My shooting buddy and I decided that a little 'recoil therapy' was in order, so we headed off to the Ripley Rifle Range about 45 minutes from home.

I was really 'busting a gut' to take my side by side 12g out before I blue the barrels (a 5 week curing time for the best look). so we loaded up the car and off we went.

I put my first shots through the 12g (more to see where it shot than anything else), put a few slugs through my single shot 20g...a magnificent load of 24gn of Blue Dot driving a LEE Key Drive slug; a rather stout load in my little single shot Boito. I went forward to check the target, not bad, I'm happy, turned round and wandered back towards the firing line.

Halfway back and this guy comes up to me and says, "YOU'RE A NUT, AREN'T YOU". My initial thought was, okaaay. yeah, I could fit that description, especially after firing a number of the slug loads...then the 'penny dropped'...I am a Nut, the best kind of Nut there is...a Hunting Nut. I looked at him and said, I certainly am mate. He then introduced himself...damned if it wasn't our mate Tikkat3, or as I now know him, Pete. He said he thought it was me as he recognised me from my pic on The Nut. What a magnificent surprise...an absolute pleasure to meet another Nut, but a damned nice guy as well.

We had a bit of a chat, but time was short as he had to get going, but I can see a few range days in the future for all three Nuts...yep, Tiks lives not too far from dhc4ever...the other Pete. I got my shooting buddy to take a pic of us together...Tiks is the good lookin' rooster.

DHC4ever (the other Pete)...Tiks lives out your way mate so it should be easy to organise a range day mate.
What more could a guy ask for than a day shooting with a couple of Nuts.

Hello Vince,
It was good to finally catch up
Looking forward to a Range Day

tikkat3 wrote:

Hello Vince, It was good to finally catch up Looking forward to a Range Day

Gidday mate, it was a real pleasure to catch up with you...we'll certainly organise something mate...and include dhc4ever as well.

Good lookin buggers..
too bad there are not many nice lookin wimmin there.. we got em all down here

gelandangan wrote:

Good lookin buggers.. too bad there are not many nice lookin wimmin there.. we got em all down here

Probably just as well Gelandangan. What woman in her right mind would associate with two old grey buggers anyway.

Whats this "old" business?

As for 'wimmin' I've got one that does what she is told

Vince, Pete,
More than happy for a range day in the near future.
ATM the shoulder could probably handle a .22 and bugger all else recoil wise.
I need to get my farmer assist targets done, maybe in a month or so.
Cheers

Actually, having had another look at the photo, I think Pete is one of the guys I shoot shotgun with.
Usually see him with a hat and sunnies on and I havent been out there for a few months.

That's a great way to meet face to face!

awesome stuff guys...now V Man...how went the shottie Mate?????

dhc4ever wrote:

Vince, Pete, More than happy for a range day in the near future. ATM the shoulder could probably handle a .22 and bugger all else recoil wise. I need to get my farmer assist targets done, maybe in a month or so. Cheers

Jobs on Pete...and I have a .22 you can use if you don't have anything available mate.

dhc4ever wrote:

Actually, having had another look at the photo, I think Pete is one of the guys I shoot shotgun with. Usually see him with a hat and sunnies on and I havent been out there for a few months.

Well Pete, Tiks does shoot shotgun (5 Stand I think) at SSAA Belmont, so maybe you guys have crossed paths without realising.

Elvis wrote:

awesome stuff guys...now V Man...how went the shottie Mate?????

The shottie shoots a treat mate. I patterned it today and although the right barrel seems to be shooting slightly left (I think it is probably me), the left barrel is shooting nicely centred and the pattern is sitting just on top of the POA.

First pic is the left hand barrel with a 30cm ruler to give an idea of pattern size, second pic is the right hand barrel . Point of Aim in each case is the big blotchy dot. The top edge of the pattern in the first pic is near enough where you can see the top of my shadow on the cardboard.

go get you some clays and bust a heap Mate, its a shooter.

I reckon you are right Elvis...but it's bunnies I want, not necessarily clays, but they are in the picture as well mate.