General Info

What You Need to Bring

Must Have

• Eye and ear protection. The explosions aren’t a threat from 375+ yards away, but the guns are. Eye and ear protection is highly recommended for spectators too.
• A shooting bench or mat. For many shooting positions a slick tarp will be a hindrance — you will slide off the position. A good shooting mat is preferable. A bench is required for some positions, and one that can tolerate sloping ground is even better.
• An accurate centerfire rifle with a scope. A 10x or greater scope is desirable. The closest targets are 4″×4″ at 375 yards. Most distant targets are 7″×7″ squares. Read the rifle suggestions page.
• Ammo capable of delivering high-velocity bullets to the target. Read the page on bullets and boomers.
• At least 100 rounds. People have gone through as few as 50 and as many as 1,000 rounds. 100 is probably the minimum you’ll be happy with.
• A good attitude. You must be safe and courteous.

Nice to Have

• A spotting partner. If you don’t have one, ask around when you arrive — you can usually find someone to shoot/spot with.
• A spotting scope. Some people spot for each other with their rifle scopes, taking turns at the same target without changing positions.
• Protection from the elements. Rain, wind gear, and sun protection have all been needed at various events. We had a snow storm once. Except for the .50 caliber area, shooting positions are eight feet wide and about 15 feet deep — enough room for a shelter.
• Laser range finder. You’ll save a few rounds getting the exact range before your first shot. Range landmarks will be described before shooting begins.
• Food and fluids. Bring your own food and drinks.
• Spectators. Bring as many as you want.

Must Not Have

• Alcohol until shooting is done for the day.
• Illegal recreational drugs.
• Unsafe gun handling skills.
• Bad attitude. All it takes is one jerk to ruin the fun for everyone.

Minimum Gun Safety Rules

1. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2. Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3. Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.
4. Always keep the gun in its case unless the muzzle is pointed downrange and within two feet of the shooting line.

These are the bare minimum which you must follow at the event. You must have them memorized. Additional rules will be explained at the shooters meeting before you take your gun out of its case.

Additional Rules and Clarifications

Due to some ‘misunderstandings’ over the years, here is more detail on what will be expected of you on the range.

1. “Always” has a specific meaning (1: at all times). If you can’t remember the definition while at Boomershoot, you have flunked the I.Q. test.
2. Some people have gotten sarcastic when reminded of the rules. Some of the Range Officers are extremely sensitive. Some of them are my children. Others are Marines. You may not be able to distinguish between the two. Be very polite and respectful. The local sheriff has personally asked me to make this a safe event and his deputies shoot in this event. Do not become local entertainment.
3. There are no exceptions to any of the Minimum Gun Safety Rules. An unloaded gun, a bolt-removed gun, or a gun with a chamber flag still must be pointed in a safe direction at all times. No exceptions.
4. Do not lay your firearm on the ground unless it is pointed downrange while on the firing line.
5. No alcohol until all shooting is done for the day.
6. No illegal recreational drugs.
7. You must be on the firing line with the muzzle within two feet of the firing line before removing or inserting your firearm from/into a case. The firearm must be unloaded, chamber open, and pointed downrange.
8. No handling of uncased guns on the firing line when people are downrange.
9. Do not shoot at anything except designated targets or the big rock pile at the base of the hill. Do not shoot at trees. Shooting at the explosive magazine will result in consequences that will not be pleasant.
10. Except when shooting directly into the hill beyond 500 yards, do not shoot at anything unless it is immediately in front of a berm. Ricochets must not leave the range.
11. If you and your equipment can hit the closer targets with one or two shots, please limit your consumption of them. Move out to the more challenging 500+ yard targets and leave the closer ones for those who need them.
12. If you have a handgun and are shooting prone, remove the handgun in its holster and lay it beside you pointed in a safe direction — people behind the line get uncomfortable looking down holstered gun barrels.

Weather and Other Conditions

The site is 3,000 feet above sea level. Shooting is almost directly to the south from a “grassy knoll” overlooking a small creek. The shooting and target areas will have the grass cut down before the event.

See the weather station data and forecast from the shooting line.

Winds can vary from 0 to 60 MPH. We shoot across a creek that flows east–west. Winds normally come from the west with virtually no obstacles, so any wind will have full access to your projectiles. See also the Boomershoot weather history and forecast.

Site Pictures and Range Layout

The closest targets will be at “the tree line” about 375 yards away. Hundreds of targets are from the base of the hill at 575 yards up through the small crease in the hillside from about 625 yards to the berm at 700 yards.

For a bird’s-eye view, see Google Maps. The road running east–west along the top of the map image is where you drive in. About 200 yards from the east end of that road and 50 yards south is the parking area. About 20 yards south of parking is the shooting line — shooting to the south.

Schedule

A very detailed schedule is here. See also: What to Expect.

Accommodations

Motels in Orofino

Orofino will probably be your best bet. People report being pleased with the Helgeson, Konkolville, and Best Western Lodge at Rivers.

What to Expect

Each shooting position is a minimum of eight feet wide. Except on top of the built-up shooting positions you will have at least 15 feet of depth for shelters, benches, and gear. Many positions are not level — some slope right, some left.

Any time after the Precision Rifle clinic ends on Saturday evening, shooters may set up benches and gear. There are no designated guards for overnight equipment.

On Sunday from dawn until 9:45 AM, set up benches, shelters, pads, chairs, and spotting scopes. Guns stay in cases until after the shooters meeting. Between 9:00 and 9:45, shooters and spotters recite safety rules and get their badges. The meeting starts at 9:50 and lasts about five to ten minutes. You go to your position and have about five minutes to set up before the commence-fire command.

Everyone shoots at their leisure until cease-fire. There will typically be one or two 1-minute cease-fires per hour for passing cars. Around noon we stop for about an hour for lunch, gun cleaning, and target repositioning. A brief meeting at 13:00, then shooting resumes until we run out of ammo (frequently happens), or get tired. Official shooting stops about 16:00.

Answers to Questions

• Are there any airports in Orofino? Can I fly in?

  Orofino Aviation has a “courtesy car” available but no rental car agencies. If arriving outside normal business hours call Dave Petet at 208-476-4714. See AirNav.com for Orofino. Lewiston and Pullman airports are both about 75 minutes from the site and have rental cars. The Orofino airport (about 35 minutes away) is in the bottom of a steep narrow valley and may be more challenging to land at.

• My 11-year-old son wants to come. May he watch?

  Yes. Consider having him spot for you — it helps him stay engaged. He will have to recite the gun safety rules to enter the shooting area. If you let him shoot, he must use your gun at your shooting position under your constant supervision. Sign him up as a spotter.

• Can I bring a Barney doll to blow up?

  Assuming it’s the purple dinosaur Barney — yes. Please send an email ahead of time with the details so we can determine the best time and the clean up required.

• Are there any decent pizza places in Orofino?

  M & M Pizza & Pub (12740 Highway 12, 208-476-7605) and Pizza Factory (307 Michigan Ave, 208-476-5519) are both reported to be good. Pizza Factory is open until 11:00 PM on Saturday nights and serves beer.

• Does Idaho recognize other states’ concealed carry permits?

  Idaho is a constitutional carry state — no permit is required to carry a concealed firearm. Idaho also recognizes all other states’ concealed carry permits. Note: it is a misdemeanor to carry concealed while intoxicated.

• What kind of crosswinds can we expect?

  Winds can vary from 0 to 60 MPH. We shoot across a creek flowing east–west with virtually no obstacles to east or west, so any wind has full access to your projectiles. At the 1999 event winds were 5–10 MPH in the morning and reached the mid-twenties by afternoon. At the 2002 event there were 45 MPH winds the night before.

• Will sun glare be a problem when shooting south?

  Shooting doesn’t start until about 10:00 so the sun is fairly high. We have not heard any complaints at any of the shoots.

• Will it be muddy?

  Generally not. There is enough grass that it doesn’t get muddy unless you go looking for it. It will probably be damp — growing grass is like that.

How to Prepare for Your Boomershoot Experience

Sixteen Helpful Hints for the Boomershoot

by Jerry The Geek — Monday, April 12, 1999

(Note from Joe: this was written before Jerry had ever been to a Boomershoot, so don’t expect it to be adequate preparation. Also note that Jerry can’t count to sixteen reliably.)

1. Spend three days searching for exoteric rifle bullets which haven’t been manufactured for at least five years. Pay for them with a check on an overdrawn account. On the way to your car, spill the boxes so all the bullets roll into the storm drain.
2. Buy 200 rounds of new brass. Take them out to the back yard and stomp them all into the mud.
3. Shovel six inches of dirt into your bathtub. Turn the shower water on COLD and lay prone in the mess for 8 hours while fully clothed in your new bargain-basement rain gear.
4. Have your sadistic brother-in-law kick you in the right shoulder 200 times.
5. Find a patch of cracked asphalt. Throw six fist-sized rocks, a dozen pinecones, and several broken branches on it, then lie down in the burning sun for several hours.
6. Grind your left elbow in broken glass.
7. Go to sleep on an anthill.
8. Strike yourself in the right eyebrow with the open end of a metal pipe. Repeatedly.
9. Buy a new pair of boots two sizes too short for you. Kick a tree trunk with each foot until you’ve jammed at least one toenail.
10. Lie face down in a stubble field. Crawl backwards until your belly is thoroughly scratched. Then crawl forward until your shorts are full of gravel.
11. Practice burning small patches of your skin with a cigarette, chanting “Die, Woodtick, Die!”
12. Lay a hot curling iron across the back of your neck.
13. Keep your toilet seat in the freezer, and take it out only when you can’t wait any longer. Be sure to splash water on it just before you sit down.
14. After you sight in your rifle, bump the scope on the car door as you’re putting it away. Pretend you don’t notice.
15. Arrange to ride to the match with a friend who has just started a new Hi-Fiber diet. Ride in a small car with electric windows that won’t roll down.