Hot Silhouette in South Oz

[Outback Mick]

Hello All,
I suppose some of you good folk have been watching the weather lately and noticed that the poor souls (me included) confined to South Australia & Adelaide environs have been copping a bit of a hiding with some heat. Not that I mind a bit of warm weather but it is hard to focus on silhouettes when the sweat keeps running down into your eyes. Another minus is the fact that your poor old barrel is just as hot when you start your next detail as when you finished your last one half an hour before. Not to mention the burns from standing black targets that have been knocked over onto the parched earth and been superheated by old sol, I have now learnt to carry a pair of gloves, which saddens me greatly as the wearing of gloves for manual labour always brings the phrase "blouse" to my mind, maybe my hands are getting soft. As the Viscount of Kent would say "take a spoonful of cement and harden the f*#&k up".

The good news was that I couldn't find any significant change in my rifles points of impact at the various targets, that is with the .375 and the .32/20. I was quite surprised by this as I expected, particularly with the .375 at the longer ranges to have to make some minor changes to sight settings, not so.

I would think our very good Australian smokeless powders have much to do with this as they are double based and show very little change through a great variety of temperatures. They were designed for these conditions.

I would like to point out that at my last 4 shoots the temperature has been between 40 & 45 degrees celcius (for those working by the old scale 37-38C is about 100F). Ground temperatures obviously would have been much higher.

Adds up to good training for Whittington I imagine?

Regards to all
Outback Mick

[Jason]

I don't think I've ever been included when it came to "good folk" but I know that 40 degrees Celsius is the same as 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and 45C is 113F. Just based on that, I'd have to doubt the sanity of anyone who'd stand out and shoot silhouette when it was 113F. I love to shoot and all, but that's just crazy. I'm from the southern U.S., and even though that's still a fair bit north of southern Australia, I've had to deal with a lot of weather with 90+ degrees F and 90+ % humidity. Even with that seasoning, I'd hope I'd have better sense than to be trying to pick up black targets in the summer sun in 110+ F weather. Don't you boys have any white paint over there?

[Taps]

Hey Mick , you should have been over here in Central West NSW last Sunday , 49 degrees C ! Don't know what it would have been like shooting outside on the range but it was a good day to sit inside and drink beer ! Pity you aren't coming over for the True Grit Shoot , it should be a good weekend.

[Bear]

Hi all

Outback Mick I would have prefered to be shooting then putting new mounds in behind targets & painting our new CB smallbore targets in 40+C (105F) preparing range for the True Grit shoot next weekend.
Are you & the Ex Pom coming over?

Bear

[Bob259]

At 105+ I would be at Bondi or Manley beach taking in the sights

There is also that nice pub, not sure of the name now, right across the street from the Manley beach that you still can partake of the sights and have a cold one as well Ahhhh the memories

[Innocent]

Bob259...what is wrong with taking in the sights at the ranges up north in the fall?

Innocent

[Bob259]

Bob259...what is wrong with taking in the sights at the ranges up north in the fall?

Innocent

Nothing, if you an Eskimo... or it reminds me of when I was working for NASCAR, one of my inspector friends said when we were at the Watkins Glen race, "man you have big women up here don't you..." I said well so do you in NC and the South, He siad "yes that's a fact, but our women are good looking.... can't say that about your northern ones"

[the butcher]

Gday Mick,
How are your scores coming along ? Personally I think blistered hands from picking up hot targets would be preferable to the bagging you are sure to get from The Viscount for using gloves, though given the sizable shadow he casts on a hot day having him within sledgeing distance might not be so bad.
The Butcher.

[Outback Mick]

Back again,
Yes it doesn't hurt to be a little keen when the weather turns warmish. Keep in mind a few of us are trying to prepare for the NRA Nats, so we should be keen.

Just to address Jason's reply, white painted silhouettes at Para Range in Adelaide are to hard to focus on as they face north and in high sun they are too bright and merge into the backstops far to much. White is only of benefit during the morning and most of our shoots start after midday. Black it has to be. For our northern friends just remember our sun is in the northern sky, all the time.
I'll also add that the Ex Pom, myself and another hapless fool did adjurn to the nearest tavern for a quiet ale after we were done, in other words we are not quite as silly as we sound. (Left myself wide open there, we'll see what happens.)

For the butchers interest, scores are going well. All three cowboys are into the 30 to 35 area. Fairly happy with progress so far keeping in mind that I have only been back on the firing line for 13 months after 5 years away. It is lucky with my seasonal work that I have the time to fool around - with rifles.
I have seen the Ex Pom with gloves on, not quite the fashion statement that Michael Jackson pioneered but some things can't be helped. Funny you should mention casting a shadow, it never seems to be anywhere near me when I'm setting targets. Actually this is a blessing in the heat as due to water restrictions in the McCarthy household the Ex Pom can get a bit on the nose....

Regards
Outback Mick