GBR, Days 2 & 3

I failed to update my "Days -1 and 1" post, so I will add here that one of the surprises we had was when we realized that we had known one of the other attendees, Bill of Bill's Idle Mind, when we were living in Colorado Springs, while I was stationed at Fort Carson.  There was no organized Science Fiction fandom in the Springs, so we got in with the fen from Denver, which included a bunch calling themselves the Denver Mad Scientists, and there was this guy...

Day two of the Gun Blogger Rendezvous, as usual, found us back at the range shooting Steel Challenge.  I had already told Mrs. Drang that she shouldn't come, because her ankle was still hurty, and the bays we were going to be on were not finished; as it was, my feet and ankles (which have been less than nominal for a while now) were hurt a couple of times by stepping on large rocks, so that was definitely the best advice for her.

I did better than I have in the past, although I don't think I impressed anyone. I cleaned a couple of the stages and even did so in respectable times, but I had a few stages with abysmal times.  I didn't waste time on reloads this year, just accepting the 3 second penalty for a missed plate; as Mr. Completely said, "Save your last shot for the stop plate."  (The missing of which incurs a thirty second penalty...)

I also had my very first ever "Tap-Rack-Bang" drill, with a new-out-of-the-wrapper stainless steel magazine.  Of course, it was a "new-out-of-the-wrapper" $10.00 magazine, so I can't say I was surprised.   Or, to be precise, I was surprised, but I shouldn't have been.  I used it before, during a "normal" range session, maybe I should have stressed it a bit more.  (Seems fine, I probably just didn't apply enough force when inserting it.)

For once I had enough ammo that I wasn't cadging any off the others.  (In fact, I brought home all I had bought specifically for GBR.)(Note that this DOES NOT mean I think I have enough ammo!)

Bill Quick won the prize for confidence, using a 5 shot snub-nose .357 in a competition in which the stages consisted of 5 shots for time and accuracy.

Back to the resort, clean up, pizza and raffle and door prizes.  Last year I indicated that we had a surplus of hats as door prizes, and sure enough, this year we had fewer hats.  (I mean, really, everyone can use a hat or two, but last year we had 10 or 12 hats for everyone.)  (Note to sponsors:  Extra t-shirts are fine, patches and stickers are fine; in fact, 10 or 12 stickers for everyone would be just dandy.)

Mrs. Drang wanted the Kalshnikitty hoodie, someone else got it.  I wanted the Leupold or Burris scopes, someone else got them.  In fact, we were getting kind of disgusted, because everyone at our table was getting multiple items, and we were getting nothing.  In the end, Mrs. Drang won a Crimson Trace Rail Mater green laser and a Lucky Gunner gift certificate, and I -- almost the last to get anything -- went with a four day training certificate from Front Sight.

The guys from Tactical Solutions were there Friday night, and said that they were working on a front end (barrel, forearm) for the Ruger 10/22TD.  Which would be AWESOME! They also had demo models of various and sundry firearms with their barrels and suppressors. 

OutWest Systems was demonstrating (and gave away!) their Optical Computer Aided Training (OCAT) System.  Cool stuff.

On Sunday Gunauction.com was shooting their bowling ball mortar.  (Videos at Gun Blogger Rendezvous: Bowling Ball Mortar Video at The Rendezvous and Gun Blogger Rendezvous: bowling Ball Mortar Video #2)

Since Mrs. Drang was still not up to a day at the range, I decided the heck with it, and we came home a day early.  Of course "early" is a relative term when driving 900 miles...

Gun Blogger Rendezvous VIII, Days -1 & 1

Drove down Thursday.  Got out of the driveway at at 0530, just as it started to rain,which quickly escalated to "downpour" status with thunder and lightening -- both toad-strangling downpours and electrical storms are uncommon in Western Washington, BTW, especially in summer.

Eventually things got better, until we were passed Oakridge, OR, heading for Willamette Pass, when, lo! and behold!  it started raining again.  And sleeting.  And thundering and lightening-ing and snowing.  And hailing.  The hail was falling fast and hard enough that we would have dug out the hearing protection from the range bags, except we would have had to pull over and get out of the car to do so, and we would have needed hard hats and maybe body armor to make it back in one piece...

Surprisingly, the car does NOT show signs of having been pelted with moderate-velocity chunks of ice.

Made it to the Silver Legacy, Reno, about 1930; which was OK time, considering how much of the drive was at less than optimal speeds.  Alas, the group was done with dinner, s we stopped by the meeting room to say "Hi", then went and ate ourselves.  Afterward Mrs. Drang went off to sample the spa tub in our room (we splurged) and I went to try and be social (for a change).  Then to bed.

Other events in Reno include the annual Balloon Races; this is the sight that greeted me from our room this morning:

Breakfast was provided by the NRA.  (Which is fine, although I'm still waiting for the wheelbarrows of cash they supposedly pay bloggers...)  Then to the range.  Mrs. Drang did not go, her ankle has been bothering her where she broke it years ago, so she decided to take it easy. 

I mostly shot my 10/22  TD; determined that the red dot sight I have on it is way off; then the battery dies, so I removed it and tried again with the iron sights.  Did better, although the 30 +/- knot crosswinds provided a handy excuse.

Kevin Baker let me try his AR in .458 SOCOM, which I suggested was prefect for the Cape Buffalo Zombie Apocolypse:

I was getting tired, and since no one seemed to need my services as chauffeur, I came back to the hotel to take it easy in the room with Mrs. Drang. 

The Friday afternoon "Show and Tell" session starts shortly, followed by dinner, and more socializing. 

I'll try to hold up...