Posted: 7/20/2010 8:20:05 PM EDT
|
I have met several of you at local shooting competitions and been friends with Hellbender off snipershide for the last few months. For those that don't know me, I'm Keith and use a wheelchair for distance due to a spinal cord injury. I'm actually fused from my pelvis to my skull. Due to this, I can not go prone. This has led to various adaptations to shooting style and aids. All of which Brad aka Hellbender has been instrumental.
To begin with, He assembled my upper while I supplied the food. Got a sweet shooting stick. 
Then we went to a match at Big Piney Sportsmans Club. Met several of you and knew that to do these shoots, I must modify the Polaris Ranger. Way to far to walk and mud/holes were not good on a wheelchair. Brad initially thought up an idea based on a rough idea of what I thought I needed. Here came the Polaris Ranger shooting bench. I can only claim the idea of where to brace to. 
This worked great for one match shot a 302/400 from 100 to 600 yards no wind. (Target shown above) Match #2 He rigged up a brace under my pistol grip to give rear support since a rear stock bag was out of the question. Solid solid invention. I'm not sure I'm allowed to picture it yet. We also needed a way to keep the gun secure while pointed safe going from station to station. In comes the floor mounted muzzle holder. 
This past weekend we had a match and had one heck of a time fighting sandbags up front. They were either too high or too low so I had to lean alot to get on target this also forced me to tilt the gun a bit throwing my long shots off. This got Hellbender and several of us at the match discussing a height adjustable front rest. I didn't want anything that would take all the user out of it like a benchrest shooter so I basically only wanted height adjustment. Here is quite possibly the Hellbender masterpiece. He came up with this with things laying around the shop! When you turn the handle either by hand or by drill, the top half slides giving you adjustment from around 4" to around 7.5". To solve the tilt, he took a set of scope rings and mounted the bottom half upside down of a 4x6" piece of steel. This will attach under my pic rail to serve as a sled, no tilt. 
Anyway, just thought I'd show ya my setup and maybe it will give you an idea of how to setup an atv to go shooting. Also a big THANK YOU to Brad for everything he has done to help me out. |
|
Quoted:
Can someone still sit in the passenger seat and spot for you? It is like a mobile sniper hide. Just need to some ghilie on it. What are the specs on your stick? It looks good. As long as you are under 220 lbs or so you will fit in the passenger seat. Gun is a A2 stock, Double star lower, DPMS lpk, RRA NM 2 stage, random flat top bought from polytechkid, YHM Diamond FF spectre length tube, YHM LO pro gas block, YHM SC1 FH, 15.4" Wilson Match barrel. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Can someone still sit in the passenger seat and spot for you? It is like a mobile sniper hide. Just need to some ghilie on it. What are the specs on your stick? It looks good. As long as you are under 220 lbs or so you will fit in the passenger seat. Not sure if I could make that. I like food and food likes me. Sounds like a good build on the rifle. That is a sweet setup and you could use it to go hunting. |
|
That is pretty fricken awesome!!! Props to you for getting out there and shooting and doing it better than most people that don't have a disability or mobility issues... Props to Hellbender for the ingenuity and helper a fellow shooter... I gotta admit, I'm a tad envious (in a good way) as I've never gotten a chance to shoot much over a 100 yards; much less be good at it... |
|
Quoted:
Nice set-up! I'm sure there are some commercial opportunities there if you want to pursue it. Remake this set using lightweight aluminum tubing and attachments that clamp or use existing bolt holes to make this a bolt on option.......definitely a market for it if you could get someone to make up jigs for quicker building and for different models (John Deere Gator, Kawasaki Mule,....). I would think it wouldn't be a bad idea to do a detailed drawing and see if you can get a patent. Good shooting. |