Plant.One
Well-known member
i took the plunge and joined Howell Gun Club this fall.
They have a big project going for 2023 of opening a new 500 yard target berm on the property among some other improvements including Tactical rifle action bays (2024 project to finish the tac rifle bays, but they moved all the dirt for them at the same time they did the 500 yd berms).
Previously their longest rifle berm was at 300 yards.
I've spent several of my Saturdays this fall out there with other members helping finalize the 500 yd range project including putting up the target holder wall down range and getting the safety baffles up near the shoot house finalized.
For reference the little itty bitty white square way down range @ 500 yds is roughly 48x48" and the closer targets are 100, 200 & 300yds respectively. they're also 48x48 backer boards - just for scale.
The white boards hanging from the i-beams are there just to simulate the eventual safety baffles that will hang from them (pics down below)
This photo is before the steel safety baffles were hung.
The club president decided to surprise those of us who came out to help today with an option of doing our certification to use this particular range, which is a club requirement and the only place on the property that you have to go through a supervised certification process to utilize.
Thankfully I was doing some last minute deer season zero checking beforehand so I had my 6.5 Creedmoor RPR with me and was able to take advantage of it and get in early on the certification instead of having to wait for the normal classes to resume.
Even without chronograph data and only my quick-bags I had no trouble clearing the hundred yard certification.
however - I was really struggling at 300 for some reason. Which is the second step in the certification test. I didn't fail out by any definition - you can shoot about a 4 MOA group to pass - but I definitely wasn't performing to my capabilities or what I thought the custom handload I was using was capable of - at least based on its initial 100 yd testing anyway.
It was probably close to a 5-6" group, so at this point i was *really* second guessing this load as i was only in the early stages of proving it out. i dont even wanna post that target lol. its just awful.
So even though I was frustrated I was cleared to try out at 500 yards, dialed my scope up and asked for a spotter to watch and let me know what was happening. Next thing i know - I ended up shooting the best group out of any of the five Shooters who certified today - even after shooting the most abysmal 300 yard group of the bunch. Two guys literally shot one hole groups at the 100 yd targets.
Group approx 1.575" center to center or 0.301 MOA. (Squares are 1" grid)
6.5 Creedmore - 140 ELD-M @ 2.800" - 42.7 gr 6.5 StaBall - Rem 9½ - Starline brass
As a bonus for our success, everyone who certified got to smack some paint off the new 12" gongs that also got hung today down at the 500yd berm.
They will be adding more steel (12x18 ISPC @ 500, as well as others at 400, 300 and possibly even @ 200)
additionally - the club will have the 300 and 500 yd berms setup for the Shotmarker Digital Targeting system (coming soon - gotta get the electronics mounted) and be buying a LabRadar Chronograph that will also be useable by any members who are certified on the 500 yd range and after taking a training class & certifying on both ShotMarker and the LabRadar anyway.
All in all a wonderful fall afternoon at the range, and I'm ready to go put a 140gr creedmore pill thru a deer this season!
They have a big project going for 2023 of opening a new 500 yard target berm on the property among some other improvements including Tactical rifle action bays (2024 project to finish the tac rifle bays, but they moved all the dirt for them at the same time they did the 500 yd berms).
Previously their longest rifle berm was at 300 yards.
I've spent several of my Saturdays this fall out there with other members helping finalize the 500 yd range project including putting up the target holder wall down range and getting the safety baffles up near the shoot house finalized.
For reference the little itty bitty white square way down range @ 500 yds is roughly 48x48" and the closer targets are 100, 200 & 300yds respectively. they're also 48x48 backer boards - just for scale.
The white boards hanging from the i-beams are there just to simulate the eventual safety baffles that will hang from them (pics down below)
This photo is before the steel safety baffles were hung.
The club president decided to surprise those of us who came out to help today with an option of doing our certification to use this particular range, which is a club requirement and the only place on the property that you have to go through a supervised certification process to utilize.
Thankfully I was doing some last minute deer season zero checking beforehand so I had my 6.5 Creedmoor RPR with me and was able to take advantage of it and get in early on the certification instead of having to wait for the normal classes to resume.
Even without chronograph data and only my quick-bags I had no trouble clearing the hundred yard certification.
however - I was really struggling at 300 for some reason. Which is the second step in the certification test. I didn't fail out by any definition - you can shoot about a 4 MOA group to pass - but I definitely wasn't performing to my capabilities or what I thought the custom handload I was using was capable of - at least based on its initial 100 yd testing anyway.
It was probably close to a 5-6" group, so at this point i was *really* second guessing this load as i was only in the early stages of proving it out. i dont even wanna post that target lol. its just awful.
So even though I was frustrated I was cleared to try out at 500 yards, dialed my scope up and asked for a spotter to watch and let me know what was happening. Next thing i know - I ended up shooting the best group out of any of the five Shooters who certified today - even after shooting the most abysmal 300 yard group of the bunch. Two guys literally shot one hole groups at the 100 yd targets.
Group approx 1.575" center to center or 0.301 MOA. (Squares are 1" grid)
6.5 Creedmore - 140 ELD-M @ 2.800" - 42.7 gr 6.5 StaBall - Rem 9½ - Starline brass
As a bonus for our success, everyone who certified got to smack some paint off the new 12" gongs that also got hung today down at the 500yd berm.
They will be adding more steel (12x18 ISPC @ 500, as well as others at 400, 300 and possibly even @ 200)
additionally - the club will have the 300 and 500 yd berms setup for the Shotmarker Digital Targeting system (coming soon - gotta get the electronics mounted) and be buying a LabRadar Chronograph that will also be useable by any members who are certified on the 500 yd range and after taking a training class & certifying on both ShotMarker and the LabRadar anyway.
All in all a wonderful fall afternoon at the range, and I'm ready to go put a 140gr creedmore pill thru a deer this season!