Dealing With Isolation.

[Abasmajor]

Hello,
Being in the group classed as vulnerable ( over 70) I have found myself browsing the shooting related forums much frequently during these times when both the ranges I use to actually shoot are temporarily shutdown. As this section of the BBS site is normally pretty quiet, I thought this might present an opportunity for us to share some of our experiences, anecdotes etc which might help keep us all sane during the next difficult few months.
For instance, I would be very interested to hear about the different clubs we use and the activities and disciplines etc we all practice.
I will try to put something together to start things off after a bit of thought, but in the meantime any ideas or contributions that might lighten the mood a bit would be much appreciated.

Brian

[Abasmajor]

Before the UK breech loading pistol ban, one of my favourite disciplines was Police Pistol 1. I wondered if anybody still shoots maybe a variation of this using a muzzle loading revolver. The only bit that would need modifying would be the 10yds stage as there aren't too many double action muzzle loading revolvers out there.
Brian

[enfield2band]

An old Indian musket came way a while ago. I think it is a wallhanger. The barrel is slightly bulged here and there. The lock spring is not too strong, the base plug has been peened over and the stock is held in place with a woodscrew.
During these quiet times I might file the bulges out of the barrel and re-brown it, clean the lock up and sand and redo the stock. There are no pipes under the barrel for a ramrod so I might make them up and solder them on.
It will keep me occupied when I get bored.

[Abasmajor]

An old Indian musket came way a while ago. I think it is a wallhanger. The barrel is slightly bulged here and there. The lock spring is not too strong, the base plug has been peened over and the stock is held in place with a woodscrew.
During these quiet times I might file the bulges out of the barrel and re-brown it, clean the lock up and sand and redo the stock. There are no pipes under the barrel for a ramrod so I might make them up and solder them on.
It will keep me occupied when I get bored.

That sounds like a great idea and hopefully some others with ongoing restoration projects will us the time to do something similar.
Brian

[Peter Dunkley]

Not going to help now the ranges are closing. But we have had a lot of fun this last year with old 1870 s 12G hammerguns proofed only for the black.
We shoot home load 25gram 65mm carts at the local clay grounds.
Amazing how many dedicated competition shooters with all the modern kit want a go, and are amazed that they can hit crossers. "even if they do have to ask"" did I hit it" for the smoke.
Lots and lots of fun and brings smiles to faces, "As long as you are not down wind"
Spending some of our isolation loading up a few hundred cartridges. Managed to get to Kranks before all this nonsense.

[DesG]

Before the UK breech loading pistol ban, one of my favourite disciplines was Police Pistol 1. I wondered if anybody still shoots maybe a variation of this using a muzzle loading revolver. The only bit that would need modifying would be the 10yds stage as there aren't too many double action muzzle loading revolvers out there.
Brian

We certainly do. Timed and precision gallery rifle with bp revolver. Great fun.

[sclg]

It's all very frustrating but our last remaining range has now had to close too given the latest directives. Really unnecessary as it's outdoors, in the middle of a field a mile from the nearest habitation and we'd already restricted it to not more than 2 people at a time!

You asked what we all do....
At that club (Pipers Shooting Club - which is the one I run), we shoot c/f gallery rifle, BP pistol, LBR/LBP at 20 and 25yds. Everything is standing - no benchrest or prone. We normally have teams in the Midland leagues and individuals in the Hendon leagues. We mostly do deliberate but also some timed and rapid. (Many of the old PP1 and PP2 comps moved to gallery rifle!). We also use the Gloucester County range for c/f gallery rifle at 50yds, but currently can't do pistol there.

I also shoot monthly with Dursley RPC at the 200yd range at Severnside just the far side of the Severn Bridge. That allows more or less anything up to and over .308. Basically anything except HME firearms.

Then there's my indoor .22 club - Leonard Stanley RPC - where it's scary to think I've been a member for 40 years! It's 25yd, .22 and air weapons, prone, standing or benchrest. I'm happy to say we hope to start doing BP pistol as well soon.

Finally, there's the 3 or 4 visits to Bisley each year to see if I can still hit anything past 1000yds!

Having written all that, I'm now thoroughly depressed that I won't get to do any of it for ages

Steve

[Abasmajor]

Hello Steve,
Thanks for the response and for providing a better idea of what others get up to when at their different ranges up and down the country. I belonged to just one club for over 30 years as we had both an indoor range and a separate outdoor range set in the lovely grounds of the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex. Unfortunately, we had a rather loose agreement with the estate which meant we paid little rent, but also had little protection in the event the land was needed for some other purpose. Two years ago now the estate decided to offer corporate clay pigeon days to residents at their local hotel which spelt the end for our use of the range we had spent so much time building and maintaining. Fortunately, we still had our indoor facility to continue shooting and have updated this to allow for full bore pistol calibre rifles and nitro conversion revolvers. As I have always been a pistol shooter, I added a nitro conversion revolver to my collection in order to keep shooting until I could find a club with suitable outdoor facilities to allow use of my BP revolvers. I have since found such a club with excellent 100yd - 50yd -25yd firing points which can accommodate just about every discipline you could wish to take part in. Before the UK breech loading pistol ban, I used to love shooting PP1 as a change from precision and am thinking about getting a similar competition going for muzzle loading revolvers. One thing for sure, I will definitely appreciate my days on the range more when the present restrictions are eventually lifted.
Brian