Early this year I joined one of the only clubs in Michigan that has a 1000 yard range: Marksmanship Training Center. It was only this weekend, however, when I was able to make the three-hour drive to Lake City. While Google Maps got me there almost without incident, it inexplicably elected to take me down a "seasonal road". After venturing down the sandy two-track that was no wider than my sedan, fording a small stream, and having to turn around in a grassy glen, I eventually emerged on a perfectly serviceable highway that I could have easily reached on paved roads.
MTC itself is a fairly simple affair. One service building, one cabin, and a sandy lot connecting at least equally sandy ranges. When I first arrived, I made my way to the service building hoping to find a staff member to point me in the right direction. There was none. In fact it appeared that I was the only person there. I did pick up a range card for the long range from a self-service window and started looking for the firing position. Sadly nothing was labeled. I started walking down one of the pathways to find where I should unload my gear.
Suddenly I heard a rifle report from behind me and a hit on steel in front of me. I had wandered downrange. Just above the hedges to my left I saw shooters on a small hill. They were invisible from the parking lot but quite apparent when in enfilade. I hastily returned to the the parking lot, which I reassessed to make sure it wasn't some other sort of range, and picked another pathway. This soft, sand trail led up to an even softer, sandier hill. After trudging up the dune, I met with the four other shooters who I had seen but had not seen me. I got a brief rundown of the layout of the place.
The top of the hill was mostly bare, soft sand, but the firing line was topped with segments of artificial turf pulled from a sports field. For providing a stable shooting platform, the turf was adequate. For its stated purpose of keeping sand out of expensive firearms...well, fortunately I don't own any expensive firearms. I trudged back down the hill to my car and hauled my rifle, ammo, and accessory bag up the top.
The long range has target backer boards set up at 100 yards for sighting in, and the experienced members there were gracious enough to give me a range clear to hang some paper. While I was waiting for one of the shooters to finish her string, I checked out some of the PRS-style props (roof top, tripod-thingy, sandbag) at the top of the hill. Cool stuff!
The shooting went really well. Winds weren't strong but they were variable from about 2 o'clock. I brought my known quantity: Taxis. I also brought along my 6.5 Creedmoor Axis and 6.5 Creedmoor AR. Both 6.5s did astonishingly well in the wind. I was center hitting the 1054 yard torso with maybe a 0.1 mil hold. Best of all, my drop data was pretty consistent for both the 22" Axis and 26" AR. I couldn't find the "holy grail" ground hog out on the sandy berm way out past 1000 yards, but the rest of the steel was not safe.
My .308 Win 12FV was less fun. I ran my Magneto Speed on it, but I still couldn't get consistent shot placement, despite some good numbers in Shooter. Part of the problem may have been the uncomfortable factory stock with its terrible cheek weld. I had a lace-on pad, but I still found myself putting my cell phone between it and my face just to get the proper eye alignment.
I spent about four hours shooting when my neck started to give out. I had made arrangements to rent one of the on-site cabins (one of one, at the moment), but since I was still heavily on my midnight sleep schedule and there was some sort of backwoods funeral going on down the road involving explosions and whooping, I decided to pack it in, knock the sand from my boots, and head for home. That's not to say staying in the cabin would have been roughing it. It was a nice place.
I also looked in on the 100 yard rifle range and 25 yard pistol range. The next time I go, I'm definitely planning on using one or both.
Oh, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi5jjXTPtyY
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