This afternoon’s project

[MartynB]

The gongs were on special offer from Tom’s Targets on eBay , under £4 each , the chain and shackles from Tool Station £20 ( and enough left to do more ) , and the electric fence stakes £1.20 each .  The gongs are Hardox 500 steel  ,  75 mm diameter ( plus ears ) x 10mm thick . They are impressive in that a .22 rf  , probably the most ricochet prone bullet there is , just vaporises with a square on hit .  The target holder set has a couple of bulldog clips each side , so is very flexible on target size . A quids worth of ribbon was enough to put a wind indicator on every set . Self tappers from my toolbox ... job sorted . 

I phoned 101 to let the Boys in Blue know that I was going out  to play and then had a pleasant couple of hours out early evening 

 

[El Spavo]

Hope that's not the entry hole to the left of every target on that paper otherwise, despite the consistency, you deffo need to adjust your sights!

 

[MartynB]

Nope , if you zoom the picture you’ll see the numbers 1 to 5 .  Just there so I can make notes      like target 1 , Eley 38gn subsonic , 75 yards etc .  I certainly wouldn’t shoot in the back garden where I’d just assembled that lot . I had to drive 300 yards to shoot 

 

[Luke_(NL)]

Awesome. Green with envy 

Fun to read how that works where you are. There is no way that our boys in blue would be happy for someone with a rifle to just enjoy himself outside of a registered range (or hunt), whether or not anyone rang them up. That would make for an ehm, interesting sequence of events.

Alas, I don't have acres at my disposal either way. My rifle club is unlikely to get a green light until September. I have no idea why a shooting club would pose more of a risk than a public swimming pool, but that's government logic here... You enjoy yourself and fire some off for those who cannot. 

 

[MartynB]

Our laws are quite strange . I can’t use my rifles to shoot at a club for competitions. If I wish to do so I must join a club , go through a probation period and use only their rifles for the probation period  .  But if the club offers range rental I can zero a rifle there or practice . The conditions on my certificate for rifles says  “ The Firearms and ammunition shall be used for shooting vermin , fox , and any other lawful quarry suitable for that calibre and for zeroing - practice on ranges , on land deemed suitable etc” 

So I can practice on a rifle range , zero and practice on the farm , and shoot what animals my calibres are legally suited for .  Conversely someone who had only approval for use at a target club , would be in serious trouble using the gun for live quarry . To get a license for live quarry you have to show you have good reason , for example written permission to shoot on a farm . You can’t just say I’m going to try to find opportunities.

The reason I phone the police 101 is that  the public around here don’t like guns , even on farmland . Despite it being an absolute legal requirement to control rabbits on your land , my buddy had had some locals ranting at him for “ murdering our rabbits “ on his farm . They’d been watching with Binos from way across the hill . 

By phoning 101 , We get a log number then they know the location and the hours we’ll be out , and the police dispatchers  will be aware if they get a report of gunfire or armed men .When  we come in we ring and close the log . 

yesterday I only fired a handful of rounds , 3  x 3 shot groups of different ammunition on paper  3  rounds at the gongs . With the rounds sorted I set up 50 yards from a big cattle feeder that has had a rat colony established under it . The bunnies are not about this year here , RHD has wiped them out .  No matter having this on my doorstep is fantastic .