There I was, I had just finished some chores I had been putting off so I decided to make one last trip to the range to be sure my rifle was dialed in. After all, elk season is right around the corner. Sure, it worked well during deer season, but maybe I had bumped the scope. Maybe my loads are off. Plug in unforeseen variable here. I don’t need much of a reason to hit the range and get in some trigger time.
So I grabbed my rifle, muffs, targets, and a cup of coffee. I fired up big red, sitting there while it warmed up a little.
One last glance and…crap. I forgot the ammo. So I shut the truck off, bounced out and ran into the shop. I grabbed the ammo can, turned around and…oh F#CK.
My driveway has a slope to it. If one forgets to put the truck in gear, or set the parking break, it will roll down hill.
Having left the truck door open and in neutral (that’s stick-shift speak), my truck had rolled back and the open door caught my camper. I was in shock as I watched a 100-pound door connected to a 9,000 pound object impact a 3,500 pound stationary trailer at about 7.33 feet per second.
According to one chart I looked at, that’s the equivalent of 2.706 kilotons of TNT, or 7,518 foot-pounds of delivered energy. Huh. More than my .470 nitro, but less than the .50 BMG.
I dropped the box of ammo and ran to the truck before it could do any more damage. With its momentum it had backed uphill slightly and was just going to roll back forward into the arbor vitae. I let it go.
No sense in getting hurt trying to prevent, well, nothing.
Yeah, the door got pushed way past its usual stopping point. And it ripped the camper jacks away. Crash and burn.
I called the insurance company and started the claim. What else could I do? Kick my own butt? Laugh? Shake my head? At least it isn’t raining, because that door isn’t going to close any time soon.
After everything had settled down, I did the only sane thing I could do at that point I fired up the SUV, threw my stuff in and headed to the range.
Roughly 10,000 dollars later a few rounds down range, I had confirmed that the rifle is, in fact, dialed in. Still dead on, ready for those elk.
Aim small, miss small. And remember to put it in ‘park.’