Boomershoot 2010; Report from the berm - Updated: Video!

Get it? "Report" from the berm? sorry, a little Idaho humor there (yeah, yeah, very little humor).

So, the crowd shows up, the Event director puts on the traditional Fireball

Download Boomershoot2010 021 

 and we get ready to shoot. I position my rifle on it’s rude little rest, jealously eyeing the Rockett-men next door with their fine bench-rest equipment, but then I remind myself: Rivrdog, you are MISTER "Box-Stock" up here, and YOU chose that path of marksmanship, so get to work, boy.

The "Commence fire" horn sounds. I have already pre-spotted my target, a four-inch boomer. The wind is calm, and I sight the .243 Winchester Model 70 hunting rifle carefully, with the Nikon Pro-Staff scope set at it’s maximum power, and using the #2 BDC bubble, I touch it off.

“crack-BOOM" One round expended, one boomer exploded. Just like last year! The tradition is continued! Now I trust my rifle, and the worry of working without a spotter vanishes. In the next 3 rounds, I hit another boomer, then a couple of rounds later, I hit and "gut" one. I ease back in my seat and enjoy the moment.

I shot maybe 28 rounds in the morning, hitting no more boomers. I have yet to figure out why this is, except for the obvious: no spotter to call the fall of the shots. The rifle is on, I am on, but I hit nothing more after the success of the opening moments.

I enjoyed the rest of the day, and even got some high-value work when I did have a temporary spotter, comparing and noting the differing fall of the shots with different brands of ammo (I brought about 5 different types of ammo for the .243). Thanks, Rockett-men, you had me flying high. This is invaluable info at that distance, since most rifle ranges don’t even go out that far, and those which do usually make such long range work (380 yards) dependent on the wishes of the majority, who usually shoot at 100 yards, or you have to come in on a certain day of the month, etc.

Boomershoot is very valuable just for the opportunity to spend a whole day (three, actually) sending an unlimited amount of bullets downrange at 380 and 550-715 yards. You just can’t DO that anywhere else, and you have the added bonus on Sunday that the targets go BOOM when struck.

In the military, where marksmanship is second only to survival as a skill-set, the rifle ranges are manned by almost as many target handlers as shooters, and the traditional systems of marking the fall of the shot on the targets gives good feedback, but most civilian ranges lack a system of target pits, and most civilian shooters lack the ability to whistle up a gang of target handlers even if the range DOES have target butts or pits.

Nope, it’s well worth the trip out to Lenore, ID just to CONFIRM one’s marksmanship skills.

Of lesser note, Petey the Pop-Up camper gave me good service as well, and was home to Ry Jones (an essential member of the staff) for the entire three days, and his daughters for Saturday night and Sunday. Petey goes on my list of "must-have" equipment for Boomershoot, because I believe that the ability to stay on the premises at the range is vital (for me, anyway) to get my head oriented strictly around long-range shooting. I WILL be more careful where I set up Camp Swampy next year, though.

…and next year, I WILL have a spotter, and I WILL log all my shots and successes. That’s my Boomershoot 2011 resolution.

Thank you for following my little story. I will add links to it as I get them, and video as I find it. Stay tuned.  

Comments

[M. Donohue]

TOO BAD SOME OF THOSE TARGETS WEREN'T THOSE ILLEGAL COCKROACHES SETTING UP A WAR ZONE OVER IN GRANT AND MALHEUR COUNTIES TO GROW THEIR POT CROPS!!! I SENT YOU THE ARTICLE FROM THE OREGONIAN FROM DUKE ABOUT HOW IT'S OUT OF CONTROL IN SE OREGON WITH THESE HISPANIC DRUG CARTELS CONTROLLING A GOOD DEAL OF THE OUT BACK WOODS IN THAT AREA FOR THEIR POT. WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS SOME ARMED MILITIAS OF RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPUTIZED BY THE LOCAL SHERIFFS TO TARGET THESE SCUMBAGS AND TAKE BACK OUR STATE FOR THE HUNTER, FISHERMAN, HIKER, ETC.!!!!!!

IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE AND HEAR YOUR FOCUS UPON THIS SUBJECT ON YOUR BLOG!!!

[Rivrdog]

Around Boomershoot time, I concentrate on this marksmanship event, Mike. Have no fear, i will get back to some political subjects soon enough.

[Fred]

I do appreciate the information from Boomershoot. Now I need to find a range within easy driving distance to try some 200-300 yd shooting.
Fred

[Rivrdog]

Douglas Ridge Rifle Club in Boring, OR, has a 1,000 yard range, but the normal range is 100 & 200 yards (200 yards means that hassle with the target butts, though).

At DRRC, it's "long range day" every Thursday, and you can shoot at ranges up to 1,000, although most seem to shoot at the 600-yard line.

I don't belong to this club any more. That's a long story for another time.

[Kyle]

I've had many people urge me not to join DRRC due to the lawsuit issue - what a bummer.

ED. NOTE: The latest word, from two former Executive Officers of DRRC, is that the lawsuits have all been won, and the mess with the EPA is over, so full activity may resume, including the shotgun range activity, which was banned for over a year.

The current Executive Board made a bad decision, though, and despite having made two levies against members during the legal troubles (to pay legal bills), they now have just put up yet another levy to try to restore the club's treasury to the status quo ante. That's a mistake, as it penalizes everyone for succeeding.

The good news: the DRRC is now open for business as before the troubles. The bad news, the DRRC is still trying to tap members' wallets.

Your call, Kyle. No legal jeopardy now for joining, but it will be expensive, and there's no telling whether DRRC will pull this stunt again, it's sort of like entitlements - they've gotten used to levies against the membership.