Thoughts on Machine Gun Shoots?

It's kind of like any shoot.

What you get to do is pretty much reliant on the person whose gun you're shooting.

If you're a petite female expect them to have their grubby arms around you even if you're only shooting a full auto 10-22. For safety only of course.
If there's a competition at the end of the day, don't expect to shoot anything more than about 20 times. Because the owner wants to to win the competition and a hot barrel supposedly will hinder them.

I'm all for shoots, don't get me wrong, but I don't feel like paying entry fees of the type I've seen just to shoot someone else's gun on their terms when they feel like it with very few groundrules. 8(

So I clicked it meets my expectations. It's nifty, but I know full well that it's a fundraiser for the club.

You forgot an option in your poll: Never been to one, want to go

I'd love to go to one.

Been to KCR twice, got married there the second time on the subgun range in October 2001.

I was gonna click the "Never been to one BUT REALLY REALLY want to..."

I was attending the Knob Creek Machine Gun shoot back in '04 (I think) with some pals. A buddy insisted we sign up for a ride with Red Horse Aviation. They said they didn't think we'd make it as the sign up sheet seemed longer than they had daylight for.

As dusk gathered we wandered back up the hill and they agreed to take my pal and I on the final ride of the night.

Sun setting, we lifted off over the main range, doors open. Most of the shooters on the line had switched to tracers by then and we buzzed right behind the firing line. Tracers, tannerite, the Minigun roaring over the engine of the OH-6 Orion. We headed out across the surrounding farm land and over the river. Did a few tree-top scraping passes over the low hills on the other side, and a couple of some maneuver that had us falling down the opposite slope sideways, with the ground rushing up at the open door.

Then, we leveled out for the ride back, crossed the river again, and swooped over a bunch of light towers which happened to be illuminating the local drag track which passed by beneath us just as two funny-cars got the green light!

So, that was like, pretty cool.

Sam, that sounds sweet.

You forgot to include,

Heard them them, never been, would love to try.

Fired machine guns while in the military.
yea it was fun, but it isnt all that.

Now when your stationed on a Frigate, and have a single 5" competition against a Cruiser and a Destroyer, (first at 3500 yds then at 9600 yds - that was just a dot on the horizon) then have the servo in the FC go bonkers so you had to shoot manually from the OMC, and STILL beat them....

THAT my friends, is FUN!

Thoughts?

Watch out for your kids.

Murphy4570 said:

You forgot an option in your poll: Never been to one, want to go

I'd love to go to one.

Click to expand...

^^^ this is me too!

None of the above. I've never attended one but i want to some time.

I didn't see a "Never been but would like to" option.

Wonder if they'd let me police the .45 SMG range?

Where's the option: "Haven't been to one but want to"?

My thoughts are that Machine Gun Shoots should be offered in Illinois.
With suppressors and night fire and belt feds and,,,

I have only been to the ones we have at our farm but they are both fun and expensive.

You left off: "Heard of them, never been to one, wouldn't mind going if time/money permitted."

Honestly, after hearing a lot of reports about Knob Creek (including the ones bubbling over with praise), I really have little interest in going. I would rather go out with just one or two other people (just like a normal range trip). Then you can shoot at your own pace, not deal with crowds and noise, and enjoy the experience a lot more.

I'm lucky to have a number of friends with machine guns (and one of my own), so my point of view isn't the same as most folks'. Knob Creek sounds like no fun at all - mud and noise and such. Big Sandy costs $250/person to get into, plus paying for my own ammo and having to worry about strangers messing up my gun. Thanks, but no.

I have been to a couple much smaller private MG shoots, and those were a lot of fun. Everyone there was trustworthy and personally known, so it was a much calmer atmosphere. I got to shoot an M2 off a Humvee, an RPD, and a could other guns. I also got to share my NVGs and IR laser equipped AK with a bunch of enthusiastic newer shooters, which was a lot of fun.

Nowadays, I don't want to dump a belt through each gun on the line in order. I want to really get to know a gun, loading, unloading, disassembly, barrel changes, long bursts, short bursts, reactive steel targets, etc. Big MG shoots are not conducive to that type of experience, as far as I can see.

i took my 14 yr old son and 15 year old nephew to one a couple years back.we rented and shot some of the guns, went thru 200 buks in a heartbeat.it was a blast and the boys loved it. one peice of advice tho, dont get out of your car without plugs and muffs, i never heard such a racket! that some of these guys can even afford the amount of ammo they go thru is amazeing!
and its not jus the machine guns, all kinds of military weapons, grenade launchers, one guy was shooting a single shot shotgun looking deal that shot exploding eggs out to about 300 yrds.very good time, im glad or hope these guys are on our side!

If the option existed, I would vote "They look AWESOME, I haven't been to one but really want to!"

I REEEEEEEEEEEEEALLY want to shoot a B.A.R.

edit: posted without reading due to time, finally just caught up. Sam!!! That is the coolest!!!

I shot Uncle Sam's for free and they were not that big a deal. I enjoy myself more plinking in the woods with a pellet rifle.