Not quite twelve hours, but close enough to call it that. Y'all g read the guys on the sidebar.
I see we had another Aloha Snackbar attack in New York City today. Evidently, the worthless bastard jumped out of the truck with a paintball gun ad a BB gun. Of course, he was driving a big truck down a bicycle path. Eight dead right now. The votaries of the pedophile prophet are a blood-thirsty bunch, that's for damn sure.
I just noticed that I'm outta socks. Belle and I made an agreement a long time ago, that we married for better or worse, in sickness and health, until death do us part. We didn't make any promises about laundry, and my Mom taught me to do laundry a long time ago. I'm going to put on a load of socks and other cotton apparel, and wait till they're ready to roll into the dryer. Then, I"m gonna lay my sorry butt down.
We'll try to get it right tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
Number One With a Bullet
Boosting the signal, with the indubitable Bill Whittle.
This is great stuff, and it makes us wonder why Democrat-led metro areas are such cesspools of murderous behavior.
This is great stuff, and it makes us wonder why Democrat-led metro areas are such cesspools of murderous behavior.
Flabbergasted
I admit, I'm a bit confused. Following a link from Instapundit, we come to an article at Slate, which makes the statement; It’s Time to Admit That Allowing Men Into the Workplace Was a Mistake Just about the time I had decided that the article was a spoof, we come to this little gem.
You want more Trump? This is how you get more Trump.
Let’s start by asking an important question: Is it even natural for men to be in the workplace in the first place?Just exactly which workplace is she talking about? The construction workplace? The shop-mechanic workplace? The warehouse/receiving/shipping workplace? The cop-shop or the firehouse? She really needs to be a bit more specific. She fails utterly.
To be fair, some men have tried their best to adapt to the working world, instituting strict guidelines for themselves like refusing to dine alone with women. And yet, over and over, they have failed: harassing, assaulting, leering, grabbing, menacing, rubbing, “joking,” and on and on. These failures have cost employers tens of millions of dollars in legal fees and settlements, and harmed tens of millions of women. Think of all the financial and emotional damage that could have been avoided if men simply stayed home where they belong.This must be satire, more suited to The Onion, than Slate, but it's written in such a way that some folks are liable to take it seriously.. This is misogyny and sexism writ large. Some may find it amusing, but the vast majority of people will find it ill-conceived, mildly disturbing, and fairly offensive. Which is okay, if it is your intent to disturb and offend people.
You want more Trump? This is how you get more Trump.
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Dirt Work
Before you pour a slab, you have to do the dirt work. The boys and I got out the transit today and started shooting elevations., then cranked the tractor and started moving dirt. We worked for about two hours, then called it an afternoon. My primary heavy equipment man has to work tonight and had to go home to get a nap before his shift starts.
It's a lot better today than it was this morning. In another week or so, I'll release the dirt work and tell the concrete crew to start building form.
It's a lot better today than it was this morning. In another week or so, I'll release the dirt work and tell the concrete crew to start building form.
Sunday
It's Sunday at PawPaw's house and we're cooking taco soup. It's a cool, sunny, breezy day out there and taco soup seems like the right thing to do. If you don't know the recipe, it's here.
Belle has been craving an old recipe that she loves. Gizzards and gravy. She puts chicken gizzards in a pressure cooker for a half-hour, until they're tender, then dredges them i n flow and fries them. Then, makes a gravy and smothers those gizzards in gracy. Serve it over rice.
It's going to be interested to see what the grandkids choose.
Belle has been craving an old recipe that she loves. Gizzards and gravy. She puts chicken gizzards in a pressure cooker for a half-hour, until they're tender, then dredges them i n flow and fries them. Then, makes a gravy and smothers those gizzards in gracy. Serve it over rice.
It's going to be interested to see what the grandkids choose.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Benchmark
The weather here is cooperating nicely. It's the first day of the regular deer season, and the thermometer this morning was under 40F for the first time this year. As I look at the thermometer, it's still only 39F with a cool breeze out of the north at 6 mph.
PawPaw isn't deer hunting this morning. I'm not nearly as interested in those deer as I have been in the past. We're hosting the monthly match today, and now that all the indoor work is done, I'll have to get out in the yard and set up the range.
A flannel shirt should feel just about right. The match starts today at 1:00, and everyone is invited.
PawPaw isn't deer hunting this morning. I'm not nearly as interested in those deer as I have been in the past. We're hosting the monthly match today, and now that all the indoor work is done, I'll have to get out in the yard and set up the range.
A flannel shirt should feel just about right. The match starts today at 1:00, and everyone is invited.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Friday
It's finally Friday after a long week. The weather is wonderful outside and the threat of rain is still there. It'll come in this afternoon. Until then, I'm going to spend as much time outside as I can, enjoying it.
Frankly, the political news is boring me. I don't want to hear anymore about the DNC's dossier, or the Weinstein scandal, If HIllary, or Weinstein, or any-damn-body else broke the law, then get a warrant, put their asses in jail, and get on with the arraignment.
So, with that statement out of the was, let me show you what happens when you put a vending machine outside.
When I get home this afternoon, Belle and I will commence Happy Hour, then start getting ready for tomorrow. We've got a club shoot at the house, starting at 1:00
Frankly, the political news is boring me. I don't want to hear anymore about the DNC's dossier, or the Weinstein scandal, If HIllary, or Weinstein, or any-damn-body else broke the law, then get a warrant, put their asses in jail, and get on with the arraignment.
So, with that statement out of the was, let me show you what happens when you put a vending machine outside.
When I get home this afternoon, Belle and I will commence Happy Hour, then start getting ready for tomorrow. We've got a club shoot at the house, starting at 1:00
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Weather
Several teams locally are moving their football games from Friday night to Thursday night, ostensibly for the weather. The only thing that can stop a football game around here is lighting.
Here's what Wunderground's chart looks like for the next several days.
Decidedly, there is rain the forecast. And, I'm sure that there will be some lightning. But the cynic in me wonders... Saturday should be beautiful, and the main gun season for deer opens hereabouts at daylight Saturday morning. We'll have to keep a "weather eye" on this.
Here's what Wunderground's chart looks like for the next several days.
Decidedly, there is rain the forecast. And, I'm sure that there will be some lightning. But the cynic in me wonders... Saturday should be beautiful, and the main gun season for deer opens hereabouts at daylight Saturday morning. We'll have to keep a "weather eye" on this.
Jambalaya
Yesterday afternoon when I got home, the temps were pleasant and the evening promised to be cool. Cool weather is a blessed relief from our standard hot, humid, muggy weather, and I had the hankering for some comfort food. T here are three basic varieties of jambalaya; white, red, and brown. I normally cook white jambalaya, but we'll talk about the others too. This is Cajun cooking at it's finest, and it is one recipe that's quick, normally an hour from the time you drag the pots out from under the cupboard until you serve it on the table.
JAMBALAYA
Ingredients
1 lb chicken, deboned
1 lb link sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper (bell pepper), chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped.
2 cups rice
chicken broth
salt
black pepper.
Prep and Cooking
Chop your vegetables. Slice your sausage. Cut up your chicken into bite-sized peices.
Get out a black iron pot. (You do have cast-iron cookware, right?)
Put a little oil in the pot and saute your vegetables. You want the onion clear and sweet. Add your chicken, and cook it for a bit, then add your sausage. Let it cook for a while, stirring occasionally to keep anything from sticking. The sausage will lose some fat, but that's okay. It's adding to the flavor.
When everything is cooked, you have a decision to make. Drain the oil or not.Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, depending on how my body is feeling. Some sausage has more fat than others. You decide.
After you've made that decision, add the two cups of rice and enough chicken broth to cover the rice. Cover the pot, set a timer for 12 minutes and put the fire on low. Let that chicken, sausage, veggie and broth mixture simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Bon apetit! That's white jambalaya. For brown jambalaya, make a roux gravy, or use a brown gravy mix. Add that to your meat/veggie mixture and simmer until the rice is tender. For red, add a can of diced tomatoes and peppers (Rotel) to your broth.
JAMBALAYA
Ingredients
1 lb chicken, deboned
1 lb link sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper (bell pepper), chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped.
2 cups rice
chicken broth
salt
black pepper.
Prep and Cooking
Chop your vegetables. Slice your sausage. Cut up your chicken into bite-sized peices.
Get out a black iron pot. (You do have cast-iron cookware, right?)
Put a little oil in the pot and saute your vegetables. You want the onion clear and sweet. Add your chicken, and cook it for a bit, then add your sausage. Let it cook for a while, stirring occasionally to keep anything from sticking. The sausage will lose some fat, but that's okay. It's adding to the flavor.
When everything is cooked, you have a decision to make. Drain the oil or not.Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, depending on how my body is feeling. Some sausage has more fat than others. You decide.
After you've made that decision, add the two cups of rice and enough chicken broth to cover the rice. Cover the pot, set a timer for 12 minutes and put the fire on low. Let that chicken, sausage, veggie and broth mixture simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Bon apetit! That's white jambalaya. For brown jambalaya, make a roux gravy, or use a brown gravy mix. Add that to your meat/veggie mixture and simmer until the rice is tender. For red, add a can of diced tomatoes and peppers (Rotel) to your broth.
Invitational
It's time for the annul Thorn Valley Invitational. Great venue, Great times, we're always ready to shoot with Thorn Valley. Thorn Valley was the first club that Belle and I joined, and while we've split off to form our own club, it wasn't because we had a "falling out" with Thorn Valley. We still love that club and want to see it succeed. We have very good friends in that club. We support them, and they support us.
This shoot is held at the Rustic Sky Horse Camp, in Melder, LA. They're great hosts that love to see us shooting on their western-themed venue.
If you're in the area, come shoot with us.
This shoot is held at the Rustic Sky Horse Camp, in Melder, LA. They're great hosts that love to see us shooting on their western-themed venue.
If you're in the area, come shoot with us.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Heinlein
A quote from Heinlein I was looking for the other day. I'll leave it right here so I can find it later.
Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded- here and there, now and then- are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.This is known as "bad luck.".
Trump's Dilemna
The news is getting more astonishing by the day. It' seems that Hillary and her crew broke lots of laws during her tenure as Secretary of State, not the least of which during the deal that sold America's uranium to the Russians. She also broke laws dealing with the handling of classified documents. People routinely go to jail for that.
She's crooked, there is no doubt about it. However, it's one thing to identify corruption, it's another thing entirely to prosecute it.
American presidents don't normally prosecute their opponents. It smacks of being a sore winner. The president of Venezuela might jail the opposition, but Americans don't do that..
Except that in this case, the Democratic nominee was probably the most corrupt politician to ever be a nominee. It's staggering to know that major crimes occurred and may never be prosecuted.
Now, as it turns out, James Comey is back in the news. It seems that during October 2016 while he was Director, the FBI was funding opposition research that became The Trump Dossier. This is staggering news.
And, there is Trump's dilemma. How do you jail the entire opposition without looking like a Marxist dictator?
She's crooked, there is no doubt about it. However, it's one thing to identify corruption, it's another thing entirely to prosecute it.
American presidents don't normally prosecute their opponents. It smacks of being a sore winner. The president of Venezuela might jail the opposition, but Americans don't do that..
Except that in this case, the Democratic nominee was probably the most corrupt politician to ever be a nominee. It's staggering to know that major crimes occurred and may never be prosecuted.
Now, as it turns out, James Comey is back in the news. It seems that during October 2016 while he was Director, the FBI was funding opposition research that became The Trump Dossier. This is staggering news.
It was an astonishing turn: the nation’s top federal law enforcement agency agreeing to fund an ongoing opposition research project being conducted by one of the candidates in the midst of a presidential election.Regular readers know my disdain and contempt for James Comey. I'd call him a weasel, but that's an insult to fur-bearing animals. Weasels have an honorable purpose, and I've seen nothing about James Comey that is honorable. He should certainly go to prison. He knows better.
And, there is Trump's dilemma. How do you jail the entire opposition without looking like a Marxist dictator?
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Scouts - Modernized
Everyone who has followed the gunny world, certainly knows about Jeff Cooper and the Scout rifle concept. Cooper worked long an hard to nail down the definitive concept, but the base is simply a rifle with a long-eye--relief scope mounted forward of the receiver. Cooper's rifle was a Steyr, but Ruger makes one, as does Savage.
Many people consider the Scout to be a niche rifle. The first time you see it, it looks odd. But, when people shoot it, they start to realize the practical aspect of a rifle that is fast to get into action. My personal Scout is a Savage, not that the brand matters. And, I have to admit that I bought it to see what all the hoopla was about. After a couple of years, and several trips to the range, I'm beginning to understand the concept.
Yet, I'm not as dogmatic as the much esteemed Col Cooper was, and I see the benefit of stretching the concept a bit. Firehand, for example, has mounted a long-eye-relief scope on an AR upper and wants to play with it. I think that's a great idea, and I hope that he takes time to give himself a chance to get over the "oddness" and explore the practicality of the concept.
Many of us are enamored with precision rifles. Those rifles that have the ability to put steel on meat at extreme distances. That's fine in itself, and I get it. Really, I do. Long range work is a joy to behold, and a science in itself.
A Scout rifle ain't like that. It gives us the ability to hit a man-sized target out to 300 yards very quickly. It's not fiddly, and there is no "doping". Simply put the crosshair on the target and squeeze the trigger. It's really simple, amazingly fast, and doesn't matter one whit if it's a modern AR or an old Spanish Mauser. The concept is the same.
If you're looking for a fast, handy rifle, give the Scout concept a try. An honest try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Many people consider the Scout to be a niche rifle. The first time you see it, it looks odd. But, when people shoot it, they start to realize the practical aspect of a rifle that is fast to get into action. My personal Scout is a Savage, not that the brand matters. And, I have to admit that I bought it to see what all the hoopla was about. After a couple of years, and several trips to the range, I'm beginning to understand the concept.
Yet, I'm not as dogmatic as the much esteemed Col Cooper was, and I see the benefit of stretching the concept a bit. Firehand, for example, has mounted a long-eye-relief scope on an AR upper and wants to play with it. I think that's a great idea, and I hope that he takes time to give himself a chance to get over the "oddness" and explore the practicality of the concept.
Many of us are enamored with precision rifles. Those rifles that have the ability to put steel on meat at extreme distances. That's fine in itself, and I get it. Really, I do. Long range work is a joy to behold, and a science in itself.
A Scout rifle ain't like that. It gives us the ability to hit a man-sized target out to 300 yards very quickly. It's not fiddly, and there is no "doping". Simply put the crosshair on the target and squeeze the trigger. It's really simple, amazingly fast, and doesn't matter one whit if it's a modern AR or an old Spanish Mauser. The concept is the same.
If you're looking for a fast, handy rifle, give the Scout concept a try. An honest try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
New Wave
An earworm from 1978, Blondie's Heart of Glass. If you like old, vintage music videos, this one is for you.
From the era of disco balls and lighted dance floors.
From the era of disco balls and lighted dance floors.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Pawn Shop Crawling
Today during my break, I stopped by two pawn shops that I like.
The first had an interesting revolver. A Ruger New Vaquero in .45LC. The very type that we use for Cowboy Fast Draw. This one was in stainless and had the 5.5 inch barrel. It looked like it had been used very little and the springs, from all indications, were original. It had the box and looked almost brand new. If it had been fired, it was very little. The counter-guy tried to tell me that it was a new gun (and it was priced as new) but it had a serial number in the 511 series which was last made in 2013. I told the counter guy that I might have been born at night, but not last night.
They had the revolver marked at $595.00, which is a $20 off of full NIB retail. I asked what they'd take for it. They told me $425.00, and I passed. It's not a bad deal on a RNV, but I have mine, and I'm not really in the market right now. I passed, told the guy I might be back in a month or so, and headed down the road to the next pawn shop.
The second pawn shop, I used to have a buddy that worked there, but I didn't see him today. Interestingly, in the case was a stainless Ruger Police Service Six, in .357 magnum, with a 4" barrel. They had it marked for $495.00, which is about twice what I paid for my first one, back in 1980. I gave the little gun the March Revolver Checkout and it passed handily. I asked what they'd take for it, and the price came back at $425.00. Still too much in my mind, based on the numbers in my checkbook right now. If they'd have come down to the mid $300 range, I might have been tempted.
The Ruger Six (Security Six, Police Service Six, and Speed Six) are fine revolvers from the '70s and '80s, great little guns built to compete with the mid-frame Colts and Smith revolvers of the day. Several years ago, they'd turn up in the pawn shop shelves fairly regularly, in the mid-to-upper $200 range. The last one I bought, four or five years ago, I gave $275.00 for it, out the door.
The first had an interesting revolver. A Ruger New Vaquero in .45LC. The very type that we use for Cowboy Fast Draw. This one was in stainless and had the 5.5 inch barrel. It looked like it had been used very little and the springs, from all indications, were original. It had the box and looked almost brand new. If it had been fired, it was very little. The counter-guy tried to tell me that it was a new gun (and it was priced as new) but it had a serial number in the 511 series which was last made in 2013. I told the counter guy that I might have been born at night, but not last night.
They had the revolver marked at $595.00, which is a $20 off of full NIB retail. I asked what they'd take for it. They told me $425.00, and I passed. It's not a bad deal on a RNV, but I have mine, and I'm not really in the market right now. I passed, told the guy I might be back in a month or so, and headed down the road to the next pawn shop.
The second pawn shop, I used to have a buddy that worked there, but I didn't see him today. Interestingly, in the case was a stainless Ruger Police Service Six, in .357 magnum, with a 4" barrel. They had it marked for $495.00, which is about twice what I paid for my first one, back in 1980. I gave the little gun the March Revolver Checkout and it passed handily. I asked what they'd take for it, and the price came back at $425.00. Still too much in my mind, based on the numbers in my checkbook right now. If they'd have come down to the mid $300 range, I might have been tempted.
The Ruger Six (Security Six, Police Service Six, and Speed Six) are fine revolvers from the '70s and '80s, great little guns built to compete with the mid-frame Colts and Smith revolvers of the day. Several years ago, they'd turn up in the pawn shop shelves fairly regularly, in the mid-to-upper $200 range. The last one I bought, four or five years ago, I gave $275.00 for it, out the door.
Pissing Off The Base
Folks are starting to notice that the attendance at NFL games is down.
According to Sports Illustrated, the TV ratings are down too.
The NFL is proving that it is not immune to market pressure. When you alienate a large portion of your customer base, chasing social-justice goblins and call a large portion of your clientele racists, it's no surprise when they take their business elsewhere.
You'd think that the owners, being business people, would understand that. But, maybe not.
For myself, I didn't watch any football this weekend. I didn't get that bored. But, I have to be awfully bored to watch spoiled millionaires play a child's game.
According to Sports Illustrated, the TV ratings are down too.
The NFL is proving that it is not immune to market pressure. When you alienate a large portion of your customer base, chasing social-justice goblins and call a large portion of your clientele racists, it's no surprise when they take their business elsewhere.
You'd think that the owners, being business people, would understand that. But, maybe not.
For myself, I didn't watch any football this weekend. I didn't get that bored. But, I have to be awfully bored to watch spoiled millionaires play a child's game.
Message Sent
An interesting report, over at Hot Air, that the Air Force is considering putting it's nuke force back on 24 hour alert.
Now, the top general is talking about it again.
The U.S. is ruminating about putting nuclear bombers back on a 24-hour alert. Defense One reports the move is being considered by top Pentagon officials over national security concerns.That's interesting. I grew up during the Cold War, and I remember the nuke forces being on 24 hour alert during the '60s and '70s. Somewhere on ever SAC base, there was an alert facility where bomber crews rested, planned, and prepared for the unthinkable. Nobody talked about it, but it was an open secret that they were out there, ready to go on a moment's notice, to defend democracy from the Red Horde.
Now, the top general is talking about it again.
“This is yet one more step in ensuring that we’re prepared,” Gen. David Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff, said in an interview during his six-day tour of Barksdale and other U.S. Air Force bases that support the nuclear mission. “I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure we’re prepared going forward.”It's interesting that the Air Force is sending this message. The interested observer might wonder who the message is intended to warn? From what I know about military planning, right now, middle managers all over the Air Force are looking through old filing cabinets, dusting off old plans and seeing how they fit the current reality. There is no sense in re-inventing the wheel.
A Nation of RIfleman
From a Facebook post.
I attribute this quote to the inestimable Kim DuToit. He's blogging again, by the way, over at Splendid Isolation.
I've been neglecting my rifle work since I was diagnosed with macular degeneration, but I've recently learned that I can still use a scope. It felt good to whack something from a distance.
I attribute this quote to the inestimable Kim DuToit. He's blogging again, by the way, over at Splendid Isolation.
I've been neglecting my rifle work since I was diagnosed with macular degeneration, but I've recently learned that I can still use a scope. It felt good to whack something from a distance.
Sunday, October 22, 2017
A Golden Age
Back in 1957, Townsend Whelen said, "Only accurate rifles re interesting."
I believe that to be true, and I believe that we live in a golden age of rifle manufacturing. The rifles we buy off the shelf today are much more accurate than the rifles we could buy only 20 years ago, much less when compared to the rifles available when Mr. Whelen was shooting. When I started shooting rifles back in the '70s, about all we could expect were 3" or 4" groups at 100 ards. If a shooter were chasing the grail of the 1" rifle, it took gunsmithing ability. You'd take the metal out of the stock, hog out the wood and bed the rifle in fiberglass, float the barrel, and adjust or hone the trigger and hope that when you put the rifle back together, you had not done more harm than good.
Likewise the glass. Scopes in those days were eminently unreliable. Erectors would break, crosshairs would shift, and recoil of the rifle would shake scopes apart. It was not at all uncommon to take your lovingly tuned rifle out to the woods on a cold morning to find that the nitrogen had leaked out and the entire inside of the scope had fogged between taking it out of the warm truck and the cold deer stand, making both rifle and scope absolutely useless.
Nowadays, it is absolutely simple to buy a rifle off the shelf, put some inexpensive glass on it, take it to the range and be fairly confident that the rifle will shoot into almost an inch at 100 yards, and that the glass will stand up to the rigors of normal hunting and shooting. These rifles may not have the beauty and soul of a pre-64 Winchester, or a custom Remington, but by God, they'll shoot. Regular readers will know that I'm a fan of Savage and Ruger rifles, and will know that I've lovingly tuned several Savage 110's and Ruger 77s to be accurate, reliable, hunting rifles. It is still possible to do those things, but nowadays if you want a rifle that is simply ready to shoot, go no further than two of my favorites, the Savage Axis and the Ruger American.
A couple of weeks ago I picked up a Ruger American Compact in .308 Winchester. It has a plastic stock and a bedding block and the cost, out the door was well under $500.00. Everything I had read about the rifle told me that it was a great little rifle. My daughter wanted to deer hunt with her husband, and she didn't have a rifle. She wanted to borrow one of mine, The little Ruger was on sale, and if she borrowed one of mine, I'd need another. The next day I found a sale on Leupold VX-1 scopes. Anytime you can buy a Leopold for under $200 it's a deal, so I picked that up and mounted it on the rifle. I didn't get a chance to shoot the rifle until yesterday, when my daughter and ounger son went out to their brother's place where he has set up a 100 yard range.
I brought two rifles to shoot. The Ruger American and my Savage Scout. I wanted daughter to try them both. She's a neophyte to rifle shooting and I wanted to give her the experience of both styles. We quickly bore-sighted the Ruger by the expedient of locking it in a cleaning jig, removing the bolt and looking through the bore toward a 9" gong at 100 yards. Adjusted the scope to the gong without moving the rifle, then we moved over to the shooting bench.
Three shots later, the little Ruger was on paper, hitting a one-inch dot at 25 yards.
"Okay, " I told my son, "Reach out and hit that six-inch gong at 100 yards.". He squeezed the trigger and we hard the bullet splash, a satisfying whack. With the rifle sighted, it was time to have a little fun. We took turns shooting the rifle, making the gongs dance downrange. Then we took out the Scout rifle and played with it for a while.
We let my daughter shoot both rifles, discussing the pros and cons of both rifles, the pros and cons of the scope mounting on each, and letting her explore the mysteries of her first foray into the world of centerfire rifle shooting.
After we had gone through over half the available ammo, I asked her which one she liked.
"The American," she replied. "But I don't want to take your new rifle."
"Why do you think I bought it?", I asked her. "I've given rifles to all your brothers,. Now, it's your turn." In truth, I have my rifles. I don't need any more, but the chance to shoot something new is always an urge I have trouble passing up.
But, the point of this vignette is that I didn't have to spend a lot of time and effort getting this rifle to the point where I feel confident giving it to her. Right out of the box, it shoots just fine, and I have no doubt that with an experienced shooter and a still day, it would put bullets in that magical 1" group. My daughter is a neophyte to rifle shooting, but she has a rifle that should serve her well for many decades, one that she can pass down when it's her turn to stay in the camp. But, in the intervening decades, I hope that she takes a lot of venison with it, and remembers the day that she first whacked a 6" gong across her brother's range.
And, shooting with family on a backyard range is probably the very best way to spend a Saturday morning.
Author's note. - For the record, my favorite load for the .308 Winchester is one that we stumbled onto a decade or so, ago. Good brass with a Winchester or CCI large rifle primer. 43.0 grains of Reloder 15 powder and a good 150 or 168 grain bullet. Depending on your barrel, the 150 will fly at better than 2800 and the 165/168 will run out at about 2650. With benchrest preparation, it will keep them almost in the same hold. With normal components, it will stay inside an inch, if the nut behind the stock knows his business. I have a lot of confidence in this load.
I believe that to be true, and I believe that we live in a golden age of rifle manufacturing. The rifles we buy off the shelf today are much more accurate than the rifles we could buy only 20 years ago, much less when compared to the rifles available when Mr. Whelen was shooting. When I started shooting rifles back in the '70s, about all we could expect were 3" or 4" groups at 100 ards. If a shooter were chasing the grail of the 1" rifle, it took gunsmithing ability. You'd take the metal out of the stock, hog out the wood and bed the rifle in fiberglass, float the barrel, and adjust or hone the trigger and hope that when you put the rifle back together, you had not done more harm than good.
Likewise the glass. Scopes in those days were eminently unreliable. Erectors would break, crosshairs would shift, and recoil of the rifle would shake scopes apart. It was not at all uncommon to take your lovingly tuned rifle out to the woods on a cold morning to find that the nitrogen had leaked out and the entire inside of the scope had fogged between taking it out of the warm truck and the cold deer stand, making both rifle and scope absolutely useless.
Nowadays, it is absolutely simple to buy a rifle off the shelf, put some inexpensive glass on it, take it to the range and be fairly confident that the rifle will shoot into almost an inch at 100 yards, and that the glass will stand up to the rigors of normal hunting and shooting. These rifles may not have the beauty and soul of a pre-64 Winchester, or a custom Remington, but by God, they'll shoot. Regular readers will know that I'm a fan of Savage and Ruger rifles, and will know that I've lovingly tuned several Savage 110's and Ruger 77s to be accurate, reliable, hunting rifles. It is still possible to do those things, but nowadays if you want a rifle that is simply ready to shoot, go no further than two of my favorites, the Savage Axis and the Ruger American.
A couple of weeks ago I picked up a Ruger American Compact in .308 Winchester. It has a plastic stock and a bedding block and the cost, out the door was well under $500.00. Everything I had read about the rifle told me that it was a great little rifle. My daughter wanted to deer hunt with her husband, and she didn't have a rifle. She wanted to borrow one of mine, The little Ruger was on sale, and if she borrowed one of mine, I'd need another. The next day I found a sale on Leupold VX-1 scopes. Anytime you can buy a Leopold for under $200 it's a deal, so I picked that up and mounted it on the rifle. I didn't get a chance to shoot the rifle until yesterday, when my daughter and ounger son went out to their brother's place where he has set up a 100 yard range.
 |
| Setting up. Second son and I at the bench, younger son downrange. |
I brought two rifles to shoot. The Ruger American and my Savage Scout. I wanted daughter to try them both. She's a neophyte to rifle shooting and I wanted to give her the experience of both styles. We quickly bore-sighted the Ruger by the expedient of locking it in a cleaning jig, removing the bolt and looking through the bore toward a 9" gong at 100 yards. Adjusted the scope to the gong without moving the rifle, then we moved over to the shooting bench.
 |
| First shots, getting it on paper. |
"Okay, " I told my son, "Reach out and hit that six-inch gong at 100 yards.". He squeezed the trigger and we hard the bullet splash, a satisfying whack. With the rifle sighted, it was time to have a little fun. We took turns shooting the rifle, making the gongs dance downrange. Then we took out the Scout rifle and played with it for a while.
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| Second Son on the Scout. It's entirely possible to hit a gong at 100 yards, offhand. |
 |
| Diging the 6" gong. |
"The American," she replied. "But I don't want to take your new rifle."
"Why do you think I bought it?", I asked her. "I've given rifles to all your brothers,. Now, it's your turn." In truth, I have my rifles. I don't need any more, but the chance to shoot something new is always an urge I have trouble passing up.
But, the point of this vignette is that I didn't have to spend a lot of time and effort getting this rifle to the point where I feel confident giving it to her. Right out of the box, it shoots just fine, and I have no doubt that with an experienced shooter and a still day, it would put bullets in that magical 1" group. My daughter is a neophyte to rifle shooting, but she has a rifle that should serve her well for many decades, one that she can pass down when it's her turn to stay in the camp. But, in the intervening decades, I hope that she takes a lot of venison with it, and remembers the day that she first whacked a 6" gong across her brother's range.
And, shooting with family on a backyard range is probably the very best way to spend a Saturday morning.
Author's note. - For the record, my favorite load for the .308 Winchester is one that we stumbled onto a decade or so, ago. Good brass with a Winchester or CCI large rifle primer. 43.0 grains of Reloder 15 powder and a good 150 or 168 grain bullet. Depending on your barrel, the 150 will fly at better than 2800 and the 165/168 will run out at about 2650. With benchrest preparation, it will keep them almost in the same hold. With normal components, it will stay inside an inch, if the nut behind the stock knows his business. I have a lot of confidence in this load.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Chirping
Belle heard a chirping noise int he house we couldn't identify.
Turns out, it was the smoke detector in the front bedroom.
We've lived here 14 years and didn't know that we had a smoke detector in the front bedroom.
That's a pretty good battery.
Turns out, it was the smoke detector in the front bedroom.
We've lived here 14 years and didn't know that we had a smoke detector in the front bedroom.
That's a pretty good battery.
Privilege
I'm so damn tire of hearing about privilege.
Darlin', there is not a straight guy in the world who could tell you what outfit you wore Wednesday, much less at the last "event". We're just glad you showed up looking reasonably attractive.
Don't give me "male privilege" crap for societal strictures that are enforced by women.
Darlin', there is not a straight guy in the world who could tell you what outfit you wore Wednesday, much less at the last "event". We're just glad you showed up looking reasonably attractive.
Don't give me "male privilege" crap for societal strictures that are enforced by women.
Finally Friday
We worked late last night, so we can take off today. In truth, I go my 40 hours done sometime yesterday, long before we got off.
But, I like being off on Friday, even if it comes so infrequently. Being off on Friday lets me get a start on my weekend, getting the chores done so that I can fully enjoy Saturday and Sunday.
This morning I went to the Planning Commission and submitted the plans and drawings for the shop. Wrote them a check, and I should get the permits in a week or so.
Came home and mowed grass. The yard looks good and this might be the last time I mow it until Spring.
Started digging in the 'fridge, and found that leftover roast from Sunday. I know what to do with that, so I cut up some carrots and potatoes, and have it simmering int he pot.
Every time I walk past it this afternoon, I'll give it a stir. It's smelling good int he kitchen.
Now, to do some piddling chores that I've been putting off.
But, I like being off on Friday, even if it comes so infrequently. Being off on Friday lets me get a start on my weekend, getting the chores done so that I can fully enjoy Saturday and Sunday.
This morning I went to the Planning Commission and submitted the plans and drawings for the shop. Wrote them a check, and I should get the permits in a week or so.
Came home and mowed grass. The yard looks good and this might be the last time I mow it until Spring.
Started digging in the 'fridge, and found that leftover roast from Sunday. I know what to do with that, so I cut up some carrots and potatoes, and have it simmering int he pot.
Every time I walk past it this afternoon, I'll give it a stir. It's smelling good int he kitchen.
Now, to do some piddling chores that I've been putting off.
Thursday, October 19, 2017
What A Weazel
Not my words, Ed Driscoll's. But it appears that Jim Comey had already decided to exonerate Hillary even before the investigation was complete.
As more and more is revealed, it seems that Comey was neck deep in the action. Not the crime itself, but certainly drove the cover-up. And, did it ineptly I might add. A good cover-up never comes to light. I am convinced that Jim Comey did more to wreck the credibility and reputation of the FBI than any other director, ever.
I am so contemptuous of Jim Comey that I even have "Comey's Disgrace" as a post tag. If I ever get the opportunity, I intend to spit directly on his shoes.
WE HAVE THE WORST POLITICAL CLASS IN AMERICAN HISTORY. FBI Confirms: Yes, James Comey Finished His Draft of the Speech Absolving Hillary Clinton Months Before Concluding the Investigation.You might recall that summer speech where Jim Comey led us down a primrose path, then shut the gates on both ends of the garden. Until that point, I had a great deal of respect for the man, believing him to be an upstanding individual deserving of admiration. His performance during the Hillary election cycle revealed him to be just another political hack,
As more and more is revealed, it seems that Comey was neck deep in the action. Not the crime itself, but certainly drove the cover-up. And, did it ineptly I might add. A good cover-up never comes to light. I am convinced that Jim Comey did more to wreck the credibility and reputation of the FBI than any other director, ever.
I am so contemptuous of Jim Comey that I even have "Comey's Disgrace" as a post tag. If I ever get the opportunity, I intend to spit directly on his shoes.
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
So, this guy has been rolling through my parking lot.
Middle aged white male, late model Chevy pickup. Toneau cover
Fourth pass, I shut him down. "Can I help you find something?"
Inside the cab, I see two cell phones running, and he's wearing a Pokemon Go wristband.
"I'm playing Pokemon, and this parking lot is a hot-spot. They're everywhere. I've captured four in the last half-hour."
I was just a little bit amused. "Okay... Pokemon, hun?"
"Yeah!" He's animated. "Am I in any trouble?"
"No, you're good. Drive carefully, and watch out for the kids."
I jotted his plate down as he rolled slowly out of the parking lot.
Middle aged white male, late model Chevy pickup. Toneau cover
Fourth pass, I shut him down. "Can I help you find something?"
Inside the cab, I see two cell phones running, and he's wearing a Pokemon Go wristband.
"I'm playing Pokemon, and this parking lot is a hot-spot. They're everywhere. I've captured four in the last half-hour."
I was just a little bit amused. "Okay... Pokemon, hun?"
"Yeah!" He's animated. "Am I in any trouble?"
"No, you're good. Drive carefully, and watch out for the kids."
I jotted his plate down as he rolled slowly out of the parking lot.
Monday, October 16, 2017
Making Drawings, Getting Permits
I have poured a few slabs in my day. I've got a picture around here somewhere, my grandfather is coaching me on footings. I have the shovel, he's supervising. Twelve inches deep into undisturbed sol.
I helped my Dad pour slabs and build pole-barns. If anyone had told the old man (either my granpaw or my dad) that they needed a permit to build a shop, or a bran, they'd have shorted and looked at you like you'd lost your mind. What a man does on his own property is really not the business of government, and if you do something stupid and have your foundation crack, that's not the government's problem.
Several years ago, I put in a swimming pool in the back yard. Didn't need a permit. No one asked. But, when I put in a pool house and told them I was putting a toilet, I had to have a permit. The permit cost me $35.00 No drawings or nothing. The whole permitting process went like this.
Me: "They tell me I need a permit to put in a bath house."
Gov't lady: "It's $35.00. What's your address?"
Not so much these days. We have a bureaucratic regulatory infrastructure that bleeds a man dry, oversees every aspect of his life and oversees his every move.
SO, for a project that 50 years ago would have been done properly by family with no government involvement at all, now we're having to ask the government for permission to build a structure on my land. I consider that an utter confiscation, and I'm going to have to pay a tax (permit fees) based on the square footage of the building.
I am outraged, but I'll channel my frustration until the permits are obtained, the building is complete, then I'm going to start writing hate mail to my elected representatives. The Founding Fathers would be apoplectic. The very idea that a confiscatory government can tell a property owner what he can do with his own property is anathema to freedom loving people.
I helped my Dad pour slabs and build pole-barns. If anyone had told the old man (either my granpaw or my dad) that they needed a permit to build a shop, or a bran, they'd have shorted and looked at you like you'd lost your mind. What a man does on his own property is really not the business of government, and if you do something stupid and have your foundation crack, that's not the government's problem.
Several years ago, I put in a swimming pool in the back yard. Didn't need a permit. No one asked. But, when I put in a pool house and told them I was putting a toilet, I had to have a permit. The permit cost me $35.00 No drawings or nothing. The whole permitting process went like this.
Me: "They tell me I need a permit to put in a bath house."
Gov't lady: "It's $35.00. What's your address?"
Not so much these days. We have a bureaucratic regulatory infrastructure that bleeds a man dry, oversees every aspect of his life and oversees his every move.
SO, for a project that 50 years ago would have been done properly by family with no government involvement at all, now we're having to ask the government for permission to build a structure on my land. I consider that an utter confiscation, and I'm going to have to pay a tax (permit fees) based on the square footage of the building.
I am outraged, but I'll channel my frustration until the permits are obtained, the building is complete, then I'm going to start writing hate mail to my elected representatives. The Founding Fathers would be apoplectic. The very idea that a confiscatory government can tell a property owner what he can do with his own property is anathema to freedom loving people.
Hillary Opens Her Pie Hole on Sexual Abuse
Hillary can't keep her mouth shut. She weighed in on the Weinstein scandal.
Hillary has none of those traits. She's simply a conniving Harpy who saw political potential and decided that she would suffer an humiliation as long as she could ride the wave of political power. Her statements on sexual abuse run the gamut from protecting Bill to accusing other people of misconduct.
That trait, more than an other prove that she is unfit for political office. Thank God she wasn't elected to our highest office.
We Just Elected A President Who Admitted To Sexual Assault, You KnowYeah, she actually went there. As if we don't know that Hillary is married to a serial sexual predator who, among other things, abused young interns in the Oval Office. His sexual exploits as governor of Arkansas are legendary, and Hillary actively assisted in his defense. If Hillary had any pride, any sense of self-worth, any character at all, she would have left Bill the first time he humiliated her.
Hillary has none of those traits. She's simply a conniving Harpy who saw political potential and decided that she would suffer an humiliation as long as she could ride the wave of political power. Her statements on sexual abuse run the gamut from protecting Bill to accusing other people of misconduct.
That trait, more than an other prove that she is unfit for political office. Thank God she wasn't elected to our highest office.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Broken Ground
When Belle and I bought this place, back in 2004, one of the appealing pints was a big open area next to the house. We've used that open space for everything. It's a great place for kids to play, it's a great space to run and tumble. As the grandkids got older, the open space changed several times, but there have been a lot of frisbees and footballs thrown on that open, empty lot.
But, in the back of my mind, I wanted a shop. A large, enclosed area to enooy. Sometimes I considered it a pip-dream. Recently, though, I was able to realize a windfall, and started talking to contractors. It appears that my shop will become a reality. I'm applying for permits and doing it right, but this project is moving forward.
My son and I broke ground on Friday. Just scraping the grass off, and starting to try to see the contour of the land. I bought a transit, and we'll be getting accurate elevations soon and as soon as we can complete the pad, I have a trusted concrete firm to come in an lay the slab.
It's going to be a metal building, 40' X 50' (2000 sq ft), all metal construction, with 10 ft eaves. It will have a 3-on-12 gable roof, with one 12' roll-up and one man door. I have money in the budget for spray-on closed cell foam insulation and two huge wall-mounted air conditioning units.
We're excited about this, and can't wait to see it move along.
But, in the back of my mind, I wanted a shop. A large, enclosed area to enooy. Sometimes I considered it a pip-dream. Recently, though, I was able to realize a windfall, and started talking to contractors. It appears that my shop will become a reality. I'm applying for permits and doing it right, but this project is moving forward.
My son and I broke ground on Friday. Just scraping the grass off, and starting to try to see the contour of the land. I bought a transit, and we'll be getting accurate elevations soon and as soon as we can complete the pad, I have a trusted concrete firm to come in an lay the slab.
It's going to be a metal building, 40' X 50' (2000 sq ft), all metal construction, with 10 ft eaves. It will have a 3-on-12 gable roof, with one 12' roll-up and one man door. I have money in the budget for spray-on closed cell foam insulation and two huge wall-mounted air conditioning units.
We're excited about this, and can't wait to see it move along.
Pot Roast
Pot roast always a Sunday staple at both of my grandparents houses. My maternal grandmother used a method that I never really nailed. Her gravy had a corn starch thickener, and although I stood over her shoulder as she worked her magic, I never was able to duplicate her efforts.
But, my paternal grandfather, who lived two miles away, also cooked a pot roast as a Sunday staple. One Saturday I asked him "PawPaw, teach me to make a pot roast." He took the Sunday roast out of the fridge and he walked me through, step by step until it went into the oven. It's really pretty simple.
It's been a year or so since I cooked one, and yesterday I went over to the local butcher shop and found a nice 8 lb roast. This one is bottom round, but any will do. Chuck, shoulder, rump, it really doesn't matter. Basically, all we're doing is searing a piece of beef, then cooking it in gravy.
POT ROAST
Ingredients
Large roast to fit your pot.
Vegetable Oil
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Large peeled onion
Celery stalk
Prep
In a large Dutch Oven, heat a little oil, enough to cover the bottom. Sear your roast on all sides to a medium brown. Remove from oil.
Make a roux with your flour and the oil in the bottom of the pot. If you don't know how to make a roux, click on the link. When the roux is the proper color (I like mine a medium brown, but some like it darker), add water to make a gravy. Salt and pepper to taste.
Put the seared roast into the gravy, preheat the oven to 350 Peel the onion and drop it whole into the pot. Likewise that stalk of celery. Put the lid on the dutch oven and slide the whole thing into that hot oven. Let it cook at 350 for four hours.
We'll serve this one for lunch today, with mashed potatoes, English peas, and Belle's good yeast rolls.
Bon apetie!
But, my paternal grandfather, who lived two miles away, also cooked a pot roast as a Sunday staple. One Saturday I asked him "PawPaw, teach me to make a pot roast." He took the Sunday roast out of the fridge and he walked me through, step by step until it went into the oven. It's really pretty simple.
It's been a year or so since I cooked one, and yesterday I went over to the local butcher shop and found a nice 8 lb roast. This one is bottom round, but any will do. Chuck, shoulder, rump, it really doesn't matter. Basically, all we're doing is searing a piece of beef, then cooking it in gravy.
POT ROAST
Ingredients
Large roast to fit your pot.
Vegetable Oil
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Large peeled onion
Celery stalk
Prep
In a large Dutch Oven, heat a little oil, enough to cover the bottom. Sear your roast on all sides to a medium brown. Remove from oil.
Make a roux with your flour and the oil in the bottom of the pot. If you don't know how to make a roux, click on the link. When the roux is the proper color (I like mine a medium brown, but some like it darker), add water to make a gravy. Salt and pepper to taste.
Put the seared roast into the gravy, preheat the oven to 350 Peel the onion and drop it whole into the pot. Likewise that stalk of celery. Put the lid on the dutch oven and slide the whole thing into that hot oven. Let it cook at 350 for four hours.
We'll serve this one for lunch today, with mashed potatoes, English peas, and Belle's good yeast rolls.
Bon apetie!
Friday, October 13, 2017
Variables
Variable power scopes, that is.
There is a lot to like in a fixed power scope. One of my favorites was a Weaver K6 that I had for a while, mounted on my old Savage 110 in .30-06. A good fixed power scope is a joy, but unless you're searching online, you just don't see them. I was in the box store yesterday browsing scopes, and I don't believe I saw a classic fixed-power at all on the racks. I don't know if folks seem to buy variables, so the stores stock them, or if folks buy variables because that's all the stores stock, but the box stores seem to stock a bunch of variables.
I have an old Burris 2.5X fixed scope on my Marlin 336 in .35 Remington. It's been on that rifle since about 1980 and it has accounted for its share of venison.
I have a nice little Nikon 4X scope on my .22 rifle. It's a joy to shoot, never a lick of problem. And, that Weaver K6 is a real good scope. But, the fact is that there are a lot more variable scopes on the market than there are fixed scopes, so we've got to learn to live with them.
Anonymous asks in Comments:
Back in the day, a shooter might experience a change of impact while switching the power on a variable. That was pretty common. But, things have gotten better lately, and if the POI changes, it's often not enough to matter when your game is minute-of-deer. The simple fact is that optics are a lot better now than they were when I stated paying attention to them way back in the last century.
There is a lot to like in a fixed power scope. One of my favorites was a Weaver K6 that I had for a while, mounted on my old Savage 110 in .30-06. A good fixed power scope is a joy, but unless you're searching online, you just don't see them. I was in the box store yesterday browsing scopes, and I don't believe I saw a classic fixed-power at all on the racks. I don't know if folks seem to buy variables, so the stores stock them, or if folks buy variables because that's all the stores stock, but the box stores seem to stock a bunch of variables.
I have an old Burris 2.5X fixed scope on my Marlin 336 in .35 Remington. It's been on that rifle since about 1980 and it has accounted for its share of venison.
I have a nice little Nikon 4X scope on my .22 rifle. It's a joy to shoot, never a lick of problem. And, that Weaver K6 is a real good scope. But, the fact is that there are a lot more variable scopes on the market than there are fixed scopes, so we've got to learn to live with them.
Anonymous asks in Comments:
What power do you normally keep it set at ? I have a 2.5-8x on my .308 but keep it set at 5x nearly all the time.That's a good question. And, the answer is; it depends. If I'm still-hunting through the woods, slipping from tree to tree, that scope will be set low. If I'm in a box stand somewhere, I might set it a little higher for the best view of wherever I expect the game to cross. If I'm shooting paper or steel on the range, I might crank it all the way up to best see the target.
Back in the day, a shooter might experience a change of impact while switching the power on a variable. That was pretty common. But, things have gotten better lately, and if the POI changes, it's often not enough to matter when your game is minute-of-deer. The simple fact is that optics are a lot better now than they were when I stated paying attention to them way back in the last century.
The Silent Service
I've never been a sailor-man, instead choosing to serve in the Army, but I have a great deal of respect for the folks who cruise the undersea world.
My stepson, JimBob was an enlisted submariner during his service. He claims that he toured the world, but saw very little of it. He mostly lived in a steel tube. Sometimes, on a dark, still night, the boat would surface and the skipper would allow them some time on the deck, but otherwise he was mostly inside the steel tube.
We all know they're out there, but we don't talk about them much. Unless we want to send a message. And, it looks like the Navy is sending a message.
And, it will be good for the sailors. Let them get a little kimchi, some of that good Korean beer, and wander about for a bit before getting back in that steel tube and go silent again.
They're out there, Kim, all the time. A whole lot closer than you think.
My stepson, JimBob was an enlisted submariner during his service. He claims that he toured the world, but saw very little of it. He mostly lived in a steel tube. Sometimes, on a dark, still night, the boat would surface and the skipper would allow them some time on the deck, but otherwise he was mostly inside the steel tube.
We all know they're out there, but we don't talk about them much. Unless we want to send a message. And, it looks like the Navy is sending a message.
The guided missile submarine USS Michigan will visit the port of Busan this weekend for the second time this year, in what is a clear warning to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.I hope that Fat Boy Kim is paying attention. The Navy wants him to know that he has guided-missile subs just off the coast.
And, it will be good for the sailors. Let them get a little kimchi, some of that good Korean beer, and wander about for a bit before getting back in that steel tube and go silent again.
They're out there, Kim, all the time. A whole lot closer than you think.
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Leupold VX-1
Some of you may remember the Remington 700ADL that I picked up back in 2011. Fine little rifle, bought off a pawn shop shelf.
I really liked that rifle, and part of the appeal was the Leupold VX-1 scope that was on it when I bought it. Those old VX-1s didn't have click-adjustment turrets, but it stayed zeroed, shot well, and eventually it went home with a grandkid. So be it, that's what PawPaws do.
But, I liked that Leupold well enough that I remembered it.
A couple of weeks ago, I bought a Ruger American in .308. Of course it didn't come with a scope. So, today on my lunch hour I was looking around in Academy and came upon what looked like a pretty good deal. A Leupold VX-1 on sale. So, I picked one up.
Later, as I unboxed it, I got a nice surprise. These turrets are click adjustable, with nice, tactile clicks. This scope is the standard, 3X9X40, ubiquitous on deer rifles all over the country. It has a matte finish and the Leupold gold ring around the objective.
Nothing fancy, just a nice little workaday scope. It should fit very nicely on that Ruger American. And, for an out-the-door price under $200, I don't think I did bad at all. It was right at the Amazon price, and I walked out with it.
Now, if I can just remember where I put that set of low rings.
I really liked that rifle, and part of the appeal was the Leupold VX-1 scope that was on it when I bought it. Those old VX-1s didn't have click-adjustment turrets, but it stayed zeroed, shot well, and eventually it went home with a grandkid. So be it, that's what PawPaws do.
But, I liked that Leupold well enough that I remembered it.
A couple of weeks ago, I bought a Ruger American in .308. Of course it didn't come with a scope. So, today on my lunch hour I was looking around in Academy and came upon what looked like a pretty good deal. A Leupold VX-1 on sale. So, I picked one up.
Later, as I unboxed it, I got a nice surprise. These turrets are click adjustable, with nice, tactile clicks. This scope is the standard, 3X9X40, ubiquitous on deer rifles all over the country. It has a matte finish and the Leupold gold ring around the objective.
Nothing fancy, just a nice little workaday scope. It should fit very nicely on that Ruger American. And, for an out-the-door price under $200, I don't think I did bad at all. It was right at the Amazon price, and I walked out with it.
Now, if I can just remember where I put that set of low rings.
Who is Harvey Weinstein?
If you've been following the news at all this week, you've heard of Harvey Weinstein. He's a big-shot Hollywood producer who contributed greatly to the political elite, the Democrats.
He's also a serial abuser of young talent. It turns out that the old story about the "casting room couch" is not simply a Hollywood punch line. Oh, the stories are everywhere. It turns out, Harey's predilection for abusing young lovelies was an open secret. Everyone in the industry knew! But, Harvey was rich, powerful and gave a lot of money to the Democrats. Particularly Bill and Hill, so the open secret got swept under the rug.
NBC even killed a story about it. And now, the DAs in the jurisdictions where Harvey plied his trade are stumbling around the fact that even they covered for him.
It's a huge scandal, and one that affects Democrats. It's such a huge story that even Ben Affleck wants a piece of the action.
These guys should be smarter than this, but power corrupts. When you combine power, entertainment, money, politics and the Democrats with bylines (the press), it's easy to see how this story could be swept under the rug. This entire scandal speaks to the hypocrisy of powerful Democrats.
He's also a serial abuser of young talent. It turns out that the old story about the "casting room couch" is not simply a Hollywood punch line. Oh, the stories are everywhere. It turns out, Harey's predilection for abusing young lovelies was an open secret. Everyone in the industry knew! But, Harvey was rich, powerful and gave a lot of money to the Democrats. Particularly Bill and Hill, so the open secret got swept under the rug.
NBC even killed a story about it. And now, the DAs in the jurisdictions where Harvey plied his trade are stumbling around the fact that even they covered for him.
It's a huge scandal, and one that affects Democrats. It's such a huge story that even Ben Affleck wants a piece of the action.
These guys should be smarter than this, but power corrupts. When you combine power, entertainment, money, politics and the Democrats with bylines (the press), it's easy to see how this story could be swept under the rug. This entire scandal speaks to the hypocrisy of powerful Democrats.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Pore ol' Tom
Tom Brokaw, that is. Yeah, that Tom Brokaw, who pens a piece at the NBC website about guns. He tries first to establish his bona-fides.
But he really doesn't like "military" guns. And misunderstand the law.
Then he brings up the First Amendment canard.
I would think that a "respected" journalist like Tom Brokaw could come up with a better argument than this, but he printed it, didn't he?
I am a gun owner and have been since I was 12, growing up in South Dakota. I still have an assortment of shotguns and rifles, all used for sporting purposes.Good for you, Tom, I didn't realize that. You own guns and hunt. Good for you.
But he really doesn't like "military" guns. And misunderstand the law.
But the Second Amendment does not guarantee the right to bear any arms you please. Fully automatic weapons have long been illegal to buy, as have bazookas and artillery pieces our troops take to war.That's interesting, Tom. I don't know any prohibition on buying either rocket launchers or artillery. Or tanks. I know of several folks (and a quick Google search would reveal more) who own those very things. It's an expensive hobby, like your ranch in Montana, but it's not illegal.
Then he brings up the First Amendment canard.
I am a journalist, protected by the First Amendment. “Congress shall make no law,” it says, except that all journalists know they cannot, among other acts, deliberately libel a person or falsely shout fire in a crowded theater without legal consequences.You're absolutely right Tom, and it's still against the law to murder people. I'm sure that if I shoot someone there might be consequences. Just like if you libel someone there might be consequences. So what's your point?
I would think that a "respected" journalist like Tom Brokaw could come up with a better argument than this, but he printed it, didn't he?
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Tuesday Two-Fer
CNN: White People Aren't Allowed to Criticize the NFL Kneeling
Sure we are, and we're allowed to boycott advertisers and criticize anyone we we want to criticize. We're especially allowed to criticize racist CNN commentators who separate people by race.
Commissioner to NFL teams: Stand for the anthem
It looks like the boycott is working. I know that the Commish didn't come to this conclusion out of a burst of patriotic pride, or he would have hammered Kapernick a year ago.
Sure we are, and we're allowed to boycott advertisers and criticize anyone we we want to criticize. We're especially allowed to criticize racist CNN commentators who separate people by race.
Commissioner to NFL teams: Stand for the anthem
It looks like the boycott is working. I know that the Commish didn't come to this conclusion out of a burst of patriotic pride, or he would have hammered Kapernick a year ago.
ESPN
I can't tell you the last time I watched ESPN. I may have been in a room where a game was playing, but with all the political hoopla that follows sports these days, my interest has pretty much waned.
Conservatives are tired of their ever-lefty controversy coverage, so we've tuned out, and now it seems that the left is outraged over their treatment of someone I've never heard of.
ESPN should be known as the Embattled Sports Politics Network. I don't watch them, and actually had to look on my channel guide to see if they were listed on my cable package.
Conservatives are tired of their ever-lefty controversy coverage, so we've tuned out, and now it seems that the left is outraged over their treatment of someone I've never heard of.
ESPN should be known as the Embattled Sports Politics Network. I don't watch them, and actually had to look on my channel guide to see if they were listed on my cable package.
Monday, October 09, 2017
Fifty-One Years Later
On October 8, 1967, two companies of Bolivian Rangers engaged in a firefight with a small contingent of Communist guerrillas and found that they had captured the famed Che Guevara. As Time magazine reports.
The Quebrada del Yuro, deep in the stifling Bolivian jungle 75 miles north of Camiri, is a steep and narrow ravine that is covered with dense foliage. There, early last week, two companies of Bolivian Rangers totaling more than 180 men split into two columns and quietly stalked a handful of guerrillas. Shortly after noon, the troops spotted their men, and both sides opened up with their rifles and automatic weapons at a withering, point-blank range of 150 feet. After a lengthy fight, four Rangers and three guerrillas lay dead, and four other guerrillas had been captured.
One of the prisoners was no ordinary guerrilla. He was Ernesto (" Che ") Guevara, 39, the elusive Marxist firebrand, guerrilla expert and former second in command to Fidel Castro whose name had be come a legend after his disappearance from Cuba 2 1/2 years ago. Since that time, much of the world had thought Che dead (perhaps even at Castro's hands) until his presence in Bolivia was dramatically confirmed a short time ago...
Dressed in a dusty fatigue shirt, faded green trousers and lightweight, high-top sandals, Che caught a bullet in his left thigh as he advanced toward the government troops; another bullet knocked his M-l semiautomatic carbine right out of his hands. In Che 's rucksack, the Rangers found a book entitled Essays on Contemporary Capitalism, several codes, two war diaries, some messages of support from "Ariel"—apparently Castro—and a personal notebook. "It seems," read one recent notebook entry in Che 's tight, crisp handwriting, "that this is reaching the end."
Which reminds me of a story. Along about the fall of 1975 I had been commissioned, but had not yet entered active duty. I was given an opportunity to go on a canoeing trip in northwest Arkansas with a group of soldiers, the cadre of the ROTC detachment that had commissioned me. These were battle-hardened men, each with at least two tours in Vietnam, and they took the responsibility of training soldiers very seriously.
One of these guys was a slight, wizened, NCO named.... well, let's call him Bill. (I would never have dared to use his first name, even if Bill were it, but that will do for our purposes.) Bill was a very senior E-8, a Master Sergeant in Army parlance, and while he had done several tours in the 'Nam, his first love was South America.
Bill was a Special Forces NCO, a Green Beret, and while he came from the Midwest, he spoke fluent Spanish, smoked Marlboro cigarettes, and had a legendary affection for El Producto cigars and Falstaff beer. When drunk, Bill would lapse into Spanish. He hinted often of clandestine operations in South American countries and professed a love for the country and the people. He professed that the jungles of Vietnam had nothing on the jungles of Bolivia.
We were on that trip, and setting over the campfire as men are apt to do, and some of the old warriors started telling war stories. During a lull in the conversation, Bill took a long pull on a Falstaff and said to no one in particular. "Don't believe anything you read about the death of Che."
We all looked at Bill like he had sprouted wings. This was going to be a great story.
He went on to tell us that his Special Forces team had been tracking Che for several weeks, and pretty much had him pinned down. Bill described Che as a "murderous little bastard" who thought that he was the savior of Bolivia, but that he was easy to follow, just follow the trail of bodies.
On that afternoon, they had a pretty good idea of where Che was holed-up, but they sent out patrols to try to pin down the exact location. As it turned out, Che was moving his camp that day and the two parties of moving men stumbled into one another near a heavily tangled ravine in the Bolivian jungle. A firefight ensued and Che was wounded in the fight.
Bill told us that the official reports said that Che was killed later by Bolivian forces, but that it didn't happen quite that way. But, the CIA was in charge of the operation, so they got to write the reports.
It was a long time ago.
DiFi: The Mask Slips
In an interesting article, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) talks about guns, and the mask slips.
But then she tells us what she's really thinking.
Anti-Second Amendment crusader Senator Dianne Feinstein admitted on a Sunday spin show that no law could have stopped the maniac who massacred 58 people and injured almost 500 in Las Vegas last week.That's what we've been saying for years. The only law he broke is the law against murder,
But then she tells us what she's really thinking.
“America is a gun-happy country. And I think there are many of us in growing numbers that don’t want a gun-happy country,” said DiFi.There is the crux of it. She doesn't want a gun-happy country. She wants to change the entire culture. Remember, gun control isn't about guns at all. It's about control. They want to control us.
Speed
Talking about Saturday's post, I mentioned that it is entirely possible to miss a 24 inch plate at 6 feet. Judy asked the question in comments:
But, we're using guns that replicate the equipment available in the 1880s. Single action revolvers. So, to be successful, you have to draw the revolver, cock it with your thumb, level it, find the trigger and fire the revolver, all in the space of about half a second. If you do the math, you'll find that the muzzle of the gun has to be within a 5-degree cone at our match distances of 21 feet.
This is instinctive shooting. No one uses the sights. In fact, if you look at the rules, the front sight is optional. We don't care if you have a front sight on your gun at all. It's like pointing your finger at something and letting fly. Sounds simple, right?
Not really. This is a game we can't perfect. But, we've come up with drills that help us. One of those is to drop the target down to belt level and get close. Go as fast as you possibly can and hit the target. It gets you out of your comfort zone and lets you see where your natural point of aim is located. After just a little while, you'll start to see a pattern on your target, a place where your bullets cluster. That's your natural point of aim. Then, when you've found that "sweet spot", translate it back to the match distance of 21 feet.
Most of my misses were to the left of the target. Most of Belle's misses were low. She was getting on the trigger before the gun was level, and that translated into low misses. This is useful information that will help us in the future. It's a drill that we'll do once in a while to help us build muscle memory, to push ourselves a little, and to have fun. It's like drag-racing with revolvers.
What do you figure was the problem that caused y'all to miss the plate?The simple answer is Speed. Ours is a game of milliseconds. The goal is to draw the revolver and hit the target before your opponent hits the target. The targets are outfitted with electronics to tell us who hits fastest, and an average shooter will hit the plate in just a shade over half of a second. Sounds simple, right?
But, we're using guns that replicate the equipment available in the 1880s. Single action revolvers. So, to be successful, you have to draw the revolver, cock it with your thumb, level it, find the trigger and fire the revolver, all in the space of about half a second. If you do the math, you'll find that the muzzle of the gun has to be within a 5-degree cone at our match distances of 21 feet.
 |
| Target distance, 21 feet |
Not really. This is a game we can't perfect. But, we've come up with drills that help us. One of those is to drop the target down to belt level and get close. Go as fast as you possibly can and hit the target. It gets you out of your comfort zone and lets you see where your natural point of aim is located. After just a little while, you'll start to see a pattern on your target, a place where your bullets cluster. That's your natural point of aim. Then, when you've found that "sweet spot", translate it back to the match distance of 21 feet.
 |
| Target distance 6 feet. Belle's going fast. |
Sunday, October 08, 2017
Google Ads
Google Ads are such dumbasses. Let me explain.
Today, son and I were talking about a project that I'm working on. We're getting ready to move some dirt to make a level pad, so that we can pour a slab so that I can build a shop.
"Hey, Dad", he says, "we're going to need a transit."
Okay, I understand that, because we've got to level the pad. A transit is a good idea, although not a tool that we think about every day. But, he uses one at work, and finds the one he uses, and at about $250.00, it's not a bad idea. The family can use it for other projects and I can use it for CFDA, leveling targets across a line.
So, we find one at Engineer Supply. It's the exact same instrument that son uses at work. It comes with a tripod, a stick, and all the stuff we'll ever need. This is a lifetime purchase. An instrument of this caliber should last my lifetime and the lifetime of my kids. So, I pushed the button, gave them a card number and it's on its way. Free shipping, 7-10 business days, yada, gada.
An hour or so later, I'm surfing around, and up pops a Google Ad. For a transit level.
Hey, stupid! I've already bought it. There is no sense sending me an ad. It's on the way. And, I doubt that I'll be buying any more. This one should last me forever.
I don't know what algorithm Google Ads uses, but they should know that once I've hit the "add to cart" button, the usefulness of ads is long past.
Today, son and I were talking about a project that I'm working on. We're getting ready to move some dirt to make a level pad, so that we can pour a slab so that I can build a shop.
"Hey, Dad", he says, "we're going to need a transit."
Okay, I understand that, because we've got to level the pad. A transit is a good idea, although not a tool that we think about every day. But, he uses one at work, and finds the one he uses, and at about $250.00, it's not a bad idea. The family can use it for other projects and I can use it for CFDA, leveling targets across a line.
So, we find one at Engineer Supply. It's the exact same instrument that son uses at work. It comes with a tripod, a stick, and all the stuff we'll ever need. This is a lifetime purchase. An instrument of this caliber should last my lifetime and the lifetime of my kids. So, I pushed the button, gave them a card number and it's on its way. Free shipping, 7-10 business days, yada, gada.
An hour or so later, I'm surfing around, and up pops a Google Ad. For a transit level.
Hey, stupid! I've already bought it. There is no sense sending me an ad. It's on the way. And, I doubt that I'll be buying any more. This one should last me forever.
I don't know what algorithm Google Ads uses, but they should know that once I've hit the "add to cart" button, the usefulness of ads is long past.
Sunday Morning Dawg
It's been a while since I did a Sunday Dawg, and I thought that maybe today would be a good day.
He's doing fine, thanks for asking. He's getting blind, and stays a lot closer to us than he did while he was a puppy, but he's still getting around just fine.
He's doing fine, thanks for asking. He's getting blind, and stays a lot closer to us than he did while he was a puppy, but he's still getting around just fine.
Saturday, October 07, 2017
Backyard Practice
Three of us met this morning in the backyard. It's a whole heckuva lot easier to set up and tear down the range here than it is somewhere else, and everyone else is off squirrel hunting anyway. I needed some practice, so we set up the range.
When you have a small group, you get to do some teaching. I started teaching Big Bill how to work the equipment and call the line.
We shot for a while at 21 feet, Here's Belle, getting her gunfighter on. We worked that for an hour or so, then I decided to do something I'd read about earlier.
When you're trying to push your speed, there is a lot to think about, and gunfighting isn't a thinking sport. You've got to be fast and accurate, and generally, you trade off one to get the other. If you go fast, you're less accurate, if you're accurate, you're not quite as fast.
So, if you drop the target down to holster level, and you go as fast as you possibly can, you start to see things in your draw that you haven' seen before, and after ten or twelve shots, a group starts to emerge. That's your "sweet spot", where you're going as fast as you can, and putting the bullet on the plate. As your group emerges on the plate, it's just a matter of finding out how to translate that, with foot position, to the 21 foot range we use at competitions. It's an interesting exercise.
We all shot at six feet, and here is Belle, taking her turn at target. She's starting to get a group to emerge, nicely centered around the light, and just a bit left of center. Also, she was hitting the plate with times in the 6s, which is fully a tenth of a second faster than her best time at 21 feet.
We also learned (all three of us) that it is entirely possible to miss a 24 inch plate at 6 feet. That's sobering.
But, we had a great time, shot some ammo, learned some things, and now it's time to clean guns and reload ammo.
When you have a small group, you get to do some teaching. I started teaching Big Bill how to work the equipment and call the line.
We shot for a while at 21 feet, Here's Belle, getting her gunfighter on. We worked that for an hour or so, then I decided to do something I'd read about earlier.
When you're trying to push your speed, there is a lot to think about, and gunfighting isn't a thinking sport. You've got to be fast and accurate, and generally, you trade off one to get the other. If you go fast, you're less accurate, if you're accurate, you're not quite as fast.
So, if you drop the target down to holster level, and you go as fast as you possibly can, you start to see things in your draw that you haven' seen before, and after ten or twelve shots, a group starts to emerge. That's your "sweet spot", where you're going as fast as you can, and putting the bullet on the plate. As your group emerges on the plate, it's just a matter of finding out how to translate that, with foot position, to the 21 foot range we use at competitions. It's an interesting exercise.
We all shot at six feet, and here is Belle, taking her turn at target. She's starting to get a group to emerge, nicely centered around the light, and just a bit left of center. Also, she was hitting the plate with times in the 6s, which is fully a tenth of a second faster than her best time at 21 feet.
We also learned (all three of us) that it is entirely possible to miss a 24 inch plate at 6 feet. That's sobering.
But, we had a great time, shot some ammo, learned some things, and now it's time to clean guns and reload ammo.
Here Comes Nate!
Squirrel season opened in Louisiana this morning, and lots of hunters are i the woods, especially in central and northern Louisiana. It's a rite of passage in this area, and lots of folks are chasing squirrels in every available patch of woods. Others are taking the opportunity to scout for deer. Bow season is open and the gun season opens later this month.
But, out in the Gulf, we've got a problem. A hurricane named Nate. With maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, it's not an especially strong storm, but it has the potential to bring damaging winds and rain to southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi.
Rainfall from this thing will affect the Mississippi River valley, across Mississippi, Alabama, Northern Georgia, well, you can see the map.
For PawPaw, Nate is not going to have much impact. I'll be doing the usual Saturday stuff, We're shooting in the backyard this morning, then after lunch, traveling to a friend's place to look at a range her recently built. We'll be back home before 5:00 because I'm supposed to meet a contracor who wants to bid on a concrete slab I'll be pouring soon.
But, out in the Gulf, we've got a problem. A hurricane named Nate. With maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, it's not an especially strong storm, but it has the potential to bring damaging winds and rain to southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi.
Rainfall from this thing will affect the Mississippi River valley, across Mississippi, Alabama, Northern Georgia, well, you can see the map.
For PawPaw, Nate is not going to have much impact. I'll be doing the usual Saturday stuff, We're shooting in the backyard this morning, then after lunch, traveling to a friend's place to look at a range her recently built. We'll be back home before 5:00 because I'm supposed to meet a contracor who wants to bid on a concrete slab I'll be pouring soon.
Thursday, October 05, 2017
New Rifle
It's been a while since I bought a new rifle. I have my rifles, and I'm happy with them, but with all the hoopla today that the anti-gunners are stirring up, on my lunch hour, I stopped by the local merchant of death to see what they had new on the racks.
Yeah, it's a lousy pic, but I'm tired. That picture is it, right out of the box on the break-room table at work where I was showing it off.
It's a Ruger American Compact in .308 Winchester. It is a lot lighter than I thought it would be, at about 6.5 lbs. I've heard really good things about these rifles and it will be interesting to see if the hype holds up to the practice.
I'll have to put a scope on it, but that is a simple matter, the bases are already attached. I've got a scope and some rings around here, so we'll work on that tomorrow.
Yeah, it's a lousy pic, but I'm tired. That picture is it, right out of the box on the break-room table at work where I was showing it off.
It's a Ruger American Compact in .308 Winchester. It is a lot lighter than I thought it would be, at about 6.5 lbs. I've heard really good things about these rifles and it will be interesting to see if the hype holds up to the practice.
I'll have to put a scope on it, but that is a simple matter, the bases are already attached. I've got a scope and some rings around here, so we'll work on that tomorrow.
Mass Executions
It seems that the liberals are becoming unhinged, to the point where not only do they support the death penalty (what a shock)), that now they're wishing for mass executions.
Taken from here. I'm old enough to remember when liberals were generally against the death penalty. Now, they want to line us up and shoot us.
Banning Springs
SayUncle got an Instalanche from a recent piece. It's worth reviewing here, and I doubt he'll notice the traffic bump from y little blog. It seems that bump-stocks are the newest boogieman on the liberals hysteria curve.
All that aside, it seems that bump-fire stocks are the new boggieman of the left. It's a tube with a spring in it. It's not magic, it's not evil, it's physics. And, it's only good if you want to turn money into noise. I recall, back in the day, a friend of mine who experimented with gluing a small gun eraser behind his trigger to balance trigger pressure against the sear spring. It worked, after a fashion. But again, it was physics.
But, SayUncle recalls (as I also recall), another example of springs being evil.
Yet, the simple fact of this equation is that a bump-fire stock is a tube with a spring, and a magazine is a box with a spring and the available evidence is that ignorant, liberal Democrats want to ban springs.
Bumpfiring is an effective way of turning money into noise. It’s ineffective at shooting accurately. These bumpfire gizmos are basically tubes that go over some part of the gun. And some have springs in them. They’re simple. The loon in Vegas had 12 bumpfire stocks.Yesterday, I talked about how horribly ineffective the Vegas bozo was at accurate, lethal full-auto fire. Basically, he didn't know what he was doing. Thankfully so. Any gunner I ever trained would have had half the crowd wounded and four times as many dead. This guy was a rookie.
All that aside, it seems that bump-fire stocks are the new boggieman of the left. It's a tube with a spring in it. It's not magic, it's not evil, it's physics. And, it's only good if you want to turn money into noise. I recall, back in the day, a friend of mine who experimented with gluing a small gun eraser behind his trigger to balance trigger pressure against the sear spring. It worked, after a fashion. But again, it was physics.
But, SayUncle recalls (as I also recall), another example of springs being evil.
Remember way back in 2012 when David Gregory, clearly breaking DC law, held up an AR-15 magazine and showed it to the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre. He held it as though it had some magical killing power. It’s a box with a spring in it. Yup. All the righteous indignation over a box with a spring in it.I recall being amazed that Gregory wasn't charged criminally. He did commit a felony on national television. After asking permission and being told not to do it.
Yet, the simple fact of this equation is that a bump-fire stock is a tube with a spring, and a magazine is a box with a spring and the available evidence is that ignorant, liberal Democrats want to ban springs.
Now, of all the proposed gun laws the democrats and press (but I repeat myself) are going on about out there, I think this one is most likely to pass due to the hysteria from those ignorant of how these things workBecause, you know, hysteria and ignorance are good reasons to pass laws.
Wednesday, October 04, 2017
Fake News - Vegas Shooting
Okay, I'm reading a lot of fake news about the Vegas shooter. Let's put this to bed. Like this story for example. I'll highlight some of the more bizarre claims.
I trained my gunners to get 100% target coverage with a 100 round belt. Any of my gunners could do that. Thankfully, the bozo was neither trained or effective. With a target like that, fully half should have been wounded, and many more than 58 killed. Any of the gunners I trained would have tripled the body count.
Even highly trained Navy Seals would have a difficult time running a full auto weapon for 10 minutes straightUh, no. I'm pretty sure that any good E-4 could run a full auto weapon for ten minutes, especially if he had twenty of them prepped and ready to go, as this bozo evidently did.
Such weapon systems are brutal on the operator. They require tremendous strength, stamina and expert troubleshooting to keep running. Full-auto weapons overheat and jam. They demand incredible strength to keep aimed on target. They require expert reloading and weapons clearing in the case of jamThey're really not that hard to run, if it jams, you drop it and get another, which was the plan that the Vegas bozo relied on. This guy didn't intend to clear jams.
... system in the sustained, effective manner that we witnessed, especially when shooting from an elevated position which throws off all the ranging of the weapon system.This one really gets me. I've trained machine gunners, and firing from an elevated position is always recommended, if possible. As far as "effective" fire, he was't really that effective. From all I can understand, he was firing at a crowd of thousands from well withing the effective range of his systems.
I trained my gunners to get 100% target coverage with a 100 round belt. Any of my gunners could do that. Thankfully, the bozo was neither trained or effective. With a target like that, fully half should have been wounded, and many more than 58 killed. Any of the gunners I trained would have tripled the body count.
More on the Vegas Shooter
More information is starting to come out about the Vegas shooter (who's name I won't use). It's coming out in bits and pieces, some of it interesting, some of it sobering, and I feel that during the rest of the week, and month, we will learn more about this evil man.
One article this morning at PJMedia, tells us about the man that Los Vegas police are crediting with helping them locate the shooter. Mr. Chris Bethel is an Iraq War vet, who happened to be staying at the Mandalay Bay for an IT conference. The whole article is informative and compelling, but this particular paragraph caught my eye.
In other news, it appears that the madman's girlfriend is back in the US and police are questioning her. It will be interesting to get some questions answered about his motivation on conducting such an attack.
One article this morning at PJMedia, tells us about the man that Los Vegas police are crediting with helping them locate the shooter. Mr. Chris Bethel is an Iraq War vet, who happened to be staying at the Mandalay Bay for an IT conference. The whole article is informative and compelling, but this particular paragraph caught my eye.
Back at home in Fort Worth, he said, "Seconds are going by, minutes are going by, and the rounds are continuously going -- changing weapons, changing calibers...." He explained that he could tell that Paddock was using multiple rifles from the sound of the gunfire.Bethel also felt like he wasn't doing enough, although he was on the phone with police trying to give them as much information as possible.
"The hardest part about it for me is feeling like I couldn't do -- I couldn't get ahold of somebody fast enough," he said.He need not worry. He did good, and has nothing to be ashamed of. In my mind, he's a hero.
In other news, it appears that the madman's girlfriend is back in the US and police are questioning her. It will be interesting to get some questions answered about his motivation on conducting such an attack.
Tuesday, October 03, 2017
Heh!
Just a little late afternoon humor. You can click it to big it.
Heh! I forgot where I stole it from.
Suppressors
Have you ever been under fire? Have you ever heard a bullet go past? It's one of those sphincter-tightening moments that is unmistakable and unforgettable. A rifle, you see, shoots bullets above the speed of sound. Many times the speed of sound. You will hear a pop or a whizz before you hear the report of the gun.
Combat veterans know what I'm talking about. As do the people in the crowd at the Vegas massacre.
The folks with no experience have no idea, but that doesn't stop them from spouting blather. There is a bill coming on the floor of the House to de-regulate suppressors and Hillary is running her slack-jawed mouth about how horrible it would be if the madman in Vegas has used a suppressor.
When, in fact, the topic of suppressors is totally irrelevant to this conversation. The folks in that crowd new very quickly that they were under fire Even the Washington Post calls bullshit on Hillary's accusation. But, you see, even ignorant, ill-informed Democrats have opinions, even if they are the carrion-crows of the political world.
Hillary and her ilk are laughable, simply because they are so wrong, so often. If she had actually ever been under fire, she would have known how wrong she is.
Suppressors don't stop you from knowing that someone is shooting at you. Only the most ignorant, ill-informed Democrat (but I repeat myself) would harbor such a thought.
Combat veterans know what I'm talking about. As do the people in the crowd at the Vegas massacre.
The folks with no experience have no idea, but that doesn't stop them from spouting blather. There is a bill coming on the floor of the House to de-regulate suppressors and Hillary is running her slack-jawed mouth about how horrible it would be if the madman in Vegas has used a suppressor.
When, in fact, the topic of suppressors is totally irrelevant to this conversation. The folks in that crowd new very quickly that they were under fire Even the Washington Post calls bullshit on Hillary's accusation. But, you see, even ignorant, ill-informed Democrats have opinions, even if they are the carrion-crows of the political world.
Hillary and her ilk are laughable, simply because they are so wrong, so often. If she had actually ever been under fire, she would have known how wrong she is.
Suppressors don't stop you from knowing that someone is shooting at you. Only the most ignorant, ill-informed Democrat (but I repeat myself) would harbor such a thought.
Monday, October 02, 2017
Well, of Course They Do
It seems that the Dems are already calling for gun control in the wake of the Vegas shooting.
Of course, they are. The blood isn't even dry yet.
Lets consider for a minute how laws stopped this guy.
1. He used a fully automatic weapon, the most controlled type of firearm in the US. You can get one legally after paying a $200 tax, undergoing a strict FBI background check, and paying mult-thousands of dollars IF you can find one for sale. All of the legal ones were made prior to 1968 OR
2. Acquiring an illegal one, OR
3. Illegally modifying an existing semi-auto OR
4 Stealing one. THEN
5. I'm pretty sure that killing 58 people is still a felony. Even in Vegas.
Yeah, I'm sure that more gun laws would have been helpful in this particular case.
Democrats, though, being Democrats, love dancing in the blood.
Of course, they are. The blood isn't even dry yet.
Lets consider for a minute how laws stopped this guy.
1. He used a fully automatic weapon, the most controlled type of firearm in the US. You can get one legally after paying a $200 tax, undergoing a strict FBI background check, and paying mult-thousands of dollars IF you can find one for sale. All of the legal ones were made prior to 1968 OR
2. Acquiring an illegal one, OR
3. Illegally modifying an existing semi-auto OR
4 Stealing one. THEN
5. I'm pretty sure that killing 58 people is still a felony. Even in Vegas.
Yeah, I'm sure that more gun laws would have been helpful in this particular case.
Democrats, though, being Democrats, love dancing in the blood.
The Las Vegas/Mandalay Bay Shooting
Yeah, it was horrific. At this count, 58 dead, several hundred wounded, and that count is liable to climb. I first heard about it when I turned on the computer this morning.
At this point, late afternoon Monday, there are several things we know.
1. If you listen to the video, it sounds like he's using an automatic weapon. Lots of ratatat-tat. Where he got the automatic weapon is still a mystery, but I'm sure that the police will clear that up shortly. You know that ATF is digging into that question relentlessly.
2. This guy doesn't fit the criteria of the usual mass shooter. It just doesn't make sense that a 64-year-old white guy would light up a crowd of country music fans. With an automatic weapon. It doesn't fit the profile. I'm sure that the psychologists are going to be looking hard into his psyche.
3. It seems to have been pretty well planned. He knew exactly where he wanted to launch from and he had prepared his battle space.
4. From what I understand right now, he offed himself before the SWAT team breached the room. That's normally the way these things work out.
We'll be learning more as the week progresses. A lot of what we've learned so fat is probably wrong, or incomplete, or something.
At this point, late afternoon Monday, there are several things we know.
1. If you listen to the video, it sounds like he's using an automatic weapon. Lots of ratatat-tat. Where he got the automatic weapon is still a mystery, but I'm sure that the police will clear that up shortly. You know that ATF is digging into that question relentlessly.
2. This guy doesn't fit the criteria of the usual mass shooter. It just doesn't make sense that a 64-year-old white guy would light up a crowd of country music fans. With an automatic weapon. It doesn't fit the profile. I'm sure that the psychologists are going to be looking hard into his psyche.
3. It seems to have been pretty well planned. He knew exactly where he wanted to launch from and he had prepared his battle space.
4. From what I understand right now, he offed himself before the SWAT team breached the room. That's normally the way these things work out.
We'll be learning more as the week progresses. A lot of what we've learned so fat is probably wrong, or incomplete, or something.
New Hope
New hope for people with age-related blindness.
The device, called the Argus II, is just one of a growing number of bold new approaches to treating blindness, offering hope to the millions of mostly older Americans in danger of losing their sight from macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and other eye diseases.As Insty might say; Faster, please.
Sunday, October 01, 2017
Sunday Ruminations
Finishing my last cup of coffee between chores, I look to the news and see that LSU lost to Troy State. I had to look twice. Google it yourself. I talked with a huge LSU fan last night during the game, and he said that he was to the point where he really didn't care.
Some wags have said that you can have the best coach in the world, but it the players don't perform, he can't win the game by himself. That's true, but it's the coaches job to win. It's called leadership. If we carry forward the metaphor of football as battle, then we have to recall that we honor the soldiers who fight the battle, but the generals who lose battles are normally sacked. It is what it is.
LSU's football program is on a downhill slide, and I put that blame firmly in the closet of the last head coach, whts'isnam who should have been run off after the horrible performance of the BCS Championship game against Alabama in 2011
It'll be interesting to see who takes a knee at NFL games today. It'll also be interesting to see how many folks don't tune in. I certainly won't.
The kids will be over in a little while, and we're cooking Italian Beef. This stuff is easy, and a real crowd-pleaser. I recommend it highly.
Some wags have said that you can have the best coach in the world, but it the players don't perform, he can't win the game by himself. That's true, but it's the coaches job to win. It's called leadership. If we carry forward the metaphor of football as battle, then we have to recall that we honor the soldiers who fight the battle, but the generals who lose battles are normally sacked. It is what it is.
LSU's football program is on a downhill slide, and I put that blame firmly in the closet of the last head coach, whts'isnam who should have been run off after the horrible performance of the BCS Championship game against Alabama in 2011
It'll be interesting to see who takes a knee at NFL games today. It'll also be interesting to see how many folks don't tune in. I certainly won't.
The kids will be over in a little while, and we're cooking Italian Beef. This stuff is easy, and a real crowd-pleaser. I recommend it highly.
More PopCorn
Hey, guys, thanks for the support. With your efforts and mine, we have raised enough money (and sold enough popcorn) for my grandson to throw a pie at his Scoutmaster.
We ain't there yet, but we can be. The link to the page is here.
This isn't for me, this supports Scouting, particularly the kids at Pack 12 in Baton Rouge.
I didn't realize until I ordered it, but the product is shipped directly to you and the kids get the money. Shipping and handling on my order was only $1.05, which isn't bad at all.
Let's push him over the top. You'll love the popcorn, I promise.
We ain't there yet, but we can be. The link to the page is here.
This isn't for me, this supports Scouting, particularly the kids at Pack 12 in Baton Rouge.
I didn't realize until I ordered it, but the product is shipped directly to you and the kids get the money. Shipping and handling on my order was only $1.05, which isn't bad at all.
Let's push him over the top. You'll love the popcorn, I promise.
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