DNP Posted April 6, 2017 Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 Well there's 3 posts that could have been more informative. Ta-ta-ta-ta-today Jr! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt.Cross Posted April 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 21 minutes ago, DNP said: Well there's 3 posts that could have been more informative. Ta-ta-ta-ta-today Jr! 1545 hours - We roll into the Maricopa Walmart for vital gear and supplies. It is discovered that their inventory as concerns rimfire ammo and deep cycle batteries is severely lacking. No matter, we improvise, adapt, and overcome. Between the Automotive and Grocery departments, no less than three decrepit old ladies meet their demise as hood ornaments on Tom's shopping cart. Alas, there is no time to pity the weak, we have an appointment to keep with the desert. Supplies in hand, we coordinate with Larry aka Lurch aka 392heminut, and make our ingress into the primary AO at ~1630 hours mission time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DNP Posted April 6, 2017 Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 That's more like it. Gracias! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt.Cross Posted April 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 1630 hours (1:30PM MST) We arrive at the AO and begin unpacking gear and setting up camp. Introductions are made all around, and preparations for live fire are made in short order. The fun begins with a timed fire pistol course with stationary and stationary reactive targets. It quickly becomes apparent that I'm way out of my element, but it's a whole lot of fun anyhow. I learn two interesting facts right off the bat: #1. Matt (JB Rep) is a former US Shooting team competitor. #2. Larry is a former IPSCA competitive shooter. No wonder I'm getting my ass handed to me! Still, shooting under a timer is so much fun, I don't care that I suck at it. It is definitely going to be a staple of the Fall Shoot. Pretty soon we added carbine ARs to the timed fire action, adding to the adrenaline, elation, and frustration and comedy of the timed fire events. Matt introduced his friend John to a couple of new weapon types he'd never shot before, and he proved surprisingly adept and comfortable for a newcomer. Pistol and carbine consume the remainder of daylight on Friday, Matt and John headed out after handshakes all around and reassurances that they wanted to be a part of our next event. As the sun began to sink below the nearby ridgeline, the shooting wound down as Tom began preparing supper. We feasted on green chili and beer brats and ice cold beer and soda, and sat around the fire telling stories until late in the night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted April 6, 2017 Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 8 minutes ago, Matt.Cross said: #2. Larry is a former IPSCA competitive shooter. Larry cheated, with a GINORMOUS physical advantage, I must say. In THREE STEPS, he could cover the whole course of fire, from far left to far right. Like Bigfoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt.Cross Posted April 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 1 minute ago, 98Z5V said: Larry cheated, with a GINORMOUS physical advantage, I must say. In THREE STEPS, he could cover the whole course of fire, from far left to far right. Like Bigfoot. Yeah Larry, that was unfair, the rest of us are midgets in comparison. Next time we're giving you kneepads and you'll have to crawl. Just sayin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DNP Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 tune in every Tuesday at 7:00pm for your next update! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 What is the airport you flew into brother. Tryin to get my fall situation set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 59 minutes ago, unforgiven said: What is the airport you flew into brother. Tryin to get my fall situation set up. Sky Harbor PHX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 Thanks brother. Going to see if Southwest flies there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 Just now, unforgiven said: Thanks brother. Going to see if Southwest flies there. It's its home base !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 Cool, stopped using Cabela's card and have been using the one from Southwest for air miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
392heminut Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 Rene, El Paso is 1&1/2 hours from my place and Southwest flies in and out of there. Just an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
392heminut Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 On 4/5/2017 at 11:09 PM, Matt.Cross said: Yeah Larry, that was unfair, the rest of us are midgets in comparison. I'm not really at an advantage with the long legs, Having to get my fat azz (not to mention the bad knees) up out of that chair was a slow process! BTW, I'm not a former IPSC shooter, I'm still active to certain extent. Just shot a match in El Paso today. Justice Brothers Matt is a badazz shooter! That guy could hold his own with any of the IPSC guys I shoot with! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 13 minutes ago, 392heminut said: Justice Brothers Matt is a badazz shooter! That guy could hold his own with any of the IPSC guys I shoot with! His first pistol run... DAMN! He snatched that thing up, had it loaded, had target acquisition and fired rounds SO FUCKING FAST!!!... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 2 hours ago, 392heminut said: Rene, El Paso is 1&1/2 hours from my place and Southwest flies in and out of there. Just an option. That is a solid option brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 How long did it take you to get to the knuckleheads in the desert ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 Well, IF you fly into El Paso/Juarez, Larry will have to drive from Deming EAST to get to Juarez, snatch your ass up, then start driving WEST again to get to us. Not by a couple miles, either. I remember my drives from Sierra Vista to El Paso being 305 miles. To the east. I now live 161 miles to the WEST of Sierra Vista. Y'all fuckers would be on the road for a minute... HOWEVER, if it's several bucks cheaper to fly there over flying to PHX, then it's worth it - since Larry has to drive his a$s over here anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DNP Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 San Diego is always an option. Even if I'm not going....just take the truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 Tucson is the other option. Jon,Blue and others are there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
392heminut Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 16 hours ago, 98Z5V said: Well, IF you fly into El Paso/Juarez, Larry will have to drive from Deming EAST to get to Juarez, snatch your ass up, then start driving WEST again to get to us. Who said we would be going straight to Arizona? I know a great place for a layover between El Paso and Phoenix! Dammit! I hate that we don't have the party dude with the beer mug emoticon anymore! Rene, I can get to Tom's in about 4&1/2 hours if the friggin wind isn't trying to put you in the ditch! (Not usually a problem in the fall.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt.Cross Posted April 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2017 Sorry for the delay, it's been a busy weekend! Saturday April 1st - Sunrise I slept pretty well Friday night, a byproduct of staying up late listening to tales of the glory days from the ancients gathered around the campfire. I was awake early, my body still on East Coast time, but didn't stir so as not to wake the ancients. However, one can only preoccupy oneself for so long before needing to be up and about. So I got up and dressed as quietly and inconspicuously as possible, took a leak, washed my hands and began preparing my gear for the day. Saturday was scheduled as long distance day and I prepared the faithful and legendary MA TEN for steel pummeling duty. After preliminary prep, I grabbed myself a cold Coke from the cooler for my morning caffeine infusion, and began patrolling the camp for stray items and trash from the preceding day. Still no signs of life from the rest of camp. And then it happened.... Understand that we had expended a great many rounds downrange on Friday, we were shooting pistol and rifle like it was going out of style... Between reloads/mag changes/malfunctions and other weapons manipulation, a few stray 5.56 rounds had failed to join their brethren downrange in the desert. I stumbled upon 4 such unfortunate rounds and was immediately filled with compassion and sympathy for their plight. I immediately dropped all else and loaded up a PMAG with the 4 strays and retrieved one of the Barbie builds from Tom's truck. Fate had smiled upon me with the solution to two problems at once; getting everyone awake, and sending those poor lonely rounds out for a rendezvous with their brethren. I chambered a round, set my sights on the 100yd gong, and let rip as quickly as I could regain a sight picture... BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!!!! Good morning desert dwellers! Up and at 'em, we are burning daylight! Saturday was awesome! A full day of sunrise-to-sunset shooting mayhem. We shot a little more pistol and carbine and shortly before midday, we walked out the steel gongs to 100 and 435 yards. Tom instituted and initiated the fine tradition of the 308 AR cactus huggers, setting a wonderful and enduring precedent which will undoubtedly become a staple of future events. We were literally becoming one with the desert, a real transcendental experience for sure, albeit with copious amounts of swearing. The day passed us by too quickly, and I had the immense pleasure of getting to shoot everyone else's gear in addition to mine, and managed to twist a few arms enough to get them to try out the MA TEN, which got very kind reviews by all. This 308 AR crew has some VERY NICE kit, it's just incredible the variety of applications and gear you can put your filthy mitts on at these shoots. Those of you who can never make it for whatever reason, have no idea how bad you are missing out. It's as much fun as you can have with both a hard-on and fully clothed. Speaking of fun, it didn't end at sunset... Crazy-ass Tom procured a couple LED flashlights and we propped them in front of the targets close enough to light the target, but not close enough to take backsplash damage. The sun had set and the moon and stars were out. We had a beautiful 1/3rd crescent moon and you could actually see your shadow by the natural light, so Tom and I hike out to make adjustments to the targets and lights after getting a preliminary peek from the shooting station. We made the 100yd target with no problems and headed towards the 435yd target to complete final adjustments before beginning the night shooting phase. I had noticed some small baby chollo cacti quite near the footpath during the day, but they were very visible during the daytime and easy to avoid, and I was paying attention during the day. Now, we're traveling the same path in the dead of night, albeit in fair light, but I wasn't paying enough attention and I unwittingly stepped on a tiny ball chollo near the path. So we're walking along, BS-ing and having a good time when suddenly I feel something like fangs bite my right leg, really hard, low on my calf. My brain screams "OH SHIT, SNAKE!", so I shake my leg hard, hoping to dislodge whatever hateful critter is fastened to my leg. Big mistake, the little fucker bites me again, harder, farther up my calf.... DAMNIT! Trying to dislodge this thing is only making it worse, and this thing is heading North, and the valuables are in that direction soooo.... "Tom, something has got me, right leg at the calf..." He cuts his light on and looks, there's a bright tan cute little fuzzy spiny ball cuddling my right calf 2/3rds to my knee. WTF? It looks like a sea urchin but we're in the fukkin' desert, what gives? Tom laughs and says, "Bro, you just got from fukked up by a chollo!!". That cute little fuzzy sweet looking thing is a cactus? Well, yes. Everything in the desert either has thorns, or teeth, or both. So, Tom whips out his knife, and scrapes off the offending chollo. After removing the more offensive spines imbedded in my leg, Tom commented on both the frightening paleness and hairiness of my leg, and we proceeded on to adjust the 435yd target. Targets in place and with a new story to relate, we returned to camp to spot our targets and employ our lit reticles. We proceeded to pummel steel at distance just as in the daylight, only in the middle of the night. IT.WAS.AWESOME!!!! In addition to the typical auditory feedback, the gongs cast sparks that you can see both through the scope and with your naked eye. Night shooting is a definite go for the fall shoot, you guys are going to love it! Saturday night was only barely beginning though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted April 10, 2017 Report Share Posted April 10, 2017 EXCELLENT WRITE UP, BROTHER!!! However, as you stated, Darkness was already upon us. With Darkness, comes Treachery... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt.Cross Posted April 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2017 Just now, 98Z5V said: EXCELLENT WRITE UP, BROTHER!!! However, as you stated, Darkness was already upon us. With Darkness, comes Treachery... ... and Treachery is drunk as a skunk!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted April 10, 2017 Report Share Posted April 10, 2017 Shooting in the dark! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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