IHMSA Match in Lincolnton, Ga 7/28/18

75Vette

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After some serious prodding I finally decided to make my first trip out to the Big Bore match in Lincolnton this past Saturday. Now, granted, it's a bit intimidating thinking about hitting a 200 meter (220 yd) target standing with a S&W 44 magnum shooting cast lead bullets but I think my worst deterrent was the drive. I just retired 5 months ago & had been driving at least an hour each way thru Atlanta traffic for 32 years and I'm SICK of driving for awhile!! :mad: But after listening to comments (from sw282) saying my truck wouldn't go past the Atl loop & my dropcord was 10 feet too short I knew I'd better suck it up make the haul. According to the trusty navigation app it said I was looking at a 2 1/2 hour drive to the Little River Gun Club in beautiful rural Jawja.
So up at 5:30 (ain't done that in awhile :D) and down the road in the F-250. A couple of hours later the trusty Google map app tells me to get off the highway and next thing I know I'm driving thru old time neighborhoods left here, right there until I come up on a huge yellow sign that says "PAVEMENT ENDS". I'm looking at a one lane gravel road thinking ***?!?! I went ahead thinking this CAN'T be long and a half hour later, one make shift wood bridge and driving thru a creek later I hit real live asphalt again. Ten more miles down the road and I pulled up to Norm's Junkyard. This is like Get Smart's entrance to the silhouette range. If you didn't know about it you'd never know it was there. I pulled on in and drove through old cars, trucks, school buses, washing machines, lawn mowers, you get the picture.

Then, out of nowhere it opened up to a beautiful field and silhouette range.


Being my first time there I was allowed as many shots on the swingers that I needed to get my red dot zeroed in on my 629-4 PowerPort. I got it as close as possible and figured it was time to dig in.
First the 50 meter chickens, 100 meter pigs, 150 meter turkeys (them gobblers are hard to hit) & then the 200 meter rams. I really didn't know going into this if I even had a chance at hitting the rams but did manage to take one on each bank. Woo hoo! Total score was only 11 but that just means a lot of room for improvement, right?

Here's sw282 shaving the tail feathers off a chicken with his 44 Magnum Hunter.

And me taking shots on the chickens.

Every two banks there's a couple of guys that take the golf cart out & reset targets. That'd be a LONG walk without those two. It makes for a great time to take a short break.

Here's a pic of the other shooters. I do believe sw282 & myself were the only ones shooting from a standing position.

Next card I picked up a few more hits, feeling better. Then, time to move back to the ram station. First bank I got positioned next to a guy shooting 41 mag with a nice Freedom Arms that was spraying me with a powder blast every shot. Ugh. Hard to concentrate with that going on so I got zero hits on that bank. Next bank, I took 2 steps back and tried again. Four ram hits in a row!! Man was I a happy camper! Addiction setting in. My second & last scorecard of the day with a very decent improvement!!

So now I'll be setting up one of those GoFundMe accounts for diesel fuel so I can keep coming back! And for the record, I DIDN'T take the same route back home!!
 
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I played that game with a passion in the mid 1980's. The founder/owner/president of IHMSA, Elgin Gates, died and it seemed the whole organization was suddenly in turmoil. We had at least a half-dozen ranges in New York at the time. Within a couple of years all the ranges were gone. Back then, every category was shot with iron sights only. I remember the NRA created their own version and scopes, etc. were allowed. But this looks like the same game I played and it appears optics are allowed now. I don't remember "JS and UAS" categories?

The highest NY score ever recorded in standing category was 34x40. Revolver International class was won at the state championships with scores in the 56-58 out of 60 range. Unlimited was usually won with a perfect 60x60. Fond memories.

Four rams in a row while standing had to be thrill. Good shooting.
 
Thanks! Sometimes I manage to amaze myself! I'm still getting my feet wet but settling in somewhat. I am glad they started allowing optics or I'd be having a rough time. I was using a Burris FFIII with no magnification bit it works wonders for me.
 
A lot of people had to drop out as they got older and couldn't shoot with iron sights anymore. Allowing scopes revitalized it somewhat, as many could put a scope on a gun they already had and start shooting again.
The US category is Unlimited Standing and UAS is Unlimited Any Sight.
 
How fitting that another N frame lover drives an F-250 diesel. About a year ago I gave mine a break from driving every day though.

I never actually gave 200 meter silhouette a try. Our local club has a 100 meter range with 1/2 scale targets that I shoot quite frequently. Those 75 yard turkeys are tough too. I would love to try a competition.
 
I played that game with a passion in the mid 1980's. The founder/owner/president of IHMSA, Elgin Gates, died and it seemed the whole organization was suddenly in turmoil. We had at least a half-dozen ranges in New York at the time. Within a couple of years all the ranges were gone...

I think this must have happened all across the country. At least it seems like that was the case here in Indiana. Even before Mr. Gates left the range so suddenly it seemed there was always a palace rebellion of one sort or another waiting in the wings. I found that unattractive as I liked Gates and thought he did a good job with IHMSA. Along about that time I recall talking with a visiting shooter from a couple of states away. When I mentioned that I was satisfied with things as they were and saw no need for all the rules-related controversies, he told me, with a wry smile, “You’re just not enough of an intriguer!” I guess I had not understood that intrigue was considered an aid in the pursuit of marksmanship. ;)

My best score was a 28, fired standing with a 6-1/2” Model 29 at the old Indiana Gun Club. Shortly after that, Mr. Gates was gone, the “intrigue” took over the organization, and I never shot again - though I might yet give it another whirl. Apologies to the OP if I have drifted too far afield with my “recollections.”
 
Great write up and photos, 75Vette! I reckon sw282 took some of the pictures.

Maybe I will make the trek out that way again before long, but until Lisa finds a combo that will take Rams without beating her up too badly, we will likely concentrate on the 100 yd game.
 
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Yep great report, thanks for sharing. I can’t imagine myself hitting anything at 200 m standing with a revolver.
 
Great report! Geez 200 meters!! I’m working on getting my PP zeroed @25.
 
I shared this story with family & friends & the first question was "Were you shooting a rifle?". It was very satisfying and seeing the rams fall moments after pulling the trigger, THEN hearing the ring of the steel is something to experience!
 
And just when you think you're zeroed in at 100 yds you find you're hitting to the right by a foot at 200 meters. :confused:

I don't know if that's a "real thing" or if we all just cant our revolvers a bit (both RH and LH shooters!) but "Right Bullet Drift" is pretty common to we S&W shooters at long distances. My usual technique is to zero windage on Turkeys (either at 75yds or 150m) and hold just a tad left on Rams. Being longish targets, it seems to work tolerably well. The Chickens may sometimes need a little right compensation.

Even the fast stepping, low recoil .223s seem to benefit from just a smidge of windage compensation, but much less than the high arc having .44 bullets.
 
Great report! Geez 200 meters!! I’m working on getting my PP zeroed @25.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/773890917


kwesi--You might do better shooting your Magnum Hunter. The

one you bought before the PwrPort. l know its a bit heavier, but

they shoot GREAT... Mine has 13 THOUSAND rds thru it... l prefer

its 8moa dot over the 3moa ff3 dot on Vette's PP...

Try them both ''side by side'''. 0ne after another. Same ammo.

Same target. Same Day. ''Same TIME, Same Station''
 
I don't know if that's a "real thing" or if we all just cant our revolvers a bit (both RH and LH shooters!) but "Right Bullet Drift" is pretty common to we S&W shooters at long distances. My usual technique is to zero windage on Turkeys (either at 75yds or 150m) and hold just a tad left on Rams. Being longish targets, it seems to work tolerably well. The Chickens may sometimes need a little right compensation.

Even the fast stepping, low recoil .223s seem to benefit from just a smidge of windage compensation, but much less than the high arc having .44 bullets.

I noticed when shooting sighters that the turkeys & rams were veering right just a hair but thought it might have been me being off but was consistently right when I got out to turkeys & rams when shooting for score. When I got to to the rams on my second card I adjusted the windage 1 click & that seemed to do the trick. I'm going to leave the windage setting for now and see if it affects my shots this coming Sat in Gainesville.
 
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