Range Renovation

[Candle Snuffer]

Here is a picture of where we held our monthly muzzle loading shoots before we did a little renovation this past week.


This area now looks like this.  The post sticking out of the ground down range is called "Gong Alley" obviously where we hang gongs to shoot at with our smokepole's.

We got rid of the divider berm and tree as both served no real purpose.  The tree has had many branches break off in high winds, and the divider berm was not tall enough to be effective and to make it tall enough would have required loosing more range space.

Here is a picture of the line (lower bench is used for our loading station.  The concrete shooting benches can be see at the top of the picture.  We've never used the concrete shooting benches in one of our matches, but we're thinking about it.



Our club house.

[Candle Snuffer]

Here is a view from behind the shooting benches.


And this is another range we use for 25 & 50 Yard shooting.

[xring2245]

Where is your club?  What is the name of it?

James

[Candle Snuffer]

We are located at the old golf course outside Crawford, Nebraska. 

The club's official name is; Northwest Nebraska Shooter's Association, with a sub title of "Home of the White River Brigade" which represents the traditional muzzle loading division of our club.  In reality, we muzzle loading folks are the only ones to have held monthly shooting matches for the past 10 - 12 years.  This year we started holding monthly .22 Rimfire rifle matches but it isn't all that popular as yet.  Our muzzle loading group basically has the range to ourself most of the time until hunting season starts and folks zero their rifle's.  So by that time we're done with our muzzle loading schedule as we go a huntin' as well...

[Harnic]

Looks like a fine setup!  Pretty country too! Thanks for the pictures. 

[Candle Snuffer]

Thanks Harry.

We are fortunate that the Rail Road helps us out with these renovations as they bring in some heavy equipment to do the dirt work.

I'm told that our Club House is an old WWII Shower House from the POW Camp that was located a few miles west of us at Fort Robinson.  After the war many of those buildings were moved to town (sold off as surplus) and some how we ended up with this one.

The POW camp is long gone, however my son and I have found many old foundations (besides those located and marked by the State Historical Society) where buildings and compounds were located at that site.  An interesting area with lots of history.    

[Daryl]

Looks like, with some heavy equipment, ie: a big cat, some yardage could be added. Nice location, windy?

[Roger Fisher]

Wellnow, you boys have plenty of room for sure.  That 'castle' on the mount , is that one of King Louis' or is it a natural butte? 

Re:  .22 matches we have a club locally that holds .22 bench and offhand matches and it has taken off (hasn't affected me though)  I am noticing that those matches end up being an equipment race - Bigger scopes, bigger rifles etc.  Hope it lasts.. Good for the bottom line.  Suggest you do not mix the suppository rifle matches with the ML though.  Hold them different dates.

Suggest also that you consider throwing in some 75or 100 or 150 yd bench ML matches.  Reason::: As we grow older the offhand game gets tooo tough for the ol boys to hold their own  (we have two shooters on canes to get around) Bench matches would appeal to them or might!

Maybe some basic roof coverings over the loading tables and out to the firing line would help your turnout on a drizzly day....


Thanks for the photos.  Always good to see other clubs 'thinking' as to how they set up.

[Candle Snuffer]

Looks like, with some heavy equipment, ie: a big cat, some yardage could be added. Nice location, windy?

This year has been more windy then in the past, Daryl.  We're maxed out on distance as our 30 foot high backstop berm is 6 feet away from Nebraska Game & Parks fence line.  Truth be known, we probably have more range then needed for our little group, but the space is nice.

Roger, we're thinking of adding a bench shoot(or two) next year.  The butte's do lend a nice touch to our setting out here.  They are part of the Pine Ridge that runs quite a ways.  Most folks think Nebraska is flat and full of corn, but we got bumps and cattle out here in the northwest part.   It would be nice to have a covered firing line.  Maybe someday it'll happen.