Our range is across Momma's pasture. Lots of shots are fired there over the year and most people who live in the country have access to a range like this. Here's a view downrange.
From near to far, we have the hood of the pickup truck with a rifle and a Kelly-Tappin machine rest. That rest is little more than a piece of carpet padding, rolled into a roll and tied with string. It allows for a fairly good rest over the hood of the pickup. Next we have the chrony, which I use to evaluate handloads. Every serious hobbyist needs a chronograph. They're fairly inexpensive and easy to use.
Way downrange at the base of a huge pine tree is the target. That's a measured 100 yards, which is the standard for sighting a rifle. The tree is directly behind the target to catch stray bullets. Behind that is a pine thicket that Dad planted in the years before he died.
Here's a shot of my eldest son using the pickup benchrest to shoot the .45-70 Handi. He did pretty well, too, scoring a 50-1X with five shots on a reduced SR-1 target. That .45-70 has a firesight front and a Williams peep rear. With my own cast bullets, primers at 3 cents each, and two cents worth of surplus powder, my handloads cost me about 5 cents apiece. That's cheap shooting in a seriously powerful caliber.
This hobby doesn't have to be expensive.
My freind shoots over his hood and lost a big chunk of paint from the muzzle blasts.
ReplyDeleteWould you consider doing a post on reloading for .45-70. I have a Marlin 1885, am a big fan of the caliber, and have been considering reloading for it.
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farmist, get thyself a Lee "whack it" Loader. It's all you need unless you shoot many rounds per session. I load two different 45-70 cast bullets, and I use two different Lee "whack it" Loaders. Don't have to readjust the seating die that way.
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