Marion County Fish & Game

     Sunday, Tam, the Data Viking and I went to Marion County Fish & Game --Where you can't hunt game (it's a wildlife refuge!)  and I'm not too sure about the fishing.  But it's been a pistol and .22 rifle range since 1903.  (The deer appear to be well aware of their protected status, and wander freely on the property.)

     Saturday was Key Day, last day to renew range membership, and I squeaked in just under the wire.  I'm glad I did, since we first went to the range at Eagle Creek, only to find it was closed for Easter.  MCFG was almost deserted, with one person on the main range and another in one of the small bays, leaving the second small bay open for the three of us.

     I had several "new" revolvers to check out, and had brought along the reissued "Wolverine" (best known as a sci-fi movie prop) as well.

 Left to right, an H&R with a "Buntline"-length barrel, the Wolverine, an H&R "Trapper" chambered for .22 Short, an old H&R top-break and the only non-22 in the bunch, an Enfield No. 2, Mk 1 that shoots .380-200 or .38 S&W, a short, fat-looking and relatively slow round.  All worked well, though the sights are far wrong on the H&R top-break (I had trouble keeping shots on 8" steel with it at 20 yards; normally I'd blame myself but the other three all produced a very fine Ping! sound when pointed at the center of the target, so...).  The Enfield is surprisingly accurate and smooth, the long-barrel .22 is a tackdriver and the soft-shooting Trapper is as good.  I wasn't sure what to expect from any of them; the results were a pleasant surprise.  All the revolvers are double-action and that's how I shoot 'em.  It's better practice and (in my opinion) a better habit.

     Here's the "Buntline" in action.  There's not much muzzle rise, just as you'd expect.

     Even with the cringeworthy Speaker-To-Morons warning on the table ("Please Do Not Shoot This Table" -- sheesh, people, were you raised in a barn?), it was a fun way to spend the middle of the day.