This is at least worth a good laugh. I headed back to a shooting site in up in Roosevelt National Forest on Wednesday. I found it Sunday (See post here: http://www.network54.com/Forum/583200/message/1216788184/Trip+to+Roosevelt+National+Forrest), but couldn't stay long. As I got closer to the mountains, the clouds got darker and darker.
?t=1217042024

Sunday it had rained at the site, but the ground was barely wet and the clouds had passed over in monutes, so I figured it would be the same today. When I reached the site, about 15mi NW of Boulder, CO, the sun was coming back out and sure enough the clouds were again moving on. There was thunder in the distance, but no nearby threat.
?t=1217042435

So I set up my targets, this time about 20, 25 and 30 yds. Field target silhouetts spread on the ground instead of on the resettable platform.
?t=1217042679

In addition to the 850 (.22) and 2250XT, I brought along my new Umarex .45 lookalike and several mags of various .177 pellets to experiment with, as I'm still doing with the 850.
?t=1217042971

Most of my shooting has been at very short ranges, except when I go to a local (mostly) trap range with a narrow small-bore lane that extends out to 100yd, but most of my shooting has been plinking at no greater than 50yd. The lane is fenced and confining and the ground has no features. This spot in the mountains (Alt 8020ft) has a variety of terrain and plenty of wind, so I'm looking forward to getting good practice.
?t=1217043854

After setting up my shooting position, I was able to fire off only 4 shots at the field targets, when a storm blew in and within a minute or two it was pouring. After gathering up everything and putting it in the car, I ate lunch and waited for a half hour, but no luck. It continued to pour with lots of lightning.

So, I headed back down and stopped at a few places to take pictures. I thought, maybe I should take up fishing, but even the fishermen had gone home.
?t=1217044645

?t=1217044752

?t=1217044854

It's the monsoon season, but its been very dry for months, and a long time since we saw rain like that on the Front Range.
?t=1217046433

Hope you enjoyed the photos, and hope my story provides some consolation for anyone who has had a shooting trip ruined by weather.

Bob

Being from the northeast I never see such beautifully rugged scenery. Thanks for the views, Bob.

Thanks, Codger. I'm glad you enjoyed them. I have gained so much from this forum that I hope I can make a contribution of some sort, even if it's only photos. I'm new to shooting, and I hope my attempts to get up to speed and learn the capabilities of the 850 are of benefit to other newcomers. We can't all be pros like you and the others who post here.

We've only lived here 4yrs. We lived and worked in the Balto/Washington urban corridor. Congested, and shooting sports are largely frowned upon, hiking was fun there, but compared to here very limited. We get homesick and go back frequently, but it only takes a day or two before we start missing Colorado. As you can see from the last picture above, the Front Range is filling up fast. The I-25 corridor will soon be like I-95. Real shame.

I had a great day today, found a new shooting area. Had to share it with powder burners, but there was plenty of room to spread out. I'll do a post on it soon. Used my 850 and my new Colt .45/.177, and had some results folks here may find interesting.

For now, here's a few more photos of the terrain for you.

Looking SW from the new site, 8,100ft Alt.


Another SW view from an overlook near the site.


Looking W toward the Indian Peaks Wilderness area and the Continental Divide. Still with some snow, the Indian Peaks are 12,000ft. (In the first set of photos from Wednesday, the twin-peaked mountain is 14,000ft Long's Peak.)


Final one is a hogback, part of a chain that marks the eastern side of the Front Range where the plains begin.

Hope you enjoyed the views.

Bob, the views are outstanding. I would want to climb the hogback just out of curiosity if were there. Thanks again.

It was my pleasure. I know what you mean. I hike the trails whenever I can. You might notice the signs and prepared walkway in the last pic. It's a Boulder County park. The trail winds up behind the hogback, but I don't know whether you can get to the top.

Wow what a nice place!
I like that range you set up too.... and the farm yard you made with the animal  targets
I really envy you guys whit all that space out there to go and play in.
Thanks very much for sharing the story and pics.

The 850 Store

I felt the same thing when I saw some of your photos with your (or someone's) great backyard range with targets at various distances, and the other home ranges posted on the forum. Interesting how the grass looks greener elsewhere. I don't have a yard, now!!! To do any distance shooting I had to find a private range, and the small bore lane is samll.

I thought you guys in texas had all the luck. Seeing the endless vistas posted recently by Peleteer and Rich Woods (BLM and WMA lands) gave me the idea to see if any of the Fed. land in CO is available for target practice. We have BLM land, but it's a long drive. Turns out shooting is allowed in national forests, but there are so many other users, hikers, bikers, ORV users, campers, etc. that it's harder than it looks to find a safe place. The Feds have closed a couple of popular shooting sites because the shooters were careless, littered the places, shot up the trees, and hikers and campers complained about stray bullets. Much of the land near the roads is privately owned, so you can't just walk onto it and set up, or it's been acquired by local govt. and turned into parkland where guns are forbidden.

But it is beautiful out here, no question, and just looking at the heights makes me, like Codger, want to climb them. I spoke to the RNF rangers and got some ideas for locations where I can set up safely, so yes, I feel very fortunate to be able to enjoy the outdoors and this great hobby at the same time. I'd still like to explore some of those vast Texas ranges, though.