I have to stone the engaging angles alittle. It was way too heavy (like waaaaay too heavy) ... but, even so - the rifle shot great. I'll stone and adjust the unit as it's supposed to be. Hey - you find out these things "if" you take them to the range and shoot them. Nobody gets a Barnes rifle until I do so.

Another project was mounting a nice Leupold for a customer on his Tundra 45.

OK ... slugs group @ 100 yards ... (new slug too - another test today)

Pretty Good! Click ... click ....

Very Good ....

Note these two overlapping @ 100 yards. Remember ... this was also slug testing. Mixed slugs from a two cavity mold. Unsorted. Alot of promise here.

Back to the bench from 100 yards. This is the new Range I joined.

Backers out to 300 yards. Very nice.

The area behind the benches ... Wow. Hey ... somebody's got to do it. (Glad it's me).

Still ... if you want a smile, I have a story for ya here ... you might think the life of an Airgunsmith is all fun and games. No ... the things that happen to you ... happen to me too ...

I took three rifles today in two cases. Took a bunch of tools I'd need - with the tool box. Tanks, regulators, targets, camera, (yes ... coffee ;?) , Sand bags, various tins of slugs, sizing dies, and a bunch of other etc. I wasn't out of town yet, when there was a landslide in the back seat area. Stopped to reposition everything. It's usually an expedition - yes. Lewis and Clark took far less stuff ... but they had alot less to do than I try to fit into these Range Days. ;?)

I finally got everything dragged to the benches and set it all up. I dropped onto the stool, coffee cup at my elbow. Off in the distance, to the left ... I hear a tractor start .... I size a few slugs. The tractor backs out of a shed in the distance.... I chamber a round with an eye on the tractor ... which is now coming my way .... down the edge of the range road at my 9 o'clock. No .... couldn't be ... I go ahead and shoot the first round. Nice ... alittle high at 12 o'clock @ 50 yards. The tractor is now mowing a path toward the back of the range pavilion. Maybe if I don't look ... but ... I ... MUST ........... look .... I ........STARE ... he approaches and .... stops. Yep ... who hasn't guessed yet? ... he's here to mow the range!!! Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!

So, we struck a deal. (All Barnes rifles will now cost five dollars more for the next six months ........ yes, ... I'm kidding). He mowed around alittle elsewhere to give me alittle time. I fiddled for awhile but realized I'd just get more and more stuff out as time went by. Figured I'd just bag it - couldn't do anything in the 30-60 minutes he could give me. I started packing up - did about half of it. I then took the range flag and flagged him down on his next round nearby - he drove over ... I said I'd just come back later - let him have the range. He says ... never mind .... he's decided to just do it tomorrow. Ahhhhh!!!!!

I started getting it all back out again. So ya see ... business is business everywhere. ;?)