Sunday, April 22, 2012

Dallas blogshoot mini AAR

This will be a short update because it looks like I didn't bring the cable that plugs my camera to my laptop when I came back to Austin.

Quick thoughts:

Huge turnout.  We had nearly twenty people show up - wow.  Everything's bigger in Texas, including the number of people who want to shoot guns all day.  The ladies were there in force as well which is always nice.

Guns.  Lots of guns.  Boy, there were a lot.  May have been over 100.  I got to shoot four new calibers: .410 shot shell, .357 SIG, .30 Carbine (from a revolver - wow!), and .50 BMG (thanks, Redneck Engineer!).  As at all the blogshoots I've ever been to, people were delighted to share their guns with other folks who want to try them out.  Bob S has some pictures up for you.

I think I need an FAL.  Weer'd sings their praises, and Rabbit brought his.  It was like driving tacks at 150 yards.  That's one heavy rifle, but if you're like me and enjoy hitting what you're aiming at, this should be on your list for consideration.

US Citizen found a spectacular venue, a lightly wooded park-like range overlooking a river.  Think National Forest with shooting benches.  A HUGE thank you for getting a big crowd in there for all day.

Kevin Baker in person is exactly like you would imagine.  Kevin Baker in person with his guns contains so much awesome as to threaten to warp the very fabric of space and time.

The charity raffle was a great success.  People opened their hearts and their gun safes to donate their pre-ban magazines for our brothers and sisters trapped behind enemy lines in Massachusetts (thanks for the "Assault" Weapons Ban, Mitt Romney!).  We have ten magazines that I'll send north to JayG in Yankeeland for the New England blogshoot this summer.  Solidarity!

Oh yeah - shooting things is fun:


Say what you will about the Taurus Judge, but one of the lady blogshoot attendees took off the horn with her Judge at 30 yards.  I guess in the HopeNChange™ War On Women® the women shoot back.

Bayoneting things is fun, too.  The traditional day-end bayonet charge was the biggest I've ever seen.  Here's Nick the Blogless triumphant on the, err, field of battle.  He had help from a half dozen enthusiastic fellow stabby-stabby types.  I'll see if I can scare up video.


By the power vested in me by, well, nobody, I've deputized Bob S as blogshoot community organizer for Dallas.  It was an insanely great time, and hopefully he'll get a tradition started.

Many thanks to everyone who showed up - it was great to meet in Meat Space.  And thanks once again to US Citizen without whom we wouldn't have had the outstanding location.

UPDATE 23 APRIL 2012  09:09: Pictures posted here.

9 comments:

kx59 said...

Borepatch :-)
I think I dropped my camera cable at the sooper secret shooting spot.
I just got back from so-so buy with a replacement.
That was nothing compared to the scare we had when we got home. Belle had packed the original mag for Natasha not in it's usual place. She immediately jumped to the conclusion that she had left it Dallas.
-found it in the spam can hiding amongst the ammo.
Now on to blogging. jeez where to begin...

Dave H said...

Is that a Mosin-Nagant in Nick's hand? The bayonet on mine would stop a cavalry charge.

I'm glad you folks had a good time.

Rabbit said...

It's an SKS, and an extra-nice one at that.

Had a great time, enjoyed meeting all the folks I hadn't before, and I'm certainly looking forward to the next opportunity.

Weer'd Beard said...

Sounds like an HBAR FAL, standard profile barrel will weigh a little less than an M14.

Get a DS Arms gun with the aluminum lower, and they'll tip the scales at a hair above a similarly appointed AR-10.

Glad it was a success! Bummed I missed it!

doubletrouble said...

Those blowed-up unicorn & bayonet pics brought a smile to the Mrs. & my faces.
Glad you guys & gals had a good time.

The Scribbler said...

I managed to snag a decent video of the bayonet charge. Once I get it off my camera, I'll send it along. For now, here's my AAR: http://scribblerscrawls.blogspot.com/2012/04/texas-blogshoot-aar.html

Borepatch said...

kx59, I picked up a USB dongle that you can drop the memory card into. $8 at Target. Pix tomorrow.

Weer'd, I'm a believer now. Boy, howdy.

Doubletrouble, it will never be like the Teletubbie, but we do what we can. Miss you guys, but not Massachusetts.

Scribbler, I'll do a link post. Video would be the shiznit.

RabidAlien said...

Dang. Next time one's held in the DFW vicinity ("vicinity" defined rather loosely, of course), count me and the Mrs.Alien in! Don't have quite the arsenal, but have a Mosin-Nagant that's itching to pop someone's shoulder out of socket, and a 1913 Enfield that my local indoor range won't let me shoot, dangit. As well as a wide variety of (annoying) toddler toys that would be willing to offer themselves up as targets. Just sayin'.

Theredneckengineer said...

"and .50 BMG (thanks, Redneck Engineer!)"

You're welcome, Borepatch. Any time you're in the area and want to try your hand at one of my homebuilds, just holler. I'll try and make sure the bugs are worked out of the next one. =)