Bucket List Complete......

[TGBMaverick]

Thought I would share my recent experience at the Big Sandy Shoot in Arizona last weekend. All I can say is if you ever get the chance to go do!! My Bucket List is complete now cannot think of anything that I would want to shoot that I haven't. (The Vickers by the way was once owned by Errol Flynn apparently).

Grin seems to be permanently attached at the moment - something I will never forget...

[rufrdr]

Holy Moly! You are one lucky person....A Vickers and once owned by Errol Flynn no less. Can you imagine one of the current young Hollywood stars owning a Vickers or anything else politically incorrect?

[huntervixen]

What a great day out, I have a real soft spot for the Bren....and the Vickers....and the Lewis!!! A wonderful and extremely rare opportunity to fire a Lewis!

[mag41uk]

Out of interest where did you fly to?
Was there any issue with the ammo shortage affecting the shoot?
What were the costs for the various guns you fired?
I ask because I have been thinking of going.
I have done Knob Creek several times but fancy an MG shoot that has a longer range.
Knob Creek only has about 400 yards and no model planes!
tony

[TGBMaverick]

Out of interest where did you fly to?
Was there any issue with the ammo shortage affecting the shoot?
What were the costs for the various guns you fired?
I ask because I have been thinking of going.
I have done Knob Creek several times but fancy an MG shoot that has a longer range.
Knob Creek only has about 400 yards and no model planes!
tony

I was actually working in Phoenix, but either Las Vegas or Phoenix would work, range is approximately half way between them along the I93 (bit closer to Vegas). Chap with a Mini Gun there didn't seem to be short of ammo, but I think there were some limited supplies of 50Cal. .303 was charged at $1.60 a bang, but was not PPU, seemed to be good stuff (in all the excitement I forgot to take a note of the type but was not PPU stamped). I made private arrangement with one of the organisers for the guns I got to play with - I paid $140.00 in total for rental of all three. I was only limited in how much ammo I wanted to purchase. I could have happily stayed there all day, but don't think the bank manager would have been too happy.....

I stayed for the night shoot on the Saturday evening and would recommend the spectacle. (Saw a fluorescent remote aircraft get taken out just in front of us) You can find all the relevant contact details on the Big Sandy Shoot website. I dealt with Kenton Tucker, thoroughly top chap and will probably be able to meet most shooters requests, if my experience is anything to go by.

[Robert303]

I was also out at Big Sandy with the Scottish Historic Machine Gun Team. OK we spent a lot on rental and ammo but the organisers Kenton Tucker and Ed Hope were very helpful. We fired the Boys anti tank rifle, Vickers, Bren, Lewis. MG43, the Czech BESA, MG 42, Sturmgewehr, Maxim, Lanchester SMG, BAR, M14 and a couple of others. We flew into Las Vegas and made a bit of a tour of Arizona. For the shoot we decided to stay in Wickenburg (1.5hrs from the range) as the hotel we chose was in the small town centre and we could walk to the nearest bars. The nearest town to the range is Kingman (1hr from the range). Phoenix may be a better bet to fly into as it has more services from Europe than Las Vegas. We got stuck there when our United flight to the UK via Denver and Newark went tech. Two of our party spent 14 hrs in the airport before being flown out to San Francisco, overnighted and flown home via New York. We were overnighted in Las Vegas and flown home via Washington and London.

[HALODIN]

I'd love to shoot a Lewis Gun... Very envious.