Homestead Range This Week/Weekend

[czechm8]

Hi All,

I know it's a little late and hunting season's already underway. I'm a new/novice hunter and will be joining my father-in-law for a deer hunt in BC in a couple weeks. Just got my PAL and finished my AHEIA hunters education course this fall. I was hoping to make a range trip before the hunt to learn some rifle shooting basics and get comfortable with it so I can make a clean & humane kill, but don't yet have a rifle (waiting until after the first season).

I was wondering if anybody is going to the Homestead rifle range near Calgary some time in the next week, and if I could make a deal to come join.

Thanks,
John

[Dick284]

I'm afraid that a single trip to the range isn't going to do you much good.

Being that you are new at this, it is my opinion that a summer's worth of range time is far more critical to being able to take game in the manner you speak of.

Trigger time, trigger time, more trigger time.
Even with a .22rimfire!

[FallAirFever]

Originally Posted by Dick284

I'm afraid that a single trip to the range isn't going to do you much good.

Being that you are new at this, it is my opinion that a summer's worth of range time is far more critical to being able to take game in the manner you speak of.

Trigger time, trigger time, more trigger time.
Even with a .22rimfire!

As well going to Homestead range this time of year will more than likely be a complete gong show with way more shooters than benches. Many of those shooters will have less than textbook safety standards, the actions of some shooters there make me feel nervous at the best of time to down right scared at the best of times. I dont go anymore. Way too many times of having firearms played with at the line while down range changing targets only to be scoffed at and told "no big deal its not loaded" when I have asked people not to do it.

Good luck to you I do hope you can find someone to take you out and get some trigger time safely.

[czechm8]

Thanks for the info! I think that would make me nervous as well. I don't have much of a choice at this point though, the timeline was pretty tight for this year just getting my PAL in time. I figure any trigger time would be better than nothing at this point.

[Icatchfish]

last time i was at homestead i had an 8 year old point his rifle at me. so you might wanna skip that place.

go to the shooting edge in calgary, pay the fee for a day pass and rent yourself a rifle and do a little practice, its a 50 yard range which is not ideal but at this stage you need as much trigger time as you could.

buy yourself a cheap 22LR rifle to practice shouldering the rifle and target acquisition. its preferable to get a 22lr that has the same action as the hunting rifle you will be using. so if you are hunting with a bolt action then get a bolt action 22lr

good luck

[Spartikus]

Just my 2 cents but I have been shooting at Homestead for a couple years now. I set a clear safety expectation when I arrive by ensuring all range safety protocols are followed. It has been my experience that is you set a strong example others follow. When someone doesn't follow the rules have a talk with them. Range safety isn't a joke it can be about your life or someone elses. Remember that unfortunately the same people scoffing at you at the firing line may very well be the idiots shooting at you during hunting season because they don't ID their targets. I'd rather talk to them at the range and remind them of the safety regs.

If they are really truely a problem get their license plate and report them to the RCMP.

As far as your trigger time goes.. Just to put it in perspective I just completed my PAL last summer. I bought my first hunting rifle, a nice little .270win then. I have put about 100 rounds down it over the last year and a half and I am thinking I might be ready to go out on my first hunt next season.

The way I look at it, if you can't dial your gun in to MOA at 100 yds under ideal conditions it would be very inappropriate to go out into the woods and potentially injure an animal and have it escape wounded due to bad shot placement or excitement. Not saying you would do that or that you aren't a great shot, just my opinion that you want to be very confident in your ability with your choosen weapon before heading out the door to shoot something. As an example, a co-worker is a decent shot at the range, went on his first hunt, sighted his first buck, pulled the trigger.. miss... lined it up again as it froze, miss again.. Came across another deer later that day.. miss... I wasn't with him at the time but it certainly reminds us why rushing out on the hunt with an unproven weapon (He was shooting his friends rifle he had not shot before in a calibre he hadn't fired and didn't know the characteristics of the trajectory etc) is bad karma

Good luck on your hunt.

PS: Safety is always job one and the guys are right the $50 to to go one of the local calgary ranges is ideal if you are not comfortable taking control at the public range.

PPS: Aside from my ~100 rounds of .270 on my hunting rifle I have shot over 1000 rounds of .22 cal, 500+ rounds of 7.62x39 and probably close to 1000 rounds of shotgun. It really is about trigger time and feeling confident in bullet trajectory. Good luck!

[JWCalgary]

You don't need to go to homestead to shoot. your crown land is all along the mountains and perhaps a little safer after hearing many terrible stories about that range. Go out, set-up some targets and practice away. Land ownership maps are available at Maptown downtown calgary

note: it is hunting season, other hunters would find it dis-courteous if you were in their/our hunting areas blazing away.

Be safe, watch your background.
Cheers

[czechm8]

Thanks for the tip JW. The reason I was initially thinking Homestead was because I don't own my own rifle and will be borrowing one in BC before the hunt (so I was originally trying to find someone to join who I could exchange ammo for some time with their firearm). Change of plans though as I just so happened to borrow a rifle off a friend last minute, so now I could do crown land.

Do you have any recommendations for areas near Calgary where the terrain is well set-up for shooting (natural backstop)?