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Thunder Valley precision

Thank you, I will do that. I'm retired...so I can do mid-week when ranges and personnel are often more available.

Thanks...really enjoyed reading this thread. And wow, that place is really nice.

I have a pretty flexible work schedule so if you end up coming mid-week, shoot me a PM and if I dont have something with the kid, I might join. I'm only 90mins or so away.
 
YI'm between Baltimore and DC....just drive out 270 to 70 to Ohio. Google says its 384 miles...so maybe even a bit less then 7 hours. I can do up to 10 hours . More and I will need a crane to stand me and this lousy lumbar standing back up! haha
Easy money in a good car

You in Ohio? I was born in Pittsburgh but that was a very long time ago.
Yup, near Dayton

I too am flexible in my work hours plus I have plenty of vacation time every year. If you do come, let me know as well.
 
I have a pretty flexible work schedule so if you end up coming mid-week, shoot me a PM and if I dont have something with the kid, I might join. I'm only 90mins or so away.

Easy money in a good car

Yup, near Dayton

I too am flexible in my work hours plus I have plenty of vacation time every year. If you do come, let me know as well.
Thanks guys. Absolutely will and I VERY much appreciate the offer.

@308pirate - I suspect we might actually get along well if we met.....two old grumpy curmudgeons !!! ;-) haha

@Gustav7 - I took your advise and sent an email to get on their mailing list and to inquire as to the structure of the training that they offer. I would be certainly up for something like that in the spring....late Apr/early May sort of thing.

Again, thank you both for reaching out to me.

Cheers
 
They're currently working on a, I believe 2200yd range as well. (maybe longer)

At our last ELR match we shot 1768 Steel, 1768 Paper, and then steel at 2233, 2336, and 2444. The new pavilion is angled more that way...but I don't know if any ole Joe Blow would be able to just show up and shoot to 2400yds....but I could be wrong.
 
I'm between Baltimore and DC....just drive out 270 to 70 to Ohio. Google says its 384 miles...so maybe even a bit less then 7 hours. I can do up to 10 hours . More and I will need a crane to get me and this lousy lumbar standing back up! haha

I am in NoVa (Fairfax). I did the drive in 5.5hrs. It was such we easy and beautiful so I would think it would be similar for you.
Do you ever shoot at Peacemaker?
 
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I am in NoVa (Fairfax). I did the drive in 5.5hrs. It was such we easy and beautiful so I would think it would be similar for you.
Do you ever shoot at Peacemaker?
No, haven’t been up there yet.
 
Depends on where the steel is placed on the berm, it can be a little shy of 1000 yards. There are clays between the backer boards that are 1000 yards.
Thanks. Going to do some rain shooting today there. First time I’ve been out in 3 years. Pumped.
 
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I'll be there today. I drive a 2012 black Tahoe.
Nice meeting you today. Too bad the fog didn’t let up, couldn’t see much past 600yds most of the time if that. I drove the Tacoma and was shooting prone most of the time. See you next time, with better weather I sure hope!
 
Hi all,
I was happy to find this thread. TVP is my new favorite place. lol
First trip up there from Cincy was last year and I absolutely fell in love with it. Its such a great place where you're surrounded by great people.

I took the 5.56 up there the first time and was getting on at 700. It was tough to get there but once I got there with some help from Dave I was able to get pretty consistent hits.

I went home and after a bunch of research put together a 6mm ARC. Took it out and was getting on at 1000 with factory loads. Played around with 1100 a little but ran out of time.
I went home and after some research I have my reloading setup pretty well ironed out and a good load worked up for the 6 Arc. Just waiting for the opportunity to try out the new loads at 1000-1200.

I'm currently researching a 300 PRC build. I want a piece of that 1760. :D

I may be developing a habit. lol
 
Standing room only this morning! The unicorn hat was definitely needed!
View attachment 7339532
I love this place, and you had to have me move to take that picture. One of my two shooting matts is in the bottom right corner. Cadex put the target hit indicators at a mile which made it easier to spot hits, and if I dug around I might have a couple videos from that day. Hope to be back a couple times this year to ring more steel.
PXL_20201017_134910256_2.jpg
 
Is the 2400/2500 open to the public or just for matches? Heading back out soon.
 
the 2000, 2200, 2300 and 2400 targets were not up yesterday. Tom has some cows in that pasture. They most likely won't go back up until the next ELR match. The winds yesterday were squirrely....so the 18" at one mile gave me enough issues that I wasn't bored.

Saturday is the GBA benchrest event....just in case you were thinking of shooting that day....we'll probably have the place until 3pm or so. I'll be shooting 1k Tactical and 1 mile events. Hopefully it is a beautiful day.
 
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Was just looking at the weather forecast and my schedule and it might be time for a trip this Saturday. Just tossing the idea around at the moment.
 
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Anyone here signed up for the ELR on 5/15?
 
I'm signed up....and have talked to several people at other events that intend to be there as well.
 
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I am signed up, can't wait!!
 
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Just a FYI I’m shooting a 6.5 CM w laser guided bullets, I will probably still miss w that Ohio 3 directional wind 😂😂😂
 
You guys make sure you say HI...I'll be the only person there with a camo painted scope most likely. I'm bringing my 75yr old dad just to hang out with and talk between stages.
 
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4 Hide members going now? Would be nice to put a faces behind the screen names!

I will be sporting a Surgeon, AIAX, Tangent.
 
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Congratulations to b2lee on the win, great shooting !! Match was a great time and met some good guys! It was nice putting some faces and names together. I will definitely be attending the next two matches thunder valley will have .
 
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I am in NoVa (Fairfax). I did the drive in 5.5hrs. It was such we easy and beautiful so I would think it would be similar for you.
Do you ever shoot at Peacemaker?
I'm in Loudoun, and up at Peacemaker a bunch.
I'm between Baltimore and DC....just drive out 270 to 70 to Ohio. Google says its 384 miles...so maybe even a bit less then 7 hours. I can do up to 10 hours . More and I will need a crane to get me and this lousy lumbar standing back up! haha

You guys might want to come down and check out Black Bear Shooting Club in Gladstone, VA. Targets out to 2100 now and work is being done to open up a 3000 yard lane too. Just going to take a chainsaw party to make that happen so we hope to have that opened up for the next Unholy Alliance match.

I'm a bit south of Richmond so it is a pretty easy drive for me, but it is the longest range anywhere near us by a good margin.

-Alex
 
You guys might want to come down and check out Black Bear Shooting Club in Gladstone, VA. Targets out to 2100 now and work is being done to open up a 3000 yard lane too. Just going to take a chainsaw party to make that happen so we hope to have that opened up for the next Unholy Alliance match.

I'm a bit south of Richmond so it is a pretty easy drive for me, but it is the longest range anywhere near us by a good margin.

-Alex

I drove 8hrs from KY for the Last Unholy Alliance...and that facility has to be on everyone's bucket list to shoot at. Absolutely stunning.
 
Can you shoot 2100 at Black bear anytime or just match days? I need a spot for load testing 😂
 
Can you shoot 2100 at Black bear anytime or just match days? I need a spot for load testing 😂
Its always open for 2000. If you head over to the next firing point it is actually 2085 which is why we ended up on the road. Pretty sure that firing point is finished now and can be used whenever people want. If you absolutely need 2100, Sam will probably close the road for you to shoot it for a bit if you ask ahead of time.

-Alex
 
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Congratulations to b2lee on the win, great shooting !! Match was a great time and met some good guys! It was nice putting some faces and names together. I will definitely be attending the next two matches thunder valley will have .


Thanks man,

I enjoyed my day with my dad watching. I did notice a few things and I think a few things can help you guys.

1. The wind at TVP is a mystery. You can have 15mph at shooters position and the opposite at target...with 5 wind changes in the flight path. When shooting at TVP you have to kinda discount the wind offset that your ballistic calculator is giving you. Take the 2333yd target. Everyone was dialing WAY too much wind. They were putting in 3-4 mils of wind. I dialed 0.5 Mils of wind....in the OPPOSITE direction and made a first round impact after sitting around for an hour. Was it luck?...probably...but the other 4 shots were very close and most of my misses all day were slight variations in wind direction change that you simply can't read very well at that distance...but atleast I was generally close if I wasn't hitting.

2. Once you see your miss hit in the dirt...or if you don't and the spotter is giving you a correction...you should be ready to squeeze the next shot off. If the spotter gives you a 0.2 up....right point 5....as soon as he says point 5...you should be squeezing the trigger. If you wait more than a second...that wind call is wrong....useless...time to go back to zero dope on target. If you noticed on the paper stage...even though I was hand feeding those non-mag friendly rounds...I shot extremely quicky. I shot 5x faster than anyone else. You have to get it while the getting is good. On the 2236yd target...when the LED went off...to me it was an ETERNITY waiting on the LED to stop flashing so I could send the next round. Those two hits almost looked like one continuous flash on the LEDs. So....shoot faster.

3. Wait? I gotta get on target and get my hold correct...I can't just shoot fast to be shooting fast.....and yes...you are correct. So, get your fundamentals dialed to where when that recoil rocks you...the scope stays on...or comes back on target quickly. You should be able to spot for yourself...you should be able to get back to your hold and ready to send another in like 2-3 seconds....no...seriously. How do you achieve that?

4. A lot of us have a problem with Sympathetic Squeeze. I believe @lowlight did some lessons or podcasts on this subject. I have it, you may or may not have it. When I'm squeezing that rear bag and I'm squeezing that trigger...I tend to sympathetically squeeze the bag more...thus raising the rear bag and sending one in the dirt. I've done it way too many times to admit. I have practiced dry firing with focus on this problem . I have mitigated this problem somewhat...but I found, personally, the easiest remedy for the problem was installing an ABR...aka the Adjustable Bag Rider from Long Shot Precision. I couple this with a Phoenix Precision Bi-pod and joy oh joy...I can shoot with the big boys. The Phoenix allows me to quickly set coarse adjustments for height when I go from say 1k to 1 mile. The ABR allows me to fine tune the hold, very quickly and precisely. When used with a heavy sand bag...I could hold that plate at 2444 shot after shot with no problems of returning on target. Even though that target is 36" and looks like a postage stamp at 27x, I could easily keep my hold on that target precisely each and every time.

So, if you are shooting against me at a place where the terrain allows me to use a Phoenix with an ABR...and you aren't using an ABR....you are giving me an insane advantage. You can be a better shooter than me...using better equipment than me....and utilizing a better ballistics platform than me....and I should still hang or beat you....that's how good the system works together.

5. Don't use factory ammo ;)

I hope you guys had as much fun as I did.
 
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Thanks man,

I enjoyed my day with my dad watching. I did notice a few things and I think a few things can help you guys.

1. The wind at TVP is a mystery. You can have 15mph at shooters position and the opposite at target...with 5 wind changes in the flight path. When shooting at TVP you have to kinda discount the wind offset that your ballistic calculator is giving you. Take the 2333yd target. Everyone was dialing WAY too much wind. They were putting in 3-4 mils of wind. I dialed 0.5 Mils of wind....in the OPPOSITE direction and made a first round impact after sitting around for an hour. Was it luck?...probably...but the other 4 shots were very close and most of my misses all day were slight variations in wind direction change that you simply can't read very well at that distance...but atleast I was generally close if I wasn't hitting.

2. Once you see your miss hit in the dirt...or if you don't and the spotter is giving you a correction...you should be ready to squeeze the next shot off. If the spotter gives you a 0.2 up....right point 5....as soon as he says point 5...you should be squeezing the trigger. If you wait more than a second...that wind call is wrong....useless...time to go back to zero dope on target. If you noticed on the paper stage...even though I was hand feeding those non-mag friendly rounds...I shot extremely quicky. I shot 5x faster than anyone else. You have to get it while the getting is good. On the 2236yd target...when the LED went off...to me it was an ETERNITY waiting on the LED to stop flashing so I could send the next round. Those two hits almost looked like one continuous flash on the LEDs. So....shoot faster.

3. Wait? I gotta get on target and get my hold correct...I can't just shoot fast to be shooting fast.....and yes...you are correct. So, get your fundamentals dialed to where when that recoil rocks you...the scope stays on...or comes back on target quickly. You should be able to spot for yourself...you should be able to get back to your hold and ready to send another in like 2-3 seconds....no...seriously. How do you achieve that?

4. A lot of us have a problem with Sympathetic Squeeze. I believe @lowlight did some lessons or podcasts on this subject. I have it, you may or may not have it. When I'm squeezing that rear bag and I'm squeezing that trigger...I tend to sympathetically squeeze the bag more...thus raising the rear bag and sending one in the dirt. I've done it way too many times to admit. I have practiced dry firing with focus on this problem . I have mitigated this problem somewhat...but I found, personally, the easiest remedy for the problem was installing an ABR...aka the Adjustable Bag Rider from Long Shot Precision. I couple this with a Phoenix Precision Bi-pod and joy oh joy...I can shoot with the big boys. The Phoenix allows me to quickly set coarse adjustments for height when I go from say 1k to 1 mile. The ABR allows me to fine tune the hold, very quickly and precisely. When used with a heavy sand bag...I could hold that plate at 2444 shot after shot with no problems of returning on target. Even though that target is 36" and looks like a postage stamp at 27x, I could easily keep my hold on that target precisely each and every time.

So, if you are shooting against me at a place where the terrain allows me to use a Phoenix with an ABR...and you aren't using an ABR....you are giving me an insane advantage. You can be a better shooter than me...using better equipment than me....and utilizing a better ballistics platform than me....and I should still hang or beat you....that's how good the system works together.

5. Don't use factory ammo ;)

I hope you guys had as much fun as I did.
Thanks I appreciate any input as that’s my first ELR match . The winds can be very deceiving and that’s one thing I noticed was people using to much hold with wind. I felt the 2236 was the most difficult with the wind. At 2333 I had four impacts off the right side. I was thankful to connect one at 2444 ( now my current longest hit!). I was holding 6 MOA of wind on that shot. As far as a adjustable bag rider , I’ll have one soon. The guy I got my chassis from is designing one to use it! I do reload my ammo but the guy that came with me was shooting factory ammo out of a ammo box. I told him he was going to catch all kinds of shit if he shows up with a factory ammo box . Overall it was a great experience , and have lots to learn! Definitely will be doing a few things differently next one!
 
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You guys might want to come down and check out Black Bear Shooting Club in Gladstone, VA. Targets out to 2100 now and work is being done to open up a 3000 yard lane too. Just going to take a chainsaw party to make that happen so we hope to have that opened up for the next Unholy Alliance match.

I'm a bit south of Richmond so it is a pretty easy drive for me, but it is the longest range anywhere near us by a good margin.

-Alex

That's quite a stretch for my 6.5x47. But, it'd be fun to try a mile with it.

Once I get my 300 RUM load nailed down, that would be an awesome place to stretch it's legs.
 
I have to be the dissenting voice. I don’t think there is a lot to be gained from shooting a match like that when you can’t see splash from misses. Half the shots were “no call.” When more than half the shooters had one impact on steel out of twenty shots, I think you’re well past the capability of the weapon system.
 
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Definitely need cameras. I had one spotter to my left say impact and one to my right say no impact. It was fun either way! Need to change a thing or 2 up before the next match.
 
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