By Jason Reid
(Big Fork, Montana) Shooting Day at POMA 2016 took members to a local gun range to shoot new and old guns and fill the air with the sweet smell of freedom. The only thing in more abundance than spent brass were smiles on the faces of POMA members as each station at the Big Fork Gun Range provided a different experience. Great brands like Brownells, Browning, CVA, Bergara, Lightfield Slugs and Century International Arms displayed their full down range dominance.
Bergara Woodsman: The Bergara Woodsman was on display in the product showcase the day before and we had the chance to shoot the .308 gun at the range. Bergara sells this product as its price range rifle, but there was nothing cheap about this gun. With a clean trigger break and beautiful Walnut stock, the Woodsman we shot was in .308. This gun is also available in .300 Win Mag , 30-06 Springfield, .270 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor and 7mm Rem Mag. Bergara also had their LRP Elite rifle on display. The LRP gives shooters the accuracy advantage of using a tactical pistol grip and a picatinny rail all in a bolt action platform. With both a five and ten round detachable magazine options, the LRP Elite utilizes a muzzle break, the Dead Air Keymount Brake. The brake reduced the recoil drastically making for a pleasant shooting experience and improving accuracy.
www.bergarausa.com
The Savage Model 42: Survival guns are not given enough attention. They are legit little guns and Savage Arms had their Model 42 for us to shoot. A break down over-under .22 rifle & .410 survival gun, it easily breaks apart fitting in most backpacks. The Model 42 features a slick red and black polymer stock to stand up to the conditions if you are lost in the wild. This gun can easily teach younger shooters as its size lends it to multiple applications.
www.savagearms.com
Kimber Micro RCP: Need a great ten yard pistol for the ultimate in personal defense? The Kimber Micro RCP fits in your hand and has no problem being concealed on your body. This little gun delivered a punch, but takes some getting used to since it is so small and does not have traditional sights.The 5.6 inch gun throws .380 ACP bullets down range and we had the Mason Target System out on this part of the range. It was awesome to see the instant feedback and be able to learn proper form much faster by being able to make adjustments between shots not just in between clips. www.kimberamerica.com
CVA Mountain Rifle: Have you ever been frustrated by the size and weight of a muzzleloader? The CVA Mountain Rifle is a .50 caliber gun, but weighs only 6.35lbs and is significantly shorter with a 25 inch barrel. This made the muzzleloader extremely enjoyable to shoot and maneuver. Muzzleloaders are notorious for how dirty they can become. The CVA Mountain rifle comes standard with the Quick Release Breech Plug for easy removal. Anyone who has had to carry extra tools and struggle with loosening a breech plug will be able to appreciate this aspect. www.cva.com
Shotguns: The trap range gave us plenty of chances to shoot an array of quality shotguns From Winchester to Browning and Stevens lines. In addition to the classic feel of the A5 and the fast swing of the Winchester SX3 in the 20a,the Stevens S1200 quickly became one of my favorites as I was able to get on target without having to feel rushed to find the bead and the clay bird, instead it was fluent. Browning also had their beautiful over-under 20 gauge which dominated on the range and in everyones dreams.
Shooting day is always an awesome day at any POMA conference. This year, under the watch of the towering mountains, we celebrated the second amendment and added guns to our personal must-haves list. Shooting day concluded with dinner hosted by Century International Arms, who is the largest manufacturer of AK-47s in the world, and we all once again proved guns and responsibility go hand-in-hand.
About: Highly competitive and driven to tell the next great story, Jason Reid combines a passion for stories and gear with the written word. Follow his adventures on Twitter for honest reviews, information and unqiue stories from around the outdoor world.
AGAIN! Another photo of a well-meaning shooter with proper hearing protection…and with his sunglasses stylishly hung over the cap’s bill, against the crown. Don’t you people have RSOs to enforce proper range safety? BTW, please teach your photographer to avoid taking embarrassing photos, as we have enough enemies in the Administration and the LameStream EneMedia!
Nice story. However, what in the world does POMA stand for? Did i miss that somewhere?