Shooting Gallery at the Weirs

[coltgov101]

Does anyone remember the shooting gallery at the Weirs? This was a real shooting establishment, you stood outdoors and fired real .22 caliber rifles at moving heavy metal targets. It was up the hill slightly off the beaten path of other entertainment,but I remember it seemed to be there for quite some time.Any one out there who can share some info? Would love to hear from you.

[Skipper of the Sea Que]

Originally Posted by coltgov101

Does anyone remember the shooting gallery at the Weirs? This was a real shooting establishment, you stood outdoors and fired real .22 caliber rifles at moving heavy metal targets. It was up the hill slightly off the beaten path of other entertainment,but I remember it seemed to be there for quite some time.Any one out there who can share some info? Would love to hear from you.

Henry keeps this place and this place keeps Henry I think was the sign on the gallery. It was just up Tower Road (maybe 50 feet) on the Weirs side of the parking lot and behind the current building. On the other side of the street from the bowling alley (now arcade).

The shooting gallery was in a small open front building (more like a shack) with an overhanging roof. Henry would stand behind the counter and the targets included the moving ducks in a row and many other "usual" gallery targets. The ammunition (22 shorts) were ready in a tube so he could quickly load them into another rifle rather than putting in one round after another. I think they were semi-automatic rifles as I don't recall cocking or using a bolt (but my photographic memory is a little fuzzy on that - probably old and bad film ). The pistols were revolvers. Several people could be on the firing line at the same time.

They had rifles and pistols and I remember saving some quarters to spend there a few times each season. It's been gone for well over 15 years.

[WeirsGuard]

I used to stop by there and fire off a few rounds all the time growing up in the Weirs in the 60's - 70's. I credit Henry's establishment with providing me the experience needed to shoot Expert when I was in the military.

As I recall, the weapons were all chained to the counter and used low power (15 grain?) ammo. A good air rifle might have had more stopping power.

He also had a special challenge chamber where you could win $10.00 if you placed three rounds that obliterated a small shape (I believe it was a red heart) on a card down-range. $10.00 was serious change for a twelve year old at the time. I won it once after probably plunking down $100.00 worth of quarters over the years.

Could you imagine the PC outcry if a similar operation tried to open today?

"You'll shoot your eye our kid!"

[Pineedles]

Yes, it was either a heart or a star you had to completely disintigrate. Never got close to what Weirs Guard plunked down, but then I never won the Ten Bucks. Lots of fun though.