Machine gun shoot...

[375supermag]

Hi ..
Just returned from Knob Creek, Kentucky last evening.
Had a great time at the shoot.
Rented a BAR, Thompson , MP-40 submachine gun and a M1919 belt fed .30cal machine gun.
Son rented several modern machine guns as well.
The afternoon shoot had a nice bonus as they rolled out three WWII vintage M5 Stuart light tanks and an anti tank gun and fired them repeatedly.
Great fun...
The night shoot was fun to see as well.
They shot up some drums filled with what I assume was gasoline.
Explosion was probably 100ft in the air with tracer rounds flying down range for about 20 minutes and star shells lighting up the range.
Had a great time.
Spent a lot of time perusing the on site gun shop. Very nice and well stocked...one of the bigger gun shops I have ever seen.
Spent some time looking around at the on site gun show as well.
Didn't buy anything of interest.
Just had a great time.
My son drove his Suburban for the trip...nearly 1300 miles for the round trip. It averaged a little over 14mpg...he paid for the gas and motel room for two nights. I paid for the tolls, meals and everything else. We each paid for our own machine gun rentals...about $200 each.
Made some good memories.
If my health allows, I believe we may go again sometime.
Only bad part was the long drive...we left at 5AM Friday morning and didn't get to the hotel until after 7PM.
Driving home Sunday...we left Louisville at 4AM and arrived back in York, Pa. at 4:30PM.
Road weary...
We got back in the Suburban and took my wife out to dinner and didn't get home until 8:00PM.

All in all...a great weekend!
Highly recommend the Machine Gun shoot to any forum member. It is worth the trip.

 

[AlexanderA]

At Knob Creek, the big draw for me is/was the unique gun show (the "pole barn"). This means hunting for rarities and bargains, and negotiating. Since this is/was my priority, the firing on the MG line is a noisy distraction, as is the mud in the spring and the blowing dust in the fall. They could probably separate the gun show from the MG shoot, but then attendance at both would suffer. I don't know what to suggest. Anyway, the long drive (at least three overnight hotel stays for me) means that I haven't been going recently. (MG shooting became "old hat" for me years ago, and now searching for MG's and parts is becoming "old hat" as well. Been there, done that.)

 

[boom boom]

Hi ..
All in all...a great weekend!
Highly recommend the Machine Gun shoot to any forum member. It is worth the trip.

Thanks for the after action report. Attending that event is on my bucket list.

 

[H&R Glock]

If I wasn't so old and stiff and out of breath, I'd go again. Great place to buy cases of ammo too in the gun show area. Only drawback I see is the wait to get out of the lot after the show..

 

[375supermag]

Thanks for the after action report. Attending that event is on my bucket list.

Hi...
They have a shoot open to the public twice a year...one in the spring and one in the fall.
You won't regret attending.

 

[bassjam]

Going there is on my bucket list as well. I really have no reason not to go either, it's only a 2.5 hour drive for me.

 

[375supermag]

If I wasn't so old and stiff and out of breath, I'd go again. Great place to buy cases of ammo too in the gun show area. Only drawback I see is the wait to get out of the lot after the show..

Hi...
The holdup getting out of the show was a bit annoying but no worse than other well attended show.
The worst part was the wait for a shuttle bus to take us back to the parking lot(grass field).

 

[AlexanderA]

Only drawback I see is the wait to get out of the lot after the show..

Here's my strategy: attend on Friday when the crowds are fewer and the pickings are better. That means spending Thursday night in a nearby motel so you can be in the long line of vehicles first thing Friday morning when the Creek opens. Then you can do your business and leave by 3 or 4 in the afternoon.

They have a shoot open to the public twice a year...one in the spring and one in the fall.

The firing line on the main range has reserved places that are spoken for years in advance. The only way you get to shoot there is if you know one of the long-time regulars. There's a secondary range that is less formal. Most of the rental activity takes place there. If you want to just be a spectator there is no problem. As I said, the draw for me is the gun show portion.

The spectator part is interesting -- the first time. After that you can recognize the guns being fired without seeing them. The ripping sound of the M134 minigun is unmistakable. (But every time I hear it I wonder how the owner can afford to blow away all that ammo. I suppose that if you own a gun that costs ~$130K, you can afford to burn ammo.)

The worst part was the wait for a shuttle bus to take us back to the parking lot (grass field).

I suggest wearing duck shoes and walking. If you're planning on buying something bulky (like ammo), you need to come equipped with some kind of cart.

 

[bannockburn]

375supermag

Going to Knob Creek has been a dream vacation of mine for many years. Maybe someday after I retire I will make the pilgrimage there.

 

[375supermag]

375supermag

Going to Knob Creek has been a dream vacation of mine for many years. Maybe someday after I retire I will make the pilgrimage there.

Hi...
I fully understand...my son has wanted to go since he was in high school.
For various reasons I just couldn't go until I retired. He took a couple of days vacation from his job to go. All I needed to do was inform my wife I would be out of her hair for a few days. The freedom of retirement is an amazing thing.

 

[Speedo66]

I went two years ago, lots of fun. Seeing everything at the sales portion is exhausting. Renting the guns is a little pricey, but one time, what the hell. If you stay for the afternoon free for all, bring earplugs.

I enjoyed it, but don't think I'd go a second time.