First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!!

[DedicatedShooter]

I had my first experience at 1000yds this past weekend when I went down to shoot in a match at Thunder Valley in SE Ohio. Friday was practice day and I shot my .308 for about 6 hours, having the best time shooting I had ever had. I found myself in unknown distance steel target heaven...12"x12" plates and standard steel silhouettes were littered around the range from 100yds-1000yds. I loved hearing the "PING" after my rounds struck them, it became pretty addicting. I figured out my 1000yd zero by shooting at clay pigeons in front of the dirt berm, the first time that I broke one of those pigeons, I was ecstatic...it was a heck of a confidence booster. Here are some of the pictures I snapped over the weekend...
My rifle sitting on the firing line:

Top right hand corner, far hill, white speck is 8"x8" target at one mile with smaller steel gong next to it. White speck to right of 1000yd line is silhouette....you cant see em, but 1'x1' steel plates are allll over the place.

Practice day, bottom group measured 9 1/4", not bad for my stock barrel/action...and my 168gr AMAX loads which I knew would start to tumble at that distance, and they did, but I didn't have time to test the 175 SMKs before the match..oh well.

A peak at the 1000yd targets at 22x through my Nightforce

Me during my last relay

Eerie mid-afternoon picture after a storm rolled through....made for some interesting shooting conditions haha

My buddie's custom McMillan .50 that showed up Friday morning, just in time... and that's his AI AW

 

[Pusher591]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!!

Very cool dude. I wish I had somewhere like that to shoot. Looks freakin awesome.

 

[DedicatedShooter]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

Yea man it's a laid out range.... definitely one of my favorite places I've been

 

[ArinX]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

great photos

 

[DedicatedShooter]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ArinX</div><div class="ubbcode-body">great photos </div></div>

thank you...i tried to get some good ones while we were out there...the one after the storm turned out sweet

 

[alf]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

I shot the 1K Nationals there a couple years ago. Wished it wasn't 8+ hours away.

 

[chili77]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

Hi

I'm really jealous.
In austria shootingranges are limited to 300m by law.

Chili.

 

[srv656s]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

Very cool set up. I'd love to have a range like that anywhere within 3 hours of me!

 

[TimResin]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

Is that mil or moa? Can't tell if thats a NP-R1 or MLR rectile.

 

[HellsCanyonArmory]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

Thats sweet man thanks for posting!!!

 

[TCA4570]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

I believe he was using a npr-r1.
Give me a shout when you may be going down again.
Maybe we can do some of the longer steel some friday evening.
Glad you had fun!

Glen

 

[TimResin]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

I went to Thunder's website I am trying to figure out what is the best weekend to go down. I would like to be able to do a night shoot, the steel course and the paper targets. I see the 26th of June looks good but thats only one day. Cause if I am driving 250 miles I at least want to make it a weekend.

 

[DedicatedShooter]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TimResin</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I went to Thunder's website I am trying to figure out what is the best weekend to go down. I would like to be able to do a night shoot, the steel course and the paper targets. I see the 26th of June looks good but thats only one day. Cause if I am driving 250 miles I at least want to make it a weekend. </div></div>

May 15 and 16 they are having steel shoots. I don't know if I have all the exact details, but from what I can remember from what the range owner told me, this is what goes on during those shoots:

The 15th is the "Gauntlet" mid range steel out to 800yds and the 16th. is the "Intimidator" with long range targets out to 1260yds. You can do one day or both days, doesnt matter. There are 4 different positions around the range that you shoot from, in the grass, from the prone, most positions are on the tops of hills or ridges. You are in teams of two, either someone you come there with or you get paired up. You have 3 chances to hit the target, with the highest points earned if you hit it on the first shot and so on. I talked to the owner of the place and a few other people who have shot a steel match there, they all said its a TON of fun and a must for anyone. I think its $30 per day for non members. And you shoot in the morning so after the match you can stay and shoot all day on the range.

Definitely a must attend for me!!

Website for the range is: Thunder Valley Precision

The picture on the website gives you an example of how you'd be shooting during one of these matches

 

[DedicatedShooter]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TCA4570</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I believe he was using a npr-r1.
Give me a shout when you may be going down again.
Maybe we can do some of the longer steel some friday evening.
Glad you had fun!

Glen
</div></div>

Hey whats up Glen?
I'll be going down there May 15 and 16. Either one or both of those days, but I'll let you know when I can go down and maybe we can work something out

 

[Denn1911]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

Great photos- it must have been a blast.

 

[Moof]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

Anyone from S. Indiana wanta take a road trip?

 

[Hasgun Willtravel]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

Sarver has a excellent range down there, its absolutely beautifull.

 

[cgriff]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

That looks awesome! How big of a crowd shows up on a typical weekend?

 

[TalkingBush]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Moof</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Anyone from S. Indiana wanta take a road trip? </div></div>
You can come pick me up in Cincinnati during leave, I want to go (not kidding). Strapping a 26" barrel to my back sounds fun, but on a motorcycle, not so much.

 

[DedicatedShooter]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

The pictures don't do much justice really....the place sits on a really cool piece of property....and my pictures just show the targets that are directly in front of you. There are more steel targets from 1-3 o'clock...and even more that you can't see from that position but you'll be able to shoot them from the grass shooting positions that they shoot from during the steel matches. Tom Sarver, the owner, took me up to the highest position and I was able to see that there is much more out there than just what you can see from the shooting benches. The place is pretty unique, no doubt about it.

 

[DedicatedShooter]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Griff01</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That looks awesome! How big of a crowd shows up on a typical weekend? </div></div>

From what I heard while I was there, I'd guess about 20 people on average show up for the steel matches

 

[TalkingBush]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

Does this range have a 100 yard zero range? Also do you have to enter prior to the competition? Are the IBS 1000 yard match 3&4 this weekend open to shooters that haven't competed in 1&2 or any for that matter?

 

[E3C3H3O3]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!!

very nice pics, and thats one nice looking range, I am officially jealous

 

[alf]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TalkingBush</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Are the IBS 1000 yard match 3&4 this weekend open to shooters that haven't competed in 1&2 or any for that matter? </div></div>

Yes. That's the case for any IBS match, short or long range.

 

[CK_32]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

Sick pictures what program and camera you using?

 

[DedicatedShooter]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TalkingBush</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Does this range have a 100 yard zero range? Also do you have to enter prior to the competition? Are the IBS 1000 yard match 3&4 this weekend open to shooters that haven't competed in 1&2 or any for that matter? </div></div>

There is a 100yd zero range to the right of the shooting benches...if you go down to the right end of the benches, and look 90 degrees to your right, there are targets 100yds in that direction and you can zero anything you want

 

[DedicatedShooter]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

I used a 12mp Samsung TL100 camera and iPhoto on my Mac..... nothing fancy really...

 

[solidcopy]

Re: First 1000yd Match, Great Pics, SE Ohio Range!

Tagging this. This place is only about 2.5hrs away. I'll have to drive up one weekend.