SmallCaliberCentral

Helicopters and large caliber select-fire weapons can be about the most fun you can have with a rifle, no doubt. One of my sons is a LE Rep for Glock, and recently attended the NW Snipers Challange here. He's a Gulf War I Vet, tactical and rabid vermin shooter (sandbox and here), and sent me this pic of him lifting off for a target pass as portside gunner.



Can you imagine having this much fun (as indicated by the grin) and actually getting paid to do it?

(He recently finished up his custom tactical 6.5-08 Ackley, and rang steel first shot, cold bore at 860 yds in a 15 - 20 mph full value crosswind yesterday just east of the house. Me proud.....the boy can shoot!)

No question you have good reason to be proud. Mine are 6 & 7 years old, hope I manage to raise them right as well.

Rick: Very cool! It's also worth mentioning that your son didn't end up here by accident. A very good teacher must have guided him along the way.

""cold bore at 860 yds in a 15 - 20 mph full value crosswind yesterday just east of the house. Me proud.....the boy can shoot!!""
Way to congrands to your boy.............must have your eyes and feel for the trigger!!! This shot was taken out of chooper?? If so he did very well dealing with rotor wash.
Nice pic.........thanks for sharing it with us.
Later
Ray P

Gotta love it.

BTW, Rich.I sent you a PM

Ray P wrote:cold bore at 860 yds in a 15 - 20 mph full value crosswind yesterday just east of the house. This shot was taken out of chooper??

Ray: No, the pic was taken at the Snipers Challenge, and the shot mentioned was taken here on the high desert. That would have been one heck of a shot out of a chopper!

Some of you older forum members may remember Dave from his outstanding ghillie suits he makes and were shown here a while back (well, he used to when he had time). Some of them got put to very good use 'over there'.

Thanks for the positive comments guys, I'll pass them along.

i would be worried about being recoiled out the other side of the helocopter.... boom .... aaaawwww !

Not to worry.....both port and starboad gunners wear extendable harnesses. Although you wouldn't want to light up a shoulder-fired .50BMG aboard without one! You may become a projectile yourself out the opposite door.......

Some of you may remember Dave's ghillies......this one was not made up for the area we were shooting, but it gives a good idea of what the lad comes up with:



They all make me proud.

Yup, I remember those ghillie suits. Nice pics and explanation Rick. Definitely something to be proud of along with "bragging rights" too.

Looks like fun.


Give him my best for what he did over there.
Our service members make it all possible to be safe at home, no doubt. Never can thank them ( and you ex-Military guys too) Enough.

GW#1? you are older than I thought Rick....lol



Allen

hemiallen wrote:GW#1? you are older than I thought Rick....lol Allen

Allen....yep, old indeed. The years have not been kind either. Between 'Nam, a plane crash, beaucoup bad street bike wrecks, more dirt bike crashes in the desert, this old body is purty shot-up but still tickin'! Dinosaurs were brand new when I was a kid....... But I can still shoot.

Sorry for the ignorance, but what is "GW#1"?

Sorry for the abbreviation


I was attempting Gulf War#1...=GW#1

Allen

Allen.....thanks for considering me still a pup, but considering all the grey you see in the pic below, know well that I earned all that grey! "My war" was a long time before Gulf War #1, which two of my sons served in, but still in another "s__t hole" of the world. Interesting how wars always seem to happen in those places, eh?



I much prefer sitting on my bench looking over a rodent-infested field, or crouching in a coyote blind any day. We are blessed to be able to pursue such pasttimes here in the US of A.

Looks like a blast Rick, and again, thank you and your 2 sons for your service.

I need to get those pictures of the shooting bench you sent me and build one, being a tech with shop tools I want to make my own ( probably 3) vs spending the cash, especially if you don't get a cut on them anymore.

I made a 3 legged top using 1 1/2" pipe on a shaped 4'x4' 1 1/8" plywood top, under the tractor lean alongside the shop, built a angled trap with , ahemmm, bulletproof steel at the back ( think Hui trap floor panels) and can get 150 yds on my property, the pipe bench is pretty stable but not nearly as portable as your collapsing design.


My FIL almost has the benchrest modified cases for the Rem 700 VS 204 I "gave" him to ring out for me, in anticipation of a spring nor cal squirrel shoot, dammed MDS ( very like Leukemia) is hammering him every 3 or so months. At 75 he is thankful for what he has, but too tight to buy a cooper , no time for a custom, and I gave him the VS to MAKE him reload and have fun again. Spoiled him with a Jewell.....lol, 8 oz is light enough for him until he gets range time.


Sorry for the hijack, I usually don't post but jump on posts.


Thanks Rick
Allen

Rick, I always figured you were quite a bit younger than me, and still may be , until I saw the picture of your son getting ready to have all that fun...

Considering the damage you've done to yourself over the years, sitting on a bench and shooting little targets may be the best therapy... ...Have you ever been diagnosed with being accident prone??

I'm just kidding...I'm pretty beat up myself, especially on the inside...Too many years chasing little crack dealers and bad guys that carry big guns, that fortunately didn't know how to shoot straight...