Banana-seeds in Sharon and Strafford, VT

[Vermontagnard]

AK-47/74 operators: have point-blank to 375 yards with steel reactive in Sharon, VT, and another private range in Strafford, VT for a Combloc class. I'll post the training manual I put together for AF pax that deals exclusively with the AK-47.
400 yard range will be up by the end of the month.

Do a class, zero, AQT-it, then basic IADS on the AK-47 in case your 47 starts acting like my FAL, maybe more fun stuff since we have 300 acres to play on.

(I'd also bring bigger tools to get to know your real-world come ups at 100, 200, 300, and 400.)

Monty

straffordhills@yahoo.com

[BruceR]

How about opportunities for other shooters to use the reactive targets (M1, SKS, etc.)?

[Vermontagnard]

No problem...

Monty

[crak]

When?

[Nickle]

Seeing that RWVA has 5 Instructors in the local area, we might be able to work something on this.

Monty, I'd love to see some resolution to getting an AK platform to work effectively on a Full Ditance AQT course. I know it can be done, we've just got a bunch of issues to fine tune, and I see you're working on that.

[Vermontagnard]

Nickle:

I think the Arsenal AK's push the limits on quality and accuracy...we're airing out mine later today, but don't have a local source for the full distance AQT silhouettes...know anyone who stocks them in VT?

Crak:

Yeah, be fun to have some instructors come up, I've posted the technicals off the course I developed for our Afghans (its in original Engle-ish-daey, I didn't think anyone here could read Pashtu).

Monty

[Nickle]

Nickle:

I think the Arsenal AK's push the limits on quality and accuracy...we're airing out mine later today, but don't have a local source for the full distance AQT silhouettes...know anyone who stocks them in VT?

Crak:

Yeah, be fun to have some instructors come up, I've posted the technicals off the course I developed for our Afghans (its in original Engle-ish-daey, I didn't think anyone here could read Pashtu).

Monty

As a matter of fact, you just asked the right person. I've got a place in Winooski that will make them for us, and I've got the digital image. They charge about $2.40 each.

As you saw, I do have an AK that shoots under 4 MOA easily (Brad got a 4 MOA group with it). And that was with Albanian ammo, not the good stuff. Of course, it's a 7.62x54R AK.

[Vermontagnard]

Cool...send me the dude's details so when I go to Burlington I can pick up 25-30 for the upcoming Sharon stuff...

Monty

[Vermontagnard]

I was thinking a Banana-seed ('cause of all the BANANA clips) for 47s/74s/SKS variants for December 15-16, but the more I think about it those dates would be good for all-hands Appleseed to see how everybody performs in Vermont's more pleasant weather...and I'll have the 400 yard range done (I have to have it finished for training contracts, anyway, along with all the moving targets, and runners, pop-ups, etc.,which should be onsite in February.)

(Any deer season precludes the use of the Sharon site, though I think we could use the UVFG club in mid-Nov for a Banana-seed, or the Strafford site, which has a 25 meter.) UVFG is in Thetford Center, about 15 minutes from Sharon/Strafford.

Monty

[raf]

Sounds cool!

Is it Ok to bring my Mini-14? 

[Vermontagnard]

Sure...Mini-14s?...I used to have a pretty bad opinion of them, but have seen some real surprising groups out of them at UVFG.

mONTY

[crak]

Heh.  WHEN?!   

[Nickle]

(Any deer season precludes the use of the Sharon site, though I think we could use the UVFG club in mid-Nov for a Banana-seed, or the Strafford site, which has a 25 meter.) UVFG is in Thetford Center, about 15 minutes from Sharon/Strafford.

Monty

UVFG? The one that has 200 yards almost STRAIGHT up? Seriously, it's what 10 to 15 degrees?

Hey, we can think outside the box here. Do we want to do a Mini, or a Full Blown Appleseed there?

If I can make it, I'm in, if you want, either way we go.

And crak, be careful. Some of us up here are known for doing some outrageous stunts.

(Yes, I'm actuually considering getting a Carcano, just to prove a point.)

FWIW, my son's Father-in-Law lives in Ely. The guy with the big truck. I've known him since the 60's. ANd, I've hunted the past few years on the north end of Ely Mountain.

(For those of you that don't appreciate how small the area is there, Monty should be able to figure out exactly where my friend lives.)

[Vermontagnard]

I'm thinking...I'm thinking...if I drag Willard up here one more time he'll be divorced, and my new girlfriend that I've cultivated AFTER my separation/divorce will ditch me for an unarmed, sedate accountant with a Mini-14 (yes, you heard it right, though recently impressed I still assert having a Mini-14 - without another gun - means you're unarmed).

Hmmmmm...of course, Nickle, would want you up to handle it, need to give Crak enough lead time...

Let me start a new thread with particulars once I can insure the 400 is cleared and bermed, but yes UVFG would be a natural choice for a backup site...25 meters, and an uphill 100 and 200 AQT shoot...

Monty

[Nickle]

Take the thread over to the Northeast area, and we'll get better exposure to the folks in the area.

[Vermontagnard]

Will do...

Monty

[raf]

Sure...Mini-14s?...I used to have a pretty bad opinion of them, but have seen some real surprising groups out of them at UVFG.

mONTY

This partial turn-around on your part has me a little intrigued.  Can you provide some background on the Mini-14s' construction/alterations, the Ammo used, ranges at which used, and group size(s)?

[Vermontagnard]

Two dudes were using stainless ranch rifles, not sure how old, iron sights, 55 grain Rem ammo, groups at 100 never got bigger than about 2-3 inches, prone, no jams...

Monty

[Nickle]

Two dudes were using stainless ranch rifles, not sure how old, iron sights, 55 grain Rem ammo, groups at 100 never got bigger than about 2-3 inches, prone, no jams...

And shooting UPHILL. I was hoping one of the AK shooters at Jericho was going to shoot Rifleman. I'm told that would be a first. Now, I happen to know there was one "AK" (technically) there that is capable of easily shooting 4 MOA groups. It's going to have to get it's ammo tweaked.

Monty knows the gun, it was just to the left of him at Jericho.

[raf]

Two dudes were using stainless ranch rifles, not sure how old, iron sights, 55 grain Rem ammo, groups at 100 never got bigger than about 2-3 inches, prone, no jams...

Monty

Sounds like both the Minis and the shooters were doing their respective jobs pretty well.  Mine is tweaked a bit, and might shade that group a little using good (not Match) ammo.  Then again, I use a Scout scope on account of my age and eyes, so maybe the comparison is unfair.  I wonder how the shooters you witnessed would have done with decent optics.
As for jams/malfs, most of these with Minis are due to bad magazines, with most of the rest due to newbies not maintaining ther Mini properly.  Fortunately I was able to acquire a good supply of good mags way back when, and have learned how to maintain my Mini.

My old Colt AR will outshoot the Mini any day, but the Mini is not as bad as some say, especially if tweaked a little.

[Vermontagnard]

These guys were using thermold 30 rounders in their Mini's..seemed like a good combination...

[raf]

These guys were using thermold 30 rounders in their Mini's..seemed like a good combination...

That might date them as long-time Mini shooters who have figured things out if the shooters were north of 30 yrs old.  Maybe not.  Those mags haven't been available for a while AFAIK.  I've a half dozen or so, and they work well.
Generally I use stainless steel mags as the wear factor on the mags themselves is far less than on plastic mags, particularly on the front and rear anchor points of the mags.  Those two critical locations on plastic mags will wear, and wear faster than the feed lips.  On  good steel mags, the wear is negligible.

FWIW, the only two mags that I thought were GTG from the outset and which failed were Ruger 30-rd mags.  Worn springs, no doubt from age and use.  Tossed in NIB AR 30-rd springs, and all was well.  Moral:  Trust no mag until it's been tested, and remember that any mag can fail eventually.

Even got a couple of the 30/45 Thermolds as well.