Solar Still

 

My brother, over for a vacation. Make of it what you will.

Do watch to the end,

LSP

Smoke That Skeet

 

Someone once said, famously, Speed is fine. Accuracy is final, and skeet shooting's a bit of both, not that I'm any kind of expert. The orange bird zips out fast and you have to be on to get it. A typically quick, accurate, snap shot.

And how good when you connect and smoke the clay challenger. There's something especially satisfying about hitting that small moving target and watching it dust off. Big fun, but here's the thing, readers.

You may think, because shotgun, that pointing in the general direction and letting loose is going to work, street sweeper style. Think again. It helps to aim. Seriously. Don't forget, in the shotgunnery excitement of all, to aim.  Put that bead on the bottom edge of the clay, "popsicle" it, and squeeze the trigger. A fast movement for sure, but an accurate one.

But what am I saying. All you competition shooters out there have forgotten more about the sport than I will ever know. Regardless, the misnomered White Flyers took a right beating today, not least from the kid. Great result.

Then, after a headshot plinkathon against small steel at 150 yards, .22 WMR, we headed back to base. And what a good day out in the country with guns, just sheer enjoyment. Thanks, CR, for the invite. And now?

Pork chops, Yorkshire Pudding(!), roast potatoes and all the rest. A delicious end to a great day's shoot. It's raining too, another plus. Thank you, Climate Change.

Your Pal,

LSP

Life On The Range

 

It was just like the old days. Get up around first light, say Morning Prayer, drink coffee, then load up the rig with guns and head for the range. But this was different, this is JF's range with steel targets and shooting stations at 200, 600 and 1000 yards, all on his family ranch. What a great setup.

The crew were sighting in new Windham Armory AR pistols at 25 yards when I pulled in, and what solid little beasts they were! Good shooters, too. Then an AR rifle topped off with Aimpoint (nice) and a magnifier. 

JF Zeroing Some AR Pistols at 25 yards

After a few test shots to see if the weapon was on, it pretty much was, R went out to 200 yards, the furthest he'd shot, and was amazed to get his final round right in the center of the bull of a steel silhouette. I spotted, "Well done!" 

Behold big rejoicing in R's world. And fair play, not only does the rifle I built work but I can actually shoot it, sort of thing.  Next up, I got on JF's M1A, built from original parts except for the receiver, which is comparatively new and forged by wizards in some mountain fastness. Hey, it shot like a champ with .308 handloads striking gongs with regular authority. Iron sights to boot. I tell you, I want one.

Behold 1940s Awesome

Then, for kicks, a rimfire assault on our steel adversaries. I started off with a Marlin .22 WMR, compensating for an appx 100 yard zero and a moderate right to left wind. You see, at 200 yards the wind's going to blow that pokey if little bullet about, so try and shoot accordingly. 

I did, and the gun did well, with convincing shots in or around the bull. But if the power .22 performed, what about its little brother, a .22LR? With a 100 yard zeroed scope, compensate for bullet drop of around 2', wind, and squeeze the trigger. Then be amazed as the tiny round reaches its intended destination. Thanks, Ruger American.

Not A Ruger American

JF's 1940s match Winchester 52 B(?) with a Unertl scope didn't disappoint either. There it was, Browning match .22 LR filling the orange bull on a 36" plate. What a lot of fun. Would my Ruger American .17 HMR work at the 200 yard range, given the tiny, tiny bullet is liable to be taken up and gusted off target by even moderately big Texan wind? Wow. It worked and I was taken aback. Far less compensation needed than the .22 WMR.  Fast and flat. Awesome little zipper of a round.

200 Yard Line , Zoom in to See Targets on The Berm

Of course it helped to have a good spotter, thanks JF, at every level. And the moral? Get out and shoot under the big sky of Texas, preferably on a friend's land and, note, rimfire at 200 yards is good training for reading the wind at an affordable price. And it's fun, which is what it's all about.

Shoot straight,

LSP

Well Shoot - Another Foray Into The Heart of Southern Darkness

 

Birds sang and the sun shone in the big Texan sky. Yes, it was time to head out to the countryside yet again as part of our ongoing investigation into the scourge of rural systemic racism. And before you could whistle Dixie there I was, in a ranch shop, talking guns.

You know how it is, one thing led to another, a couple of Polaris quads revved up and there we were, slinging skeet and shooting plates. Racist? Well, the guns were black and brown, the plates white and the skeet orange. The quads were green. Hmmm. 

It was hard to stop myself admiring a WWII trophy Luger as I reflected on this knotty indigenous peoples justice conundrum, to say nothing of a canned Enhanced Remington 1911. The latter shot well, scoring hits on a plate at around 75 yards, big fun.

Then it was time to visit the Confederate Air Force at an aerodrome not too far from my friend's ranch, DD has a hanger there where he builds and restores airplanes. 

There was a CAF trainer on the tarmac about to get ready for take off. Some of you'll know the make/model but I forget the details.

Regardless, DD was working on a Cessna and the wings of another plane, which he showed us after a delicious snack of poppers, smoked sausage and ice cold beer. What a gentleman, I do not say that lightly. And he still flies, though in his '80s. He'd been in the US Aerobatics team. 

Then it was time to head back to the bucolic haven that is this small farming community in North Central Texas to hear someone's confession. Was this whole experience irredeemably, incurably, insufferably racist?

I can't answer that but I do say this, it was big fun.

Your Pal,

LSP

Shoot!

Sexless drones of the New World Order aren't able to defend themselves, but it's different for free citizens. That in mind, I loaded up a couple of guns in the rig and drove out to Karen's for bean and brisket burritos, so tasty, and then the range.

It felt good to get out in the country for a shoot, just you and the guns under a big Texan sky, complete with hawks and vultures swooping and gliding in search of prey. To say nothing of a green silhouette, a Glock, a Ruger and an AR.

We opened up with the pistol, .45 ACP smashing into paper with more or less accuracy, and then some brisk action with .556. Well done, gas gun, annoying to clean, fun to shoot. And I like this rifle; Bison barrel, Hipertouch trigger, Fortis handguard (light and easy), Primary Arms red dot and Magpul here and there. What a neat little heater. The .22, Brits would say "tutu", was fun too, well done, Ruger.

And that was that, a great afternoon at the range and a good time had by all. It'd been far too long since I was able to get out in the field so it was good to be back. Thanks, modern medicine and firearms tech.

In other news, the Recruit passed all his tests and grads from Basic at Fort Benning on Thursday. He tells me he enjoyed chucking grenades about. Boom. On the way to Georgia now.

I dedicate this short if heartfelt post to RRH who shot well for the first time ever, and Branston, who passed from darkness to light. No small achievement in either instance. As always, gun rights.

MAGA 2020

LSP

Let's Go For A Shoot!

"Can we go for a shoot, please?" asked an eager cadet. "Sure, it's about time. We have new weapons in the armory and it's the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. Let's go." Before you could say principles of marksmanship we were on our way to the range.

Would the  new guns, an Aero build .308 AR and a ChiCom SKS perform? Only one way to find out, shoot the beasts and that's what we did.

To be fair, I didn't know what kind of ammo the .308 had been zero'd in on and came with a random pack of 150 grain bullets. Would the weapon even be on paper? It was, straight out of the gate. Excellent result and that can be improved. Big fun to shoot, explosive sound and fury with the recoil of a 20 gauge.

That'll do for now

After the mighty ballistics hi-power of the .308 battle rifle, the SKS came in as a fun gun, easy to shoot and light as you like. It performed pretty much flawlessly, sending its chunky rounds down range with workmanlike, ComBloc effect.

So what's better, an SKS or a Mini 14? Good question and I hesitate to answer but I will say this. The SKS seems simpler and a bit easier to shoot. 

Still, it's factory basic, thanks, Commies and doesn't have a detachable magazine, unless you mess with it. But and it's a big but for shooters on a budget, it does cost a whole lot less. Whatever, your call, both are neat. For what it's worth, I see the SKS as a ranch rifle/fun gun on a budget.

After filling up the center mass of the Green Enemy we fell back to the small shooting house and some nice and easy plinking with a Ruger American .22.

The plates met their match.

Then it was time to head back to the Compound for Mass, a good day had by all. Moral of the story? Get out in the country and shoot, it's good for mind, body and soul.

Gun rights,

LSP

Tuesday Shoot

"I know," I thought to myself, "Let's go for a shoot." And that's what I did, Tuesday being as good as any other day to load up a couple of guns in the truck and head out to the range. But don't get the wrong idea; the "range" isn't some place that you have to pay to get into. No, it's just you and the guns, out there in the country, surrounded by a tall berm at 100+ yards. 

Watch Out For Snakes

Apart from a small shooting house and some targets, that's it. More serious shooters than myself use it to zero in their rifles from time to time, but mostly (almost always), it's empty. I like that.

The Beach in Spring

Before plinking about, I went for an armed walkabout to scout for squirrels and small game, perhaps a snake or two, but didn't see anything. However, down by a turgid pool of standing water that I call the "Beach," I saw some fresh deer tracks.

I'm hoping that this will translate into "meat in the freezer." We'll see.

If you think Honky Tonk Heroes by Waylon & Willie is bad, you are in serious error.

LSP