Weather

 It looks like we're finally going to get some rain. What looks like a classic cold front is descending on us, and that cold air collides with the warm muggy Gulf air, it brings rain.  Blessed rain.  We haven't had much this summer, Louisiana is in a drought condition, with no rain to speak of in the past several months.

It's 56F on my back porch right now and it looks like that is going to be the high for today. Flannel is certainly on the list for wardrobe today. While this one front won't end the drought, it may end the statewide burn ban that we are under.

Saturday Shooting

 We closed out the 2023 competition shooting season today.  Ten matches, January thru October.  November and December are problematic for competitive shooting, with all of the holiday activities.  The club voted two years ago to end the competition in October. And we're done.

I just finished tallying the Top Gun Points for the year.  When we have a match, we give Top Gun points, based on placement.  Whoever gets the most Top Gun points at the end of the year get a really nice belt buckle. This year we have a tie among the ladies and we'll have to reconcile that before we give away the belt buckles.  I've opened the books for audit, in case anyone wants to clear up any errors.  Otherwise, we'll have to hold at least one shoot-off before the trophy ceremony.

That is a nice buckle and we're giving away eight of them in December.  Three each for Top Gun, Men and Ladies, and One each for Fastest Time, Men and Ladies.

Opening the news, I see that Mike Pence has suspended his presidential campaign. That makes sense, as he was way back inth epack.

Heating Up

 Things seem to be heating up in the Middle East.  I see where US Air forces have hit an Iranian target in Syria in retaliation for Iran's recent attacks on US troops in Iraq.

And, I see where Israeli forces have launched a major raid in the West Bank, playing whack-a-mole with Hamas. I expect that this is just another preparatory raid to clean up the battlefield before they go into Gaza. Of course, any time Israel is whacking Hamas, they are doing the right thing.

On a more mundane note, I'm piddling in the shop, preparing for our club match tomorrow. Not much going on here, and I'll take my time getting it done.

New Rifle

 I wandered into Academy Sport this morning, looking for .22LR ammo.  I found it, then wandered over tot he gun case. This weekend is the opener for the gun deer season, and the shelves were petty much picked clean. The counter guy asked me what I was looking for.

"I'm looking at a 22" I told him. "Don't really need one, but I'm always in the market." I could see a forlorn Ruger 10/22 on the rack behind him. "Let me look at that 10/22."

A fellow behind me said, "Best get it if you can.  Those things are hard to find lately."

The counter guy asked, "What do you intend to use it for?"

I smiled my most gracious old fudd smile, "Something to dissuade possums from the cat food."

"It's perfect for that". he replied.

It's the standard carbine in the birch stock.  Probably the most rare of Ruger 10/22s.  It is totally unmodified.  Which I will remedy soon.  It needs a carry strap and optics  I'm thinking a nice little variable on low rings. Another magazine or two.  And,I'm in no rush to get it done.

I've owned a lot of .22s during my life.  Marlins and Savage, and even some unmarked single shots.  By and large, the kids or grandkids have them now. This might be the last .22 I buy.  Then again, it might not be.

Mike Johnson Elected Speaker

 I see that Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson has been elected Speaker of the House.

Well, slap my neck and call me red.  Who saw that coming?

Mike represents the 4th District. Think Shreveport and that northwest corner.

Well Done, Mikke!  Now, get to work.

Crunchy Mom

I was surfing around today and heard a young woman identify herself as a "crunchy mon".  I was aghast.  Crunchy is not a population that young mothers want to be identified with.

Every tanker or armored cavalry soldier knows what a "crunchy" is.  It is that enemy who has been rendered hors de combat without use of bullets or explosives. Those are the people who are simply run over by the armored vehicle.  They tend to make crunching noises when under the tank treads.

Using that term to describe oneself is rife with misunderstanding.

The .22 Rimfire

 There are those who scoff at the diminutive .22 rimfire cartridge.  They do so at leisure and highlight their ignorance.

Long before I was a cop, or a soldier, I was a hunter. I have seen a lot of game taken with the .22 rimfire.. While I wouldn't want to go into combat with a .22, nor even patrol the streets with one, I understand the utility of the little cartridge.  Certainly, there are better cartridges for almost every use, it's hard to dismiss the .22 for all-around honors.

The .22 is easy to shoot well.  It's accurate, inexpensive and generally lightweight. You can carry a bunch of them in your pocket. While it's not the best at every task, it's damned good at lots of tasks.  It may be one of the most used cartridges in violent encounters i the US.

Those uses aside, I know that it has been used to take many game animals that you might not realize.  I once knew a man who took Whitetail deer with a .22

The largest hog I personally ever shot (over 350 lbs) was taken with a .22.  One shot, bang flop. The hardest past of that was loading it in the truck.

I have read accounts of moose being taken with the little cartridge.

There is one well documented account of a native woman taking a world record grizzly bear with the .22 rifle.  It's a great story and deserves to be read around campfires for many years.

If society crumbles and the zombies come out, I'm going to grab a .22 rifle, strap a .22 handgun to my waist, and head for the woods. It may not be the best combo for a lot of things, but it's the best combo for all-around.  Which reminds me, I need to pick p a couple more bricks of .22 ammo.

No Sympathy

 I have heard just about enough of the "plight of the Palestinians". Decades of poor decision making have led them to this deplorable condition. Now, I admit that I have never given the Palestinians much thought.  A quick review of the map doesn't show me a place identified as Palestine. I do see a place called Israel.  And, I see a place called Gaza.

Again, I haven't given it much thought, but a quick Google search tells me that in 2006 the Gazan folks held an election and voted in Hamas.  They elected a terrorist government. Simple math tells me that they have had 13 years to do simple things like dig water wells, begin generating electricity, set up a stable goernment and start taking care of people.  Things like securing food and fuel. But they didn't. I can't find an airport in Gaza, nor yet a seaport.

Hamas has done nothing to govern these poor people, yet that is what they voted for.  It's not Israel's fault that they don't have water or electricity or fuel.  It's Hamas fault. The Palestinian people cannot travel.  THey have no passports.  Who's fault it that? Hamas.  They are the elected government.

Bobody wants the Palestinians.  Not Jordan, nor Egypt, and certainly not Louisiana. I have no sympathy for prople who got exactly what they voted for.

The .25 ACP

Author's note.  This is a story from my cop days.  It is as I remember it. Names and places have been changed to protect the ignorant. In 37 years behind the badge, I've seen some stuff, and worked cases that some folks won't believe. I started my career in 1980, and retired from two agencies, serving in a variety of positions.  This is one of those stories.

The .25 ACP us much maligned as a self-defense cartridge, and rightly so. I don't want to get shot with one, and I don't want to get shot with anything.  Let me tell you a story.

Back in the early 80s, Dindu was shacked up with Gonorea (Gu'-nor-e-a). She had an apartment in the big projects, down off MLK Blvd.and Dindu slept there most nights.

It was Saturday night, and Dindu was out hustling at a place called "the square", trying to score a few dollars selling low-grade weed. Dindu happened to look down the block and observed Gonorea under the streetlamp on the corner. Talking to some other dude. Dindu took offense and extracted from his pocket a small Raven Arms handgun in .25 ACP.  He took one shot at what was later measured to be about 125 yards. Gonorea folded up like a cheap pocket knife. Graveyard dead.

The police came and scooped up the body.  Began looking for Dindu..They found him the next morning and took him to the jail house. They found the pistol, and sent toe body for an autopsy.

The medical examiner found the bullet in the deceased skull. It had hit her in the forehead, penetrated the skull and entered her brain, causing instant death.  He sent the bullet to the forensic lab, who matched the bullet to the handgun. Game, set, match.

Dindu was charged with murder, which requires intent.  His defense attorney adopted a legal strategy where he argued that Dindu had no reasonable intent. It was a Raven in 25 ACP.  No reasonable marksman could expect to make such a shot, at night, at that range, with that gun. It was either Bad Luck, or an Act of God, but the shot had no reasonable chance of success.

The jury did't buy it.  THey did drop the charge to manslaughter and Dindu got a 20 year sentence.

Old Time Duck Calls

Video below on how duck calls were made, back in the day.  I'm simply boosting the signal here.

Schism

 The United Methodist Church, a large protestant denomination, has been undergoing schism for the past couple of years.  The church has adopted social justice stances that do not appeal to a broad portion of its membership, and many believe that the denomination has strayed from the Good News of the Gospel to teachings that are at odds with conventional Christian beliefs.

Some congregations are opting to witdraw from affiliation.  For example:

Christ United Methodist Church of Jackson voted Sunday to disaffiliate from the UMC Mississippi Conference after months of discernment over whether to join the thousands of congregations that have left the denomination amid the schism over the UMC stance on homosexuality.

I grew up in the United Methodist Church and worshipped with them as an adult, They are some of the most loving, kindest people that I know.  They are non-judgmental on many subjects, choosing to overlook some things that might cause problems in other congregations.  However, the denomination has gone much farther than many in the church believe they should go.

The United Methodist Church is undergoing a schism right now, and all good-hearted Christians should pray for them.

The history of a market hunter in 1900 era

My buddy Joe sent me this link, and took me down memory lane.  My grandfather did a little market hunting in his youth, on Black Lake, north of Natchitoches, LA. My grandfather preferred a Winchester Model 12, in 20 gauge. The only shell I ever knew him to shoot were Winchester Super-X in #6 shot.  These were, of course, the old lead shot.

Thanks, Joe, for the link and the trip down memory lane.

Learning Stuff

I've been playing in the kitchen.  Belle brought home a small package of fully cooked, sliced brisket that she found at Wal Mart.  It's kind of expensive, and not up to my standards for sliced brisket, but if you put it in a pan and heat it with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, it makes a really good sandwich.  We eat it on French bread, pressed in a sandwich press.  Although it seems expensive, there is no waste and feeds us lunch for two days. Anytime you can buy four nice sandwiches for $15, that ain't bad. From prep to plate, it's about fifteen minutes.

I was watching YouTube yesterday and saw a fellow making pancakes.  He claims that 1 cup of Bisquick and a half cup of Sprite make pancake batter.  I had to try it.  It makes a passable pancake.  Not as good as some I've had, but passable. You can make the batter in the time it takes to heat up the skillet, and the pancake ain't bad.

Which reminds me.  After pancakes this morning, I'm out of Steen's syrup.  Next time I go to the store, I'll have to remedy that.

Waiting

Ol' Joe went to Israel yesterday, probably did more harm than good.  No one wants to meet with him.

I've been watching the news, waiting for the IDF to kick off their incursion into Gaza. 

I really don't have anything else to comment on.  Belle and I have been chilling, just hanging out.   Nothing much happening on this little acre.

Short Round

 It seems that the Moose-limbs are having problems with their homemade rockets.  About 1/3 of them fail, sometimes spectacularly. In today's case, they launched one that failed and it fell on a hospital in Gaza, killing hundreds of people.

The Hamasians have very little regard for the people.  If you know your rockets suck, at least fire them where your people aren't down range.

I do feel sorry for the Palestinians stuck in Gaza.  Nobody wants them, and the ruling clique is actively killing them. Regardless of their politics, they are truly and royally fucked.

One other thing.  I keep hearing about how terrible it is that they don't have food, fuel, electricity, or water.  Hamas took over in 2006. In the intervening seventeen years, they haven't set up any electric generating capacity, or even dug water wells?  Those people are truly hosed.

Open Borders

 I see that the FBI is waring of increased threats of copycat attacks in response to the Hamas atrocities in Israel.  Go figure.

Check your magazines, and make sure that the bolt is oiled. I don't think that they want to play Cowboys and Arabs, but if they do, they should receive a warm welcome. Much warmer than they anticipated.

That is all.

Landry Wins

 Louisiana has what we call a "jungle primary".  Every candidate runs in the primary election.  If no one gets a majority (50% +1 vote), then the top two candidates progress to the general election. Our current attorney general, Jeff Landry, ran in a field of 15 candidates and came out on top with 52% of the vote.  He won it outright.

Congratulations, Jeff.

Conservatives won huge, up and down the ballot.  We still have several races going to the general election, but up and down the ballot, Louisiana voters pulled the lever for conservative candidates.   Maybe we are turning the corner toward a more business-friendly state.  We have a lot to do, but we have a chance now to return Louisiana to the people. RINOs who had worked with out left-wing governor were, by and large,  defeated by conservative candidates

Come January, they all need to get to work.

New Cargridges

 Hunters and shooters are enamored of new cartridges and rifles.  That's a fact.  We want the best cartridge available to pursue our given game, and with a new cartridge, that means a new riffle.  This is great news for the manufactures.

I haven't paid much attention to new cartridges in a decade or longer.  I was vaguely attentive when the 6.5 Creedmoor came out, but it didn't do anything that I needed to do, so it became a mild buzzing in my ears.  My sister-in-law shoots a .260 Remington and has taken her deer with it many times.  It works well for her. Her husband thought about stepping up to the Creedmoor, but couldn't justify it.  She's deadly withthat older cartridge.

When I go to the deer woods, I'm apt to carry a .30-06 Springfield.  My load pushes a 165 to just over 2800  I've never fired at a deer over 200 yards. I've also never had to track a deer over 50 yards.

I toyed with the .243 Winchester for a while. The 10 twist barrel would stabilize a 100 grain Nosler, but would not stabilize a 107 grain Hornady A-Max.  I toyed with the idea of getting an 8-twist barrel, but the 100 grain bullet put deer down with authority. I never could justify the expense just for another 7 grains of bullet.

Recently on YouTube, I came upon Ron Spomer's channel.  He's got a lot of good hunting and shooting videos, with good advice. In one video he was talking about the PRC line of cartridges, and I admit I had never heard of them.  So, I started Googling and found out that Hornady has come out with a new line of whiz-bang cartridges designed for long range shooting, using fast-twist barrels and proprietary brass, designed for those long, sleek pullets.  Good stuff.  Right now, you can get them in three flavors, 6.5nn, 7mm, and.30 cal. They are being touted as the 21st century answer to all you questions.

And, that is fine.  The ammo companies need to sell ammunition, and hunters are always looking for something new. I'm not going to talk bad about any of them. They are not trying to sell to me, because I am simply not in the market.  I may commission one more rifle before I go, but it won't be a newfangled cartridge.  I'm thinking more along the lines of the 250 Savage, or maybe a 7mm Mauser.  But then, there has always been that yearning for a .257 Roberts. Decisions, decisions.

Here’s THE TRUTH About the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (A Comprehensive...

That Every Man BE Armed

When I awoke Saturday to the news of Israel's heartbreak, I  wondered how such a thing could happen.  Israel is a country with mandatory military service, egro, everyone should know how to operate a rifle. And, Israel is surrounded by enemies, which means that cross-border raids would be fast and immediate:  no enough time for the Army to show up.  It simply makes sense that every little village or kibbutz should have a few firearms in the vicinity.

Wrong again, stupid!  Israel has fairly strict gun control.

Gun control in Israel is relatively strict, and firearm licenses are generally only granted to those who can show a need for extra security in their line of work or daily life. Meaning, one of the key criteria for a private citizen to receive permission to own a gun is where they live.

So, once again, gun control claims victims.  Helpless people gunned down without recourse to basic self defense.  The Israeli parliament should immediately re-think this whole thing.  The immediate objective is that every person should have the right to defend themselves.