at the range today

[powerboatr]

Our range/club is out in the "boonies" at the end of a dead end road
our normal routine is my wife goes with me and we have a great time.

today i went by myself to run a few through the ar10.

i get there and like normal on a week day there is NOBODY there. we have a security gate that takes a code to open so generally only members come in
i texted my wife to let her know i was there.

i unload the truck and lay out my rifle, pelican case and stuff on tables behind the firing line concrete tables.
i grab a target and proceed to walk the 125 or so yards to the line and staple a dirty bird up. then walk back up to half point and hang another so i have a reference. i have not shot this rifle in over 8 months

so i get set up using the bench. takes me forever to get settled in. the drop from the table is right at 12 feet to the 125 yard marker so you are really laying in the down barrel. I am tall so the adjustable screw seat is bottomed out and i am still crouching a bit to get a good position and control
ran 50 rounds at five at a time and did OK, 75 yard mark took a few to bring back to center and i had a heck of time keeping the barrel from jumping up.
I normally shoot prone and do quite well, sitting is a NON normal for me so ...i need lots of practice

twice i walked to the 125 yard marker to look and stretch the legs. but one time i thought, HEY dummy ..your 125 yards from your gear, and your back is to the firing line.
if i was to have an accident or an errant rattle snake run by i could be screwed. phone was in truck, truck was locked with key in the console.

after the last walk i got my phone and key
spent almost 2 hrs and no body ever came to the range. felt really weird ...but our area is deceptively safe feeling. plus you would never hear anyone drive in as the gate is 100 feet or so from the firing line. one could easily be shooting and never know anyone else is even close

[Tex1961]

Not quite as remote and usually at least one other member there, but close to the same at the outdoor range I go to. I always keep my EDC loaded though. You just never know.

[TxRVer]

I just have to ask, how do you get into a locked truck when the key is in the console?

[oohrah]

I always drive to the 100 yd and 200 yd target lines. my knees can't take that kind of walking anymore.

[powerboatr]

I just have to ask, how do you get into a locked truck when the key is in the console?

key pad on door
i used forscan to set computer to allow me to lock keys in truck without it popping the locks open and i can walk away with truck running and lock doors without the chirp or horn honk
truck just idles or ramps up on demand.
its nice when you want to run into store and not have t shut off or leave it running with key fob inside

very convenient

[The Annoyed Man]

I used to have a similar problem at an outdoor range on BLM land I used to shoot at back in California. I just kept my car keys in my pocket, and I would just bring my slung rifle with a full magazine and a few extra rounds of ammo in my pocket out to the target stand.

I never had any problems. Occasionally, someone would drive right past my shooting position, headed for another while I was out at my target stand, but nobody ever gave me any trouble. I was fortunate, but I do understand the concern.

[TxRVer]

I just have to ask, how do you get into a locked truck when the key is in the console?

key pad on door
i used forscan to set computer to allow me to lock keys in truck without it popping the locks open and i can walk away with truck running and lock doors without the chirp or horn honk
truck just idles or ramps up on demand.
its nice when you want to run into store and not have t shut off or leave it running with key fob inside

very convenient

Thanks for 'splainin'.

[howdy]

My Ford F-250 has the push button entry also. I leave the keys in the truck every now and then because that wad of keys hurts my manly physique. I own some property in Burleson County and go up there several times a year. It is just raw land but I enjoy playing Davy Crockett and walking around in the woods. I have a Honda UTV side by side that I drive around when I get lazy. Two times in the past I have been going down the road on the property and come across people trespassing. Both times they were armed. I always have my EDC and I always have a rifle and a shotgun on the UTV. The rifle for hogs and the shotgun for copperheads. It is a very tense few moments as we face off. Both times they were apologetic and left the property. I have game cameras that show trespassers. I give those pictures to the Game Warden.

[powerboatr]

My Ford F-250 has the push button entry also. I leave the keys in the truck every now and then because that wad of keys hurts my manly physique. I own some property in Burleson County and go up there several times a year. It is just raw land but I enjoy playing Davy Crockett and walking around in the woods. I have a Honda UTV side by side that I drive around when I get lazy. Two times in the past I have been going down the road on the property and come across people trespassing. Both times they were armed. I always have my EDC and I always have a rifle and a shotgun on the UTV. The rifle for hogs and the shotgun for copperheads. It is a very tense few moments as we face off. Both times they were apologetic and left the property. I have game cameras that show trespassers. I give those pictures to the Game Warden.

i use svelte
on the hog lease we never ever walked around without at least a sidearm. those timber rattlers will flat give you pause, especially the ones that fall out of trees. i have a pic of a black snake (large bullwhip) hanging on the branch just above the gate latch. i about pooped my pants when i saw him after my wife was waving her arms wildly from inside the truck . i never saw it until she got my attention. sun was in my eyes. he said HI
not to mention the folks popping up that were not invited.
we had a few trespassers that cut the solar charge wires on the feeder , left bags of beer cans and trash. property owner didnt care and never did anything so we let it go.

[The Annoyed Man]

My Ford F-250 has the push button entry also. I leave the keys in the truck every now and then because that wad of keys hurts my manly physique. I own some property in Burleson County and go up there several times a year. It is just raw land but I enjoy playing Davy Crockett and walking around in the woods. I have a Honda UTV side by side that I drive around when I get lazy. Two times in the past I have been going down the road on the property and come across people trespassing. Both times they were armed. I always have my EDC and I always have a rifle and a shotgun on the UTV. The rifle for hogs and the shotgun for copperheads. It is a very tense few moments as we face off. Both times they were apologetic and left the property. I have game cameras that show trespassers. I give those pictures to the Game Warden.

i use svelte
on the hog lease we never ever walked around without at least a sidearm. those timber rattlers will flat give you pause, especially the ones that fall out of trees. i have a pic of a black snake (large bullwhip) hanging on the branch just above the gate latch. i about pooped my pants when i saw him after my wife was waving her arms wildly from inside the truck . i never saw it until she got my attention. sun was in my eyes. he said HI
not to mention the folks popping up that were not invited.
we had a few trespassers that cut the solar charge wires on the feeder , left bags of beer cans and trash. property owner didnt care and never did anything so we let it go.

You’re supposed to shoot the nope noodles with a gun, not a camera!

[powerboatr]

My Ford F-250 has the push button entry also. I leave the keys in the truck every now and then because that wad of keys hurts my manly physique. I own some property in Burleson County and go up there several times a year. It is just raw land but I enjoy playing Davy Crockett and walking around in the woods. I have a Honda UTV side by side that I drive around when I get lazy. Two times in the past I have been going down the road on the property and come across people trespassing. Both times they were armed. I always have my EDC and I always have a rifle and a shotgun on the UTV. The rifle for hogs and the shotgun for copperheads. It is a very tense few moments as we face off. Both times they were apologetic and left the property. I have game cameras that show trespassers. I give those pictures to the Game Warden.

i use svelte
on the hog lease we never ever walked around without at least a sidearm. those timber rattlers will flat give you pause, especially the ones that fall out of trees. i have a pic of a black snake (large bullwhip) hanging on the branch just above the gate latch. i about pooped my pants when i saw him after my wife was waving her arms wildly from inside the truck . i never saw it until she got my attention. sun was in my eyes. he said HI
not to mention the folks popping up that were not invited.
we had a few trespassers that cut the solar charge wires on the feeder , left bags of beer cans and trash. property owner didnt care and never did anything so we let it go.

You’re supposed to shoot the nope noodles with a gun, not a camera!

i think that bullwhip liked that spot, we saw him there a few more times, in the trees there. must have been the way the sun came through the trees to warm him up. if you look close he is smiling

[Weldonjr2001]

Similar situation here. Private range, code changed annually for the automatic gate, mostly nobody but me there on weekdays, but I still keep my carry loaded and ready. If I feel like shooting a few rounds from it, I always clean and reload one of the other firearms I brought along.
The range is in a wooded area near a lake. Just never know who could gain entry to the range from any side, through the woods. The only real fence is on the road where the entry gate is. The rest of the range is surrounded by various poorly maintained fences on adjacent forested property.
The only time I’ve had to fire a shot in “anger” at my range was when a large flock of, I think domesticated from a neighboring property, turkeys decided to approach me rather aggressively, I guess expecting food. When the lead Tom was only a few feet from me, and still coming, I unloaded a .357 mag round into the ground. It definitely made them change course. I had recently been pecked on the back of my leg by a goose, and I was not letting any more big birds get close.
I have a video of the incident, but don’t know how to post it.

[RPBrown]

You’re supposed to shoot the nope noodles with a gun, not a camera!

I havent heard the term "Nope Noodles" since I was a youngster a long time ago. Thanks for the memories

[03Lightningrocks]

Many, many years ago I was shooting at Quail Creek on a weekday. Only person there. By myself at range line so pretty much did as I pleased with target replacement and such. They had a rule, even way back then, that one does not approach the bench while folks were setting up targets. Couple of guys come in and start setting up all their rifles and gear while I was down range of them putting up targets. It kind of ticked me off. Even without a "rule" it is pretty darned stupid to be setting up rifles while a person is down range from your barrels. You would think they would have the smarts to see me setting targets and to follow suite. Nope, the idiots spent time setting up their rifles and then decided to do their targets after I got back to the firing line. That kind of stuff use to happen out there all the time. I bet that was 30 years ago now.

That place has been there forever. I was going there when I was 22-23 and am 61 now. I know it had been there for several years before I started hitting it. I have not been back in at least 15 years now. Many changes over the years.