Visiting an indoor gun range can be a safe and enjoyable experience if you follow proper safety precautions. Whether you are an experienced shooter or a beginner, it's essential to prioritize safety at all times.
As much as I tried to get the guys to send the targets out to 5 yards, they were having none of that. They consistently fired at 10 and then 20 yards. We fired the old 45s first and the following target is Zack's first 5 at center mass and Taylor's first 5 at the head using the 1974 gun, which is more than a dozen years older than either of them.
Accuracy and Precision are two terms we often use at the gun range. Accuracy is how close you get to the bulls-eye. Precision is how reproducible or repeatable your accuracy is. Actually, how close your second through fifth rounds are to the first, regardless of whether they are near the bulls-eye.
The photo of the target above is Alec's first two five-round vollies, each at center mass and Zack's seven rounds at the head. I had to remind Zack about the five-round limit per volley. And thanks to our new headsets I know he heard me. These were the first cartridges fed through this gun since the 3 test fire shots before leaving the factory in 1993!
Colts are the only guns that I know can perform like this right out of the box. Most handguns would require 100 to 200 rounds to break-in. I also have to say that all four of these young men are excellent marksmen. Most self defense actions take place within 21 feet and with them painting targets like this at 60 feet, I have every confidence in their preparedness and ability to defend themselves, their families and their homes should the need arise.
We left the guns at the designated stations and each shooter rotated to the next shooting lane to fire the next gun. We were all testing our new Impact Sport sound amplification electronic earmuffs. Communication within our group of five people was greatly enhanced. We were actually on the Rifle Range instead of the Pistol Range and there were four others actively shooting on lanes 1 through 4.
So while we were in the parking lot waiting on the doors to open I told the guys I felt responsible to return them all to their wives with all of their fingers and toes intact and reminded the guys of the three main rules of any gun range:
The shooter in Lane 1 was firing 5.56 rounds through a short barrel, which makes them louder. The high muzzle velocity has a sonic boom, which is a substantial part of the noise. So our shooting earmuffs got a real workout and performed flawlessly. I suspect that without the amplified headsets, we would have found the boom boom guy a little more than annoying. Next trip I will leave the pistol-caliber carbine at home. I'm pretty sure that is why the CSS staff put us on the rifle instead of pistol range.
When I served in the U.S. Army in 1984 and 1985 we were still using the M16A1 and 7.62mm cartridge. At the time I qualified Expert with the German G3 rifle (Heckler & Koch) in 1985 it was 7.62mm as well. The Army adopted the M16A2 and 5.56mm the following year in 1986. I do remember all of the talk around the proposed change.
Chris is firing the RM380 but he also brought his 9mm Colt All American Model 2000 and got in some practice time with it in addition to the old 45s. He's performing with this target at 10 yards at a level I would rate exceptional at 5 yards.
The 8 lanes in the 110 yard rifle range are well appointed. However, on our next trip we won't take as many guns and as much ammo. There are no workstations or tables to the rear of the shooting booths. The adjacent pistol range has 27 yard lanes and we did not see how many lanes, I assume 8, the same as the rifle range.
There are three factors at work here: the shooter, the gun and the ammunition. We were all so focused on the headsets today that we failed to even note which ammo was being used on the best performances. I recall that when I packed the ammo, 200 of the 340 .45 ACP cartidges were Sig FMJ 230 grain, 830 ft/sec and 352 ft-lbs., so most of the shots were with it.
When you get a group of young men together like this, it's only natural that their competitive tendancies will help lift everyone's abilities. With all four of them firing simultaneously, it was difficult to get good photos. I found myself constantly removing my view from the iPhone screen to the targets down range.
And when the Range Master gave us the ten minute warning that our time was about to expire, well, just let me say that a lot of .380 ammo was slung down range in a very short amount of time.
By this time we were all starving because we had all skipped lunch in order to be first in line at CSS at one o'clock when they opened this Sunday afternoon. We threw the gear in the back of the Cayenne and made tracks to the nearest food place, Jack's Hamburgers. It offered a good chance to let the adrenaline levels return to normal and disuss our experience with the Impact Sport Sound Amplification Electronic Earmuffs.
Everyone agreed that they are far surperior to ear plugs, passive muffs or any other hearing protection we've tried. We all agreed that the Howard Leight brand were comfortable and we liked the low profile fit. Another nice feature is the adjustable headband for a nice secure fit. And as we were packing up to leave the range, we all appreciated the way they fold up for storage.
The built-in directional microphones are directed to the rear of the shooter, as you can see in this photo. I'm sold on this product! At about fifty bucks each, the value far exceeds the cost in my opinion. What fun it was to spend a Sunday afternoon with all of the boys at the gun range! The evening before as I was gathering all of the gear and packing, I was walking around the house repeatedly saying, "With 5 rounds, load your weapon!".