Early Spring Action - WY

[MTPaul]

Greetings and salutations to my fellow 204R enthusiasts!

Having recently returned from my semi-annual trip into WY, I thought I'd share some of the highlights with those on this forum. A more detailed discussion can be found on the Accurate Shooter site under the Varminter and Hunting topic tab. However, not wanting to abandon the many regulars on this forum from seeing some of the exploits, here is a picture not found on AS.

BR table in action.jpeg (194.56 KiB) Viewed 11328 times

During the week-long trip, two main activities (shooting prairie dogs and trout fishing) were the order of the day and the choice of which activity to pursue was largely dictated by the weather - the wind mostly. After AK and NV, WY ranks third in offering the most public hunting land and a great deal of this land is occupied by prairie dogs. As the above picture shows, shooting prairie dogs was accomplished with a new addition to my field arsenal, a lightly used Caldwell BR Pivot shooting table. This table provided a VAST IMPROVEMENT over my previously used shooting table (MTM Case-Gard), particularly when reaching out to distances of 300 to 400 yards.

Long story short, it was an action-packed trip, and I returned to MT with a newfound fondness for my recently acquired BR table. It will certainly see regular use in the months and years to come.

[Rick in Oregon]

Paul, looks like a grand trip. Love the Cooper/Leupold combination too. I saw your post over on AS, but on this one I see you've found quite the dog-chew! Did it go home to your pup, or is it just a bench toy? I have fond memories of shooting pd's in both MT and WY. Our shoots took place in the Wind River Range in WY, not far from Owl Creek on a working cattle ranch infested with pd's. Great shooting, but a bit of a drive from home.

Glad to see your new BRP is working as planned. Mine is still in use, this rat season marks its 26th year in the field. Keep the bottom radial and thrust bearings well lubed, it'll rotate effortlessly to wherever that rat appears in your field of fire. Good for you, not so much for the rat.

From your post on AS, I see your buddy shooting off a rickety folding table. Is he now also on the hunt for a new/used BRP or similar? Don't forget your BRP will fit inside the bed of most pickups for that added elevation in the field.

A shot from the field on our recent shoot. Cooper M38 20VT on my bench. My buddy Gary at his bench with his Cooper M21 in 204 having his way with Skippy and his pals. The rock escarpment had a population of rockchucks also....more diverse non-willing targets on the same shoot. "Varmint Utopia". Note the wind flag....almost no wind to deal with in the mornings. Afternoons of course were a much different story. But we did not have a nearby trout stream for afternoon fun as you did.



Parting shot of the 'varmint-o-the-day"....Skippy the flying squirrel. Our favorite rodent and alfalfa muncher supreme.



If you've got more field pics, post 'em up, as most here are "visually oriented".

[MTPaul]

Hey Rick,

Yes indeed, your keen eyes did pick up the "play toy" that travelled back to MT with me. As you might imagine there is a story about how it came to rest on the BRP table. While I was doing a little "dust control" (aka draining the radiator ) behind my buddy's pickup, he took it upon himself to scavenge this leg bone from a nearby bone pile. The actual pile of bones can be seen just under the barrel of my Cooper and just over my right shoulder. When I finished my business and walked back, I saw the bovine femur resting prominently on the table. I looked at him and he said to me; "Well, I guess this means you've finally done it...you shot a mastodon!"

After witnessing how well the BRP table performed for me and after having made several long-distance shots from the table as well, my buddy is definitely in the market! His current table, while rickety and wobbly, does hold great sentimental value as it was made for him by a friend of ours who drove out from OH and shot prairie dogs with us many years ago. As an expression of his gratitude, he made the table and, on the underside, penned a note and signed his name. Sadly, not but a few years later he passed on to the happy hunting grounds in the sky. While a BRP table might provide a more stable shooting platform in the future, it will never entirely replace our friend's table.

Seeing the picture of where the rock escarpment appears in the background brings back fond memories of where I spent countless days of my youth wandering around the many rock outcroppings near and around the Silver Lake and Fort Rock area. For a time, we had a ranch north of Silver Lake where we raised irrigated alfalfa and dryland wheat. When the chores were done, which really means when we snuck away because the chores were never really done , my two brothers and I would saddle up our horses and ride for miles in just about any direction without encountering a fence. Often, we would ride to the top of a tabletop mesa and find arrowheads and remnants of long past encampments. Ah yes...those were the days.

And for the visually oriented individuals, I mentioned in the AS post about zeroing in on the sound of a chirping prairie dog and once found, often only seeing the head of the little critter just slightly peeking above the mound. It is in these instances where having a stable shooting platform, such as with the BRP table, really pays dividends. The following two pictures tell the successful story of a "chirp" found in the distance, a steady shooting rest and the explosive result.

BRP table.jpeg (223.86 KiB) Viewed 11277 times

Head shot.jpeg (229.98 KiB) Viewed 11277 times