I found myself with some time today (actually, I was effing off ), so I decided to head up to River Bend Gun Club to check some loads and fire-form some brass for my 404. I loaded my rifle in a case and put all the shooting paraphanalia (Chrono, tripods, ear protectors, glasses, targets, shooting rest, etc.) in the car and headed north. Fifty minutes later I was at the range, and low-and-behold, I was the only one there!

"This is great," I thought to myself. "I can fiddle with my chrono, go down range to check targets, shoot offhand -- do anything I want -- without having to wait for a cease fire."

I leisurely strolled down to the boards stapled up three targets on the 100-yard range, came back and uncased my rifle, set up the rest, set up my spotting scope and focused it on the target. I unboxed my chronograph, assembled it, screwed it into the tripod and carefully lined it up between my muzzle and target. I then strapped on my recoil pad (my 404 loads have almost as much umph on the back side as they do on the front side -- almost), sat down on the bench and proceeded to dry fire a couple of times before the "show" began.

After about 20 minutes of setting up, everything was ready. So I reached in my shooting bag for the box of 400-grain A-Frames sitting on top of 92 grains of IMR 4831,; so I reached in my shooting bag for the box of 400-grain A-Frames sitting on top of 92 grains of IMR 4831; So I reached in my shooting bag.........MY GOD. WHERE ARE THEY!!!

I went to the truck and tore it apart, came back to the bench and emptied all my boxes and bags, before I started mentally retracing my steps back to when I was getting ready. I had grabbed the ammo and put it down because the box didn't have a top, so I was going to get a top for it before putting it in the bag, but got distracted looking for my tripod before I looked for a top. I had left it at home!

About this time, a truck drove up and two guys got out and noticed that I was disassembling my chrono and shooting rest. "Is the range cold?" one of them asked, as he stood at the line with a staple gun and target.

"It's very cold," I replied. "Have at it."

"How'd you shoot em today?" the other one asked.

"Not so hot," I replied as I finished the task of loading everything back in the truck. "Not so hot at all."

Can't say that I have ever left the ammo at home. I have though, embarrassing as it is to admit I have done this more than once, left a damned trigger lock on the rifle!

Try to hide that little OOPS from the other shooters on a range line!

Scott

I think my worst was getting about 2 miles down the road to go quail hunting when I realized I had left the dog at home. You should have heard the ribbing I got from my wife when I showed up back at the house, and the dog didn't talk to me for a week!

I'm amazed when I don't forget "something" on a trip to the range. I've brought 5 guns and only ammo for 4 before as well as 4 types of ammo and only 3 guns. I've brought mutiple guns but not the one that I originally planned to go to the range to test. I've brought my chronograph but not my skyscreens and of course I've brought the skyscreens and no chrono. I've put up targets with pasters when I forget my stapler. You name it, I've forgotten to bring it before.
But weirdly, on every hunting trip that I go on I've never forgotten anything that mattered. Probably due to better planning, going to the range is so routine I get complacent.

I'm 52 & old age sucks!! Been there & done that! Regards Mike

Mike, you just a pup! From another perspective, things seem to be getting better as we go down the road. Not to say I have never forgot something (like ear protection last week)

It's called CRS. You get it all of a sudden when you have kids 4yrs and older.

Nope, it's already been defined as "KRAFT" disease!
Kan't Remember A F&*%in' Thing!
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I drove to a National Pistol Championships 60 miles and 15 minutes before the alloted time I realised that I had the ammo but left the flamin pistols home.

There are three sign of gettin old:

1) Loss of Memory
2)
2)

Darn I can't remember the other two!