Every Spring around the middle of April we have our Annual Range Improvement Day. We generally
have around 20-22 volunteers to help with various projects around the range. We will be pulling and burning weeds, spreading gravel on the Precision Range, Training Range, and out front between our entry gate and the road. This area is in dire need of repair. (Not all of us have 4 X 4’s to get across!)

    On the General Purpose Pistol Range 100% of rounds shot downrange actually “ricochet” on the dirt before ending up in the berm. VERY BAD. We need two volunteers to dig down behind the target stands (Level out the ground) approximately 12” to 14” all the way to the berm so that shots fired will directly impact safely into the berm.

    If we have the person power, there are several other projects that need attention. The different projects and volunteers needed to do them will be posted on our big white boards in the Clubhouse.
Due to the Corvid-19, the Board has decided that we will have to spread out over the range with a limit of two people per project. There might be a project or two were we could allow a maximum of three people per project. The Club will provide all the tools, wheelbarrows, etc. for each project. Just bring gloves. A list of tools needed will be listed with the project outline on the two large white boards. We will have plenty of soap and water to wash hands.

Our Range Improvement /Clean Up Day will start at 8:00 a.m. (But please show up whenever you can!) and depending on the state of COVID there will possibly be lunch. More to come on this later!

If you’re up to it, and so desire, several of us are going to stay and work until around 4:00 p.m. or so, but you can volunteer for one, two, three, four, or more hours. Any time you can volunteer will be very much appreciated. Thank you all. See you April 18th. The entire range will be closed for the entire day.

• Always treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
• Keep your finger straight an off of the trigger until your sights are on the target.
• Never point the muzzle of your firearm at anything that you are not willing to shoot.
• Know your target and what lies beyond it.

• This is your range. Make your Mother proud by picking up and disposing of your trash.
• Wearing your red lanyard with your membership card is mandatory.
• Please observe all posted safety notices.
• Do not shoot any type of steel core or similar ammo at our steel targets.
• Observe range closing time. It will vary with the seasons. Times will be posted on the front gate.
• Our website is www.wenrrc.org
• Our e-mail is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | Our Phone Number is 509.662.2388
•  

Have I ever driven to the range, started setting up on a shooting bench, and found I’d forgotten an important item of shooting gear? Are you kidding? About all I can say for certain is I’ve never forgotten to bring the firearm, or at least “a” firearm. Also, I’ve never forgotten to bring ammo, though once or twice it was the wrong ammo. At least at one time or another I’ve forgotten to bring: targets; staple gun and staples; earmuffs; timer; shooting rest; tape and/or target pasters; cleaning/maintenance equipment; tripod for chronograph screens; chronograph screens; chronograph; spare batteries for things needing batteries; cap, jacket, sunscreen, water and salty snacks. Oh, and I once forgot both cell phone and the new combination for the lock on the range gate.

Since I shoot both rifles and handguns, my basic range box likely includes more than most shooters want or need. In a plastic storage type bin I have: ear muffs, foam ear plugs, safety glasses, staple gun, extra staples, several pads of targets of various sizes, a Sinclair adjustable rifle rest, Protekor rabbit ear rear bag, masking tape, duct tape, first aid kit, a spare cap and pair of knit gloves.

With tools and cleaning gear I try to strike a reasonable balance. It’s tempting to pack along tools for all occasions. The trouble is the box gets heavy, plus I need some of the same tools when working on a gun at home. I prefer to have a few versatile multi-purpose tools I can leave in the range box. I don’t plan on doing any major gun tinkering at the range, but I do want tools for minor maintenance like tightening grip or guard screws, tightening scope bases and rings or mounting a different scope.

Manufacturers keep coming up with clever toolkits and multi-purpose tools. Right now in the range box I have a Gerber multitool; a steel bushing wrench which also has a couple of flat screwdriver bits and several Allen wrenches; a set of metric Allen keys from Facom; a well thought out “Gun Tool” from
accompany called Real Avid with several flat, Allen and Torx screwdrivers and bits, a choke tube wrench and knife blade; and a ¼” drive ratchet wrench with ½” socket for heavy duty scope rings.

My most recent enthusiasm is for a kit called “The Weekender” from Birchwood Casey. The kit includes several sizes of pin and roll punches, a well chosen selection of flat, Allen and Torx bits, and a hammer with nylon and brass faces. Actually this is such a handy kit it mostly stays on the home workbench and I have to remember to put it in the range box. For thirty bucks this kit is an absolute bargain. Don’t wait (as I did!) to get proper tools until after your guns have marred metal surfaces and twisted up screw slots.

I don’t keep cleaning gear in the range box for a couple of reasons. To be really useful the kit would have to accommodate bore sizes from .22 to .45. An Otis Universal kit would do it but the full kit is too useful (and a bit expensive) to leave in the range box. The other reason is gun cleaning fluids in the range box inevitably seem to leak. I’d rather select the appropriate clean/lube items needed for the firearm in use.

Electronic gear like chronographs, timers, weather meters, Lyman electronic trigger pull gauge, or laser range finders likewise get packed separately as needed. Spare batteries are a good idea, though you don’t want to overdo it. Pack too many and they can lay unused so long, they’ll be dead just when you need them. I almost always have a camera bag along with a few useful accessories, including a battery tester. The camera bag also has a lens cleaning kit with a soft brush, lens cleaning fluid, cleaning paper and a soft cloth. If I don’t have the camera bag these would go in the range box. 

Dave Anderson 

American Handgunner July/August 2019

Several companies other than SIG SAUER have offered pistols chambered in the .357 SIG and there is a list of government and law enforcement agencies that have chosen it as a standard firearm. However, many are returning to the 9mm for many reasons, recoil and muzzle blast being two. Just as with most other bottle necked cartridges such as the .22 Jet, .256 Winchester, it’s never gone over in a big way with the shooting public. For concealed carry use I prefer the lighter weight bullets, however with general outdoor use I will go with the 147 gr. JHPs as an alternative for the .357 Magnum with 158 gr.JHPs.

John Taffin

American Handgunner January/February 2020

Due to COVID-19 All WRRC Events are canceled at least through April 11th, 2020. 

Keep and eye on the calendar! We have plenty of upcoming events through out the rest of the year.

David Belmont, WRRC President and Chairman of the Events Committee