Coleman by the target?

B

Boyd Allen

Active member
I went to the range today, and as I expected it was busier than usual because of the holiday. As the shadows grew longer, and it got a little too dark to shoot, I thought of some advice that I had given a friend who has a range on his parents' farm. I think that my next little project/experiment is to make a stand and shade for my old single mantle, liquid fuel Coleman lantern, so that I can put it out by a target, so that I can continue to shoot for another hour or so during the evening. The reason for doing this it that it is often just about totally calm at that time of day. I suppose that I may have to pick up a second one to use at the shooting and reloading tables, but that shouldn't be a problem. The reason for this post is to ask if any of you have any experience with this sort of thing, and suggestions as to how best to accomplish it.
 
I really hope you try it Boyd!! It works fine and you'll get to look through some cool mirage (not from the lantern)

As you know I can shoot 24-7 and I've basically given up on night shooting cuz of the gremlins...... and lighted wind flags doesn't get it, for me.

Some nights are just un-shootable. Some are like magic, and I have no idea'r how to tell them apart.

al
 
For the Coleman I would put it to the side, and a couple of feed in front so that heat waves would hopefully not cross the target image. The best approach for this light source would probably be some sort of reflector/shade that directed the light to the target, and blocked any direct view of the source from the shooting line. To that I might add an angled reflector on the opposite side of the target.

For a longer term project, I am very interested in LEDs with a wireless switch to save battery life. The time that I am thinking of shooting is the two hours that start as the shadows of the side berms fall across the range. During that time, when the wind has been light during the day, it drops to nothing. At another range, I did some 50 yd. rimfire shooting, with a 24x scope, right up to where I could no longer see well enough to aim. It was amazing. I was picking up gun handling errors, and seeing, unambiguous results when I corrected them. I figure that I will be shooting till 6:30 or 7:00 and then packing up. When you project this time frame onto summer daylight it does not seem so late, but in the winter is will be fully dark for some time. First thing, I will check on the shooting rules.
 
Sounds a lot like shooting indoors

I am thinking Air Density is the gremlin. should be tunable but I believe, is what makes us think there are "Conditions". Back some time ago someone put up a picture of a gauge race car tuners use for figuring out the tune for their cars at different times of the day or different weather conditions. The gauge showed air density. Air Density changes cause different resistances to bullets, making rifle tune changes necessary.
 
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It's like alinwa wrote

Some evenings are magic and some are despicable.

I've got these old stories that keep coming up pertinent. Once upon a time we were shooting 100yds at Long Creek north of Charlotte. The wind had been just HORRIBLE all day long and half inch plus targets were common. We lined up for the last target and Pete Williams declared "Commence Fire". It was as if he commanded the heavens 'cause the wind just completely stopped- no tail twitching, no flags creaking around...NADA. Everybody, including myself, took advantage of the situation and let fly. I shot two sighters that appeared as one and went to the record. First two shots same hole, third shot a half inch low, fourth shot back in the hole and the fifth went a half inch high for a BIG group. That may not be exactly how it went but I got the result correct. I was fairly put out with it and looked at the other targets expecting to see some really good ones. Relative to the others, I had a good target!

Since it was the last target, last relay, I left my rifle on the bags and walked out to gather flags while it was still daylight. The air was warm for a few steps and then cold for a few. Don't know the mechanism involved but not one of 20 rifles would shoot through those gradients.
 
Thanks to everyone for the input. Since this will definitely be for practice only, it will not be a major disaster if it does not work, but if I get some outstanding results some evening, I will know that everything is working, the temperature gradients are not there, and the gremlins have taken the evening off.
 
Dave Coots said:
Al

Ever had your flag tails "froze out" 20 degrees when the wind shut down towards evening? When the wind quits so do I. Them Gremlins dudes are everywhere.
Click to expand...

My surveyors tape tails used to do this..... now I use a probe and Hood flags with actual pivots and Sail Tails....and while the tails will get stiff it's nothing like surveyors ribbon!

Worst gremlins ever for me was moonlight over snow. Night before had been snowing picture perfect Christmas card flakes (quite possibly the best God's Own Windflag ever) and tuning guns was automatic, like dotting the target with a big ol' Magic Marker......and you could see the bullet trails, vortices and "turbulence" in the snow. Wonderful shooting. The night in question was cold and crystal clear. Gorgeous night to be shooting, I was all excited, and the bullets would just launch off in random directions like paper airplanes. I quit because I worried some might start coming back.

Luckily I quit before messing with my loads. I've wasted barrels this way on my old homerange.

All's Im saying is that night gremlins can be really messy. A local range here offers night shooting for 600yd practice and I've never taken them up on it because I can't imagine how I'd establish any baselines, I can't imagine how I'd establish whether or not the dispersion was me or the night beasties. At home I can grab up a known setup and shoot the 100 to baseline.

PISTOLS at night, and shooting clay pigeons can be a riot but BR stuff is iffy.

al
 
Same but different,I have a 1kva Honda generator that I sit of to the side of my target frame and I place a flood light on the ground out in front of the frame ,lights it up real nicely.


Regards Chris.
 
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