French National Geo Picture article on Swiss shooting culture.
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Kampfhamster
CGN frequent flyer
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Exactly. It's also mandatory to have this safety engaged when entering a 300m-range.
Everything there, may look dangerous on the picture, but from the shooters point of view it's impossible to hit anything but the backstop.
The picture must be a couple years old anyway, nowadays it's not allowed to shoot on such ranges anymore. A special artificial backstop is required so that no lead bullets get into the ground. This is usually done with a box behind the target.
On a clear day you can see forever
Let me tell you a little story, of the fun I had with my friend Peter back in the summer of 2000, right here in Canada, when he invited me to the Swiss Rifle Club-Toronto. A memorable day in company of fine gentlemen, all with their Schmidt-Rubin IG11 and K31, which were quite exclusive in those days and which I had never seen before "in person", just in books.
This happened at a CAF sooting range around the lake, pass Hamilton, a 1000yrd military range. We drove up in Peter's Aston Martin, but that's not what crystallized that day in my memory, it was the fun with the "squad" (about 10 riflemen), all Swiss-Canadians, with one of them playing Sargent, inspecting the guns, giving s**t to any one who's gun wasn't spotless and well lubricated. Ammo was available from the sarge, the classic 7,5x55mm RAG surplus, which the men could buy for about 5$ per box of ten.
I showed up with my Swedish Mauser M38, which "would do for the time being", the sarge said. During the week, in preparation for this honour being made to me, I quickly reloaded by best recipe of 6,5x55, took the scope off and re-installed the mil sights. "We don't shoot with scopes", Peter had mentioned, unless it comes with the rifle... (see below).
About half the squad walked to behind the first earth mound, 300 m away. Yes sir, that's 984 ft ! The thick paper targets are about 2 x 2 ft square and the bullseye "10" is 4" in diameter, inside of which there is a 2" diam. white dot circle, they call " mouche". There was a metal frame contraption with pulley and chain; one target on the lower frame, the other on the upper frame. Pulling the chain brings the upper target down for reading the score, while the fresh target is raised above the earth mound in sight of the distant shooter. Then follows a signal ritual whereby with two different "pennants" (flags) the score is relayed to the shooter (viz. a "4" at 9 o'clock). With this information the shooter would adjust elevation and windage on his sight or dioptre (peep sight). We had two way radio for safety, but only the flag ritual was used (it's part of the training...)
The turn of "Bruno" came. It so happened I was the guy reading his targets. He was an older guy, perhaps the senior of the "squad". He'd just come back from Switzerland, there was a kind of "Swiss Shoot-out Olympic" that year. His score from memory:
First shot: something like a "8" at 4 o'clock. He adjusted: a 9.
Then came a string something like: 9, 10, 9, 10, mouche, mouche, 9, mouche, mouche, 10...
I swear to god... At 300meter, no scope, standard issue ammo, no bench, just laying on his mat on the ground! Two inches at 300m is approximately 2/3 MOA. That's the day I understood the French expression "faire mouche" (perfect bullseye).
When I walked back to the firing position, I asked "Who's that guy? - May I see you his rifle, sir? An IG11 with a "swiss" dioptre sight.
"I got a get me self one of these" I declared. Couldn't find one until about 3 years later when the good Swiss friend of my brother decided to leave for the Middle-East and not take his two rifles with him, an IG11 (rifle) and a K31 (karabiner).
Peter's was feeding me with the 7,5x55mm RAG surplus ammo initially. I now buy it from P&S Militaria in Sherbrooke, QC at 75 cents/round. I purchased the Lee reloading dies, but hey, at that price and with that performance, why bother until I get good enough to pop a few "mouche" my-self?
At one point in the late 1930s, the Wehrmacht produced a report to Hitler mentioning an estimate cost of some 400 000 casualties to invade Switzerland. The idea was abandoned, too costly, not worth it. Another stories goes that one German general said to a swiss counterpart "We have twice as many men as you do!" The Swiss replied " We'll just give every men two cartridges..."
Last year, there came up for sale ZfK-55 rifle. Guess who owns it now? I got to get me-self invited to one of those Swiss Rifle Clug again...
Thanks to MapleSugar, I persisted and found the way to post some pictures on photobucket: ain't she a beauty? Only one registered in Canada, I was told.
Going there to visit family next September.......might not come back after seeing this
Let me tell you a little story, of the fun I had with my friend Peter back in the summer of 2000, right here in Canada, when he invited me to the Swiss Rifle Club-Toronto. A memorable day in company of fine gentlemen, all with their Schmidt-Rubin IG11 and K31, which were quite exclusive in those days and which I had never seen before "in person", just in books.
This happened at a CAF sooting range around the lake, pass Hamilton, a 1000yrd military range. We drove up in Peter's Aston Martin, but that's not what crystallized that day in my memory, it was the fun with the "squad" (about 10 riflemen), all Swiss-Canadians, with one of them playing Sargent, inspecting the guns, giving s**t to any one who's gun wasn't spotless and well lubricated. Ammo was available from the sarge, the classic 7,5x55mm RAG surplus, which the men could buy for about 5$ per box of ten.
I showed up with my Swedish Mauser M38, which "would do for the time being", the sarge said. During the week, in preparation for this honour being made to me, I quickly reloaded by best recipe of 6,5x55, took the scope off and re-installed the mil sights. "We don't shoot with scopes", Peter had mentioned, unless it comes with the rifle... (see below).
About half the squad walked to behind the first earth mound, 300 m away. Yes sir, that's 984 ft ! The thick paper targets are about 2 x 2 ft square and the bullseye "10" is 4" in diameter, inside of which there is a 2" diam. white dot circle, they call " mouche". There was a metal frame contraption with pulley and chain; one target on the lower frame, the other on the upper frame. Pulling the chain brings the upper target down for reading the score, while the fresh target is raised above the earth mound in sight of the distant shooter. Then follows a signal ritual whereby with two different "pennants" (flags) the score is relayed to the shooter (viz. a "4" at 9 o'clock). With this information the shooter would adjust elevation and windage on his sight or dioptre (peep sight). We had two way radio for safety, but only the flag ritual was used (it's part of the training...)
The turn of "Bruno" came. It so happened I was the guy reading his targets. He was an older guy, perhaps the senior of the "squad". He'd just come back from Switzerland, there was a kind of "Swiss Shoot-out Olympic" that year. His score from memory:
First shot: something like a "8" at 4 o'clock. He adjusted: a 9.
Then came a string something like: 9, 10, 9, 10, mouche, mouche, 9, mouche, mouche, 10...
I swear to god... At 300meter, no scope, standard issue ammo, no bench, just laying on his mat on the ground! Two inches at 300m is approximately 2/3 MOA. That's the day I understood the French expression "faire mouche" (perfect bullseye).
When I walked back to the firing position, I asked "Who's that guy? - May I see you his rifle, sir? An IG11 with a "swiss" dioptre sight.
"I got a get me self one of these" I declared. Couldn't find one until about 3 years later when the good Swiss friend of my brother decided to leave for the Middle-East and not take his two rifles with him, an IG11 (rifle) and a K31 (karabiner).
Peter's was feeding me with the 7,5x55mm RAG surplus ammo initially. I now buy it from P&S Militaria in Sherbrooke, QC at 75 cents/round. I purchased the Lee reloading dies, but hey, at that price and with that performance, why bother until I get good enough to pop a few "mouche" my-self?
At one point in the late 1930s, the Wehrmacht produced a report to Hitler mentioning an estimate cost of some 400 000 casualties to invade Switzerland. The idea was abandoned, too costly, not worth it. Another stories goes that one German general said to a swiss counterpart "We have twice as many men as you do!" The Swiss replied " We'll just give every men two cartridges..."
Last year, there came up for sale ZfK-55 rifle. Guess who owns it now? I got to get me-self invited to one of those Swiss Rifle Clug again...
Thanks to MapleSugar, I persisted and found the way to post some pictures on photobucket: ain't she a beauty? Only one registered in Canada, I was told.
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MapleSugar
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- On the loose from NIMH
That's a cool story, Gefreiter!
BTW, Photobucket is free and very easy to use.
BTW, Photobucket is free and very easy to use.
That sound's like Peter Emil and Arnold Bruno. Met them a few times at the Kingston Swiss Shoots. Zigazaga Zigazaga Oy Oy Oy. Peter loved that Aston.
You ever make it to any of the Kingston Shoots, Gefreiter?
Targets are actual 101cm square, just over 39 inches.
You gave correct sizes for ten and x ring. Fraid you can't use the Zfk55 on score.
MapleSugar
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- On the loose from NIMH
For those too lazy to click on Gefreiter’s album, here are the pictures of his ZfK-55 rifle.
What a beauty, eh?
I hope you don’t mind me posting these, Gefreiter.
What a beauty, eh?
I hope you don’t mind me posting these, Gefreiter.
Agreed. And an expensive one to live in.
I guess it is noteworthy to mention that it is very difficult to immigrate to Switzerland. Actually, I think it's safe to say it's nearly impossible.
They value tradition and cherish independence. It's a country where parents don't hug their kids, they shake hands with them.
Most who live here wouldn't like it there at all.
Please draw your own conclusions.
As a side note, I once lived in a country in Europe where teenagers took shooting lessons in high school, every child played with toyguns and hunting rabbits and grouse was a common pastime activity. Then the country got under American influence, and since then the only non-uniformed citizens who carry guns are criminals.
They value tradition and cherish independence. It's a country where parents don't hug their kids, they shake hands with them.
Most who live here wouldn't like it there at all.
Please draw your own conclusions.
As a side note, I once lived in a country in Europe where teenagers took shooting lessons in high school, every child played with toyguns and hunting rabbits and grouse was a common pastime activity. Then the country got under American influence, and since then the only non-uniformed citizens who carry guns are criminals.
That was just an exaggeration, but not without purpose.
Kampfhamster
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Switzerland
It's so difficult to immigrate to Switzerland that 20% of the population has a "immigration background". In some schools more then half the students don't have german (or french or italian for that matter) as their first language.
No, immigrating to Switzerland isn't difficult.
But the culture is quite a bit different to the Canadian culture, that's true.
heavenIsAlie
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Abbotsford
sure the swiss have better gun laws than us, but they regulate their cars like we regulate guns, they hate cars
MapleSugar
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- On the loose from NIMH
Hamster; I gotta love a country that wants to boot out all those that are unwilling to conform to Swiss culture.
I'm basing this on my own experience. I tried immigrating to Switzerland in the eighties and failed all the attempts. So I took the second choice, which was Canada. I was shocked how different the entry requirements were. I mean, how easy it was to come here... and that was in the eighties. And no, I wasn't that black sheep in the picture above
Oh, and BTW in my daughter's high school which is a typical school here in Burnaby visible minorities alone make up for well over 50% of student population and that doesn't include Russians, Serbians, Croats, Albanians, Poles and other Europeans, so 20% of population with "immigration background" still sounds like Switzerland cannot really compare to Canada when it comes to immigration policy.
In other words, it is hard to immigrate to Switzerland, at least by our standards.
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