Posts Tagged ‘rifles’

A Day at the Range … cont.

October 31, 2008

cont. from : https://patricksperry.wordpress.com/2008/10/29/a-day-at-the-range-new-rifles/#comments

Diane’s new rifle: She is sixteen years old and recently took the Hunter Safety Course after deciding that if all the boys were out hunting that is where she wanted to be. After all, she makes a habit of showing up the boys at their own game. Her mother thinks it is more like “she wants to be around the boys…” In any case I passed some pleasantries with her mother while everyone was getting set up. I learned that Diane’s father had been killed in an accident when she was twelve, and that her mother worked as a waitress. That she had looked for an inexpensive rifle for her daughter, and that a friend had given Diane an old scope for her new rifle. It was a Burris 3 X 9, and appeared to still be in very good condition. I personally know those scopes to be among the best that are made, anywhere, at any price. Her rifle? It was a Mossberg ATR 100 chambered in 270 Winchester. Her ammunition was Remington Core-Lokt 130 grain. This, friends, is a hunting set up on the cheap. Other than the scope this is, well, to be honest, a Wal-Mart set up front to rear. Thank God these folks have friends… Jim’s Grandfather (see above story) offered to give it a once over, and they took the offer. He swabbed out the barrel removing a lot of shipping / storage gunk, and cleaned off the bolt, a tiny squirt of Rem Oil down the trigger group, and she was ready to go! Folks, after what I went through with an early production 835 I am not a big Mossberg fan, to say the least! So, what happened went Diane got to shooting? I had yet another experience in crow pie eating. I am beginning to think that I am an expert of such fare… Diane shot five strings of three rounds each. Results? The last two strings were both on the eight, and roughly three quarters of an inch… This entire set up cost less than three hundred dollars. Go figure! I have to believe that with more practice and refinement Diane will, in fact, be showing up most of the boys!

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Posted in Economics, Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

A day at the range, new rifles…

October 29, 2008

The other day I meandered out to the local rifle range. There were four people there with brand new rifles that ran the gamut from very low cost entry level rifles, to the latest issue of “The Rifleman’s Rifle.”

Let’s start with Jim and his very first big game rifle. Jim is fourteen years old, and has been shooting rim fire competition for several years with the Junior NRA. His rifle was a gift from his grandfather after he had earned the rank of Second Bar Sharpshooter. The rifle? A Remington model 700 ADL chambered in 243 Winchester a proved deer and Pronghorn caliber. It was topped with the excellent Sightron SII 3 X 9 scope. His grandfather was there and told me that he had lapped the barrel, action, and rings. He is a gunsmith and gone through the rifle completely before giving it to Jim. Bearing in mind that his grandfather purchased the entire set up at wholesale and that there were no labor charges involved the cost was estimated at just over $900. That, is quite a savings! The ammunition being used that day was Federal one hundred grain soft point. A proved yet economical deer stopper. Grandpa used his laser bore sight, not only on Jim’s rifle, but on all that were tested. I have to believe that helped save a lot of money!

Jim shot from the bench with the rifle resting on sand bags, the target at one hundred yards. He shot strings of five rounds, and the barrel was swabbed with Hoppe’s Elite between each string. The results were astounding, at least to me they were. The first group was roughly one and a half inches, centered on the seven ring at five o’clock. As noted the barrel was swabbed, and adjustments to the scope were made. String number two was centered on the nine ring at six o’clock and measured just under one inch. Another swab job, and scope adjustment and it was on to string three. That Jim was settling in and getting the feel of his new rifle was pretty apparent. String three was dead on the “X” and measured less than three quarters of an inch! This was not using match ammo, as noted above! Both myself and grandpa are advocates of the “zero point aiming” theory, and he adjusted the scope accordingly. Jim was instructed to hold at six o’clock, and the fourth string was fired. Yet another swab job, and string five was fired down range. We walked out to the target (It was not changed between string four and five.) Everyone was more than a bit impressed. All ten rounds grouped together, and were covered by a dime! I can only foresee better things for Jim and his new rifle as the barrel further breaks in, and he builds even more confidence.

Tomorrow we will cover Diane’s new rifle.

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Posted in Economics, Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Men's Issues, News, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Well..?

July 1, 2008

Let’s start a bit of controversy, among my friends, as well as others that wish to weigh in. Just what, is the best rifle type, and caliber for the most common type of hunting that you do, where you live.

Here is my honest answer: There just isn’t one. Small game I like the Ruger Ten Twenty Two, 10/22. Varmints that are a bit to large for the 22 long rifle? I have long been a fan of the Remington model 700 medium weight barrel rifle chambered in 22/250. For Deer sized game, and Pronghorns? Several combination will do the job, and again, territory has a lot to do with this… Model 700 in 280 Remington; But if I could have two? A model 70 in 257 Roberts, and a Marlin 336 in the venerable 30/30. Then we get to big deer, and Elk, and Bears that top 400 pounds. The 300 Winchester Magnum wins hand down for caliber and I could care less if the rifle is Ruger, Winchester, or Remington. I have a caveat here though. In thick stuff, like dense Elder, or Black Timber? The Marlin guide gun in 450 Marlin…

This was for North America, let the fireworks begin! 🙂

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Posted in News, Uncategorized, Wordpress Political Blogs | 4 Comments »