North Fork Wolf Creek Recreational Shooting Lanes

[Cosimel]

The good news, we were on paper with both rifles. Bad news, we forgot to bring chairs so it was hard to utilize the table and shooting rest. I'll have to come back again next time with some chairs and a proper sighting scope or monocular.

Maybe an obvious thing but, at this point in the learning process, it's really sinking in that owning and maintaining your own guns is a pretty big task. There's a lot to know. I've shot handguns in the past with friends and I never then thought gun ownership would be so involved. It's not a bad thing, just something I think some people might not realize when first deciding to purchase a gun, especially an AR or AK type rife.

Wait until you get bitten by the reloading bug. Working up your own rounds specifically for each firearm is pure joy that'll consume time and money like PacMan in infinite play mode

 

[doge_patrol]

Egzakly why I keep my rubber boots by my shooting box.

A good pair of rubber boots and waterproof hiking/outdoor boots are something I lack. I need to add those to my list of things to get.

Btw Arrowshooter, is that you on the dirt bike?

 

[doge_patrol]

Wait until you get bitten by the reloading bug. Working up your own rounds specifically for each firearm is pure joy that'll consume time and money like PacMan in infinite play mode

What percentage of the ammo you shoot is stuff you've re-loaded?

Also, I keep hearing about the dangers of firing re-loaded ammo. Is there a relatively high risk even if it's ammo you've reloaded yourself assuming said person knows what they're doing? Is there just an inherent increase in risk with reloaded ammo given it's not factory produced?

 

[arrowshooter]

A good pair of rubber boots and waterproof hiking/outdoor boots are something I lack. I need to add those to my list of things to get.

Btw Arrowshooter, is that you on the dirt bike?

Why yes it is, back in my racing days.

 

[arrowshooter]

What percentage of the ammo you shoot is stuff you've re-loaded? Also, I keep hearing about the dangers of firing re-loaded ammo. Is there a relatively high risk even if it's ammo you've reloaded yourself assuming said person knows what they're doing? Is there just an inherent increase in risk with reloaded ammo given it's not factory produced?

Most reloaders will only shoot their own loads except when at an indoor range where you cannot shoot reloads.

Sure reloading can be risky, but if you take the time to actually learn what is entailed and meticulously follow the load data and procedures you will not have a problem. I started out with .223 and I watched every YouTube video and read everything I could before I bought a thing. This is a huge subject and should be asked in the Reloading section here.

 

[Cosimel]

What percentage of the ammo you shoot is stuff you've re-loaded?

Also, I keep hearing about the dangers of firing re-loaded ammo. Is there a relatively high risk even if it's ammo you've reloaded yourself assuming said person knows what they're doing? Is there just an inherent increase in risk with reloaded ammo given it's not factory produced?

While I certainly reload brass, mostly my own and range finds from the lanes, but just about three months before the first outbreak of COVID, I decided I'd make my own 'like new' hand loads using all new components. Unfortunately the ammo shortage has lead to a reloading supply shortage, mostly primers, so my efforts have been slowed to a stop on that, almost. I'm getting 500 pieces of new Starline 10mm today which was all I was missing to do another batch of that. So for now, yes, I only really shoot my own loads, with the notable exception of 22LR and shotgun rounds.

As a general rule, there is a greater risk of overcharging, seating to far, or just mistakenly using the wrong powder with reloading, all of which could lead to a dangerous if not deadly catastrophic failure. Under charging or failing to charge a round completely can lead to a squib that might leave a projectile in your barrel and if you don't realize that's happened and you send another round down that barrel, once again, potentially dangerous things can happen. The assumption is that major manufactures have adequate quality control to prevent over/under charges and/or wrong components. With that said, out of easily 20,000+ factory rounds of all kinds I've sent down range, I've only once had an issue and that was a Winchester white box 115g FMJ 9mm round that was missing a primer, but no chance that would have caused a serious event. Personally, I've developed several QC measures as standard part of loading rounds with all new components, the one designed to make sure my rounds are safe is that I weight each component before loading (not each one, but a small sample and derive a weighted average) and this will give me a range of acceptable weights for the finished rounds. This comes in to play between seating and crimping where I quickly weight each and every round and as long as they fall into the acceptable margin, I crimp them and send them. I've caught several 'no charges' and one over charge out of 3,500+ rounds I've loaded this way. So I would feel confident in letting somebody else fire my ammo. But, also as a general rule, don't ever use somebody else's reloads, unless you are confident in their loading skills.

 

[Gunfood]

I was out there today and the weather was awesome. You guys really cleaned up the third lane and removed that toilet some idiots shot up. The only downer were a couple driving up in their fifth wheeler and looking to "collect brass". They were definitelly not welcome, and one was coughing up a lung while not wearing masks.

I would like to thank "Lasers" for being a cool guy after he leftbthe 4th lane to not be around those weirdos and we ended up shooting together on the 3rd lane. Such a good experience, and I finally got my new rifle sighted in.

Anyone else have problems with wierdos "collecting brass"? I hear about homeless people camping around, and there even was a Chevy truck that some guy was living in with his dog while I was driving up.

 

[Cogs]

I was out there today and the weather was awesome. You guys really cleaned up the third lane and removed that toilet some idiots shot up. The only downer were a couple driving up in their fifth wheeler and looking to "collect brass". They were definitelly not welcome, and one was coughing up a lung while not wearing masks.

I would like to thank "Lasers" for being a cool guy after he leftbthe 4th lane to not be around those weirdos and we ended up shooting together on the 3rd lane. Such a good experience, and I finally got my new rifle sighted in.

Anyone else have problems with wierdos "collecting brass"? I hear about homeless people camping around, and there even was a Chevy truck that some guy was living in with his dog while I was driving up.

Thanks for the report, Gunfood. And welcome to the forum! Sounds like you're one of the 'Responsible' shooters and we love to have those kind on this forum!

Most of the brass tweekers have been collecting in the dark. They don't want to be around in the daylight because of all the shooting sunup to sundown. Yeah, pretty weird for a 5th wheeler to be up there, and pretty weird to walk around hacking in public with the Pandamnit thing going on. Best that you guys got out of there.

Glad you hooked up with @Lasers . Enjoy the lanes and help us keep it open!

Thanks,
Bill

 

[Old Noob]

I was out there today and the weather was awesome. You guys really cleaned up the third lane and removed that toilet some idiots shot up. The only downer were a couple driving up in their fifth wheeler and looking to "collect brass". They were definitelly not welcome, and one was coughing up a lung while not wearing masks.

I would like to thank "Lasers" for being a cool guy after he leftbthe 4th lane to not be around those weirdos and we ended up shooting together on the 3rd lane. Such a good experience, and I finally got my new rifle sighted in.

Anyone else have problems with wierdos "collecting brass"? I hear about homeless people camping around, and there even was a Chevy truck that some guy was living in with his dog while I was driving up.

Welcome to NWFA.

 

[Lasers]

I was out there today...

Glad you started an account! It was great to meet you, next time I'll have more toys with me and you'll have to try a few.

 

[Lasers]

Ended up taking the day off and running up to test the Ruger Bx25 mag fix I learned about (putting a short 22 shell in to remove some of the play in the follower).

Lane 4 has some larger metal debris, maybe a dryer? And as @Gunfood mentioned, the brass hunters had no issue pulling up and asking if I keep my brass.

I hoped the "yes I do" would deter them, but it didn't.

Then a second one popped out and said, "well, we won't be in your way" and proceeded to walk around the barriers to pickup older brass.

I went back to my rig and heard one of them start hacking up a lung and that was enough for me. Luckily found a friendly shooter at lane 3 and it all worked out for the best anyway.

I totally don't mind brass scavs, but I'm never going to want strangers scurrying around me while I'm trying to focus. The proper thing would have been to wait until I was done, but that's assuming a mental compass of some sort.

 

[Mikej]

Ever cross the mind to join 'em instead of trying to beat them? Sending that brass to the scrappers is a sin. Maybe some of these guys would be willing to deal, if the price was right, right there at the lanes? Just a thought I had some time ago when we spoke to a gal scrapping at The beaver Dam Pit. Afterward I realized I could have offered her some $$ .357 mag brass.

 

[Cosimel]

Ever cross the mind to join 'em instead of trying to beat them? Sending that brass to the scrappers is a sin. Maybe some of these guys would be willing to deal, if the price was right, right there at the lanes? Just a thought I had some time ago when we spoke to a gal scrapping at The beaver Dam Pit. Afterward I realized I could have offered her some $$ .357 mag brass.

I'd have to admit, I'd find it difficult to be 'ok' if a group of brass collectors just showed up while I was recreating and started helping themselves to the lane, but what @Mikej proposes is a better first option than getting confrontational. Don't know what to do about the 'typhoid tweeker' encounter though.

 

[srxfan]

Ended up taking the day off and running up to test the Ruger Bx25 mag fix I learned about (putting a short 22 shell in to remove some of the play in the follower).

Did the fix work?

 

[Lasers]

Did the fix work?

Well, it's hard to say unfortunately. First time I went out with my 10/22, I kept getting FTE and some FTF, except when shooting CCI Minimags.

Every other ammo seemed to get hung up. So I brought 2 kinds of ammo with me, Federal Auto Match and Aguila Super Duper Velocity... and both ran without a hickup on both the modified mags and the ones I haven't opened up yet.

So I can at least say it didn't break anything! I'm not sure if the rifle is getting better or if I should have grabbed more ammo... more ammo is always a good idea though, so I'll be back out to test again.

I did get a camera system setup figured out, so maybe I'll post the results next time for peer review. I just got tired of taking notes and forgetting what ammo shot like what... recording it, numbered mags and showing the ammo in each clip made it much nicer than the old pen/pad.

 

[Mikej]

I'd have to admit, I'd find it difficult to be 'ok' if a group of brass collectors just showed up while I was recreating and started helping themselves to the lane, but what @Mikej proposes is a better first option than getting confrontational. Don't know what to do about the 'typhoid tweeker' encounter though.

It IS kind of an "Out There" idea. Having someone under foot collecting you're, and others brass while you shoot? Not just no, but HELL NO! Those lanes were brainstormed, sponsored, and are kept clean by responsible firearms enthusiasts. And brass on those lanes while we're shooting belongs to us.

If you were ever to run into someone that was scrounging brass, that were nice and wanted a conversation, you might let decent brass scroungers know they could get more money from the shooting public than scrap value. You might even end up finding someone in "That" group that was fairly responsible and would kind of adopt the place. Wishful thinking probably.

 

[Lasers]

@Mikej

Are you suggesting a "resident hobo"?

 

[Cosimel]

Well, it's hard to say unfortunately. First time I went out with my 10/22, I kept getting FTE and some FTF, except when shooting CCI Minimags.

Every other ammo seemed to get hung up. So I brought 2 kinds of ammo with me, Federal Auto Match and Aguila Super Duper Velocity... and both ran without a hickup on both the modified mags and the ones I haven't opened up yet.

So I can at least say it didn't break anything! I'm not sure if the rifle is getting better or if I should have grabbed more ammo... more ammo is always a good idea though, so I'll be back out to test again.

I did get a camera system setup figured out, so maybe I'll post the results next time for peer review. I just got tired of taking notes and forgetting what ammo shot like what... recording it, numbered mags and showing the ammo in each clip made it much nicer than the old pen/pad.

From day one my 10/22 wouldn't ever play well with the BX-25 mags no matter the ammo used, stove pipe after stove pipe, just wasn't fun to shoot. I'd all but given up on them having searched the depths of the internet for any idea of a fix, none worked (admittedly the spent .22 Short casing wasn't one of them). Then, in late August, I finally got around to doing a DIY upgrade of my trigger group centering around a Pike Arms aluminum trigger housing. Once I got that done and installed, I tried my two BX-25 mags once again and all of a sudden, they worked fine. They are not 100% reliable with cheap bulk ammo, but any decent standard velocity ammo cycles fine.

 

[Mikej]

@Mikej

Are you suggesting a "resident hobo"?

You gainfully employed? Meet all kinds of nice people!

Just spit ballin' man. I did clean-ups out there. The first one as a matter of fact. I don't go out there to shoot as I would have to cross potland TWICE. I would go out there for a clean-up in the future again though. To many people out there to think about shooting, unless, there's a clean-up and then the lanes are reserved, kinda'. I pains me to read about the lanes getting crapped up so bad. I'm sure glad you guys guys on the west side get out there to keep it touched up. I really wish the element that takes total garbage out there and leaves it would ESAD!

You never know. A portion of these scrappers actually work. They're not all drugged up drunks. I imagine some of them are as honest as you and I. They just live on a different plane.

 

[Cogs]

We are now open for committee member sign ups for the Wolf Creek/McGregor Basin area (and all other shooting sites in OR & WA). I announced it this morning in the Info for shooting on public lands thread: https://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/info-for-shooting-on-public-lands.307413/post-2779312

@Cosimel is the Committee Director.