A long gun & shotgun outdoor range trip...

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Slowhand

Support the right to self defense.
Jun 8, 2012
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Irmo, SC
http://www.liveoakssportingclays.com/

Here is a link to the shooting range. Live Oaks is a Sportsman Club located about 40 mile out in the country from my house. About 10 years ago some fellow got the bright idea to open up a shooting range so he spent some bucks sitting up a pistol range and rifle range.

Later on a local construction company owner and two partners decided they wanted to build a clubhouse, corporate outing facility, a 5 Stand Wobble Trap/Sporting Clay shooting facility. You can also get guided tours for hunting qual. The 300 Yard Rifle Range and an adjacent pistol range are just a small part of the operation. Let us just say there were some Big Bucks spent building this facility.

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This is one of those range trips that takes some work and preparation to get ready for. It’s an International thing in that three of the weapons were foreign manufactured.

The first is the H&R Partner Protector Pump 12 Gauge. Originally build by New England Firearms, they later got bought out by H&R who in turn is now owned by Remington. They are in fact manufactured in China. They define it as their home defense model. It’s got an 18 ½ inch cylinder bore barrel for quick maneuvering in tight quarters. I’m running some 7 ½ birdshot through her today. It’s a clone of the Remington 870 but a lot cheaper.

Second is a rifle made in 1939, in Russia. It’s the Mosin Nagant 7.62m x 54 R M91/30 rifles. I’ve got a couple of boxes of PPU and Winchester ammunition. There’s also some copper washed ammo stamped 60 -45. That’s military surplus from the Frunze Armory in Kyrgyzstan (Former USSR). 1945 was a long time ago. But we shall see.

Third is the Argentine Mauser Model 1891, made in 1894. She was originally produced in Germany and went to Argentina as a contract sale. She’s the early 1960’s “Sporterized” Version of the German Mauser sold by Montgomery Ward. With no Spanish Proof marks, I’d say she was brought in before 1968. Imports after that date had to be proofed. Graf & Son sells the 7.66 Argentine 150 grain Sp rounds (Made by Hornady). I’ve also got 24 rounds of surplus ammo made in 1941 by a armory in Argentina.

Fourth, the American made Savage Arms Axis SP (308 Winchester Round). She’s the youngster of the crowd. It holds a 7.62 MM (NATO Round) but today is getting some American Eagle (Federal) 150 grain FMJs ran through her initial shooting.

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Everything gets loaded into back of the SUV. All the weapons are socked or padded, there’s ammo boxes, tool boxes, a first aid kit and loads of extras for literally a field trip out in the boonies.

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By 4:00 p.m. we are set up on the range. It’s a rather strange looking range. The high berms at the sides and back offer some assurance that shots fired aren’t going astray. The first target is a 50 Yards and way off at the back of the berm is a mere 300 yards.

I started with the Argentine Mauser. The first 6 magazines she did well at 100 and 200 yards. Then it started failing to fire. The firing pin was penetrating but no bang. It was some of the old surplus ammunition, so that’s the suspected culprit. I checked the misfiled rounds and compared them to the ones that fired. Firing pin penetration was the same depth.

We switched over to the Mosin Nagant. First half dozen magazines, no problems but then she started having bolt action and magazine problems. It was 85 Degrees outside, on a hot day. Under the tin roof it was over 100 plus. So since these old gals have a 192 years on the planet between them and hadn’t been fired for decades they did rather well. With some more cleanup and attention, next time out they should do better.

We then took the H&R Shotguns down range and busted off a couple dozen rounds each. My fellow Range Rat has a 20 Gauge that’s all “Tactalized Out”. There’s no sense to keep a shotgun around for home defense that hasn’t had a few rounds put through her. The local In Door Ranges don’t allow them, so this was their first outing. They work.

Then we had at the Savage arms 308. At 100 and 200 Yards things worked just fine. The Bushnell scope brings things up close. We were getting rushed, so I put a few downrange to 300 yards and got on paper. That’s neat for an out of the box rifle that came out of the box, sighted from the factory. I bore sighted the scope at 50 yards and it was on the money.

A rather long post but, I was fielding a various range of weapons and thought a few folks might appreciate it. Although I’m mainly into historic weapons, I do get modern on occasion and these excursions are folks of fun. It just takes some time and expense to set it all up.
 

TRIGGER_1

Marksman
Mar 7, 2010
1,250
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Athens, GA USA
Really enjoyed your range report and looks like you had a lot of fun.... 8)

Seems like packing for a day of shooting is always the hard work of the mission.... :-\
 

Slowhand

Support the right to self defense.
Jun 8, 2012
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Irmo, SC
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Logistics, loading, packing & planning.... I did a lot of that back in the military. Just getting one of these trips set up for a couple of hours on the range is worth the effort. This trip was more of a scouting trip and field test on the weapons concerned. Next time out it will be more for the "fun" of it all.

The web site for Live Oaks is rather illustrative of their capabilities. I was expecting some hole in the ground but it turned out nicely.

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The Rifle Range is unconventional. They use posts with chicken wire. Over which you have to hang the silhouette paper target and use clothes pins. Skeet shooting and quall hunts are their main sources of income.

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Inside their shooting stands they have gun racks, stands and shooting tables. All look relatively new and maintained.

This place does have some potential. Especially on the weekdays when everyone else is working.
 

SkipD

Helper-outer
Jun 8, 2012
703
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Southeast Wisconsin
Zip code
53024
I like what I see there. I wish our club had such nice facilities. 100 yards is the max for us on the rifle range and the firing points are out in the weather.

The really nice parts about our range are that the range is 8 miles away for me and for those over 65 (including me) the dues are a whopping $10 per year. I've been a member for about 37 years.
 

Slowhand

Support the right to self defense.
Jun 8, 2012
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Irmo, SC
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Well at $15.00 for 2 hours, it's not bad. a $100. a year membership fee and $5. for all day for members isn't bad. The drive is a pain in the behind but worth it. Like you've I've been on loads better ranges or some even worse but I like the place.

Steve Bolt, the Manager is a 67 year old guy who manages the place part time, in between a couple of careers in construction. He had a crack at the Mosin Nagant and the Argentine Mauser, just for the heck of it.

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Their target stands are rather unique. But since I have some of my own wooden frames with on a metal base, with rods (wrought iron) designed for use on dirt ranges I’ll see if I can get a more conventional lay out.

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Here is a rather strange shot. I used the Savage Rifle to put a .308 round into a target at 300 Yards. It popped off the wire and was shredded by the round.


Although the range was vacant on the day we were there, on the weekends it’s packed. This works out for a couple of old retired guys who don’t like all the crowds on weekends.
 

TRIGGER_1

Marksman
Mar 7, 2010
1,250
8
38
Athens, GA USA
I guess the chicken wire will shoot out sooner or later and would be easier to replace than the wooden frames we use at our range....Folks like to shoot up the legs on our wooden frames and the club has to pay for new ones to be built.... :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\
 

Slowhand

Support the right to self defense.
Jun 8, 2012
701
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Irmo, SC
Enemy at the Gate Trailer

Good luck with your son and the Mossie. My son collects stamps :-[

In 2001 I saw a film called "Enemy At The Gates" which got me thinking about Mosin Nagant Rifles.

In May 2012 I ran into a great deal on a Japanese Arisaka Rifle, Type 38 made in the Mukden Arsenal in Manchuria . It is a part of their 6th Series and only 15,000 got made. "Mukkies" are hard to find. After doing some research I got interested in the origin of the Mauser bolts and other design features that Arisaka borrowed.

That lead me to the Mosin Nagant. June of last year I ran into a good deal on two of them. I spent the summer researching them and getting them cleaned up. Mosin & Nagant borrowed a few things from the Mauser design.

So this year I run into their Grandmother. The Argentine Mauser Model 1891, made in 1894. Throw in a Japanese Nambu Type 34 Pistol made in 1934 and that's the extent of my collection from that era. Loads of time and research resulting the first 2 hour range trip.