Saturday at the shooting range was not what we expected

AL.com ^ | 04/29/2013 | Brimmer Sherman

[aimhigh]

On a quest for adventure, we decided to see what the big deal was with guns and shooting, so we organized a field trip to the local shooting range. It was going to be a big time, as none of us had fired a gun in real life. . . . .

The girls got their 22 pistols and were getting set up when someone shot what sounded like a cannon. Stephanie screamed, Linda jumped and I wet my pants.

[wbill]

I'm a little torn. I'm glad that they went and had a good time. That's a start; education is the best way to get people over irrational fears.

But, the article reads like a 30-year-old metrosexual wrote it, giggling like a 12-year-old girl the entire time.

[Georgia Girl 2]

“I still haven’t reloaded the brass. I have another 350 rounds, ready to “rock and roll”.”

Let me know what time you are going to be there so I take a prozac before I arrive. :-)

[Capt_Hank]

I do like your tag line. I see that you are very serious. My kind of woman.....!!!!

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Let’s all sing!
“Homo On The Range”

[driftdiver]

Someone who is not familiar with firearms should NOT go shooting by themselves.

Someone competent needs to be there to teach them and for basic safety.

[redgolum]

I have a .454 Casul.

Once had the local police instructor scream “Holy S$%T!” when I blew up a milk jug at 50 yards.

One of these days, I will shot .45 LC in it. Just to see how it feels!

[Old Forester]

“.22 special? Never heard of it. Must be the love child of a .38 Special and a .17 HMR.”

It was similar to the .22WMR. My father had a Winchester octagon barrel pump action in .22 Special. It was hard to find ammo for it 50 years ago. He mostly used it to shoot the steer at butchering time, but he could drive tacks with it (in spite of a bulge in the barrel) on those occasions he would take it target shooting. Unfortunately, he sold it without telling me.....

[clintonh8r]

“Brimmer”? Really? (Thank God for the “B”)

[TangoLimaSierra]

... (Our)team consisted of Stephanie - my wife, our friend Linda - still not her real name, and me - the thirteen year old boy.

Someone please 'splain this to me. Do they marry that young there?

[Sola Veritas]

“The girls each took turns firing the 9mm until we ran out of ammunition. All they could say was bigger is better and they wanted more.”

A 9mm doesn’t really “kick.” It can be best described as “jumping.” I would have liked to see them try a 357 magnum revolver. Now that kicks. I wouldn’t even let them go near a 44 mag.

Of course, there is much bigger stuff these days. Back when I first shot a handgun in the 70s....a 44 Mag was the top end and Dirty Harry was king!

[Dan(9698)]

We had a .22 special rifle when I was young.

[vetvetdoug]

I put in error about 80 grains of black powder into a .54 caliber horse pistol once. There was a little bit of concussion to my brain upon discharge and was a little problematic holding it. All's well I suppose, I carefully measured the subsequent shots. The noise made was a very loud Boom. Others at the range were not amused though.

[hockea]

The 22 WRF is the same as the 22Special marketed by Remington.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/22WRF.htm

[Lazamataz]

Interesting. He starts out by sounding like a metrosexual antigun weenie, but by the end, he sounds like a rock-ribbed NRA gun-nut.

[Myrddin]

A box of Hornady 300 gr @ 1500 fps in .454 Casull will rattle your neurons by the 20th round. I prefer a 200 gr at 2000 fps. Lots of muzzle flash and enough energy to send a bowling pin flying. Not nearly as unpleasant on the nerves.

If you're launching from the S&W 460 mag with muzzle comp, make sure the bullets are fully jacketed and spec'ed for the 460. A lightly guilded/plated bullet will spin the copper out the comp vents and all over your face.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

What caught my eye was the sentence describing the gun store with "the aisles were stacked waist high with cartons of ammunition."

IMAGINE THAT!!!

[redgolum]

I load with 250 grain XTP Mag's. I honestly don't do a “full house” load, as it becomes hard to control.

The 300’s make me hate myself by the end of the day.

Never shot a .460. Figured the Casul was crazy enough.

[Disambiguator]

But, the article reads like a 30-year-old metrosexual wrote it, giggling like a 12-year-old girl the entire time.

You mean, like Mark Morford?

[wbill]

Miss Morford? He's a pretty low-wattage bulb.

I'd be worried if I ever saw him at a range. Would need explain which end was the dangerous one, and which way was downrange. And that's just for starters.

[Myrddin]

The 300’s make me hate myself by the end of the day.

The 440 gr hardcast at 2500 ft-lbs ME in the S&W 500 Mag is really a handful. A 168 gr .308 from a T/C Encore pistol will get your attention too. Hold firmly if you won't want to lose teeth. My wife is happy to shoot a 300 gr .454 Casull in a Ruger Super Redhawk. The .308 in the T/C Encore is off her list.