iamkris
Member
Last weekend I met my best friend from high school (we’ve known each other for over 30 years) and his Gulf War I army buddies for our 4th annual MMBH&RB (Midwest Memorial Bunny Hunt and Rattle Battle). It started as a 10-year reunion around Veteran’s Day for a group of ex-MPs that served in the Middle East together…I was invited as a tag along. We typically gather on Friday night and talk and laugh around a bonfire, hunt rabbits on Saturday morning, shoot all Saturday afternoon (most of us are collectors and rabid shooters) and recover on Sunday morning from a huge pot of chili and venison steaks from Saturday night.
This year was no different except that this year we ran into a field full of pheasants (unusual in Illinois) and our Saturday afternoon shooting has moved from a 75-yard to a 200-yard range. We’ve also attracted several families and new shooters, sporting 10 adults and 4 kids shooting with us this year.
I showed that I need to get to the skeet fields by missing 2 easy crossing shots on pheasants (hey, they scared me!) and making a hard flushed-behind-my-back shot on one. I redeemed myself with 4 out of 4 rabbits taken in the brambles along railroad tracks by a grain elevator. I’ve already got plans for that pheasant in a nice rice casserole.
At the Rattle Battle we had a nice complement of firearms to try…each year it is a bit different…it always errs a little on the side of military arms. Last year I rolled out all my C&R purchases (Mosins, K31, Enfields, SKSs and such). This year was a fairly bland mix.
• M1 Garand, .30-06
• 03A3 Springfield, .30-06
• DSA STg58A, 7.62 NATO
• Imbel-receivered STG58, 7.62 NATO
• AR10, 7.62 NATO
• DPMS/J&T M4-gery, 5.56x45mm
• Fulton Armory NM M14, 7.62 NATO
• Israeli Mauser 98, 7.62 NATO
• Pedersoli 1874 Sharps, .45-70
• Marlin 60, .22 LR
• Mossberg 46a, .22 LR
• CZ V22 upper for the AR, .22 LR
• Para Ord 14.45 45 ACP
• Sig P220 45 ACP
• Glock 19
• Makarov, 9x18mm
• Ruger Blackhawk, 41 Mag
• S&W 657, 41 Mag
• (2) H&R Double Nine's, .22LR
• Remington 1100
• Mossy 500
• Bennelli M5
We had a ball blasting away at steel poppers, leftover Halloween pumpkins, bowling pins and an old car at the 200 yard range. The kids were having fun with the 22’s. One of the older boys was taken with the STg. He must have fired 200 rounds. Another 10-year old youngster was out for his second year. Last year he shot a gun for the first time. This year he had saved his money and purchased his own Marlin 60. He wanted to shoot every gun out there (and did!), each time with a smile on his face. By the end he was bugging his dad to buy a Garand – so he could actually have what he uses on his “Medal of Honor†game. His father, a police officer, decided he wanted his own AR. We got ‘em hooked!
All in all, a fun event. I look forward to this weekend each year.
Since the pix are huge and I don’t know how to reduce their size, I’ll just post a link (please don’t harass me about the lack of eye protection…yes we were bad and didn’t consistently have it)
Here’s what I took while hunting
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Game.JPG
Here’s a few of the battle rifles that were out at this shoot
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Rattle_Battle.JPG
Here’s me with my DSA STG
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Me_with_STG.JPG
Here’s some of the adult females out to shoot
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Girls_with_guns.JPG
Here’s my buddy Ralph with my 03A3
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Ralph_with_03.JPG
Here are a few of the kids that were out shooting
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Kids_and_guns.JPG
Here is my friend’s wife with my Sharps
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Renee_with_Sharps.JPG
Here’s me with my CMP Garand
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Me_with_Garand.JPG
This year was no different except that this year we ran into a field full of pheasants (unusual in Illinois) and our Saturday afternoon shooting has moved from a 75-yard to a 200-yard range. We’ve also attracted several families and new shooters, sporting 10 adults and 4 kids shooting with us this year.
I showed that I need to get to the skeet fields by missing 2 easy crossing shots on pheasants (hey, they scared me!) and making a hard flushed-behind-my-back shot on one. I redeemed myself with 4 out of 4 rabbits taken in the brambles along railroad tracks by a grain elevator. I’ve already got plans for that pheasant in a nice rice casserole.
At the Rattle Battle we had a nice complement of firearms to try…each year it is a bit different…it always errs a little on the side of military arms. Last year I rolled out all my C&R purchases (Mosins, K31, Enfields, SKSs and such). This year was a fairly bland mix.
• M1 Garand, .30-06
• 03A3 Springfield, .30-06
• DSA STg58A, 7.62 NATO
• Imbel-receivered STG58, 7.62 NATO
• AR10, 7.62 NATO
• DPMS/J&T M4-gery, 5.56x45mm
• Fulton Armory NM M14, 7.62 NATO
• Israeli Mauser 98, 7.62 NATO
• Pedersoli 1874 Sharps, .45-70
• Marlin 60, .22 LR
• Mossberg 46a, .22 LR
• CZ V22 upper for the AR, .22 LR
• Para Ord 14.45 45 ACP
• Sig P220 45 ACP
• Glock 19
• Makarov, 9x18mm
• Ruger Blackhawk, 41 Mag
• S&W 657, 41 Mag
• (2) H&R Double Nine's, .22LR
• Remington 1100
• Mossy 500
• Bennelli M5
We had a ball blasting away at steel poppers, leftover Halloween pumpkins, bowling pins and an old car at the 200 yard range. The kids were having fun with the 22’s. One of the older boys was taken with the STg. He must have fired 200 rounds. Another 10-year old youngster was out for his second year. Last year he shot a gun for the first time. This year he had saved his money and purchased his own Marlin 60. He wanted to shoot every gun out there (and did!), each time with a smile on his face. By the end he was bugging his dad to buy a Garand – so he could actually have what he uses on his “Medal of Honor†game. His father, a police officer, decided he wanted his own AR. We got ‘em hooked!
All in all, a fun event. I look forward to this weekend each year.
Since the pix are huge and I don’t know how to reduce their size, I’ll just post a link (please don’t harass me about the lack of eye protection…yes we were bad and didn’t consistently have it)
Here’s what I took while hunting
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Game.JPG
Here’s a few of the battle rifles that were out at this shoot
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Rattle_Battle.JPG
Here’s me with my DSA STG
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Me_with_STG.JPG
Here’s some of the adult females out to shoot
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Girls_with_guns.JPG
Here’s my buddy Ralph with my 03A3
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Ralph_with_03.JPG
Here are a few of the kids that were out shooting
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Kids_and_guns.JPG
Here is my friend’s wife with my Sharps
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Renee_with_Sharps.JPG
Here’s me with my CMP Garand
http://home.comcast.net/~krisnkelley/Me_with_Garand.JPG
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