new range, old guns, and no pics!
Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 5:55 am
OK guys, I admit in the title line that there are NO PICS involved. So that's my disclaimer - Mitch, maybe you'll just pass on this post right now!!! Just kidding.
I have to admit I was pleased as a kid in a candy shop that one of my local gun show buddies and I found another local place to shoot. We both live on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, and had done some research on Maryland's DNR (Dept. of Natural Resources) WMA's (Wildlife Mgmt. Areas) to see if we could legally "cross the border" and take our guns to shoot at these ranges. Guess what - thanks to the Interweb, all was good! The area we visited in Charles County is called the Myrtle Grove WMA. I believe it caters to all types of hunting but focuses on waterfowl. Here's the state website, if anyone's interested. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/pub ... egrove.asp
Online annual permits in hand, we packed up my VW New Beetle and less than 40 minutes later were unloading our Model 8's, Dave's pile of Marlin 336's, three old Mosin Nagants, the Stevens and Savage shotguns, and a stack of paper targets.
Nice basic range - I believe it has 8 lanes - no roof or cover - but fine nonetheless. Adjacent to the range is an area for shotgun clay shooting - kind of primitive, but wide open and OK for the purpose. Dave and I went here first to do function tests I wanted to check with my Savage and Stevens. The Savage 720 runs like a champ - very pleased! I got the Stevens 520 to run off & on, because the lifter spring was weak - something I figured would happen - and the function tests proved it!
Dave's Model 8 is a mid-20's gun in .35, and runs nice. My '08 Model 8 (with a mix of stocks/barrel jacket/magazine housing) ran fine too - only the magazine spring seemed to hang up a bit. Something to check out - again, that's why we went!
Without sights, of course, and very informally shooting, I was punching the paper targets at 50 yards and making holes. We probably fired no more than 15 rounds each in our 8's - both of us used the Leverevolution ammo with the spitzer plastic-tips. In my erratic shooting strategy, I can say for sure that "minute of deer" was attained! (no digital calipers please)
I'll come back to this post later and add some more to it. Before I head out, wanted to mention that my 1916 Tula M91 was really kind of amazing - I definitely have to upload a pic of the target to "share the shock" of how tight a 5-round spread turned out with my old eyes. Not a brag, just amazed it happened!
Obviously a fun day. Hope to get out there soon for more - and not forget our sighting scopes next time!
Adam
I have to admit I was pleased as a kid in a candy shop that one of my local gun show buddies and I found another local place to shoot. We both live on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, and had done some research on Maryland's DNR (Dept. of Natural Resources) WMA's (Wildlife Mgmt. Areas) to see if we could legally "cross the border" and take our guns to shoot at these ranges. Guess what - thanks to the Interweb, all was good! The area we visited in Charles County is called the Myrtle Grove WMA. I believe it caters to all types of hunting but focuses on waterfowl. Here's the state website, if anyone's interested. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/pub ... egrove.asp
Online annual permits in hand, we packed up my VW New Beetle and less than 40 minutes later were unloading our Model 8's, Dave's pile of Marlin 336's, three old Mosin Nagants, the Stevens and Savage shotguns, and a stack of paper targets.
Nice basic range - I believe it has 8 lanes - no roof or cover - but fine nonetheless. Adjacent to the range is an area for shotgun clay shooting - kind of primitive, but wide open and OK for the purpose. Dave and I went here first to do function tests I wanted to check with my Savage and Stevens. The Savage 720 runs like a champ - very pleased! I got the Stevens 520 to run off & on, because the lifter spring was weak - something I figured would happen - and the function tests proved it!
Dave's Model 8 is a mid-20's gun in .35, and runs nice. My '08 Model 8 (with a mix of stocks/barrel jacket/magazine housing) ran fine too - only the magazine spring seemed to hang up a bit. Something to check out - again, that's why we went!
Without sights, of course, and very informally shooting, I was punching the paper targets at 50 yards and making holes. We probably fired no more than 15 rounds each in our 8's - both of us used the Leverevolution ammo with the spitzer plastic-tips. In my erratic shooting strategy, I can say for sure that "minute of deer" was attained! (no digital calipers please)
I'll come back to this post later and add some more to it. Before I head out, wanted to mention that my 1916 Tula M91 was really kind of amazing - I definitely have to upload a pic of the target to "share the shock" of how tight a 5-round spread turned out with my old eyes. Not a brag, just amazed it happened!
Obviously a fun day. Hope to get out there soon for more - and not forget our sighting scopes next time!
Adam
