So, with the departure of Gary from MD, I am no longer able to shoot with him up at the farm range in New Windsor. Fortunately, a few years back, I figured this scenario would occur some day, so when the opportunity presented itself, I joined a local gun club with a rifle range. Last night was the first evening I actually used its facilities (yes -- I joined in 2010 -- lame). I took my buddy Tommy up with me and we shot the Delta 45 and a few powderburners too.



This range is local to me -- 12 minutes away -- and you can literally back your car right up to the gate. In five minutes, you can be out setting up targets. As you can see, it's got great, stable benches and a good roof. The club has a nice clubhouse and trap / skeet and archery ranges too. The property is an old dairy farm that was saved from development back in the 1930s.



The rifle range has 50 yard, 100 yard, and 200 yard backers. I am told that it is the closest 200 yard range to a major metro area in the entire country (we're about 5 miles from downtown Baltimore as the crow flies, believe it or not). One downside -- paper targets only. I will miss the clank of steel targets up in New Windsor! You can see our paper target sheets posted on the 50 yard backer here.



Good shot of the Barnes Delta 45 in the late afternoon sunlight here. We generally had the range to ourselves -- there was one other guy shooting. He was getting ready to leave when I pulled the Delta out of its case, and he said, "what in the heck is that?" I said, "it's a big bore airgun." He was of course immediately interested, and once I was set up I let him take a shot. He was quite pleased -- "that's unbelievable." So I guess I am the new big bore evangelist for the club.



Of course, I walked my buddy Tommy thru everything too, and he was shooting in no time. He'd never fired a big bore airgun before yesterday.



We had a blast. No "keeper" groups yesterday (although the rifle is wicked consistent -- I was shooting .45 Barnes Shrikes, for which it is chambered), but that wasn't the point, being that it was my first time to try out this new range and assess how things went. The good news -- I've got a place to shoot, and it's close to home, which means I'll be shooting a lot more now!

-- Jim

Jim,

Place looks great.

I've always liked that rifle.

Lon

Yowzzzah!!! A shootin' post!!!

Excellent. Looks like a great place to enjoy. I know you will muss the Lewis and Clark expedition setup/teardown phase of the experience (as will I) but this'll do!

Gun looks great. Thanks for the post!!!

Gary

Even without much setup effort, I found I was able to fairly easily stack Shrikes at 50 yards. Wait til I get a better set of bench bags and get organized . . .

-- Jim

Man it sure must be a drag having to load and go somewhere to shoot!! I never really appreciate the fact of shooting in my back yard. That is one fine lookin gun though and looks like a nice range . Once Gary gets a backstop put in with that new tractor and some measuring done LOOK OUT just plumb a 12 pack of bottles rite out to the shooting bench and a couple of quick connectors at the table and yee haa no more carrying bottles then we can all plug in hehehe

Thanks
Kurt

Looks like a nice facility, and that sure is a pretty rifle. Good thing it's getting some sunshine, gotta air those things out from time to time!

That rifle is beautiful, the range that i go to is only 100 yard,s. At least you are shooting and not just hanging it on a wall.....