Good Day at the Range!

azredhawk44 · March 20, 2006, 12:34 PM

Anyone have days like this?

You go to the range, take out two of your favorite pistols, and shoot well with them. You're making ragged little holes and grinning like an idiot.

You go to collect your brass each time after shooting 2 mags, and you find all of it, or at least 95% of it.

Then you find out that both guys on the line next to you are shooting the same calibers, and don't reload. You ask them if you can keep their brass, and they say sure.

You end up shooting excellently, and coming home with 200 more pieces of .45acp and 44mag brass than you began the day with!

Thank you, all you non-reloaders!

To keep this post on-topic (reloading): I don't think I will ever use a Rainier bullet again in my 44magnum loads. Their 240gr JHP bullet is cr@p. For comparison, I shot it against factory Remington 180gr JSP, factory Federal 300gr hard cast, handloaded Redline 240gr LSWC, and hand loaded Sierra 300gr JSP. Group size with the Rainier's was over 6" at 25 feet while the others kept within 2". I've been wasting so much time trying to find an accurate load for those damn things, but nothing is except about 6gr of Unique or Titegroup putzing along at about 700fps. I'll keep them for my 44special loads, but they pretty much suck.

Same brand bullets but .45acp JHP 230gr work EXCELLENTLY. One ragged hole in mid-to-high level charges of Unique and Titegroup.

Good shooting to all, and thank you to all non-reloaders!

Smokey Joe · March 20, 2006, 01:50 PM

Azredhawk44--Yeah, I too regard non-reloaders at the range as people who throw nickels and dimes around for me to pick up.

Free range brass is great! (Even better than free range chicken!)

Poodleshooter · March 20, 2006, 03:57 PM

My favorite contributors are the local police tactical teams. I've gotten free Federal Gold Medal Match .308 brass from them,as well as Remington UMC .223 brass.
Free .44 Mag is a good score. I seldom find .44 or 7mm Remington magnum brass around my range,so those are the two calibers I'm most "brass starved" for. I'm lucky to find 2 or 3 pieces at a time.

azredhawk44 · March 20, 2006, 04:29 PM

I was out in the desert a few weeks ago and somebody out there was a complete dumb@ss...

I must have walked away with 200 .38special brass, 100 .357magnum brass, 100 .30-30 brass, 50 .30-06 and 50 .30carbine along with other strays like 45acp.

I don't even own a .30-06 (yet) or a .30carbine (yet) but I picked them up anyways. I have 7mm RemMag, .300WinMag and several other calibers that I have picked brass up for in calibers that I might end up getting a rifle.

This was all pretty, nice and shiney and obviously fresh from WalMart brass.

Darn shame, but I'll give it all a good home.

JDG · March 20, 2006, 04:45 PM

I love them kinda days!!

azredhawk44 · March 21, 2006, 11:35 AM

Went to the range again last night with the Glock21 and about 150 rounds of 45acp.

Only came home with maybe 120 pieces.

Our gun club has a very distinct and clear policy on range-pickup brass. When you check in, you get a badge with a lane # on it. When you get to your lane, if you hang the badge off the side of your lane on a little hook there, it signal the RO's that you want to keep your brass, so please don't sweep it away (since it's kinda loud in there

).

I did that, but the butt munchkin still swept a bunch of my brass away.

I guess I'm still well ahead of the curve all-in-all, but it kinda sucked to only get about 75% of my brass when last time I got 200% of my brass.

azredhawk44 · March 21, 2006, 11:41 AM

On a positive note, however: that range session was very good. Controlled 2+1 was dead-nuts-on COM and about 80% center-of-head. This was 25 feet. One big ragged hole in the chest of the targets. Head had a little ragged hole and a swiss cheese effect to the rest of it.

At 25 YARDS, I did some slow fire and kept 8 shots inside of a softball sized circle. Yes, eight shots (not 10 or 13). I just ended up with that many left in the box after shooting full mags at paper BG's.

I'd rather shoot well and lose brass than shoot poorly and keep it all. But mostly I'd rather come home with twice the brass that I showed up with, all while ripping ragged little holes in paper with no stray shots.

caz223 · March 21, 2006, 11:48 AM

Even a bad day at the range is still better than a good day at work!!

March 20, 2006, 12:34 PM	#1
azredhawk44 Junior member Join Date: September 28, 2005 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 6,465	Good Day at the Range! Anyone have days like this? You go to the range, take out two of your favorite pistols, and shoot well with them. You're making ragged little holes and grinning like an idiot. You go to collect your brass each time after shooting 2 mags, and you find all of it, or at least 95% of it. Then you find out that both guys on the line next to you are shooting the same calibers, and don't reload. You ask them if you can keep their brass, and they say sure. You end up shooting excellently, and coming home with 200 more pieces of .45acp and 44mag brass than you began the day with! Thank you, all you non-reloaders! To keep this post on-topic (reloading): I don't think I will ever use a Rainier bullet again in my 44magnum loads. Their 240gr JHP bullet is cr@p. For comparison, I shot it against factory Remington 180gr JSP, factory Federal 300gr hard cast, handloaded Redline 240gr LSWC, and hand loaded Sierra 300gr JSP. Group size with the Rainier's was over 6" at 25 feet while the others kept within 2". I've been wasting so much time trying to find an accurate load for those damn things, but nothing is except about 6gr of Unique or Titegroup putzing along at about 700fps. I'll keep them for my 44special loads, but they pretty much suck. Same brand bullets but .45acp JHP 230gr work EXCELLENTLY. One ragged hole in mid-to-high level charges of Unique and Titegroup. Good shooting to all, and thank you to all non-reloaders!

March 20, 2006, 01:50 PM	#2
Smokey Joe Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2001 Location: State of Confusion Posts: 2,106	Free range pickups Azredhawk44--Yeah, I too regard non-reloaders at the range as people who throw nickels and dimes around for me to pick up. Free range brass is great! (Even better than free range chicken!) __________________ God Bless America --Smokey Joe

March 21, 2006, 11:48 AM	#8
caz223 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,429	Even a bad day at the range is still better than a good day at work!! __________________ I'm not just a gun. I'm YOUR gun. (Hold me.)

March 20, 2006, 03:57 PM	#3
Poodleshooter Senior Member Join Date: August 7, 2000 Location: Floating down the James River in VA Posts: 2,599	My favorite contributors are the local police tactical teams. I've gotten free Federal Gold Medal Match .308 brass from them,as well as Remington UMC .223 brass. Free .44 Mag is a good score. I seldom find .44 or 7mm Remington magnum brass around my range,so those are the two calibers I'm most "brass starved" for. I'm lucky to find 2 or 3 pieces at a time.

March 20, 2006, 04:29 PM	#4
azredhawk44 Junior member Join Date: September 28, 2005 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 6,465	I was out in the desert a few weeks ago and somebody out there was a complete dumb@ss... I must have walked away with 200 .38special brass, 100 .357magnum brass, 100 .30-30 brass, 50 .30-06 and 50 .30carbine along with other strays like 45acp. I don't even own a .30-06 (yet) or a .30carbine (yet) but I picked them up anyways. I have 7mm RemMag, .300WinMag and several other calibers that I have picked brass up for in calibers that I might end up getting a rifle. This was all pretty, nice and shiney and obviously fresh from WalMart brass. Darn shame, but I'll give it all a good home.

March 20, 2006, 04:45 PM	#5
JDG Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: West Michigan Posts: 673	I love them kinda days!!

March 21, 2006, 11:35 AM	#6
azredhawk44 Junior member Join Date: September 28, 2005 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 6,465	Went to the range again last night with the Glock21 and about 150 rounds of 45acp. Only came home with maybe 120 pieces. Our gun club has a very distinct and clear policy on range-pickup brass. When you check in, you get a badge with a lane # on it. When you get to your lane, if you hang the badge off the side of your lane on a little hook there, it signal the RO's that you want to keep your brass, so please don't sweep it away (since it's kinda loud in there ). I did that, but the butt munchkin still swept a bunch of my brass away. I guess I'm still well ahead of the curve all-in-all, but it kinda sucked to only get about 75% of my brass when last time I got 200% of my brass.

March 21, 2006, 11:41 AM	#7
azredhawk44 Junior member Join Date: September 28, 2005 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 6,465	On a positive note, however: that range session was very good. Controlled 2+1 was dead-nuts-on COM and about 80% center-of-head. This was 25 feet. One big ragged hole in the chest of the targets. Head had a little ragged hole and a swiss cheese effect to the rest of it. At 25 YARDS, I did some slow fire and kept 8 shots inside of a softball sized circle. Yes, eight shots (not 10 or 13). I just ended up with that many left in the box after shooting full mags at paper BG's. I'd rather shoot well and lose brass than shoot poorly and keep it all. But mostly I'd rather come home with twice the brass that I showed up with, all while ripping ragged little holes in paper with no stray shots.