Shoot The Guns

 

A new day, a new opportunity to shoot, so off we went to the range with a few guns, a 20 SxS, a 12 OU and a Marlin .22 WMR. Idea being to get some remedial shotgunnery in, and then a little plinking with the Marlin.

The range was overgrown and semi-flooded but we made it through, get a 4x4, LSP, and set up on dry ground next to a field, baking under a big Texan sky. The erstwhile Cadet went first, on the 12, and started smoking clays like a good 'un.

I followed up on the 20 and was more or less on, unlike the Specialist who specially smoked the clays with the same gun. Hmmm, improve your game, so-called "LSP." I did, and got in the zone, shooting far better to the right than left, curiously. Perhaps there's a moral in that.

A box of  orange "White Flyer" over, we moved on to the little magnum, shooting off the bed of the truck. Take that, fifty yard adversary, and the kid's offhand was impressive, right in the zone. Nice work. Then it was time to head back to the Compound, a good morning well spent.

I love shooting and file this tale under guns and country life in Texas.

Shoot straight,

LSP

Go to The Gunshop And Get a Haircut

A visit to Calgary isn't complete, for me at least, without a visit to the city's world famous Gun Shop Barber. That's right, a gun shop that's also a barber; you'll find it in Inglewood on 9th Avenue, and it's called Proline Shooters. I went there yesterday to browse the guns and get a cut.

Proline has a good, if smallish selection of firearms, and I cast a covetous eye at their burnished Sakos, gleaming behind the counter. Their pistol selection featured Glocks, Berettas and, I think, Sigs, plus a variety of I want one large revolvers. I may be wrong, but it seems that Canada bought into Beretta's PX4 Storm to a greater extent than the U.S. Whatever, Proline carries several variants. 

Then, after looking at a couple of sporterized Lees in the 2nd hand rack, I paid a visit to Dan the barber.

Dan, Photo by Jared Sych

We reminisced about his predecessor, Doug, who died of pancreatic cancer some years back. I liked Doug and was always curious about his socialism. Calgary's Red Barber, in a gun shop, that was him. May he rest in peace.

Haircut over, I headed out into the winter wonderland of 9th Avenue, and that, readers, was that.

Go to Proline, they're alright, and so's their barber, Dan.

Shoot straight,

LSP

Rural Ministry #2

Look. It's not all country rust-belt dystopia in the rural ministry. After you say Morning Prayer (Mattins), take Blue Bedford Forest for a walk and drink some coffee, it's only a short drive to the fields.

Sometimes it's misty, which I like, it reminds me of England. 

Then, when you've taken the Sacrament to the sick, you can drive back to HQ, pick up Blue Eschaton and go off and shoot. He's adjusting to gunfire, fortunately for him.

Then, after Evening Prayer (Vespers), you can clean guns and have a glass of the right stuff.

So I'm not complaining. 

I love the country.

LSP

Horse & Gun

Horses goofing about

Very enjoyable morning at the stables, light rain, cool(ish) and the horses were well behaved, which roughly translated means that they did approximately what I asked them to. Be-Bop's beginning to understand that 'Canter!' doesn't mean, 'become evil possessed facsimile of Pull Devil Pull Baker,' and I'm probably better at balance, seat, influence et al. So that's all good and a serious step forward in The Plan of moving recklessly fast 'cross country with weapons.

Speaking of which, had a Higgins/Marlin .22 shoot off after charging about the pasture, and the synth stock Marlin seemed to beat its elder, despite better foresight and longer, heavier barrel... confused by that, but maybe it was just my poor marksmanship.

Ancient Higgins Foresight - nice

Modern Marlin group at 50 yards

Ancient Higgins group at 50 yards

Well, all in a Thursday morning's installment of 'Horse & Gun'; remember to pray for the soul of Teddy "Lion of the Senate" Kennedy and for the miraculous cure of our national debt.

Deo Vindice.

LSP

What A Filthy Mess! Canine Postscipt

Dirty, very, very dirty. But don't me wrong, I'm not making a thinly veiled attack on the ethical standards of TEC (The Episcopal Church) and its ongoing legal blitzkreig against Christians. No, not even against its leaderene Boy Bishop, Katherine Schori and the Archdruid of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, not a bit of it - I'm referring to the old Marlin Model 60 pictured above.

It belongs to a parishioner who was complaining that her rifle wasn't feeding or ejecting properly, so she brought it in from the truck and sure enough, it was a tribute to the weapon that it worked at all. Anyway, I gave it a clean while she went off to clean the church - a fair swap, I figured.

A bit of elbow grease later and all was well; then the door bell rang and low and behold! Three policemen with M4s.

"Is there a person out the back with a rifle?"

"Just me Officer. I was cleaning it. You see, I'm the priest."

I showed them the Mod. 60, resisting the temptation to ask for a look at the assualt rifles and off they went - no harm done. It seems that my DWN (Dog War Neighbour) had lodged a complaint. I felt bitter. First its incessant pit bullian barking and now spurious visits by the Storm Troopers, God bless 'em...

So off I went thinking uncharitable thoughts when who should roll up but DWN himself. He didn't look too well but managed to shuffle up for a chat.

"Sorry I called the police, preacher."

"Thanks."

"See, I figured you were gonna shoot my dogs."

"No, I'm not going to shoot your dogs."

"See, I don't feel so good..."

And with that, DWN lifts his shirt to reveal a massive scar running the length of his belly. I'll spare you the details but he thanked the Lord that he was still alive and I assured him of my prayers, as he assured me that he wouldn't dial in an airstrike next time I cleaned a rifle at the back of the house.

The dogs still bark but I've increased in charity so it doesn't seem so bad and the Model 60 fires fine. The police are happy with their M4s and have invited me down to their range, which is alright by me. As for TEC, Schori, Williams & the secular humanist project, I'm not so sure, but that's a different story.

Have a blessed Feast of the Trinity.

LSP