Thread: 40th Birthday "Boys day" Shoot

Last Friday was the second in a row that hubby had off work and I made other plans. Too cool for school this one so I headed down to my familiar stomping grounds of Christchurch for a catch up with my best mate and a bit of fun down at the river.

As a glorified 'boy', I was invited to the exclusive shooting party of birthday boy, his good friend from the far north contingent of work and best man who now resides in Australia. We traveled far and wide and if you knew birthday boy you'd know it was worth it! That man has helped me through many a bad time and I don't think I am closer to a fellow brother at arms. Birthday boy is ex 10 Transport for those grunts out there.

Anyway I headed down on a familiar A320 and met my mate at the airport. Hugs and kisses all 'round and then I think we started to get excited about the next day's shooting. We hung around and picked up the dude from the far north and his (cough SUPER GRUMPY!) wife, dropped them at a hotel thank goodness then headed home for beers and birthday cake with the family. I enjoyed the home cooked meal by wifey who is about to pop with number three and entertained the boys to give mum and dad a break. Kids to bed then bigger kids to bed and off to the river in the morning.

Birthday boy aquired an old computer screen and keyboard that needed putting to rest so we packed up the ute with that as well as some wooden targets, water balloons, empty milk containers and some old clay bird discs. We trucked down to a cool spot at the river that was kind of like a natural range - a deep cut bank was our berm with a long flat bed of river rocks to choose different distance firing positions.

I'll be a little short with the details here but we had a great time firing most of the stuff from the armory (bar the M72 of course!) and I enjoyed playing the part of the 'dark horse'. I'm no sniper but with spending the last year attached to a 'Light, reliable, combat assault rifle.." I'd like to think I could probably hold my own. Just not when it comes to shooting hares though, eh Dundee...

So what would a yippee with some rifles be without a little healthy competition? I had kept my mouth shut about any experience of mid range shooting but birthday boy blabbed about my AWQ score on the way in. I think the guys forgot - talking up their game and almost already tasting the beers I would surely owe them. Needless to say the dark horse convincingly won our little 100m shoot competition, armed with the Tikka .308. That thing was sexy I must say! Just such a good looking rifle and combined with whatever scope was on it and of course the win I took out, it's got me adding to my christmas list fast.

All and all it was a good laugh. I was hounded all night at the birthday party about how I sniped a target the Aussie had called but was dicking around too much to actually shoot.

Birthday Boy: Oh Scotty, that last balloon, it's yours mate!
Scotty: Gererrrmmmmumblee errrr, where's the safety on this thing?
Dougie: Hmmm..
Scotty: Ah yup I think I got it, balloon here I com--
BANG.
Birthday Boy: Wr, Dougie? Did you just shoot Scotty's balloon? Jack bitch!!



The party was a hoot, I met about five people that I had a connection to some way or the other and I did get a few free beers out of it.

Here's to good friends, good shooting and good memories eh! Let's hope I make it to 40!

Fun

Sounds like a bit of a laugh Dougie Hope you didnt leave glass lying round from the screen

Tidy kiwis we are, leaving nothing but footprints...

I have yet to be emailed any pics from this past weekend's fun day (my camera broke!) but here's a little something in the mean time. These pics are from two different days at the range last year with Birthday Boy.

As with every range shoot and involving soldiers, a safety breif and titu with the weapons in the safety zone is a must before shooting!



Bushrat's cousin again, with .22 Pistol



The "lineup"



A different day, different part of the range. Buretta 9mm, my personal fav. (Please note all these pics were 'set up', ie no hearing or eye protection because we weren't shooting at the time )