Yes, not only did I go paper target hunting this weekend, I remembered to take some pictures while there.
The Analog Step-Dad and I went on down to the City of Olympia Firing Range, a not-very-well-known locale for target practice. I’ll tell you more about it in a moment. First, let’s get into the pics.
There are just a couple because I don’t go to the range to play photjournalist, I go to shoot. But during the times I stop to grab a drink of H2O, I make sure to grab the camera. I took more than this, but my photog skills suck, so anyway…..
Here is the Analog Step-Dad helping me warm up the barrel of my latest aquisition, the Ruger MKII-10
(all pics are click for bigger)
The barrel reaches out into the darkness and is hard to see, but once you get a decent grip on it, the balance on the thing isn’t as bad as one would think. There is also nearly zero recoil due to the weight.
Next up, the ASD lighting off his Ruger.357 Security Six at the bullseyes downrange.
The Security Six may be a .357 Magnum, but Ruger built the thing so tough and heavy that, even with full strength loads, the rise from recoil isn’t bad at all, with what you see in the pic being about it.
And last, but not least, not wanting to be outdone by my shot of his recoiling .357, the ASD got me shooting the MKII-10 with the chamber just closing, a little burned powder escaping and the ejected brass only about five inches from my right hand.
Notice the zero to no recoil. Do not notice that I am in desperate need of a haircut or that I’m too damn tall for the shooting lanes at the Oly range. I had to either stand back behind the cable motor or to the side of it or else I’d move my target by bumping the switch forward. In either position, the person to my right gets at least 50% of my ejected brass rained down atop them; something we’ll remember for the next time we go there.
While there we shot not only the pistols shown above, but also at least two of my 1911’s, my CZ-83 and his Colt Pocket Model in 25ACP (which was surprisingly accurate). I also shot my targets for Mr. Completely’s Pistol e-Postal. I have pictures of them as well, but they’re so pitiful, I’d rather just wait until the results come out to be embarrased. I tried talking the ASD into entering, but he was having to much fun to worry about a score.
The Oly range is the one I said that had some weird rules. It is really only one and it is this: Before you can enter the range, you have to watch a safety video that runs between 45-60 minutes in length and pass a 30 multiple choice question test. It is by no means the most difficult thing to do, in fact, I daydreamed through the video and then aced the test, but for first timers to the range, it can be a bit annoying.
After you watch the video and pass the test however, you get a card good for life that gets you onto the range with just the $10 range fee. Passing the test also means that the rangemaster is not standing over your shoulder the whole time you’re at the range, which is good because I find that annoying and bad as there are some folks who can pass a test and still hurt themselves or myself with their lack of safety skills, though I have yet to meet one there.
The range itself is owned and operated by the City of Olympia and during the week days is used exclusively by the Oly PD. On the weekends it is open to the public in the afternoons after the aforementioned one-time passing of the video and test and a $10 fee. From what I know of the Olympia area, it is the only local indoor range. There are others north of there in Tacoma and south in Chehalis/Centralia, but this place is a five minute drive from the Analog Parent’s house, so why bother with a 30-45 minute drive on the interstate?
I don’t have the addy or hours on the place in front of me right now, so if you want more info on this place, leave a comment or send an email.