Some yahoos decided that they were close enough to getting up to the mountain to open up and sent rounds over my head into the side of the mountain where I was shooting.

This is in the high desert region north and east of LA called Iron Mountain. It takes a 4x4 to get though the sand and up to the side of the mountain where it's somewhat safe to shoot.

I had brought my wife out with me to watch while I zeroed in my new Weaver V24 scope on my Ruger .22-250 benchrest rifle. I was about 15 rounds into the day and was up 150 yards from where my car was parked when I hear gun fire coming from the direction of my car. I was wearing my Beretta 92FS and I had brought along the rifle. I don't see anyone so I figure that it's just the echoes from a distant shooter.

I started back and heard that unmistakable sound of bullets whistling above my head. I told my wife to hit my shooting position and stay down and I scurried back up the hill behind some rocks for cover and overlook. I opened the bolt and looked around the valley below me. 350 yards (still point blank with the .22-250 [:)] and about 200 yards beyond my truck is an out cropping of small 20-30 foot rocks. There's three guys drinking beers and shooting .22 LR pistols and some centerfire level action rifles. I was watching them through the scope when I saw them point their fire right at me and caught the muzzle flash several times.

First thought was to remove myself from the line of fire so I worked my way along the ridge and then down the to truck. I set my alarm off which is connected to a set of 135 dB air horns. They're so loud I could hear echoes coming back from half way to Arizona. I waited a minute or two and then the shooting resumed. So this time I worked my way so that I was between the shooters and the sun along some high ground.

I yelled out to stop shooting but they continued. I waited until they had stopped before cresting a ridge about 75 yards away and noted that they were reloading. I came down after catching their eyes and asked them to stop shooting I only which I had an AR for that added touch of surprise. "Gee we were just shooting into the dirt (and rocks)","We didn't know that there was anyone beyond us (nor did we care enough to look", "We didn't hear anyone (how could they possibly hear a .22-250, my air horns or the numerous motorcycles that travel the area because they weren't wearing hearing protection).

They packed up and went home all sad like.

The day started out remarkable when the very first shot out of the rifle with the new scope missed the dead nuts center of the bulleyes by less than a 1/4 inch at 75 yards. How's that for bore sighting?

Sir, no wonder you have the keys to the Kingdom (Mod.).  You handled that waaaayyy better than I would have, especially with the wife present.  'nuff said.  [beer]

I am going to agree with thebeekeeper1 on this.

I was off Stodard Wells road north of the 15 past Victorville and well before Barstow. The mountain is called Iron Mountain - I shoot in the area that I call seven rocks as there are 7 of these huge piles of rocks set back from the valley walls.

The desert valley is very flat and large here with hundreds of criss-crossing dirt bike trails. It's nice because shots of several hundred yards are possible. There are survey roads that run for long distances very straight allowing for 400-600 yard shots which are best made on weekdays when the children are in school and not riding dirt bikes about.

S.E.C.R.E.T. II ???

Sounds good - but what do you "R"ide? I do ATV's, horses and I've even been known to ride a camel given a chance but don't anything to "R".

I have the SEC-ET parts down though [:)].