Ringing steel: New shooting range challenges long distance shooters

Tre Kitchens of Little Rock fires a handgun April 9 at Twisted Barrel Precision near Sweet Home.
(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Bryan Hendricks)
Tre Kitchens of Little Rock fires a handgun April 9 at Twisted Barrel Precision near Sweet Home. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Bryan Hendricks)


Until April 9, I had never attempted a rifle shot longer than about 300 yards.

On that day, Saturday, using three different rifles in a strong crosswind, I hit a pie-plate size steel target at 600 yards with seven of 10 shots. Now I can't get enough. At some point, I want to hit a target one mile away.

That is possible just 10 minutes from downtown Little Rock at Twisted Barrel Precision, a new multi-purpose shooting range about two minutes east of Sweet Home.

Trey Fleming, co-owner and founder of Twisted Barrel Precision, said the range is a place where shooters in Central Arkansas can develop and practice long-range shooting skills.

Encompassing 255 acres, the range contains a 100-yard zeroing range, as well as 350-, 600-, 700-, and 2,200 yards. That latter range is 6,600 feet. One mile is 5,280 feet.

"Most of us think of long-range shooting as shooting a deer at 100 to 200 yards," Fleming said. "We think that's an amazing and great shot, and it is, but being able to see a bullet go 300, 500, 1,000 yards and hearing that steel plate ring is so satisfying. And then knowing you can go out even farther. We provide a facility with the training and safety to do that."

Additionally, Twisted Barrel Precision has 25-yard ranges for shooting handguns and for home-defense shotgun applications. With its diversity of opportunities, Fleming said he hopes to grow the recreational shooting culture in Central Arkansas.

"We've got the opportunity to bring into Central Arkansas shooters from around the area that are used to driving to other locations," Fleming said. "We also have the opportunity to grow the shooting base in Central Arkansas. Most of us as Arkansans have a hunting culture, and this gives us a facility to practice and shoot, to be outside and to be around guns more."

About 15 minutes away in North Little Rock is Blue Rock Gun Club, a first-class shotgunning facility. Fleming said the two clubs are complementary.

"One hundred percent," Fleming said. ""I'm a member of Blue Rock, as well. It's a different aspect of shooting. They do shotguns, skeet and trap. A lot of its members are bird hunters that also enjoy deer hunting and long-range shooting, as well."

MULTIPLE STATIONS

On April 9, I visited Twisted Barrel Precision with Tre Kitchens of Little Rock. Our first stop was at the handgun bay, which contains a variety of steel targets. There are stationary steel targets and stacks of vertical steel targets that spin on an axis when you hit them. There are also life-size targets.

Our first exercise was shooting steel at 25 yards with 40 Smith & Wesson semiautomatic handguns. Kitchens shoots a Springfield XD, and I shoot a Smith & Wesson M&P. High-volume handgunning is addictive. When you hear the ring of a bullet hitting steel, you want to ring the bell as often and as quickly as you can.

Next up was a session with a Ruger GP-100 revolver in 357 Remington Magnum. That cartridge is considerably more substantial than the 40 S&W.

"After shooting that semiauto, the 357's recoil kind of caught me by surprise," I said.

Kitchens nodded and then took a session with his own 357. The recoil is much stouter, as is the muzzle blast. It also rings steel louder and with greater authority. The 357, however, is mild compared to a 12-gauge shotgun cartridge loaded with 00 buckshot. After emptying a magazine full of buckshot into steel targets, the impulse to laugh is irresistible.

Our next stop was the 600-yard rifle range. There are makeshift shooting benches there, but you have to bring your own seat. There's also a residential roof crown and a rock pile from which to shoot, as well as various other setups.

Kitchens and I were ill prepared for this exercise. We had no chair or rest. We had to kneel and rest our rifles on a rolled-up bath towel. This was a sketchy foundation for somebody whose longest shot was about 320 yards. That was, however, from a lean-to stand, and I placed two shots in a deer that were less than 1 inch apart. I told myself I could do it.

I uncased my Model 70 Winchester Stainless Stalker with a BOSS. It wears a custom blue/silver laminate thumbhole stock. I call it my Dallas Cowboys Special. The scope is a Simmons Aetec 2.8-10x44. It is a great hunting scope, but the simple reticle is not designed for precise target shooting. It is my favorite deer hunting combination, but my longest shot with it was only about 200 yards.

My load contained 150-gr. Sierra ProHunter bullets powered by 64.5 grains of RL-22 powder and 60 grains of IMR-4350 powder. The primer is Remington Large Rifle Magnum. On the box in bold, black letters I wrote HOT. I showed the box to Kitchens.

"Nice!" he said with a chuckle.

Resting on my knees, struggling to remain steady, I nestled the stock into the towel. Heat shimmered in the scope, and the wind howled. I drew a deep breath, exhaled halfway and squeezed the trigger.

With the BOSS set at 3.5, the rifle hits 2 inches high at 140 yards. There was a resounding boom, followed by a long silence. Then, a dust plume erupted on the target mound.

"Low and left," Kitchens said.

I raised the rifle and positioned the crosshairs about 7 feet over the target, and about 4 feet to the right. I breathed deep, exhaled halfway, steadied the trembling reticle for an instant and squeezed again. BOOM! Silence and then, "CLANG!"

"Nice shot!" Kitchens said.

I did it again.

Next up was a Remington 5R in 6.5 Creedmoor. I had fired only four rounds from this rifle, and only to sight it in at 140 yards. I hadn't touched it in two years.

The ammo was Hornady Match ammo featuring 140-gr. Hornady ELD bullets.

Again, I went through the breathing process and squeezed off a round.

"Your windage is dead on, but you're low," Kitchens said.

This rifle has a much more precise Nikon target scope. I held over about 6 feet and hit the steel twice in a row.

"Shoot mine," Kitchens said, handing me his Weatherby Vanguard in 280 Remington.

Again, I hit low with the first shot and then rang the next two. I finished and hit one more time with IMR-4350 7mm Mag. load.

Despite tremors from Parkinson's Disease, Kitchens rang steel twice and did not miss.

We stopped by the 2,200-yard range. Rifles rested on rock steady rests. Tripods held high-powered spotting scopes and cameras.

"These guys are in a different world," Kitchens said. "They come out here for 10 hours, but they might only fire five shots."

The experience altered my perspective forever. Suddenly, 200 yards is a chip shot. A fellow could get used to the long-distance game in a hurry.


  photo  Twisted Barrel Precision has a handgun range in addition to rifle ranges. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Bryan Hendricks)
 
 


  photo  Trey Fleming likes a rifle chambered in 300 PRR for long range shooting. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Bryan Hendricks)
 
 


  photo  The author hit targets at 600 yards with these cartridges. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Bryan Hendricks)
 
 


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