Southern Arizona Blogshoot - Update

OK, here's what we have:

ExurbanKevin and I are setting up a completely informal get-together of bloggers, message board members, and readers. We did this last year and had a very good time. I want this one to be bigger. The weather should be beautiful.

Date: Saturday, November 6, 2010
Time: 7:00AM 'till ?
Location: Elsy Pearson Public Shooting Range, Casa Grande, AZ, just off of I-8, just West of the I-10/I-8 interchange.

The Elsy Pearson Public Range has three areas with shooting benches and sun shades. There is a 100 yard range, a 300 yard range, and a 25 yard range. There's also a bigass rock outcropping on the side of the mountain about 600 yards downrange if you want something to bounce bullets off of. The city of Casa Grande has finally seen fit to equip the range with a Porta-pottie, but there still isn't any running water. Everyone needs to bring lots of fluids, if nothing else. Oh, and sunscreen. It may be cool, but the UV count is still high.

The range is unattended. We are expected to behave ourselves and clean up afterward. The site is posted "Absolutely No Explosives," so no Tannerite on site, and no exploding targets of any kind. Sorry. They don't like .50BMG at the range, but I've seen people shooting them there and so far as I know, no one has complained.

The same cannot be said for Tannerite.

Full auto, on the other hand, is A-OK. (Just have your paperwork. The police range is about 400 yards away.)

There are concrete shooting benches, but no chairs. Bring your own. The shooting area is fenced, so no vehicles downrange. If your stuff is heavy, bring a cart that'll fit through a 3' man-gate. (I have to get one of those.)

I plan on bringing my tables and bowling pins and setting up for pin shooting on the 25 yard range - no charge, just come shoot. I have my steel plates (9" x 11" x 1" AR500 armor - they'll stop a .50) and I'll be bringing a few of those for people to shoot at. (That's why I need a cart. Those mothers weigh 35 lbs each!) I'll bring some other things to play with, too.

The range HAS NO TARGET STANDS. Bring something to put your targets on. The ground is about as hard as concrete, so the cheap-ass wire frames you're supposed to stick in the ground? Uh-uh. My stand is made of 2" PVC pipe and 2x2 lumber. Other people just bring big cardboard boxes they set on the ground, or their own target stands that just sit on the surface. Whatever works for you.

Oh, NO GLASS. If you want to shoot something that breaks, I'll be bringing some clay pigeons.

We're planning on lunch at the range. I'm going to bring a small gas-fired grill and some burgers 'n fixin's, I encourage others to do the same. Sharing is fun! (Please don't share salmonella.)

Bear in mind, this is a public range. Other people not associated with this shoot will be there, too.

Please do plan on coming. See you Saturday!

Oh, and BTW, aside from some short posts this week, I won't be blogging much. I need to load some ammo for the shoot.